Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 18 Jul 2007 [PDF]
• MNC-I Soldiers targeted by IED
• MND-B patrol struck by roadside bomb
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Navy Casulaties
• Press briefing with Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, spokesman, Multi-National Force - Iraq, July 18, 2007 MNF-I 18 Jul 2007 -- TOPIC: OPERATIONAL UPDATE
• July 17 airpower summary: Maintainers keep fleet flying AFPN 18 Jul 2007 -- Coalition airpower supported coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations July 17, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Officials Identify Captured Militia Leader; Car Bombs Kill 14 in Baghdad AFPS 18 Jul 2007 -- Officials in Iraq today identified a detainee alleged to be a key leader of a rogue militia element who has been in coalition custody since June 28, and a pair of car bombs killed 14 Iraqis in Baghdad yesterday.
• Al Qaeda in Iraq Duped Into Following Foreigners, Captured Operative Says AFPS 18 Jul 2007 -- A captured al Qaeda in Iraq leader has admitted the network's followers have been duped into following the direction of foreign leaders, not Iraqis, a military spokesman in Baghdad said today.
• Coalition Forces in Iraq Taking Down Enemy 'Cell by Cell' AFPS 18 Jul 2007 -- Coalition forces in Iraq are taking down the insurgency cell by cell, killing key foreign leaders in the recent surge of operations, a senior spokesman in the region said today.
• US Military Captures Top Iraqi Member of al-Qaida in Iraq VOA 18 Jul 2007 -- The U.S. military says it has captured the top Iraqi member of al-Qaida in Iraq
• ISAF Chief Calls for NATO to Deliver Promised Troops, Capabilities AFPS 18 Jul 2007 -- NATO countries have still not manned the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan to promised levels, the commander of the force said here today.
• NATO Commander in Afghanistan: Civilian Casualty Reports Often Exaggerated AFPS 18 Jul 2007 -- Reports of civilian casualties in Afghanistan often are exaggerated, and this can be due to the fog of war or because of deliberate deception to incite Afghans against NATO, the commander of NATO forces in the country said today.
• UN Urges Protection Of Afghan Civilians RFE/RL 18 Jul 2007 -- The UN Security Council has urged all forces in Afghanistan to do everything they can to avoid civilian deaths.
• White House Presses Pakistan on al-Qaida Havens VOA 18 Jul 2007 -- The White House is stepping up pressure on Pakistan's president, General Pervez Musharraf to oust al-Qaida terrorists from remote areas along the border with Afghanistan
• Pakistan Wants Proof Al-Qaida Regrouping in Northwest VOA 19 Jul 2007 -- The Pakistan government is rejecting a U.S. intelligence report saying al-Qaida terrorists have received safe haven in northwest Pakistan, calling it unsubstantiated.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with John Young, MRAP Task Force Chairman and others from the Pentagon 18 Jul 2007 -- Presenter: Director Defense Research and Engineering John Young, Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, Deputy Chief of Staff USA G-8 Lt. Gen. Stephen Speakes and Commander Marine Corps Systems Command Brig. Gen. Michael
• Gates Asks Congress to Transfer More Funds to MRAP Program AFPS 18 Jul 2007 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates yesterday asked Congress for approval to transfer nearly $1.2 billion to the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle program to get an estimated 3,500 of the vehicles to Iraq by the year's end, defense officials announced today.
• Agency helps expedite C-130 sale to Norway AFPN 18 Jul 2007 -- A quick turnaround by Air Force Security Assistance Center officials and other Air Force Materiel Command Foreign Military Sales organizations helped strengthen the tactical airlift capability of the Norwegian air force by arranging for the sale of four C-130J Hercules aircraft.
• Flight Deck Certification Gets Lincoln Back In Business Navy NewsStand 18 Jul 2007 -- The flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) got a lot noisier July 12-15, as the ship conducted Flight Deck Carrier (FDC) Qualifications off the coast of Southern California.
• Comfort Arrives in Nicaragua, Continues Mission Navy NewsStand 18 Jul 2007 -- After caring for more than 55,000 patients in Belize, Guatemala and Panama, hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in Corinto on July 18, continuing its four-month humanitarian assistance deployment.
• It's Full Steam Ahead as Phase Four of CARAT Begins in Singapore Navy NewsStand 18 Jul 2007 -- The fourth phase of the 13th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series began July 13 in an exercise that will include an estimated 1,500 military personnel, 13 ships, a submarine and the newly-commissioned Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) frigate RSS Formidable (68).
• Guardian Initiates Mission-Essential Defense Training Navy NewsStand 18 Jul 2007 -- USS Guardian (MCM 5) Sailors completed non-lethal weapons instruction July 17, as part of the defense-training courses for armed watchstanders they will continue to participate in over the next two weeks.
• NMCB 5 Complete Complex Field Training Navy NewsStand 18 Jul 2007 -- In temperatures above 100 degrees, more than 40 petty officers from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 participated in field training that pushed their collective physical and mental capacities to backbreaking limits at U.S. Army post Fort Hunter Liggett. The six-day training was completed July 16.
• Navy Divers, Royal Malaysian Navy Divers Dive off Kemaman Navy NewsStand 18 Jul 2007 -- Navy divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 1, Det. 11, conducted 44 familiarization dives with divers from the Royal Malaysian Navy Mine Warfare and Diving Center over a three-day period beginning July 8.
• Exercise Angel Thunder trains combat search, rescue AFPN 18 Jul 2007 -- About 200 Davis-Monthan Airmen from the 563rd Rescue Group, the 943rd Rescue Group, the 355th Operations Group and the 55th Electronic Combat Group, along with the 12th Air Force Plans Shop and Personnel Recovery Coordination Center, are participating in Exercise Angel Thunder July 9 to 20 here.
• First Aircraft Lands on Nackaroo Airstrip Navy NewsStand 18 Jul 2007 -- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 personnel along with other members of the Joint Rapid Airfield Construction (JRAC) Task Force, watched with anticipation as an Australian C-130 Hercules approached the Nackaroo Airstrip at Bradshaw Field Training Area (BFTA) in Australia's Northern Territory on June 23.
• NORTHCOM, NORAD Working to Ensure Terror Plots Against Homeland Fail AFPS 18 Jul 2007 -- Officials at U.S. Northern Command are "keenly aware" of information within the newly released National Intelligence Estimate and are committed to working to ensure terrorists don't succeed in attacking the United States, a NORTHCOM official said.
• Russia ready to discuss CFE Treaty with U.S. despite moratorium RIA Novosti 18 Jul 2007 -- Despite a recent moratorium on the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, Russia is ready to discuss the issue with the United States, the Russian foreign minister told the U.S. secretary of state on the phone.
• Malaysia to receive brand-new Russian fighters RIA Novosti 18 Jul 2007 -- Malaysia will receive the first 12 of its order of 18 Sukhoi Su-30-MKM Flanker fighters, the most advanced versions of the Su-27 warplane, before the year is out.
• Press Briefing by Tony Snow The White House 18 Jul 2007
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 18 Jul 2007

