• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 15 Jun 2004 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty

• Transcript: Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing 15 Jun 2004 -- Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, Deputy Director for Coalition Operations and Dan Senor, Senior Adviser, CPA
• IRAQ SITREP-UPDATE VOA 15 Jun 2004 -- For the second consecutive day, a convoy carrying foreign contractors has been attacked in Iraq. The U.S. military is reporting at least two people killed. An apparently worsening security situation comes just days before Iraqis are set to take full control of their country from coalition forces.
• IRAQ SITREP VOA 15 Jun 2004 -- For the second consecutive day, attackers have targeted a convoy of foreign contractors near Baghdad and the U.S. military reports an unknown number of people may have been killed. The attacks come just days before Iraqis are set to take full control of their country from coalition forces.

• Afghanistan Moving Toward Self-Sufficiency, Democracy Washington File 15 Jun 2004 -- Following is the text of a June 15 State Department fact sheet outlining progress in Afghanistan's economy, security and society since October 2001, as well as U.S. humanitarian and economic assistance
• Bush, Karzai Issue Joint Statement Pledging U.S.-Afghan Commitment Washington File 15 Jun 2004 -- President Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai have issued a joint statement, reaffirming the long-term U.S. commitment to Afghanistan to keep the country on the path towards democracy, prosperity and stability.
• Bush Announces New Initiatives to Help Afghanistan Washington File 15 Jun 2004 -- President Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai have announced five new initiatives designed to enhance peace, prosperity and stability for the Afghan people.
• Bush Reaffirms 'Ironclad Commitment' to Afghanistan AFPS 15 Jun 2004 -- Following meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, President Bush reaffirmed the United States' "ironclad commitment" to aid Afghanistan.
• Stay the Course, Afghan President Urges U.S. Lawmakers AFPS 15 Jun 2004 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai thanked America today for its resources, leadership and especially "the precious lives of your soldiers" in the effort to free his country.
• BUSH / AFGHANISTAN VOA 15 Jun 2004 -- President Bush is promising more help for Afghanistan, saying that country represents the first victory in the war on terrorism. The words of support came at a White House news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
• Afghan Leader Thanks U.S., Urges Continued Help RFE/RL 15 Jun 2004 -- Afghan leader Hamid Karzai today thanked the United States for its help in bringing the country out of "a very dark era," and asked for continued assistance both from the U.S. government and U.S. companies.
• KARZAI/CONGRESS VOA 15 Jun 2004 -- In a speech to Congress, Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, has called for a long-term partnership with the United States to stabilize his country, restore democracy, and win the war on terrorism.

Defense Policy / Programs

• New Joint Commanders Named AFPS 15 Jun 2004 -- Three Army, Navy and Marine Corps senior officers were nominated today to command joint-service organizations.
• GAO: DoD Excels at War, But Needs Better Contract Oversight AFPS 15 Jun 2004 -- Inadequate oversight for U.S. forces logistics contracts in Kuwait and Iraq "is a serious problem," the chief of the U.S. General Accounting Office told House members here today.

• CJTFEX 04-2 Kicks Off Navy Newsstand 15 Jun 2004 -- Almost 30,000 U.S., British, and other coalition forces kicked off a major live, virtual and constructive (L-V-C) exercise June 12 in Hampton Roads and along the U.S. Eastern seaboard that is intended to prepare troops for multinational interoperability and to certify the USS John F. Kennedy carrier strike group (CSG) for deployment.
• Exercise Khaan Quest '04 comes to a close Marine Corps News 10 Jun 2004 -- After three weeks of training in Northeastern Mongolia's Five Hills Training Area, Marines and corpsmen who participated in Exercise Khaan Quest '04 returned home here June 8.
• EXERCISE "KALININGRAD 2004" NATO 15 Jun 2004 -- The current security threat posed by terrorism requires a determined and international response. NATO and Russia, together with other partners, have put fight against terrorism firmly on the priority list of their joint agenda.

• U.S.: Former Diplomats, Military Leaders Speak Out Against Bush RFE/RL 15 Jun 2004 -- U.S. President George W. Bush's "unilateral" foreign policy has damaged U.S. interests and prestige abroad. That's the opinion of a group of 26 former U.S. diplomats and military leaders. The group plans to issue a formal statement tomorrow.

