• 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 27 Feb 2008 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• PRESS CONFERENCE: Operational Update: Maj. Gen. Bergner, Mr. Reeker, Feb. 27, 2008 MNF-I 27 Feb 2008
• Feb. 26 airpower summary: B-1Bs destroy Taliban check point AFPN 27 Feb 2008
• Iraqi, Coalition Forces Capture Suspected Terrorists AFPS 27 Feb 2008 -- Iraqi and coalition forces throughout Iraq have killed and captured several terrorists over the past several days.
• Vice President Welcomes 1st Cavalry Division Home Army News 27 Feb 2008 -- Vice President Richard B. Cheney visited Fort Hood Feb. 26 to welcome home a roaring crowd of about 9,000 troopers from the 1st Cavalry Division and he credited the recent progress in Iraq to hard work by the Soldiers.
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Col. Stevens from Afghanistan 27 Feb 2008 -- Presenter: Commander, Combined Task Force Rugged and the 36th Engineer Brigade, 82nd Division Col. Richard Stevens
• US Official Says Afghan Government Controls Only 30 Percent of Country VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. Director of National Intelligence, Michael McConnell, says the Afghan government controls only 30 percent of the country
• Coalition Forces in Eastern Afghanistan Increase Operations AFPS 27 Feb 2008 -- Coalition and Afghan forces in Regional Command East have increased the operations tempo 300 percent over this time last year, a top officer in Afghanistan said today.
• Arizona National Guard Rescues U.S. Senators Army News 27 Feb 2008 -- When a helicopter carrying three senior U.S. senators was forced to make an emergency landing Feb. 23 in the mountains of Afghanistan due to blizzard conditions, Soldiers of the Arizona National Guard's 1st Battalion, 158th Infantry responded.
• Insecurity hindering return of Afghan refugees to their homeland, says UN agency UN News Centre 27 Feb 2008 -- Many Afghan refugees living in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan are reluctant to return to their homeland due to the deteriorating security situation there and difficulty in sustaining their new lives, a senior official with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today.
• Army Engineers' Roadwork Connects Rural Afghans AFPS 27 Feb 2008 -- U.S. Army engineers are busy building roads and security outposts that are helping put previously isolated Afghans onto the path of peace and prosperity, a senior U.S. military officer posted in Afghanistan said today.
• U.S. Soldiers Train Canadians for Afghanistan in Texas AFPS 27 Feb 2008 -- More than 3,000 Canadian soldiers preparing for a rotation in Afghanistan are wrapping up a pre-deployment training exercise here this week that included U.S.-led instruction in countering improvised explosive devices.
• AFGHANISTAN: Clashes in Helmand leave civilians dead, displaced IRIN 27 Feb 2008 -- At least seven civilians have died in clashes between Taliban insurgents and Afghan and international forces in Kajaki District of Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, according to the US military.
• AFGHANISTAN: Poverty pushing youth into arms of Taliban? IRIN 27 Feb 2008
• US Military Designates Afghan Journalist 'Unlawful Enemy Combatant' VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. military says an Afghan journalist detained in Afghanistan for three months has been declared an "unlawful enemy combatant."

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: Media Roundtable with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates from India 27 Feb 2008 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• Mesa Verde Completes Anti-Terrorism Certification with Perfect Score Navy NewsStand 27 Feb 2008 -- USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) passed her first biannual force protection exercise (FPEX) with a perfect score, achieving a major milestone in the process of becoming a fully certified and deployable warship.
• Static displays provide up-close look at American airpower AFPN 27 Feb 2008
• Pilot reaches 1,000 combat hours flown AFPN 27 Feb 2008 -- A 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot here will reach two career milestones in a matter of weeks.
• Airmen load Japanese helicopter into U.S. plane AFPN 27 Feb 2008 -- American Airmen and Japan Ground Self Defense Force members loaded a Japanese CH-47J Chinook onto a C-17 Globemaster III Feb. 23 at Yokota Air Base
• Army Manual Recognizes Value of Stability Operations AFPS 27 Feb 2008 -- Stabilizing war-torn nations is as important as conducting offensive and defensive operations, according to a new Army operations manual.
• Inspector General to Investigate Allegations of MRAP Delays AFPS 27 Feb 2008 -- An independent group will investigate allegations that 'gross mismanagement' by the Marines Corps deprived its frontline force of blast-resistant vehicles that could have saved troops' lives.
• Department Aims to Make Training More Realistic, Relevant, Accessible AFPS 27 Feb 2008 -- The Defense Department's training transformation initiative is changing the way the military trains, weaving joint, interagency and international elements into training programs and using technology to increase their realism, relevance and accessibility.
• Superb Performance Reflects Force Quality, Personnel Chief Says AFPS 27 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. military's insistence on quality has visibly paid off through servicemembers' superb performance during the war on global terrorism, a senior U.S. defense official told members of a House panel here yesterday.
