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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 17 Mar 2008 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• Two MND-B Soldiers attacked by IED (Baghdad)
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Allardice from Iraq 17 Mar 2008 -- Presenter: Commander, Coalition Air Force Training Team Maj. Gen. Robert R. Allardice
• March 16 airpower summary: A-10s destroy enemy targets AFPN 17 Mar 2008
• Conference addresses air, ground synchronization issues AFPN 17 Mar 2008 -- More than 100 coalition members met March 3 to 5 at Al-Faw Palace in Baghdad to discuss ways to better synchronize airpower with future ground operations across Iraq.
• Coalition Disrupts Al Qaeda Networks in Iraq, Detains 27 AFPS 17 Mar 2008 -- Coalition forces detained 27 suspected terrorists today during operations to disrupt al Qaeda networks operating in central and northern Iraq.
• UAVs aid force protection efforts AFPN 17 Mar 2008 -- RQ-11 Raven unmanned aerial vehicles may be easily mistaken for an unorthodox version of a model airplane, but Airmen here use the UAV to secure the base and surrounding neighborhoods.
• Security still 'major constraint' in Afghanistan relief efforts - UN official UN News Centre 17 Mar 2008 -- Lack of security in many parts of strife-torn Afghanistan continues to hinder the efforts of United Nations agencies to deliver vital relief to millions of people affected by a harsh winter and rising food prices, a senior official with the world body's mission there said.
• Special Ops Marines Deliver in Southern Afghanistan AFPS 17 Mar 2008 -- Special operations Marines deployed to Afghanistan's Helmand province operate at a fast pace.

Defense Policy / Programs

• NMCB 5 "Professionals" and ROK Navy perform community service Navy NewsStand 17 Mar 2008 -- Seabees built on an enduring relationship with the Aikwangwon orphanage in Koje-do, an island of the coast of Chinhae, Korea, March 15.
• C-130 aircrews, Army riggers reach airdrop record AFPN 17 Mar 2008 -- February marked an airdrop record for the C-130 Hercules of the 774th Air Expeditionary Squadron, but not without the support of the Army's 11th Quartermaster Rigger Detachment and Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force riggers here.
• Air Force officials to close force shaping programs AFPN 17 Mar 2008 -- Since the Air Force is on track to meet end strength goals for fiscal 2008, force shaping programs are being closed for the remainder of the year.
• Army Sets Way Ahead for Correspondence Course Testing Army News 17 Mar 2008 -- The commander of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Gen. William S. Wallace, directed on Dec. 16 that the command, which oversees Soldier training and standards, determine the depth of the problem associated with the Army Correspondence Course Program's on-line testing and take action on those issues that TRADOC controls.
• DoD Announces New Reserve Component Deployment Support and Reintegration Office 17 Mar 2008 -- Undersecretary of Defense David S. C. Chu today announced the formation of the Deployment Support and Reintegration Office within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.
• Patrol Coastal Maintenance Support Teams Hold Facility Ground Breaking Ceremony Navy NewsStand 17 Mar 2008 -- Rear Adm. Kevin M. Quinn, commander, Naval Surface Force, Atlantic, broke ground on a new Patrol Coastal Maintenance Facility (PCMF) for the Patrol Coastal Class Squadron (PC CLASSRON) March 17 at Naval Amphibious Base (NAB), Little Creek.
• Nimitz and Essex Strike Groups complete Expeditionary Strike Force training Navy NewsStand 17 Mar 2008 -- The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG) conducted an Expeditionary Strike Force (ESF) exercise with the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) March 14-16.
• Bataan Earns 2007 Battle "E" Award Navy NewsStand 17 Mar 2008 -- Commander, Naval Surface Forces (SURFOR) awarded the crew of the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) with the Battle Effectiveness (Battle "E") award for 2007 on Feb. 28.
• Harpers Ferry Brings Assistance to Indonesia Navy NewsStand 17 Mar 2008 -- Medical personnel embarked aboard the dock-landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) and members of the Indonesian armed forces successfully completed a medical and dental civil assistance project March 13, while participating in a humanitarian assistance and disaster response exercise in Indonesia.
