Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 27 Aug 2007 [PDF]
• Task Force Lightning Soldiers attacked
• MNF-W forces attacked
• DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
• Aug. 26 airpower summary: F-16s provide close-air support AFPN 27 Aug 2007 -- Coalition airpower supported coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations Aug. 26, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Iraq Operations Net 36 Terrorists, Kill Nine AFPS 27 Aug 2007 -- Coalition troops detained 36 terrorists and killed nine others today during a series of raids in Baghdad and other areas in central and northern Iraq, officials reported.
• Troops Kill, Capture Terrorists, Seize Weapons in 'Lightning Hammer' AFPS 27 Aug 2007 -- Coalition and Iraqi forces killed 26 al Qaeda members, captured 37 suspected terrorist and seized 10 weapons caches during Operation Lightning Hammer, one in a series of coordinated "quick-strike" offensives that launched this month, a top general in Iraq said today.
• U.S. Works with Local Leaders on Reconciliation in Iraqi Province AFPS 27 Aug 2007 -- The U.S. provincial reconstruction team in Iraq's Diyala province is working to connect provincial leaders with Iraq's central government and foster reconciliation in an area where security is still challenging, the team's leader said today.
• Afghan, Coalition Forces Destroy Taliban Heroin Lab AFPS 27 Aug 2007 -- Afghan and coalition forces teamed up to defeat a group of Taliban insurgents protecting a heroin laboratory in Helmand province yesterday, officials reported.
• AFGHANISTAN: Afghan opium production soars to record levels IRIN 27 Aug 2007 -- Opium production in Afghanistan increased by 17 percent in 2007, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said on 27 August.
• Afghan Opium Production Sets Record Highs, Says UN Report VOA 27 Aug 2007 -- The United Nations says Afghanistan's illegal opium production has reached record highs this year, despite a massive anti-narcotics campaign in the war-torn country
• UN Report Shows Afghan Opium Production At Record Level RFE/RL 27 Aug 2007 -- A United Nations report due out today is expected to say that Afghanistan's latest opium poppy crop is its largest ever, and that the country is now producing almost 95 percent of the world's opiate supply.

