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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• DoD Identifies Navy Casualty
• CENTAF releases airpower summary AFPN 04 Apr 2006 -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials released today's airpower summary.
• Iraqi, Coalition Forces Rack up Successes Against Insurgents AFPS 04 Apr 2006 -- Iraqi and coalition forces have scored several successes against insurgent fighters, seizing weapons caches and capturing suspected enemies, during missions over the past several days.
• Bomb Blasts in Baghdad, Samarra Kill 2, Injure 5 VOA 04 Apr 2006 -- Iraqi police say at least two people were killed when a bomb exploded near their home in Baghdad Tuesday
• Four Taleban, Intelligence Officer Killed in Afghan Violence VOA 04 Apr 2006 -- Afghan authorities say security forces in southern Helmand province have shot and killed four suspected Taleban insurgents planting land mines intended for counter-narcotics forces.
• Coalition Naval Assets Challenge Hijackers On South Korean Motor Vessel Navy NewsStand 04 Apr 2006 -- Ships conducting maritime security operations (MSO) as part of Coalition Task Force 150 (CTF 150), received bridge-to-bridge reports at approximately 10 a.m. local, April 4 from Motor Vessel Dong Won (628), a South Korean-flagged fishing vessel, that it had been fired upon approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Navy Names New Littoral Combat Ship 04 Apr 2006 -- Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter has named the Navy's newest Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) - Independence.
• Proceedings Begin for Suspected Afghan Terrorist AFPS 04 Apr 2006 -- Preliminary hearings began here today for an Afghan man accused of working as a translator and accountant for al Qaeda in Afghanistan and involvement in a grenade attack that injured three journalists in March 2002.
• Suspected al-Qaida Terrorist Appears at US Military Hearings VOA 04 Apr 2006 -- A suspected al-Qaida terrorist facing charges in a 2002 grenade attack in Afghanistan has appeared before a military tribunal at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
• USS Lake Champlain Joins CTF 58 in Northern Persian Gulf Navy NewsStand 04 Apr 2006 -- Sailors assigned to USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) assumed a major role in Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the Northern Persian Gulf April 3, by joining Combined Task Force (CTF) 58.
• USS Oak Hill Celebrates Change of Command in Bahrain Navy NewsStand 04 Apr 2006 -- Cmdr. Ray A. Stapf relieved Cmdr. Curtis J. Gilbert as commanding officer of USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) during a change of command ceremony on the ship's flight deck March 26 in the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Operations.
• Stethem, JMSDF 'Plug and Play' with Abraham Lincoln Navy NewsStand 04 Apr 2006 -- USS Stethem (DDG 63) and three ships from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) were called upon to “plug and play” March 26 as escorts for USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), as the carrier entered the waters off the coast of Japan.
• Safeguard Completes SALVEX With ROK Navy Navy NewsStand 04 Apr 2006 -- USS Safeguard (ARS 50), a rescue and salvage ship of Commander, Task Force (CTF) 76, conducted Salvage Exercise (SALVEX) 06 with the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy diving and salvage ship ROKS Pyong Taek (ATS 27), March 16-30.
• GW Carrier Strike Group Underway for SOUTHCOM Deployment Navy NewsStand 04 Apr 2006 -- USS George Washington (CVN 73) (GW) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 departed Naval Station Norfolk, Va., April 4 as part of U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) “Partnership of the Americas” deployment.
• Navy Boosts Enlistment Bonuses for SpecWar, SpecOps Navy NewsStand 04 Apr 2006 -- The Navy has implemented a new Naval Special Warfare/Naval Special Operations (NSW/NSO) enlistment bonus program.
• Roberti Relieves Brannon Aboard Nassau While Deployed Navy NewsStand 04 Apr 2006 -- Capt. John E. Roberti relieved Capt. Michael W. Brannon as commanding officer (CO) of USS Nassau (LHA 4) while on deployment in the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Operations, April 1.
• C-5 crash doesn't diminish historian's view of aircraft AFPN 04 Apr 2006 -- The C-5 Galaxy crash at Dover Air Force Base, Del., April 3 placed the aging aircraft in the spotlight once again.