• CVW 17 Squadrons Earn Battle 'E' Navy NewsStand 17 Mar 2008 -- Three squadrons from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 were awarded the "Battle E," or "Excellence" for competition year 2007-2008 while underway onboard USS George Washington (GW) (CVN 73) in early March.
• USS John S. McCain Replenishes USS Lassen Navy NewsStand 17 Mar 2008 -- Sailors of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) provided needed personnel, repair parts, food stores and mail to USS Lassen (DDG 82), March 15.
• T-34 Crash Near Ashville, Alabama Navy NewsStand 17 Mar 2008 -- At approximately 3:45 p.m. March 14, a T-34C Turbomentor, a two-seat training aircraft, assigned to Training Squadron 6 based out of Whiting Field in Milton, crashed approximately 60 miles north of Birmingham, Ala. while conducting routine flight training.
• Cape Canaveral Airmen launch Delta II rocket AFPN 17 Mar 2008 -- Air Force officials here successfully launched a United Launch Alliance Delta II booster carrying the sixth modernized NAVSTAR Global Positioning System satellite into space at 2:10 a.m. EDT March 15 from Space Launch Complex 17A here.
• Putin Hints at Progress in Talks with Rice, Gates AFPS 17 Mar 2008 -- Talks between top U.S. and Russian officials got off to a positive start today, with Russian President Vladimir Putin hinting at progress on key issues between the two countries.
• Openness of U.S.-Russia Talks Pleases Rice, Gates AFPS 17 Mar 2008 -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates expressed a surprised satisfaction with the open manner of their first meetings today with Russian leaders.
• Despite Difficulties, Kremlin Sees Better Ties With US VOA 17 Mar 2008 -- Kremlin leaders are offering a positive assessment about the future of U.S.-Russian relations, but caution that a number of difficult issues continue to separate the two sides, particularly those involving missile defense
• Gates, Rice Arrive in Russia to Discuss European Missile Defense AFPS 17 Mar 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice landed here today for two days of talks with their Russian counterparts aimed at gaining ground on key issues that could forge ahead a missile defense plan for all of Europe.
• US Seeking Russian Reciprocity on Missile Plan VOA 17 Mar 2008 -- The United States and Russia begin two-day talks in Moscow on Monday aimed at narrowing disagreements over a U.S. proposal to deploy a missile defense system in Central Europe
• Iran says U.S. missile shield in Turkey would threaten Russia RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2008 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry warned on Monday that the United States' alleged plans to deploy missile defense elements in Turkey could pose a threat to Russia's security.
• Ukrainians remain opposed to NATO membership - survey RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2008 -- Only 11.1% of Ukrainians polled in a survey published on Monday said they supported the country's drive to join NATO, while almost 36% said they would vote against the plans if a referendum were held.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 17 Mar 2008
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino The White House 17 Mar 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 17, 2008
• Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Rocket Engine Powers Latest GPS Satellite into Space Pratt & Whitney 17 Mar 2008 -- A new Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite was carried into orbit Saturday by a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket powered by a Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-27A rocket engine.
• Boeing: Study Projects That As Oil Prices Climb, 767 Tanker Most Cost Efficient Boeing 17 Mar 2008 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] reports that the U.S. Air Force likely would pay up to $30 billion more in fuel bills over 40 years to operate a fleet of 179 Airbus A330-200 aerial refueling tankers, compared to a similar number of tankers based on the Boeing 767-200ER.
• Nation's First Littoral Combat Ship Powers Up Lockheed Martin 17 Mar 2008 -- The nation's first Littoral Combat Ship, Freedom (LCS 1), has successfully completed another testing milestone with the "light off" and test of the new warship's electric plant.
• Boeing Flight-Tests 2-Pound Imaging Radar Aboard ScanEagle Unmanned Aircraft Boeing 18 Mar 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], in partnership with ImSAR and Insitu Inc., has successfully flight-tested NanoSAR, the world's smallest Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), aboard the ScanEagle unmanned aircraft (UA).
