Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 27 Sep 2007 [PDF]
• Non-combat-related death
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Secretary Gates and Gen. Pace from the Pentagon 27 Sep 2007 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace
• Forces Detain 21 Suspects in Central, Northern Iraq AFPS 27 Sep 2007 -- Coalition forces have killed and detained many suspected terrorists during operations over the past two days in central and northern Iraq.
• Coalition Forces Clear Former Insurgent Stronghold AFPS 27 Sep 2007 -- For the past four months, coalition forces have battled to take control of a former insurgent badland south of Baghdad that had no Iraq security forces, a senior commander in the area said today.
• Sept. 27 airpower summary: C-17 Globemaster III provides support AFPN 27 Sep 2007 -- Coalition airpower supported coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations Sept. 27, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Stable Afghanistan Vital to Central Asia, Europe, United States Washington File 27 Sep 2007 -- The security and well-being of the trans-Atlantic community depend on successfully stabilizing Afghanistan so that it will not be a source of narcotics or a haven for terrorists, U.S. and European officials say.
• Gates to Raise Issue of NATO's Unfulfilled Afghanistan Commitments AFPS 27 Sep 2007 -- A year after NATO's International Security Assistance Force took full command of security operations in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today he's concerned that NATO has lagged behind in fulfilling its commitments there.
• 4 Red Cross Workers Kidnapped in Afghanistan VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- Afghan authorities say four International Red Cross employees have been abducted in central Wardak province.
• AFGHANISTAN: Thousands flee Taliban, aerial bombing in south IRIN 27 Sep 2007 -- Over 2,500 families have left their homes in different districts of insurgency-battered Helmand, Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces in southern Afghanistan over the past two months, provincial officials told IRIN on 27 September.

Defense Policy / Programs

• TRS Members Must Re-Register for Restructured Program by Sunday Army News 27 Sep 2007 -- National Guard and Reserve members participating in the TRICARE Reserve Select healthcare plan have until Sunday - when all coverage under the "old" system ceases - to sign up for the restructured TRS.
• Underwing platform aids C-17 maintainers AFPN 27 Sep 2007 -- A new underwing maintenance platform will help C-17 Globemaster III maintainers continue their mission safer and more effectively, said base officials here.
• Chief of Naval Operations Nominee Cites Future Needs, Challenges Navy NewsStand 27 Sep 2007 -- Maintaining the U.S. Navy's sea and air deterrent and recruiting and retaining enough qualified sailors to man the fleet are among the U.S. Navy's top challenges in the years ahead, the officer nominated to lead that force told a Senate panel here Sept. 27.
• T-45 Crashes Near Kleberg County Airport Navy NewsStand 27 Sep 2007 -- A T-45 Goshawk attached to Training Squadron 21 crashed on King Ranch about 2 miles north of Kleberg County Airport, Sept. 27, while returning to NAS Kingsville from a routine training flight.
• Attack controllers receive 2,000th remote receiver AFPN 27 Sep 2007 -- Officials from U.S. Central Command Air Forces recently received the 2,000th remotely operated video enhanced receiver, a small laptop with an external antenna that allows joint terminal attack controllers on the ground to coordinate more accurate air strikes.
• Nominee Vows to Bring Unified Focus to African Continent AFPS 27 Sep 2007 -- The new U.S. Africa Command will bring a more unified focus to the African continent and help strengthen stability and security in the region, the general nominated to stand up and lead the new command told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.
• STRATCOM Nominee Outlines Plans to Protect, Capitalize on Space, Cyberspace AFPS 27 Sep 2007 -- Securing continued civil, military and commercial access to cyberspace and space-based domains will be a major challenge to the next commander of U.S. Strategic Command, Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton said during his confirmation hearing today.
• Gates Likely to Approve Accelerated Army Plus-up AFPS 27 Sep 2007 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today he's "inclined to approve" an Army request to expand its end strength faster than initially planned to reduce stress on the force.
• Admiral Details Tenets for New Maritime Strategy AFPS 27 Sep 2007 -- Any new U.S. maritime strategy must have at its core joint military capability, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said here today.
• Chief of Naval Operations Nominee Cites Future Needs, Challenges AFPS 27 Sep 2007 -- Maintaining the U.S. Navy's sea and air deterrent and recruiting and retaining enough qualified sailors to man the fleet are among the U.S. Navy's top challenges in the years ahead, the officer nominated to lead that force told a Senate panel here today.
• Mattis Cites Joint Forces, NATO Issues at Hill Hearing AFPS 27 Sep 2007 -- Providing ready, jointly-trained U.S. forces to combatant commanders engaged in the war on terrorism is a priority task for the U.S. military, a top general said here today.
• USS Stout Assists Distressed Vessel Off Somali Coast Navy NewsStand 27 Sep 2007 -- USS Stout (DDG 55) operating under Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) provided assistance to a Tanzanian-flagged passenger ferry in distress in international waters off the coast of Somalia Sept. 26.
• NAVCENT and CTF 59 Flex Crisis Response Capabilities Navy NewsStand 27 Sep 2007 -- U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and Combined Task Force (CTF) 59 kicked off a crisis response table-top exercise Sept. 23 to sharpen procedures and capabilities to respond to a crisis in the region if support is requested.
• Naval Station Norfolk Bids Farewell to USS Shreveport Navy NewsStand 27 Sep 2007 -- The amphibious transport dock USS Shreveport (LPD 12) was decommissioned during a ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, Sept. 26.
• Forrest Sherman Exercises With South African Navy Navy NewsStand 27 Sep 2007 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98)got underway with South African navy frigate SAS Amatola (F 145) for coordinated at sea operations Sept. 26.
• U.S. Turns Over Combined Task Force 158 to Australian Forces Navy NewsStand 27 Sep 2007 -- Royal Australian Navy Commodore Allan du Toit relieved Rear Adm. Garry E. Hall as commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 158 during a ceremony at Naval Support Activity Bahrain Sept. 27.
• Seabee Restores Water, Brings Comfort to Primary School Navy NewsStand 27 Sep 2007 -- Upon the conclusion of a three-day project Sept. 26, a primary school of 1,400 students in East Bank Demerara, now has running water, thanks to a Seabee attached to hospital ship USNS Comfort's (T-AH 20) embarked Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 202.
• Cyberspace expert briefs AFA conference attendees AFPN 27 Sep 2007 -- "The first battle in the wars of the future will be over the control of cyberspace," said Dr. Lani Kass at the Air Force Association's Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 26 in Washington.
• Senate Considers Nominations to Four Key Defense Posts AFPS 27 Sep 2007 -- The Senate Armed Services Committee today is considering nominations of four senior officers named to take key Defense Department posts.
• Russia promises retaliation if weapons deployed in space RIA Novosti 27 Sep 2007 -- Russia is ready to take appropriate measures if weapons are deployed in space, the commander of the Russian Space Forces said Thursday.
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino The White House 27 Sep 2007
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 27 Sep 2007

