Operations
Other Conflicts
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
News Reports

Current Operations

• AFGHANISTAN SECURITY VOA 17 Dec 2002-- Two-Thousand-Two was a remarkable year for the people of Afghanistan. Freed from the grip of the Taleban and al-Qaida, Afghans saw a transitional government take shape and a new national army and police force established
• 2002: A Momentous Year for American Armed Forces AFPS 17 Dec 2002-- Members of the U.S. military were instrumental in tremendous advancements in Afghanistan, Iraq, NATO and the United States, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today
• Supporting America's newest war MACS-4 keeps marksmanship skills on target Marine Corps News 17 Dec 2002-- Marines of Air Traffic Control A Detachment, Marine Air Control Squadron-4, Marine Air Control Group-18, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, conducted live-fire training recently at Camp Stronghold Freedom here to help familiarize themselves with the weapons and defensive measures that may be used during imminent attacks against American and allied forces.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 17 Dec 2002
• EAST AFRICA CONFLICTS VOA 17 Dec 2002-- The year 2002 has been groundbreaking for Sudan, where combatants have laid down their arms for the first time in nearly two decades. Burundi and Somalia have also taken some small steps toward ending their civil wars, though an end to those conflicts appears much further off
• ISRAELI / PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE VOA 17 Dec 2002-- After more than two years of a deepening cycle of violence, Israel has re-occupied most of the West Bank, making almost daily incursions into Palestinian cities. But the action has not brought the security Israelis had hoped for. Instead, Palestinian militants continue to carry out suicide attacks against Israelis. The dawn of 2003 shows a level of distrust between the two sides that holds little hope for peace any time soon
• INDONESIA ACEH VOA 17 Dec 2002-- Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri visits the province of Aceh just days after her government signed a peace accord with the Acehnese rebels.
• SPAIN/ETA VOA 17 Dec 2002-- A Spanish policeman was killed and another was wounded Tuesday in a shoot out with two suspected terrorists of the violent pro-Basque independence group ETA in the outskirts of Spain's capital

Defense Policy / Programs

• White House Daily Briefing White House 17 Dec 2002
• NAVY NAMES DDG 96, BAINBRIDGE, MARKING 100 YEARS OF THE DESTROYER 17 Dec 2002-- Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England has selected the name Bainbridge for its newest destroyer, DDG 96. As the U.S. Navy continues to recognize the 100th anniversary of the development of the destroyer type of warship (1902-2002) the Bainbridge will be a state of the art warship built at Bath Iron Works, a General Dynamics Company in Maine.
• ESRA Begins For USS John F. Kennedy, Other Mayport Ships Navy Newsstand 17 Dec 2002-- When USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) pulls into port, it'll be staying put for a while.
• 26th MEU (SOC) uses extra pre deployment time to further NBC readiness Marine Corps News 17 Dec 2002-- Marines and Sailors of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) and Amphibious Squadron-6 made practical use of some unusual extra pre-deployment training time Dec. 8-11 by conducting integrated Nuclear, Biological and Chemical training aboard Camp Lejeune and in Onslow Bay. The purpose of this training was to increase the proficiency of all MEU and PHIBRON personnel in the complex procedures of operating from shore to ship in a contaminated NBC environment.
• Officials release F-15E mishap report AFPN 17 Dec 2002-- Engine valve failure and the use of an incorrect instrument during a maintenance inspection were the primary causes of an F-15E Strike Eagle mishap at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 3, according to a report released by Air Combat Command Dec. 17.
• Air Force supports relief mission in Guam AFPN 17 Dec 2002-- Air Force C-5 Galaxy aircrews have flown more than 58 missions to deliver 1,200 tons of Federal Emergency Management Agency equipment and supplies to Guam after Typhoon Pongsona hit the island on Dec. 8.
• Train as they fight Marines attack 'enemy' in Korean exercise Marine Corps News 17 Dec 2002-- On a cold November morning off the horizon of the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the mist of the sky combines with smoke rising from the muzzles of numerous M16A2 service rifles and M249 Squad Automatic Weapons.