• Navy Christens Amphibious Transport Dock Ship New York 27 Feb 2008 -- The Navy will christen the newest San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ship New York (LPD 21) at 10 a.m. CST on Saturday, March 1, 2008, during a ceremony at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding facilities in New Orleans, La.
• USS Thach Receives White House Recognition Navy NewsStand 27 Feb 2008 -- The crew of the San Diego-based frigate USS Thach (FFG 43) was presented with the United States Interdiction Coordinator (USIC) Award, Feb. 19, for superior performance in the surface interdiction of illicit drugs during the ship's deployment to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility.
• CNE Learning Site Pearl Harbor Constructs New Trainer Navy NewsStand 27 Feb 2008 -- The Center for Naval Engineering (CNE) Learning Site Pearl Harbor began construction of a new $1 million state-of-the-art training facility Jan. 7 on board Naval Station Pearl Harbor.
• MIPS Holds Security Roundtable Discussion Navy NewsStand 27 Feb 2008 -- Experts in maritime infrastructure protection participated in a roundtable discussion, Feb. 27, during a Maritime Infrastructure Protection Symposium (MIPS) hosted by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT).
• U.S. Faces 'Unusually Complex' Security Environment, Intel Official Says AFPS 27 Feb 2008 -- The Pentagon's top intelligence official today told a Senate committee the United States is operating in a security environment that is "unusually complex."
• DoD News: Senior Executive Service Appointments 27 Feb 2008
• Gates' India Visit Aimed at Long-Term Relationship AFPS 27 Feb 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates wrapped up a two-day visit here today after talks with top officials that targeted the continued development of a long-term relationship with India.
• U.S., Czech Republic set to conclude missile shield deal RIA Novosti 27 Feb 2008 -- Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek may finalize a deal on the deployment of a U.S. radar in his country during a meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington on Wednesday.
• Russia to deploy 11 new Topol-M ICBMs in 2008 RIA Novosti 27 Feb 2008 -- Russia's Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) will deploy 11 new silo and mobile-launched Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles in 2008, the SMF commander said on Wednesday.
• Russia's RS-24 ICBM to enter service in 2009 - SMF commander RIA Novosti 27 Feb 2008 -- A new intercontinental ballistic missile with multiple warheads is due to enter service with Russia's Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) next year, the SMF commander said on Wednesday.
• Russian soldiers set to eat 'buffet' style RIA Novosti 27 Feb 2008 -- The Russian Army is set to trial a new 'buffet' style system with personnel serving themselves in mess halls, a military official said on Wednesday.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 27 Feb 2008
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino The White House 27 Feb 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 27, 2008
• BAE SYSTEMS AND NAVISTAR UNVEIL JOINT LIGHT TACTICAL VEHICLE PROTOTYPE AT AUSA WINTER SYMPOSIUM BAE Systems 27 Feb 2008 -- BAE Systems, through its Ground Systems line of business, and teammate Navistar International Corporation today unveiled a fully-operational system the team will use to compete for Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program
• Boeing Continues KC-10 Fleet Support Under Contract Extension Boeing 27 Feb 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] is continuing to support the U.S. Air Force's KC-10 Extender aerial refueling tanker fleet under the KC-10 Contractor Logistics Support program
• Coast Guard Commandant Declares General Dynamics-Built Rescue 21 System "Operationally Ready" General Dynamics 27 Feb 2008 -- U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen, in a recent visit to General Dynamics C4 Systems, said the Rescue 21 program is operationally ready
• Orbital Awarded Contract for System F6 Satellite Program by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Orbital Sciences Corp. 27 Feb 2008 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), a world leader in smaller-sized civil government and national security satellites, announced today that it has been selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Arlington, VA, to develop a Phase 1 concept for System F6 (Future Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying Spacecraft united by Information eXchange).
• Lockheed Martin Unveils Second Operational Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Prototype At AUSA Winter Lockheed Martin 27 Feb 2008 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] today unveiled its second operational Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) prototype at the Association of the United States Army Winter Show in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Boeing Awarded U.S. Army Contract for 11 New CH-47F Chinook Helicopters Boeing 27 Feb 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a $280.5 million U.S. Army contract for 11 new CH-47F Chinook helicopters, increasing the number of new Chinooks on contract to 59. Aircraft deliveries under this award will begin in 2011.
• EADS Defence & Security selected by the Italian Ministry of Defence to provide Joint Military Message Handling System. EADS 27 Feb 2008 -- EADS Defence & Security (DS) has signed a contract, now submitted to the state audit court for registration, for the new Italian Joint Military Message Handling System (IT-JMMHS) with the General Directorate of Telecommunications, Information and Advanced Technologies, a procurement Agency of the Italian Ministry of Defence.
• Lockheed Martin MULE Program Completes Key Review, Begins Work on Final System Design Lockheed Martin 27 Feb 2008 -- The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Multifunction Utility/Logistics and Equipment (MULE) vehicle program successfully completed its System Preliminary Design Review (PDR), signaling a new phase in the program's development as part of the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) modernization initiative
• Northrop Grumman Awarded 'Grow the Army' Instructor Program Contract Northrop Grumman 27 Feb 2008 -- The U.S. Army has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) a firm-fixed-price contract valued at up to $30 million over three years to provide instructors and instructor support at the U.S. Army Armor Center at Fort Knox, Ky.