• Wings-level landing might have saved C-5 crash survivors AFPN 04 Apr 2006 -- A veteran C-5 Galaxy pilot said all 17 people survived the April 3 plane crash at Dover Air Force Base, Del., mainly because the pilot did his job.
• Army to transform IRR Army News 04 Apr 2006 -- Individual Warriors will be the new label for Soldiers serving in the Individual Ready Reserve.
• White House Briefing, April 4 Washington File 04 Apr 2006 -- U.S. health care, White House staff changes, Congressman DeLay, Iran, Secretary Snow, president's schedule, immigration, Iraqi government

Defense Industry

• Russia: Putin Pushes Greater Arms Exports RFE/RL 04 Apr 2006 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin was proud to announce last week that, in 2005, Russia's arms exports, worth $6 billion, exceeded their targets by 25 percent.
• DoD News: Contracts for April 4, 2006
• General Dynamics’ AHED 8x8 Completes Second Phase of UK FRES Chassis Concept Trial General Dynamics 04 Apr 2006 -- General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), reports that its Advanced Hybrid Electric Drive (AHED) 8x8 wheeled test-bed demonstrator has successfully completed extended running trials in an 18 ton configuration. This is the second of three extended running trials.
• General Dynamics Awarded $165 Million for Production of 2.75-Inch Rockets General Dynamics 04 Apr 2006 -- General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a $165 million delivery order from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, for the production of 2.75-inch Hydra-70 rockets, motors and warheads. This order is part of a five-year requirements contract awarded in April 2005 and brings total contract value to date to $336 million.
• General Dynamics Awarded $8 Million GIANT Contract General Dynamics 04 Apr 2006 -- General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD), was awarded an $8.3 million contract to provide development, analysis, operations and support of the Global Positioning System Interference And Navigation Tool (GIANT).
• LOCKHEED MARTIN COMPLETES TESTING ON AEGIS BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE UPGRADE Lockheed Martin 04 Apr 2006 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced the successful completion of land-based testing for the next enhancement to the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Weapon System. Completion of this testing is a key milestone to provide tactically certified capability to engage short and medium range ballistic missiles on all Aegis BMD ships.
• Lockheed Martin / Northrop Grumman TSAT Team Achieves High-Data-Rate Communications Processor Milestone Northrop Grumman 04 Apr 2006 -- A team led by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) became the first to successfully demonstrate the interoperability of a new high-data-rate protected waveform in the initial test of the Next Generation Processor/Router (NGPR), the brain of future Internet protocol-based military satellite communications for the Transformational Satellite Communications System (TSAT).
• ATK Awarded $76 Million Contract for Trident II Solid Propulsion ATK 04 Apr 2006 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has received a $76.65 million contract from Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) to produce solid propulsion systems for all three stages of the U.S. Navy’s Trident II (D-5) Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM).
• LOCKHEED MARTIN RECEIVES $145 MILLION CONTRACT FOR F-2 COMPONENT WORK Lockheed Martin 04 Apr 2006 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received a contract from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) on March 31 valued at over $145 million to manufacture components for five additional F-2 production aircraft. MHI is the prime contractor for the F-2, Japan’s operational support fighter.
• Raytheon's SeaRAM to go aboard General Dynamic's Littoral Combat Ship Raytheon 04 Apr 2006 -- Raytheon Company will install the SeaRAM anti-ship missile defense weapon system on General Dynamics' Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). SeaRAM is the latest addition to Raytheon's world-class ship self-defense suite combining the Phalanx Block 1B close in weapon system and the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) guided missile weapon system.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 04 Apr 2006
• PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT United Nations 04 Apr 2006
• SIERRA LEONE: Transcript of Charles Taylor's plea on first court appearance IRIN 04 Apr 2006 -- Former Liberian president Charles Taylor, who was arrested last week to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his alleged role in Sierra Leone's brutal civil war of the 1990s, appeared in court for the first time on Monday and pleaded not guilty.
• Israeli Warplanes Strike Northern Gaza VOA 04 Apr 2006 -- Israeli warplanes have launched strikes in the northern Gaza Strip.
• Kadima Seeks Coalition with Labor in Israel VOA 04 Apr 2006 -- Israel's interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he will seek to build a coalition with Israel's Labor Party.
