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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 10 Mar 2008 [PDF]
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Kelly from Iraq 10 Mar 2008 -- Presenter: Commanding General, Multinational Force West Maj. Gen. John Kelly
• US Commander Says al-Qaida Could Try Large Attacks in Iraq VOA 10 Mar 2008 -- The commander of coalition forces in western Iraq says he expects al-Qaida in Iraq fighters to try to return to the region as they are pushed out of other parts of the country, and possibly to try to launch large-scale attacks.
• March 9 airpower summary: C-17s deliever supplies to front AFPN 10 Mar 2008
• Unit stands up to improve communications across, for Iraq AFPN 10 Mar 2008 -- Multi-National Force - Iraq officials here have recently established a new team of experts to help improve coordination of communications policy, services and infrastructure initiatives throughout Iraq.
• Coalition Forces in Iraq Kill, Capture Terrorists Over Several Days' Operations AFPS 10 Mar 2008 -- Coalition forces killed two terrorists and detained nine suspects today during operations to disrupt al Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq.
• Progress Continues in Anbar Province Amid Reduced Violence AFPS 10 Mar 2008 -- A month into his third tour in Iraq, the commander of Multinational Force West said today he's amazed by vast improvements across Anbar province, with a sharp drop in violence and continued progress among Iraqi security forces.
• March 8 airpower summary: Shows of force deter enemy AFPN 10 Mar 2008
• Afghanistan's political transition faces serious challenges - UN report UN News Centre 10 Mar 2008 -- The political transition in strife-torn Afghanistan continues to face a number of serious challenges, including terrorism and a booming drug industry, according to a new United Nations report, which urges an integrated approach among all international partners to stabilize the fledgling democracy.
• AFGHANISTAN: New envoy to boost coordination and reinforce UNAMA IRIN 10 Mar 2008 -- The UN says its "central" and "impartial" role in peace-building, development and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan will be reinforced by the appointment of the UN Secretary-General's new special representative (SRSG) to the war-torn country.
• Afghanistan: UN Food Agency Races To Prevent Humanitarian Crisis RFE/RL 10 Mar 2008 -- A crippling food shortage in Afghanistan exacerbated by a harsh winter and an astronomical rise in the price of wheat has led the UN's World Food Program (WFP) to begin distributing emergency food aid.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Press Secretary Morrell from the Pentagon 10 Mar 2008 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell
• Press Secretary: Pentagon 'Extraordinarily Transparent' in Reporting War Costs AFPS 10 Mar 2008 -- In a broad-ranging news conference today, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell fielded questions on the costs of the war on terror, troops' water safety in Iraq, the fielding schedule for mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, and a recent contract for aerial refueling tankers.
• DoD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for February 2008 10 Mar 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today its recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for the month of February.
• Components Report Recruiting Success AFPS 10 Mar 2008 -- All active and reserve components met or topped their recruiting goals for February, Defense Department officials announced today.
• Officials highlight training vision to industry leaders AFPN 10 Mar 2008 -- More than 70 representatives from 44 corporations met here March 6 to consider ways the civilian industry might partner with Air Education and Training Command officials to make the vision of the future of education and training a reality.
• White Sands Testing New Weapons to Counter IEDsArmy News 10 Mar 2008 -- Science fiction is becoming reality at the Joint Directed Energy Test Site at White Sands Missile Range.
• Airpower brings unique capability to U.S., Korean exercise AFPN 10 Mar 2008 -- Ensuring peace and stability throughout the region takes a solid relationship between Republic of Korea airmen and the U.S. Airmen here -- one cannot accomplish the mission without the other.
• Nighthawk pilots reflect on F-117's legacy AFPN 10 Mar 2008 -- Like most Americans, Col. Tom Bell experienced the spectacular display of American airpower during the opening of Operation Desert Storm while watching CNN on television.
• Dyess Airmen help airborne operations return to Fort Hood AFPN 10 Mar 2008
• Aerial porters receive advanced training AFPN 10 Mar 2008 --Airmen in the Air Force air transportation career field, also known as "aerial porters," can advance their training and capabilities here through the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's Aerial Port Operations Course.