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for September 27, 2007
• Puma Life Extension Joint Project Office opens in Bristol EADS 27 Sep 2007 -- Eurocopter and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence formally opened a Joint Project Office (JPO) to manage the life extension programme of the Royal Air Force's fleet of Puma helicopters this week
• GAO Upholds U.S. Army's JCA Decision L-3 Communications 27 Sep 2007 -- L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) announced today that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) denied the protest filed by Raytheon Company, Space and Airborne Systems, challenging the Department of the Army's award of a contract to provide the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) to the Government.
• Lockheed Martin Paveway II Dual Mode Laser Guided Bomb Fully Qualified for U.S. Navy Lockheed Martin 27 Sep 2007 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] successfully completed the paveway II Dual Mode Laser Guided Bomb (DMLGB) First Article Test program and is now the only qualified source for delivery of DMLGB kits to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
• Boeing and U.S. Navy Win Performance-Based Logistics Award for F/A-18 FIRST Program Boeing 27 Sep 2007 -- A key partnership between The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Navy was honored Wednesday at the Third Annual Secretary of Defense Performance-Based Logistics Awards in Washington, D.C.
• Raytheon Awarded $6.5 Million for Hybrid Silicon Compound Semiconductors Raytheon 27 Sep 2007 -- The Office of Naval Research has awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a $6.5 million contract to develop affordable, high-performance semiconductor integrated circuits for electronic-driven military systems.
• DCNS wins Thai naval equipment contract DCNS 27 Sep 2007 -- The Royal Thai Navy has awarded DCNS a contract worth €5 million to supply two harpoon-and-grid landing systems and two Samahé® traversing systems. The first shipset will be delivered in February 2009, the second in May 2009.
• U.S. Navy-GE Team Receives Defense Secretary T700 PBL Award GE Aviation 27 Sep 2007 -- The U.S. Navy-GE Aviation T700 Component Performance Based Logistics (PBL) Team was awarded the 2007 Secretary of Defense PBL Award for Logistics Excellence in the Component Category.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICES OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT United Nations 27 Sep 2007
• PRESS CONFERENCE BY CYPRUS PRESIDENT United Nations 27 Sep 2007
• US Urges New Diplomatic Push for Cyprus Settlement VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- The Bush administration is urging U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to name a new special envoy to expedite settlement talks in the Cyprus dispute
• 11 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Raids in Gaza VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- At least 11 Palestinians, mostly militants, have been killed in two days of Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip
• Mali's Army Takes Control in Northeast Part of Country VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- Army troops in Mali have retaken an area in the northeast of the country that was controlled by rebel Tuareg fighters
• Two Former Yugoslav Army Officers Sentenced for War Crimes VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- Judges at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal have convicted two former Yugoslav army officers for their role in the 1991 murders of non-Serbs in the Croatian city of Vukovar
• YEMEN: Rebellion in north causing psychological problems, say aid workers IRIN 27 Sep 2007 -- Aid workers in Yemen say they are working to assist residents in the northern province of Saada who have developed psychological problems in the aftermath of clashes between government forces and supporters of rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.
• Georgia leader - change Abkhazia talks, replace peacekeepers RIA Novosti 27 Sep 2007 -- Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili demanded Thursday a change in the format of talks on Abkhazia and the replacement of peacekeepers in the secessionist republic of the South Caucasus nation.