• White House Daily Briefing, June 15 Washington File 15 Jun 2004 -- President's schedule, U.S. Afghan Women's Council meeting, Bush/travel to MacDill Air Force Base, Iraq/custody of Saddam Hussein, Iraqi detainees, prison abuse, Afghanistan/drug problem, Japanese self-defense forces in Iraq, China/Senator Kerry's comments, U.S.-Egyptian relations, Iraq/justification for war, farm subsidies, CIA/leak investigation
• State Department Noon Briefing, June 15 Washington File 15 Jun 2004 -- North Korea/Six-Party Talks, Global Terrorism Report/status of revised version, Iraq, Israel/Palestinians, Iran, Sudan, Jordan, China/Taiwan

Defense Industry

• The New European Defence Agency - Getting Above The Clouds BAE Systems 15 Jun 2004 -- A year ago, in a joint declaration, we urged Member States to beef up their spending on defence research, technology and acquisition, to turn their political commitment on new defence capabilities into concrete realities, and to make better use of limited budgets through the launching of a European Defence Agency. One year later, good progress has been made at the institutional level an Agency is now in the making, with the opportunity to make a real difference. But all depends on whether Member States will give their creation the resources and support it will need. Having willed the end, they must now will the means.
• General Dynamics Awarded $74 Million Order for Support of 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team General Dynamics 15 Jun 2004 -- The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), a $74 million delivery order as part of a $315 million contract for support of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT). This contract calls for contractor logistics support, equipment and spare parts necessary to maintain the Brigade Combat Team’s operational readiness.
• General Dynamics Awarded $62 Million in Multiple Contracts General Dynamics 15 Jun 2004 -- General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) announced today that three of its business units – General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, St. Petersburg, Fla.; General Dynamics Network Systems, Needham, Mass.; and General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Arlington, Va. – have been awarded Department of Defense contracts worth more than $62 million.
• Rheinmetall Defence Electronics and IAI Missiles Division Sign a Cooperation Agreement for Leopard 1 and 2 MBT Upgrade Israel Aerospace Industries 15 Jun 2004 -- Eurosatory - Paris, 15 June 2004 - Today Bremen-based Rheinmetall Defence Electronics GmbH (RDE), Germany, and IAI/MBT Missiles Division (MBT), Israel, signed a cooperation agreement to jointly offer an upgrade kit for the Leopard 1 and 2 Main Battle Tank with a gun-launched laser homing weapon system (LAHAT).
• Lockheed Martin Awarded Design Agent Contract, Potentially Valued at more than $140 Million, for MK 41 Vertical Launching System Lockheed Martin 15 Jun 2004 -- The U.S. Navy recently awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a contract for design agent engineering for the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS). The contract, initially valued at $18.5 million, has a potential value in excess of $140 million over four years.
• EUROSPIKE GmbH Launched at EuroSatory Rafael 15 Jun 2004 -- DIEHL Munitionssysteme GmbH (DMS), Rheinmetall Defence Electronics GmbH (RDE) and RAFAEL Ltd. signed an agreement today establishing a new company, EuroSpike GmbH, which will serve as the prime contractor for the EuroSpike Family of missiles for European customers.
• Thales, Giat Industries and Sagem consortium to develop BOA demonstrator Thales 15 Jun 2004 -- Following the announcement made by the French defence minister Ms. Michèle Alliot-Marie about the launch of the BOA (Bulle Opérationnelle Aéroterrestre) demonstrator, the major players in the French defence land systems industry have agreed to create a consortium to act as prime contractor for the programme. The Thales-led consortium will include Giat Industries and Sagem, and work in partnership with MBDA and EADS.
• Thales launches three new night vision devices Thales 15 Jun 2004 -- Thales is expanding its line of Sophie thermal imagers with the creation of three new products. The Sophie multi-application portable night vision device is now available in three new versions. The first offers an extended range; the second is a multi-function device offering complete target acquisition, location and designation functions; and the third offers very high-resolution imaging in addition to the above features.