• Excalibur Round Debuts in Afghanistan Army News 10 Mar 2008 -- Soldiers fired the first 155mm GPS-guided Excalibur artillery round in Afghanistan Feb. 25.
• Navy Recruiting Offers Incentives for Referrals Navy NewsStand 10 Mar 2008 -- Commander, Navy Recruiting Command (CNRC) is offering incentives to active-duty and Reserve Sailors who help in the Navy's efforts to recruit the nation's best and brightest.
• Africa Partnership Station Returns to Sao Tome and Principe Navy NewsStand 10 Mar 2008 -- Africa Partnership Station (APS) returned to Sao Tome and Principe (STP) March 10 bringing more training during its maiden deployment, aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43).
• C3F Visits Stennis Navy NewsStand 10 Mar 2008 -- Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, Vice Adm. Samuel J. Locklear visited USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) March 5, to view its progress during a major six-month maintenance period.
• USS Peleliu Enjoys Dream Liberty Port Navy NewsStand 10 Mar 2008 -- USS Peleliu (LHA 5), the "Iron Nickel," anchored off the coast of Puerto Vallarta, from Feb. 26-29, allowing almost 1,000 Sailors and Marines the opportunity to enjoy what many call "a dream liberty port."
• APS Delivers Hope in Ghana Navy NewsStand 10 Mar 2008 -- In partnership with Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere), a private voluntary organization with an emphasis on advancing health through humanitarian assistance and education worldwide, Africa Partnership Station (APS) delivered more than $500,000 worth of medicine, supplies and equipment March 5.
• NMCB 74 and NMCB 40 Work Together to Finish Ghana Medical Clinic Navy NewsStand 10 Mar 2008 -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 74, out of Gulfport, Miss., along with eight Seabees from NMCB 40, from Point Hueneme, Calif., are working together on African Partnership Station's (APS) premier Ghana, Africa project, the Ghana Medical Clinic in Tema.
• CTF 76 Completes Exercise Key Resolve Navy NewsStand 10 Mar 2008 -- Rear Adm. Carol M. Pottenger, commander of Task Force (CTF) 76, and her staff wrapped-up their portion of the United States and Republic of Korea (ROK) bilateral exercise Key Resolve on board USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) March 6.
• USS John S. McCain Rescues ROK Fishing Vessel Crew Members Navy NewsStand 10 Mar 2008 -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) assisted in the rescue of 11 crew members of a Republic of Korea (ROK) fishing vessel off the Korean Peninsula, March 10.
• USS Tarawa Awarded Battle "E" Navy NewsStand 10 Mar 2008 -- Amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) won the calendar year 2007 Battle Efficiency "E" in addition to achieving an overall score of excellent in five of six shipboard categories.
• Nimitz Soars into Foal Eagle Navy NewsStand 10 Mar 2008 -- The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is participating in a joint training exercise designed to demonstrate U.S. commitment to the Republic of Korea (ROK) and U.S. alliance.
• USS Ross Conducts Vertical Replenishment Navy NewsStand 10 Mar 2008 -- USS Ross (DDG 71) conducted a vertical replenishment (VERTREP) with an SH-60 Seahawk, Feb. 28, as the Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group's (NASSG) guided-missile destroyer continued its transit into the Navy's 6th Fleet operating area.
• NAS Oceana Skeet Trap Range Reopens Navy NewsStand 10 Mar 2008 -- With the call of "pull," and a blast of a shotgun shell, the Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana Skeet Trap Range was officially reopened March 1 after being closed for renovations 15 months ago.
• Bush Says US Will Help Modernize Polish Military VOA 10 Mar 2008 -- President Bush says the United States will help modernize the Polish military as part of a deal to put components of a missile defense system in Poland
• Polish PM to Discuss Missile Defense with Bush in Washington VOA 10 Mar 2008 -- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will meet with President Bush Monday, in Washington to discuss U.S. plans to build a missile defense system in Poland.
