text: Good morning. Here’s your Early Warning for Wednesday, 22 December 2021.TODAY’S BRIEFING:Satellites pass hypersonic design testSupply chain demands increase air freight purchasesChina pushes propaganda on U.S. airwavesRussia-NATO SITREPIndo-Pacific SITREPDomestic SITREPFar Left Activity Rollup & OutlookSITUATIONAL AWARENESSSATELLITES PASS HYPERSONIC DESIGN TEST: The U.S. Missile Defense Agency approved hypersonic-tracking satellites designed by L3Harris and Northrop Grumman. An orbital mesh network of low Earth orbit Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensors (HBTSS) will provide targeting data for interception. While both manufacturers awaited approval from the Pentagon, construction of the satellite upgrades already began “to provide prototype HBTSS satellites that demonstrate the sensitivity and fire control quality of service necessary to support the hypersonic kill chain.” (Analyst Comment: U.S. officials admitted they fell behind Russia and China in hypersonic development, wasting years on laser and magnetic delivery systems. Tracking hypersonic vehicles is part early-warning system, part providing accurate targeting solutions as the glide vehicles can change course rapidly. This HBTSS program is another “decentralized” answer to threats from China, similar to survivable positioning-navigation-timing systems and the Marine Corps’ Pacific battle strategy. A common theme in these strategies is spreading forces and equipment to mitigate mass casualty or materiel events, potentially involving nuclear weapons. – D.M.)SUPPLY CHAIN DEMAND INCREASE AIR TRANSPORT ACQUISITION: The United Parcel Service (UPS) has ordered nineteen Boeing 767 freighters to compensate for growing air cargo demand due to bottlenecks with the domestic and international supply chain. This year marks record-breaking demand for Boeing freighter sales with air transport continuing to provide expedited orders during disruptions within the supply chain. (AC: The UPS announcement reflects the shift of businesses into online stores and e-commerce which add to the pressures already afflicting the global supply chain. Similar constraints have been reported across sea freight, railroad, and trucking, which have led multiple industries to start focusing on buffers within their supply chains for resiliency instead of solely focusing on efficiency for profit. More details below in the domestic sitrep. – D.F.)CHINA RUNS PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN USING U.S. MEDIA: The Chinese Communist Party paid a Washington, D.C., radio station $4.4 million over the past two years to broadcast propaganda, according to new federal foreign agent disclosures. The Virginia-based Potomac Media Group detailed its lucrative contract with the Communist Party’s International Communication Planning Bureau in filings last Thursday with the Justice Department. As part of the deal, Potomac Media’s WCRW, an AM station, airs content from China Global Television Network and a series of talk shows that portray China in a positive light. A Chinese state-run newspaper has paid millions of dollars to Time, Foreign Policy, and the Wall Street Journal to publish its articles online. (AC: China will continue to innovatively leverage the U.S. media to conduct information operations on behalf of the CCP. This is more China-related self-inflicted damage made possible by lax oversight and an unwillingness of DOJ to pursue Chinese state actors within the U.S.