• PRESS CONFERENCE BY ACTING HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR ON SITUATION IN SOMALIA United Nations 04 Apr 2006
• UN: Urgent Aid Needed to Avert Anarchy, Starvation in Somalia VOA 04 Apr 2006 -- The United Nations' humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, Christian Balslev-Olesen, says the devastated nation's humanitarian crisis is undermining its frail transitional government.
• United Nations Questions Sudanese Government Actions on Darfur Washington File 04 Apr 2006 -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is trying to reach Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir to discuss Sudan's refusal to allow a senior U.N. official to visit the war-torn region of Darfur, a U.N. spokesman said April 4.
• COTE D IVOIRE: Disarmament talks on track at last IRIN 04 Apr 2006 -- Rebel and army chiefs completed a first full round of working talks on Tuesday in Cote d'Ivoire's rebel stronghold of Bouake in what was described by the government as a sign of progress in efforts to reach an agreement over disarmament.
• Annan calls for redeployment of some peacekeepers from Burundi to DR Congo UN News Centre 04 Apr 2006 -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has announced his intention to redeploy peacekeepers from the organization's operation in Burundi (ONUB) to its mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) to boost security and monitoring during the Congolese elections and beyond.
• UGANDA: Operation to seize guns underway in northeast IRIN 04 Apr 2006 -- The Ugandan army has embarked on an exercise to seize firearms held illegally by ethnic Karamajong pastoralists in the northeastern region of the country, in a bid to stem escalating incidents of violence, a military spokesman said.
• BURUNDI: UN envoy ends tour of duty, outlines nation's challenges IRIN 04 Apr 2006 -- The fight against poverty, postwar reconstruction and peace negotiations with Burundi's remaining rebel group are the main peace-related challenges facing the country, said Carolyn McAskie, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative to Burundi and head of its UN mission, on Tuesday at the end of her term in the country.
• Nepal's Government Prepares to Halt Anti-Royal Strike VOA 04 Apr 2006 -- The Nepali government is making plans to halt an anti-monarchy strike due to be held in the capital later this week.

News Reports

• World: UN Marks First International Day For Land-Mine Awareness RFE/RL 04 Apr 2006 -- The United Nations General Assembly has declared today the first International Day for Mine Awareness
• Thai Prime Minister Steps Aside After Large Protest Vote in Snap Elections VOA 04 Apr 2006 -- Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has announced he will step down in an effort to end the nation's political crisis.
• Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Announces Resignation VOA 04 Apr 2006 -- Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has announced he will step down in an effort to end the nation's political crisis.
• Thai PM Claims Election Victory, But Opposition Rejects Results VOA 04 Apr 2006 -- Unofficial results from Thailand's snap election Sunday show Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's party won with 57 percent of the vote
• Boeing Orbital Express Program Passes Major Test Milestones Boeing 04 Apr 2006 -- The Boeing [NYSE: BA] Orbital Express system, a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program aimed at demonstrating fully autonomous on-orbit satellite servicing, last month completed two major test milestones. The program completed its Baseline Integrated System Test (BIST) of the Autonomous Space Transport Robotic Operations (ASTRO) spacecraft and a series of electromagnetic interference and compatibility tests to verify component operation in the spacecraft's actual electromagnetic environment.
• Boeing Awards $57 Million Contract to ViaSat for Mobile Satellite Ground System Boeing 04 Apr 2006 -- Boeing [NYSE:BA] has awarded ViaSat, Inc. [NASDAQ: VSAT] a contract valued at approximately $57 million to develop the ground-based beam-forming system for the new Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) communications network.
• Northrop Grumman Proposes Space Missions to Go ... in 48 Hours or Less Northrop Grumman 04 Apr 2006 -- The U.S. Air Force would be able to launch satellites or deliver special purpose payloads in as little as 48 hours using a new, rapid-turnaround launch system proposed by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC). The new concept, called a Hybrid Launch Vehicle (HLV), would also reduce launch costs by approximately two-thirds compared to the cost of using a medium evolved expendable launch vehicle.
• Globalstar awards Alcatel Alenia Space a study contract to replace its satellite constellation Thales 04 Apr 2006 -- Globalstar has awarded Alcatel Alenia Space a study contract for the design of a new satellite constellation aiming at replacing Globalstar's first generation satellites.