• Russian ministers leave for Paris for bilateral security talks RIA Novosti 10 Mar 2008 -- Russia's foreign and defense ministers will leave for Paris on Monday to meet with their French counterparts for bilateral security negotiations.
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino The White House 10 Mar 2008
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 10 Mar 2008

Defense Industry

• Boeing to File Protest of U.S. Air Force Tanker Contract Award Boeing 10 Mar 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] will file a formal protest on Tuesday asking the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the decision by the U.S. Air Force to award a contract to a team of Northrop Grumman and European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) to replace aerial refueling tankers.
• U.S. Air Force Completes KC-45A Tanker Debriefing to Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman 10 Mar 2008 -- The U.S. Air Force completed its debriefing to Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) today and fully explained why the company's KC-45A tanker offering was clearly the superior tanker for the contract to replace the service's aerial refueling tankers.
• Decision Time Nears for Boeing to Protest Air Force Tanker Award Boeing 10 Mar 2008 -- As the deadline nears for a decision on whether to protest a U.S. Air Force contract award for the next refueling tanker aircraft, officials at Boeing [NYSE: BA] spent the weekend evaluating with growing concern the information provided by the Air Force during a Friday debriefing.
• Northrop Grumman Sets the Record Straight Concerning the U.S. Air Force KC-45A Misinformation Northrop Grumman 10 Mar 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) said today that since the Air Force's selection of the Northrop Grumman KC-45A, numerous erroneous comments continue to be repeated in the media and in Congress
• DoD News: Contracts for March 10, 2008
• General Dynamics Awarded Contract to Support the Department of Defense Education Activity General Dynamics 10 Mar 2008 -- General Dynamics Information Technology, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded an Information Technology Enterprise Solutions - 2 Services (ITES-2S) task order by the U.S. Army Communications Electronics Command (CECOM) to provide information technology (IT) systems engineering and data center operations support services to the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).
• Lockheed Martin Signs Five Year Contract To Support The Combined Arms Tactical Trainer Lockheed Martin 10 Mar 2008 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has signed a five year, £24.5 million partnering contract with the Ministry of Defence to operate and maintain the Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (CATT).
• ATK Selected for U.S. Air Force BattleAxe Follow-on Contract ATK 10 Mar 2008 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) announced today it was selected by Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to receive a $1.6 million contract to continue development of an innovative small, lightweight warhead that will provide a unique battlefield solution to stop an enemy target.
• General Dynamics Awarded $33 Million for Stryker-Related Work General Dynamics 10 Mar 2008 -- General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), was awarded a $33 million contract for work associated with the Stryker Mobile Gun and Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance variants.
• Northrop Grumman Mine Detection Systems Earns Go-Ahead Northrop Grumman 10 Mar 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) has received approval for low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 2 from the U.S. Navy.
• BAE Systems Hägglunds Announces Restructuring Measures BAE Systems 10 Mar 2008 -- BAE Systems Hägglunds today notified its local employment board of restructuring measures, which may result in the redundancy of 200 employees.
• BAE Systems Receives $130 Million U.S. Army Order for Thermal Weapon Sights BAE Systems 10 Mar 2008 -- BAE Systems has been awarded a $130 million U.S. Army order for production of thermal weapon sights.
• Land and Sea Tests Verify Effectiveness of Boeing Biological Detection System Boeing 10 Mar 2008 -- The U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and Boeing [NYSE: BA] have demonstrated successfully that ScanEagle unmanned air vehicles modified to look for biological warfare agents can effectively intercept, detect and fly through simulated biological plumes or clouds to collect airborne agents.
• MEADS: Cutting edge technology from EADS Defence & Security adds new dimension to air defence radar EADS 10 Mar 2008 -- The transmit / receive modules developed by EADS Defence & Security (DS) for the fire control radar of the MEADS air defence system (MEADS = Medium Extended Air Defence System) have now passed their acceptance tests and are being put into serial production.