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 18, 2007
• World's Most Advanced Warship Departs River Clyde on Maiden Voyage BAE Systems 18 Jul 2007 -- The most advanced warship in the world to date, HMS Daring, has departed from BAE Systems' shipyard in Scotstoun on her maiden voyage down the River Clyde to begin sea trials off the west coast of Scotland.
• FCS Industry Team to Initiate Production Planning Boeing 18 Jul 2007 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and partner Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Lead Systems Integrator for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, today announced that the Army has authorized planning for FCS low-rate initial prouction, including long-lead items for the first FCS capability Spin Out and Manned Ground Vehicle (MGV) early production units
• LOCKHEED MARTIN AWARDED $20.6 MILLION FOR U.S. NAVY SURFACE FORCE'S AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 UNDERSEA WARFARE SYSTEM Lockheed Martin 18 Jul 2007 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received two U.S. Navy contracts worth $20.6 million to provide integration engineering and engineering support for the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 undersea warfare system.
• AIR FORCE AWARDS $1.1 BILLION AIRCREW TRAINING AND REHEARSAL SUPPORT CONTRACT TO LOCKHEED MARTIN Lockheed Martin 18 Jul 2007 -- The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a 10-year Aircrew Training and Rehearsal Support II (ATARS II) contract.
• Knight Aerospace Joins Northrop Grumman's KC-30 Tanker Team Northrop Grumman 18 Jul 2007 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) KC-30 Tanker team announced today that Knight Aerospace Products, Inc., San Antonio, Texas, has joined the KC-30 Tanker industry team.
• Raytheon's F/A-18 AESA Radar Soars Into Full Rate Production Raytheon 18 Jul 2007 -- Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) revolutionary F/A-18 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar is moving into full rate production following U.S. Navy approval.
• Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Awarded $1.2 Billion NASA Contract for J-2X Ares Rocket Engine Pratt & Whitney 18 Jul 2007 -- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR), a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company, was awarded a NASA contract valued at $1.2 billion to design, develop and test a J-2X engine that will power the upper stages of the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles.
• India to orbit Israeli spy satellite in September - paper RIA Novosti 18 Jul 2007 -- A leading Indian broadsheet quoted anonymous sources Wednesday as saying the country is planning to launch an Israeli spy satellite in September.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 18 Jul 2007
• US Says Security Council to Consider Kosovo Resolution Thursday VOA 18 Jul 2007 -- The United States says the U.N. Security Council will meet Thursday for what might be its final effort to approve a resolution on the future status of Kosovo
• Kosovo: EU Drifting Toward Solution Outside UN RFE/RL 18 Jul 2007 -- Until now, the European Union has been a firm supporter of resolving the dispute over Kosovo's future status in the UN Security Council.
• Darfur: UN envoy continues holding meetings in Sudan UN News Centre 18 Jul 2007 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Envoy for Darfur, Jan Eliasson, today left Sudan's capital, Khartoum, where he met with senior Government official, and travelled Nyala for further talks with other groups.
• Peace Talks Slow to Develop in Somalia VOA 18 Jul 2007 -- In the Somali capital, Mogadishu, insurgent violence is continuing to cause delays in the start of peace talks to end 16 years of factional strife
• Nagorno-Karabakh: Breakaway Region Set To Elect New President RFE/RL 18 Jul 2007 -- There are five candidates officially running for president of Nagorno-Karabakh. Most observers say only one has any real chance of winning.
• Russia sends motorized infantry battalion to North Caucasus - army RIA Novosti 18 Jul 2007 -- Russia is sending a motorized infantry battalion to the North Caucasus as part of a plan to deploy two mountain brigades near the border with Georgia, a Ground Forces spokesman said Wednesday.

News Reports

• Pakistan: Can Musharraf Reform Militant Madrasahs? RFE/RL 18 Jul 2007 -- In the aftermath of Pakistan's Red Mosque crisis, President Pervez Musharraf has renewed his pledge to prevent any mosque or madrasah in the country from being used by terrorists.
• Violence Continues to Spread in Pakistan; Musharraf Refuses to Call State of Emergency VOA 18 Jul 2007 -- Militants in northwestern Pakistan have ambushed a security convoy and killed at least 17 soldiers - less than a day after a suicide bomber killed 16 people in Islamabad