Defense Industry

• IFS applications makes first connection with Exostar for BAE SYSTEMS BAE Systems 17 Dec 2002 -- The first phase of a BAE Systems e-commerce project which links 'back office' production and scheduling systems to EXOSTAR, the global e-Marketplace for aerospace and defence, has gone live.
• MOD awards 70M Harrier support contract to BAE SYSTEMS BAE Systems 17 Dec 2002 -- BAE Systems has been awarded a post design services contract valued at some 70m by the UK MOD to provide in-service support to the Joint Force Harrier fleet.
• BAE SYSTEMS Thermal Weapon Sight completes key soldier testing BAE Systems 17 Dec 2002 -- BAE Systems Light Thermal Weapon Sight (LTWS) successfully completed two weeks of soldier trials for the U.S. Army's Dismounted Battlespace Battle Lab (DBBL) at Fort Benning, Georgia, November 8.
• MOD'S new online manuals expected to save 150 Million BAE Systems 17 Dec 2002 -- Maintainers and operators of military equipment will see a fundamental change as a billion pieces of paper disappear from UK Ministry of Defence files.
• BAE SYSTEMS IDECM system begins operational evaluation BAE Systems 17 Dec 2002 -- BAE Systems and the U.S. Navy have successfully completed Development Testing (DT) and have entered Operational Evaluation (OPEVAL) for the onboard portion of the Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasure System (IDECM) Radio Frequency Countermeasures (RFCM) system.
• Delta IV Prepares for First EELV Mission Boeing 17 Dec 2002 -- The Boeing Delta IV rocket booster that will launch the first Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle mission for the U.S. Air Force was erected on the launch pad today.
• General Dynamics Awarded $90 Million Navy Contract for SSGN and Trident Fire Control Systems General Dynamics 17 Dec 2002 -- General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs Office for development and support for the new SSGN Attack Weapon Control System and the Trident Backfit Fire Control System.

News Reports

• Daily Press Briefing State Department 17 Dec 2002 -- Afghanistan: Human Rights Watch Report on Status of Women / Relations with Ishmael Khan / Afghan Donors Conference
• VENEZUELA-TUESDAY VOA 17 Dec 2002-- In Caracas, tens of thousands of flag-waving opponents of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez have marched near the tomb of Simon Bolivar on the anniversary of the 19th century independence hero's death. The march came one day after police fired tear gas at anti-government demonstrators who blocked thoroughfares in the capital. Meanwhile, government efforts to free the country's oil industry from the clutches of a 16-day national strike are provoking new protests from petroleum workers and Venezuela's merchant marines
• State Department Noon Briefing Transcript Washington File 17 Dec 2002-- Boucher: On our own assessment, as the Secretary indicated yesterday, we see problems with the declaration and that our skepticism about Iraq and Iraq's cooperation and intentions has been well-founded. But this will be a process of discussion with other members of the Security Council, with the inspectors themselves. We'll look at all facets of Iraq's cooperation -- what's in the declaration, what's not in the declaration, what we know from other sources, what the inspectors themselves find out through their own inspections -- as we evaluate Iraq's cooperation and the final goal, which is to find out if Iraq is disarming or not.
• SHAPE NEWS MORNING UPDATE 17 Dec 2002-- Powell says U.S. will not try to push Saddam out if he disarms / Britain denies Iraq war build-up under way / Iraqi dissidents agree which groups should lead if Hussein falls / Top NATO commander in Armenia to oversees preparations for military exercises / NATO and EU begin "strategic partnership" after breaking deadlock on support for European military force / Bosnian Serb "Iron Lady" owns up at Hague hearing / Two ethnic Albanians charged with terrorism in Kosovo / Media group urges probe into death of Serbian editor / European groups blast Yugoslavia for imprisoning journalists / Pentagon debates whether the military should spread propaganda / U.S. Senator urges cooler rhetoric on weapons / U.S. Army troops to protect domestic Air Force bases
• SHAPE NEWS SUMMARY & ANALYSIS 17 Dec 2002-- More on Gen. Ralston's visit to Armenia / ISAF spokesman: NATO to assist foreign peacekeepers in Afghanistan / NATO-EU partnership viewed / Three Algerians arrested near Paris with chemicals, reportedly for attack
• PENTAGON / MISSILE DEFENSE VOA 17 Dec 2002-- President Bush has decided to order the early deployment of a limited anti-missile defense system