• General Dynamics Awarded $191 Million NAVSEA Ballistic Missile Defense Support Contract General Dynamics 10 Mar 2008 -- General Dynamics Information Technology, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a contract by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to provide support to the Missile Defense Agency's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) program directorate.
• EADS Defence & Security to expand digital radio network of Brazilian Federal Police EADS 10 Mar 2008 -- EADS Defence & Security (DS) has been commissioned by Brazil's Departamento de Polícia Federal to expand the digital radio network of the Brazilian Federal Police on the basis of the Tetrapol standard.

Other Conflicts

• Private security companies lack oversight and regulation - UN working group UN News Centre 10 Mar 2008 -- A growing number of private security and military companies are operating domestically and internationally without effective oversight or accountability, the United Nations working group on the use of mercenaries warned today.
• Kupchan: Recognizing Kosovo Least Bad Option for United States cfr.org 10 Mar 2008
• Bush Sending Cheney to Mideast VOA 10 Mar 2008 -- President Bush is sending Vice President Dick Cheney to the Middle East, following on last week's trip to the region by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
• SRI LANKA: Tough times continue for Jaffna residents IRIN 10 Mar 2008 -- The evening of 11 August 2006 is etched in the minds of those who live in the northern Jaffna peninsula.
• Hijackings impeding delivery of critical food supplies in Darfur, UN says UN News Centre 10 Mar 2008 -- Banditry is hindering the delivery of vital food aid on the ground in Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region, but limited funding could ground the air transport service run by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the agency warned today.
• UN expert decries human rights violations by both sides in Darfur UN News Centre 10 Mar 2008 -- Sudanese Government military forces and Darfur's rebel movements have both committed human rights abuses in the war-wracked region, carrying out killings, acts of sexual violence, looting, the destruction of property, arbitrary arrests and forced displacement, an independent United Nations envoy said today.
• Appointment of Latvian judge boosts ranks on UN tribunal for the Balkan wars UN News Centre 10 Mar 2008 -- A Latvian judge was today sworn in before the United Nations tribunal set up to deal with the worst crimes committed during the Balkan wars of the 1990s so that the court can handle more of its remaining workload.
• International Criminal Court officials meet delegation from Ugandan rebel group UN News Centre 10 Mar 2008 -- Officials from the International Criminal Court (ICC) met today with a delegation from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), the Ugandan rebel group whose leadership is under indictment for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during its protracted conflict with Government forces in the African country.
• SUDAN: Cash shortage threatens vital air service IRIN 10 Mar 2008 -- Insecurity is delaying food aid deliveries to needy people in Sudan's strife-torn region of Darfur, the UN food agency has reported, adding that lack of funding for its crucial aid service could make the humanitarian situation there worse.
• CHAD: Refugee relocation starts but IDPs remain IRIN 10 Mar 2008 -- The first 117 of the some 13,000 Sudanese refugees who arrived last month at the volatile border area near the village of Birak in eastern Chad have been moved further inland according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) although a second transfer planned for Friday was delayed because of renewed fighting on the Sudanese side of the frontier.
• SUDAN: Census on course as more returnees head home IRIN 10 Mar 2008 -- Preparations for the national census are moving ahead, with the mapping of enumeration areas in Southern Sudan completed and the UN starting to deliver materials by air to various states, a senior UN official said.
• Unofficial Truce Takes Hold in Gaza Strip VOA 10 Mar 2008 -- An unofficial truce has taken effect in the Gaza Strip where Palestinian militants have nearly stopped rocket attacks against Israel

News Reports

• Serbia: Early Elections Could Force Belgrade's Hand RFE/RL 10 Mar 2008 -- The collapse of Serbia's government and the resulting early elections signal the end of an awkward alliance between conservatives and pro-Westerners, and could force Serbs into a difficult choice over their future course.
• UN envoy meets pro-democracy leader again before wrapping up Myanmar visit UN News Centre 10 Mar 2008 -- The Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Myanmar has concluded his latest mission to spur democratic change in the South-East Asian nation, meeting today for the second time during his visit with detained pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.