• Bird Eye 500, IAI/MALAT's Mini-UAV Successfully Demonstrated in Nuenen, the Netherlands Israel Aerospace Industries 15 Jun 2004 -- Eurosatory - Paris, 15 June 2004 - Condor UAV B.V., the Haarlem based Netherlands' distributor ofIAI/MALAT's Mini-UAVs, performed a successful demonstration of the Bird Eye 500 Mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicle system in Nuenen, the Netherlands. The demonstration took place on Monday & Tuesday June 14-15, 2004.
• Northrop Grumman Demonstrates System for Controlling Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Missions from Aircraft Carriers Northrop Grumman 15 Jun 2004 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) successfully demonstrated a shipboard mission control system that will allow unmanned combat aerial vehicles to participate safely and autonomously in conventional manned, aircraft-carrier flight operations.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 15 Jun 2004
• CONGRESS - SUDAN VOA 15 Jun 2004 -- U-S lawmakers are calling on the United Nations to act to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan's Darfur region.
• U-S / ISRAEL FENCE VOA 15 Jun 2004 -- The State Department said Tuesday the United States is in active discussions with Israel about the route of its controversial security fence, amid reports Israel may be planning to extend the barrier to a settlement deep inside the West Bank. U.S. officials reiterate that the fence project is a "problem."
• 161 Brazilian troops latest to join UN mission in Haiti UN News Centre 15 Jun 2004 -- The latest group of Brazilian troops arrived in Haiti today to join the United Nations peacekeeping mission gearing up to take over from the multinational force in the Caribbean nation later this month.
• Sudan: UN Officials Say Humanitarian Catastrophe Is Unavoidable In West Darfur RFE/RL 15 Jun 2004 -- Senior UN officials say a humanitarian disaster of catastrophic proportions now appears unavoidable in Sudan's West Darfur region as the government continues to block relief workers and aid from reaching nearly 2 million needy people. In New York, the UN's humanitarian chief is calling for a new UN resolution to prevent future crises from growing into major catastrophes.
• Caucasus: EU Increasingly Targeting Georgia Over Conflict-Stricken Armenia, Azerbaijan RFE/RL 15 Jun 2004 -- The European Union this week formally included Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in its European Neighborhood Policy. The move does not open the door to EU membership -- officials studiously avoid speculation, saying simply membership is "not on the agenda." However, the new neighborhood initiative could, over the next decades, lead to free trade, substantial aid grants, and extensive political dialogue with the EU. In the South Caucasus, Georgia now appears best placed to make use of EU goodwill, while officials say the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains a serious obstacle for Armenia and Azerbaijan.
• ISRAEL/SHARON VOA 15 Jun 2004 -- Israel's attorney-general says there is insufficient evidence to prosecute Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on corruption charges. The decision is seen by observers as a political boost for Mr. Sharon while he tries to build a new government coalition and implement his plan for disengagement from some Palestinian areas.
• SIERRA LEONE / COURT VOA 15 Jun 2004 -- The special court on war crimes in Sierra Leone is finally hearing testimony, nearly two weeks after it first opened a case against leaders of the former pro-government militia.
• DRC: Government troops recapture Kalehe, deploy along border with Rwanda IRIN 15 Jun 2004 -- Calm has returned to Kalehe in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) province of South Kivu after government troops regained control of the town from dissident soldiers, Sebastien Lapierre, a spokesman for the UN Mission in the country, known as MONUC, told IRIN on Tuesday.

News Reports

• SHAPE News Morning Update SHAPE 15 Jun 2004 -- Ukraine not ready to join NATO, President Leonid Kuchma says / UK's Blair limits NATO role in Iraq to training / Afghan president urges NATO to expand peacekeeping force soon / European Union approves US $2.4 million to get European Defence Agency off the ground / Ukrainian president asks government to reconsider military presence in Kosovo / Israeli and Russian arms sales to China concern U.S.
• SHAPE News Summary & Analysis SHAPE 15 Jun 2004 -- German weekly interviews NATO chief / Spain to strengthen Afghan force

• BURMA EU VOA 15 Jun 2004 -- Diplomats in Southeast Asia and Europe are working to resolve a dispute over Burma's participation in a summit of leaders from the two regions. The European Union has cancelled two lower-level meetings with its Asian partners over the issue.