• Boeing Awarded 2nd Contract for F-15 Radar Upgrade Work Boeing 17 Mar 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a $130 million U.S. Air Force contract to upgrade 16 Air Force and Air National Guard F-15C Eagles with the APG-63(v)3 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.
• MDA joins General Dynamics Canada Team to Deliver Halifax Class Modernization General Dynamics 17 Mar 2008 -- General Dynamics Canada today announced that Vancouver-based MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (TSX: MDA) has joined the CSI Halifax Team that is bidding on the Canadian Navy's $1.1 billion Halifax Class Modernization - Combat Systems Integration (HCM-CSI) program to upgrade Canada's fleet of twelve frigates.
• General Dynamics Awarded $9 Million to Continue Work on Navy's Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program General Dynamics 17 Mar 2008 -- The Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems an $8.89 million contract modification to continue system integration efforts for the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP). General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
• Raytheon to Supply 16 AESA Radars to Boeing for Air Force, Air National Guard F-15Cs Raytheon 17 Mar 2008 -- Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) active electronically scanned array radar team has secured additional wins to advance further the company's AESA radar business.
• Raytheon to Operate and Sustain X-Band Radars Raytheon 17 Mar 2008 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded two task orders worth $28.3 million as part of a Missile Defense Agency indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity contract to operate and sustain the agency's X-Band radars as part of the Consolidated Contractor Logistics Services program.
• ATK Propulsion, Composite and Space Technologies Support Successful Launch of GPS Satellite ATK 17 Mar 2008 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) supported today's successful launch of the United Launch Alliance's Delta II rocket carrying the U.S. Air Force's sixth modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-M) navigation satellite built by Lockheed Martin.
• Rheinmetall takes over Stork PWV, expanding its leading role in European army technology Rheinmetall Defence 17 Mar 2008 -- The Rheinmetall Group of Düsseldorf has taken over Stork PWV B.V. from its parent company Stork N.V. of the Netherlands. The takeover strengthens Rheinmetall's position as Europe's leading supplier of systems and equipment for ground forces. It also reinforces Rheinmetall's role in the Boxer programme, one of the largest armoured vehicle projects in Europe.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 17 Mar 2008
• NAMIBIA-SOUTH AFRICA: Private security firms look to Africa for recruits IRIN 17 Mar 2008 -- Namibia's independence war ended nearly 20 years ago, but the experience gained by many soldiers during the conflict has made the country a fertile hunting ground for private security companies seeking recruits for the world's 21st century wars.
• NIGERIA: Violence over land on the rise in Jigawa State IRIN 17 Mar 2008 -- Violence flared in early February in northern Nigeria's Jigawa State, leaving five farmers dead and several houses in cinders, and the troubles are likely to continue as competition for land between farmers and pastoralists intensifies.
• Kosovo: Ban Ki-moon deplores attacks on UN mission as it retakes courthouse UN News Centre 17 Mar 2008 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today deplored attacks against personnel of the United Nations mission in Kosovo today as they re-established control over a courthouse in Mitrovica that a mob had forcibly occupied last week.
• Latest round of UN-led talks on Western Sahara begins UN News Centre 17 Mar 2008 -- The fourth round of talks on Western Sahara, bringing together representatives from Morocco and the Frente Polisario under United Nations auspices, got under way today on the outskirts of New York City, according to a UN spokesperson.
• UN and African Union envoys begin informal consultations with Darfur partners UN News Centre 17 Mar 2008 -- The United Nations and African Union envoys spearheading efforts to bring lasting peace to the war-wracked Sudanese region of Darfur are holding informal consultations today in Geneva with regional partners to the political process.
• UN mission in Côte d'Ivoire hands over disarmament sites to Government UN News Centre 17 Mar 2008 -- The UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) has transferred to national Government control three disarmament facilities in the country's northern region, which has been dominated by the rebel Forces Nouvelles since 2002.