Defense Policy / Programs

• MDA Announces Test of Multiple Kill Vehicle's Carrier Vehicle Divert and Attitude Control System Missile Defense Agency 27 Aug 2007 -- Lieutenant General Henry "Trey" Obering III, Missile Defense Agency director, announced testing of a key element of the Agency's Multiple Kill Vehicle payload system.
• MNC-I Exceeds Retention Goal Army News 27 Aug 2007 -- Multinational Corps-Iraq retention goals for fiscal 2007 were met Aug. 15, more than six weeks ahead of schedule.
• Coalition Exercise Focused on Improving Combat Identification Army News 27 Aug 2007 -- .S. Joint Forces Command's Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team will deploy with an eight-nation coalition to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and the National Training Center at Fort Irwin Calif., Sept. 7-19 to assess technologies designed to reduce friendly fire incidents and enhance combat effectiveness.
• Gen. Casey: National Guard Vital in Long War Army News 27 Aug 2007 -- The National Guard is making a vital contribution to current wars and will continue to be integral as we enter a period of persistent conflict, the chief of staff of the Army said here Aug. 26.
• USS George Washington Gets Underway for Sea Trials Navy NewsStand 27 Aug 2007 -- USS George Washington (GW) (CVN 73) left Norfolk Naval Shipyard on Aug. 27 and headed for sea trials.
• Nassau ESG Conducts Group Sail Navy NewsStand 27 Aug 2007 -- The Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) set sail Aug. 24 for their first at-sea group exercise, in preparation for next year's six-month deployment.
• Colombian Minister of Defense Visits Comfort Navy NewsStand 27 Aug 2007 -- Colombian Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos, toured hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) Aug. 26 while anchored off the coast of Bahia Malaga.
• Release of Supreme Allied Commander Transformation 27 Aug 2007 -- North Atlantic Treaty Organization Defense Planning Committee member states have agreed to release Gen. Lance L. Smith as Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.
• A-10 Thunderbolt II gets technological 'thumbs up' AFPN 27 Aug 2007 -- The precision engagement modified A-10C Thunderbolt II received its Initial Operational Capability Aug. 21 during a ceremony here.
• Winter flights to Antarctica wrap up AFPN 27 Aug 2007 -- Airmen from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., completed the Operation Deep Freeze 2007-08 winter fly-in season when a final C-17 Globemaster III took off Aug. 25 from Pegasus White Ice Runway in Antarctica.
• USS Mitscher Conducts Change of Command Navy NewsStand 27 Aug 2007 -- Cmdr. William P. McKinley was relieved by Cmdr. Dan Uhls as commanding officer of USS Mitscher (DDG 57) during a change of command ceremony Aug. 18 on the island of Barbados.
• VMFA-323 Brings 2007 Successful Deployment to a Close Navy NewsStand 27 Aug 2007 -- The "Death-Rattlers" of Marine Strike Fighter Squadron (VMFA) 323 successfully completed a seven-month deployment aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Aug. 26.
• Navy Seabees 'Buzz' in GTMO Navy NewsStand 27 Aug 2007 -- The Public Works Department (PWD) Seabees on board Naval Station (NAVSTA) Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) have completed several projects on board NAVSTA GTMO from April 2006 to August 2007 saving the Navy more than $100,000.
• Franklin Kentucky Native Assumes Command of Navy Destroyer Navy NewsStand 27 Aug 2007 -- Cmdr. Dan Uhls, a Franklin, Ky., native, assumed command of USS Mitscher (DDG 57) duing a change of command ceremony Aug. 17. Uhls relived Cmdr. William McKinley.
• Torpedo Exercise Completed Aboard USS McCampbell Navy NewsStand 27 Aug 2007 -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85) and the "Warlords" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 51 based in Atsugi, Japan successfully completed a torpedo drop and recovery exercise Aug. 24 in the western Pacific Ocean.
• Nearly 50,000 Sailors Expected to Complete Navy Leadership Coursework Navy NewsStand 27 Aug 2007 -- The Center for Naval Leadership (CNL) announced Aug. 26 that it will likely pass 50,000 course completions this year for the three leadership courses required to be advanced to E-6, E-7 and E-8.
• Stennis Announces Return to Bremerton Navy NewsStand 27 Aug 2007 -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) is scheduled to arrive in its homeport of Bremerton, Wash., Aug. 31, marking the ship's return after being deployed for seven-and-a-half months.
• SEACAT Communications Rely on CENTRIXS Navy NewsStand 27 Aug 2007 -- The Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) exercise involving equipment, vessels and personnel from six nations concluded in Singapore, Aug. 22.
• US threatens to abandon NATO rapid reaction force IRNA 27 Aug 2007 -- The United States has drastically scaled down its military engagement in the NATO rapid reaction force and has threatened to abandon the elite troops of the western defense pact, the business daily Handelsblatt quoted NATO circles as saying Monday.
• Russia Builds Up Its Military VOA 27 Aug 2007 -- Russia's recent resumption of strategic bomber flights is viewed by many analysts as more evidence of President Vladimir Putin's determination to build up his country's military might
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 27 Aug 2007
• Press Gaggle by Scott Stanzel The White House 27 Aug 2007