• ATK Played Pivotal Role in the U.S. Navy's Successful Shoot Down of a Disabled Satellite ATK 27 Feb 2008 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) provided the Third Stage Rocket Motor (TSRM) and the Solid Divert and Attitude Control System (SDACS) for a modified U.S. Navy Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) which successfully shot down a disabled U.S. government satellite on February 20. Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) is the prime contractor.
• GE Recognized as Preferred Supplier on VH-71 Helicopter GE Aviation 27 Feb 2008 -- Lockheed Martin was selected in January 2005 to develop the next generation VH-71 Presidential Helicopter for use by the U.S. President. In June 2005 GE was awarded a contract to provide CT7-8 engines for the VH-71 helicopter. Selection as engine supplier on the VH-71 program continues GE's tradition of providing aircraft engines for the fleet of the U.S. President including Air Force One, VH-60 and VH-3D aircraft.
• Thales named Australia's Top Defence Contractor Thales 27 Feb 2008 -- With turnover of $757.5 million, Thales enjoyed another successful year that included delivering world-class APEC accreditation and security systems, receiving an order for 399 additional Bushmaster vehicles from the ADF, delivering the most sophisticated simulator for the AIR 87 Tiger helicopter worldwide, and the successful firing of the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile from HMAS Sydney.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 27 Feb 2008
• Quicker is Better for Turkish Military Operations in Iraq, Gates Says AFPS 27 Feb 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates landed in Turkey today with the message for the country's leaders that sooner is better for wrapping up Turkish military operations in northern Iraq.
• Pressure Increases on Turkey to End Iraq Incursion VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- Turkey is continuing to send its forces into northern Iraq, in an operation against Kurdish rebels
• Turkish troops to stay put in N. Iraq until Kurd threat removed RIA Novosti 27 Feb 2008 -- The Turkish Army will set no timeline on the withdrawal of its troops from northern Iraq until the Kurdish separatist threat has been eliminated, a Turkish government spokesman said on Wednesday.
• US Defense Chief to Tell Turkey to Quickly Conclude Iraq Military Operation VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says he will tell Turkish leaders that they must conclude their military operation in northern Iraq within the next two weeks.
• US Intelligence Chief Says Belgrade Allowed Attack on US Embassy VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- The top U.S. intelligence official says Serbia's government ordered police not to interfere with rioters who attacked the Belgrade embassies of western countries, including the United States, for their recognition of Kosovo's independence
• Kosovo Serb Leaders Call for Return of Russian Peacekeepers VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- Serb leaders in northern Kosovo are calling for the return of Russian peacekeepers, following last week's declaration of independence by Kosovo's ethnic-Albanian majority.
• UN mission in Kosovo set to transfer power to EU, local govt. RIA Novosti 27 Feb 2008 -- The UN mission in Kosovo has drafted a plan to hand over power to a new European Union mission and the local government, the UN mission press secretary said on Wednesday.
• After yesterday's roadblocks, no new restrictions reported by UN in Eritrea UN News Centre 27 Feb 2008 -- No new restrictions have been reported today from Eritrea on the regrouping of the United Nations peacekeepers there in preparation for their temporary relocation to Ethiopia, though the vehicles blocked yesterday were unable to complete their tasks.
• Bosnian Serb soldier convicted by UN tribunal to serve jail term in Belgium UN News Centre 27 Feb 2008 -- A former Bosnian Serb soldier and military policeman convicted by a United Nations war crimes tribunal of torturing and raping Muslim women and girls during the Balkan wars of the 1990s will serve the remainder of his 15-year jail term in Belgium.
• Rice Sets New Mideast Trip Amid Gaza Turmoil VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visits the Middle East again next week amid tensions over Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza and Israeli strikes against Gaza militants
• DRC: New displacement as army fights militia in Ituri IRIN 27 Feb 2008 -- Fighting between government troops and militias in the Ituri district of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has displaced more than 1,000 people in the past two days, local authorities said.
• Israeli Air Strikes Kill 6 Militants in Gaza VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- The Palestinian militant group Hamas says five of its members were killed in an Israeli air strike in southern Gaza Wednesday.
• Annan to Press Feuding Kenyan Factions to Reach Agreement VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the chief mediator in Kenya's political crisis talks, is pressing the nation's rival leaders to reach some level of compromise.

News Reports

• Colombian Rebels Free Four Politicians VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- Colombian rebels have handed over four politicians held hostage for more than six years to a Venezuelan-led recovery team
• No Contest in Russian Presidential Election VOA 27 Feb 2008 -- Russians go to the polls on Sunday for a presidential election in which the victory of Kremlin-backed candidate Dmitri Medvedev is considered a foregone conclusion