News Reports

• Ban Ki-moon welcomes Myanmar's decision to receive UN envoy UN News Centre 27 Sep 2007 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that he is pleased that the Government of Myanmar has agreed to a visit by his Special Envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, who has been dispatched to the region in response to the deteriorating situation in the country.
• Burmese Government: 9 Protesters Dead in Crackdown on Pro-Democracy Protests VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- Burma's military government says its security forces have killed nine protesters and wounded 11 others in Rangoon, on the second day of a crackdown against the largest protests to challenge the military government in decades.
• US Demands Burma's Military Government Immediately Halt Violent Crackdown VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- The United States has demanded that Burma's military government immediately halt its violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrators.
• Burma Agrees to Accept UN Envoy Amid Condemnation for Violent Crackdown VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- Burma has agreed to accept a special envoy from the United Nations as leaders around the world call on the military government to halt its violent crackdown on protesters in Rangoon.
• US Condemns Burmese Military, Imposes Sanctions VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- The United States is imposing sanctions against senior Burmese officials following a government crackdown on demonstrators in which nine people died and 11 were injured
• UN fails to reach decision over Myanmar RIA Novosti 27 Sep 2007 -- The UN Security Council failed to adopt a draft resolution on Myanmar, after China and Russia blocked international calls for sanctions against the country wrapped in anti-government protests.
• Burmese Capital Tense Following Government Crackdown on Protests VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- Burma's capital Rangoon remains tense, following the government's crackdown Wednesday during which Burmese soldiers opened fire on pro-democracy protesters.
• Burmese Security Forces Raid Buddhist Monasteries as Crackdown Continues VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- Reports from Burma say security forces in Rangoon have opened fire to disperse demonstrators for the second day in a row
• Violence Escalates in Burma as Monks, Others Continue Protests VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- Police and soldiers in Burma's main city have opened fire for a second day to disperse demonstrators
• Mugabe Says Zimbabwe Situation 'Not as Dire' as Portrayed VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe says the situation in his country is "not as dire" as portrayed by his critics.
• Bush Continues Presidential Tradition with U.N. Speech Washington File 27 Sep 2007 -- President Bush called on world leaders at the opening of the 62nd U.N. General Assembly to work to liberate people from tyranny and violence wherever it exists.
• UN Debate Highlights Kosovo, UN Reform VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- World leaders addressed the U.N. General Assembly annual debate for a third day, Thursday
• Security Council urges free and timely election of new Lebanese president UN News Centre 27 Sep 2007 -- The United Nations Security Council today called for a free and timely presidential election in Lebanon, which was scheduled to be held this week but has been postponed until later next month.
• Nigerian Parliament Leader Under Pressure to Resign or Face Impeachment VOA 27 Sep 2007 -- Critics of Nigeria's parliament speaker say the report of a panel of legislators which indicted her about contracts to renovate two official residences and buy 10 cars is sufficiently grave to warrant impeachment proceedings.
• Georgia: Saakashvili Has Harsh Words For Russia At UN RFE/RL 27 Sep 2007 -- In Georgia, one issue is dominating the headlines -- sensational allegations by a former ally that President Mikheil Saakashvili ordered the killings of political enemies
• Orbital-Built Dawn Spacecraft Successfully Launched From Cape Canaveral On 3-Billion-Mile, 8-Year Asteroid Rendezvous Mission For Nasa Orbital Sciences Corp. 27 Sep 2007 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that Dawn, its first interplanetary spacecraft, was successfully launched this morning from Cape Canaveral, Florida.