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 27, 2007
• Pratt & Whitney Awarded Production Contract for F135 Engines Pratt & Whitney 27 Aug 2007 -- Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company, was awarded a $60 million production contract for F135 engines to power the F-35 Lightning II.
• Newest BLACK HAWK Helicopter to Demonstrate Capabilities in First Visit to Poland Sikorsky 27 Aug 2007 -- The latest Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. BLACK HAWK helicopter will perform an aerial demonstration and be put on static display at the Radom and MSPO air shows in early September.
• Boeing and U.S. Joint Forces Command to Analyze Joint Warfighting Concepts and Capabilities Boeing 27 Aug 2007 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) have signed a three-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to analyze current, emerging and future joint warfighting concepts and capabilities in concert with USJFCOM's Suffolk, Va.-based Joint Innovation and Experimentation Directorate.
• LOCKHEED MARTIN TEAM TESTS PROPULSION SYSTEM FOR MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY'S MULTIPLE KILL VEHICLE Lockheed Martin 27 Aug 2007 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced that its team tested a key element of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's revolutionary Multiple Kill Vehicle payload at Edwards Air Force Base's National Hover Test Facility
• LOCKHEED MARTIN TEAM SUBMITS PROPOSAL TO DESIGN AND BUILD U.S. AIR FORCE'S GPS III SPACE SEGMENT Lockheed Martin 27 Aug 2007 -- A Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]-led team has submitted its proposal to design and build the U.S. Air Force's next-generation Global Positioning System Space Segment program, known as GPS Block III
• BAE SYSTEMS TO DEVELOP ENHANCED NIGHT-VISION GOGGLE FOR U.S. ARMY BAE Systems 27 Aug 2007 -- BAE Systems will design and develop a digitally enhanced night-vision goggle as part of the U.S. Army's Enhanced Night Vision Goggle program.
• Boeing to Study Key Elements of Conventional Prompt Global Strike Demonstration Boeing 27 Aug 2007 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has been awarded an $8.9 million U.S. Air Force contract to study key elements of a conventional prompt global strike missile demonstration.
• Northrop Grumman Achieves 38th CMMI Level 5 Rating Northrop Grumman 27 Aug 2007 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Civilian Agencies group has achieved a Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI(r)) Level 5 rating, the highest possible rating for benchmarking commercial and defense industry best practices for management and engineering.
• ATK Receives $8 Million Contract to Manufacture Sparrow Rocket Motors at Its Rocket Center, West Virginia Facility ATK 27 Aug 2007 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has received an $8 million modification to the existing production contract to manufacture solid propellant rocket motors for the Sparrow medium range air-to-air missile system
• Boeing Bids on Next Generation Global Positioning Satellite System Boeing 27 Aug 2007 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today submitted its proposal to the U.S. Air Force for the development and production of up to 12 Global Positioning System (GPS) III satellites
• Raytheon Radio Frequency Components Semiconductor Foundry Receives Top National Security Administration Accreditation Raytheon 27 Aug 2007 -- The National Security Administration's Trusted Access Program Office has accredited Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) semiconductor foundry, Raytheon Radio Frequency Components (RRFC), as a Department of Defense Category 1 Trusted Foundry.
• Thales and Rosoboronexport sign contract for supply of Catherine FC cameras for Russian Army Thales 27 Aug 2007 -- Thales has signed a contract with Rosoboronexport for the delivery of around 100 Catherine FC thermal imaging cameras for the Russian Army.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 27 Aug 2007
• Israel says Hamas hatching terrorist attacks to subvert dialogue RIA Novosti 27 Aug 2007 -- Radical elements in the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas may attempt to undermine Palestinian-Israeli dialogue by staging a series of high-profile terrorist attacks, Israeli security services said Monday.
• Israeli, Palestinian Leaders to Hold Summit Tuesday VOA 27 Aug 2007 -- Israeli and Palestinian leaders will hold a summit meeting on Tuesday in a fresh bid to advance the peace process
• Ugandan Officials Probing Deadly Army Crash VOA 27 Aug 2007 -- Ugandan officials are investigating the crash of an army truck late Sunday that killed at least 72 people in the vehicle, including 57 soldiers
• Security Council ready to set up UN presence in Chad, Central African Republic UN News Centre 27 Aug 2007 -- The Security Council said today it is ready to establish a United Nations-mandated, multidimensional presence in eastern Chad and north-eastern Central African Republic (CAR) to help protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid to thousands of people uprooted due to insecurity in the two countries and neighbouring Sudan.
• Sudan Expels Aid Group's Top Official VOA 27 Aug 2007 -- Sudan's government has expelled the regional manager of the international aid group CARE.

News Reports

• President Bush Discusses Resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales The White House 27 Aug 2007
• Gonzales Resignation Ends Standoff Between President, Congress VOA 27 Aug 2007 -- The resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales brings to a close a bitter standoff between the Bush administration and Congress over the attorney general's loss of personal credibility and integrity with lawmakers
• Analysis: 'War on Terror' Architect Departs cfr.org 27 Aug 2007 -- The resignation of U.S. Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales (AP) marks the departure of another Bush administration figure critical to mounting its post-9/11 "war on terror."
• US Attorney General Gonzales Resigns VOA 27 Aug 2007 -- U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is resigning after a stormy tenure as head of the Justice Department. Bush administration officials say Gonzales submitted his resignation to President Bush on Friday
• Turkish Military Chief Warns of Threat to Secularism VOA 27 Aug 2007 -- Turkey's military chief has warned of threats to the country's secular system, one day before a candidate from the Islamic-rooted ruling party is expected to be elected president.