• Secretary-General sends top official to Cyprus to assess chance of breakthrough UN News Centre 17 Mar 2008 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is dispatching the United Nations' top political official to Cyprus to lead an assessment team to the region amid hopes of a possible breakthrough in the search for a resolution to the long-running dispute on the Mediterranean island.
• SRI LANKA: Spreading the news to IDPs IRIN 17 Mar 2008 -- People receiving emergency relief rarely know exactly what is available for them, or how to access it.
• CAR: Too many enemies IRIN 17 Mar 2008
• DRC-RWANDA: Kinshasa unable to disarm FDLR rebels - analysts IRIN 17 Mar 2008 -- The deadline for Rwandan Hutu fighters in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to voluntarily disarm has expired without guns being handed in, because Kinshasa lacks the capacity to resolve the problem, analysts said.
• KENYA: Tension high as hundreds flee clash-torn Laikipia IRIN 17 Mar 2008 -- Hundreds of civilians have fled Kenya's Rift Valley district of Laikipia, where fighting between two communities has resulted in deaths and at least 300 houses being burnt.
• Sri Lankan rebels ready for talks if govt stops operations IRNA 17 Mar 2008 -- The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has expressed readiness to hold talks with the government if it stops the military operations against them.
• Kosovo: Violence Erupts In Mitrovica As Police Storm Courthouse RFE/RL 17 Mar 2008 -- UN police have been forced to withdraw from the Serbian half of the northern Kosovar town of Mitrovica after coming under attack as they stormed a courthouse occupied by Serbs opposed to independence.
• Russia says no plans to supply arms to Georgian breakaway region RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2008 -- Russia's decision to lift sanctions against Georgia's unrecognized republic of Abkhazia does not mean Russia will supply weapons to the conflict zone, a Russian deputy foreign minister said Monday.
• Ethnic Serbs and UN forces clash in north Kosovo RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2008 -- UN forces in the north of Kosovo have come under attack by ethnic Serbs after an operation to retake a UN court building occupied by protestors since last Friday, a police spokesman said.
• Kurds say ready for ceasefire if Turkey negotiates RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2008 -- The separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said it was ready to discuss a ceasefire with Turkish authorities if they were willing to negotiate, the Turkish newspaper Milliyet said on Monday.
• UN, NATO Personnel Injured in Clashes With Serb Protesters in Kosovo VOA 17 Mar 2008 -- Officials say three U.N. police officers and two NATO soldiers were wounded in an explosion in Kosovo as they stormed a courthouse occupied by Serb protesters who oppose the region's breakaway from Serbia.

News Reports

• Tibet: Ban Ki-moon urges restraint by authorities amid reported violence, deaths UN News Centre 17 Mar 2008 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that he is "increasingly concerned" about recent developments in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, including reports of violence and loss of life, and urged restraint by the authorities there.
• China Denies Using Lethal Force Against Tibet Demonstrations VOA 17 Mar 2008 -- China is denying it has used lethal force to quell demonstrations against Chinese rule in the Tibetan capital Friday
• Uneasy calm in Tibet amid reports of deaths RIA Novosti 17 Mar 2008 -- An uneasy calm has settled over the capital of Tibet as a deadline for protestors demonstrating against Chinese rule to surrender to authorities approaches amid conflicting reports of deaths.
• Dalai Lama Calls for International Probe Into Tibet Protests VOA 17 Mar 2008 -- Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and his administration based in India, are calling for an independent, international investigation into the protests that have gripped Tibet.
• Assembly President meets with Myanmar envoy, calls for national reconciliation UN News Centre 17 Mar 2008 -- Meeting with the top United Nations envoy for Myanmar, General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim today called for "serious engagement and strong commitment" from all parties to further national reconciliation.
• PAKISTAN: Violent attacks now focusing on new targets? IRIN 17 Mar 2008 -- Militants behind a recent wave of suicide and bomb attacks on Pakistani security forces appear to have changed tactics this weekend: Aid workers and/or foreigners could be the new targets.
• Pakistan's Parliament Convenes VOA 17 Mar 2008 -- Pakistan's parliament has convened in Islamabad, but nothing significant is expected to happen until later this month when a new government is installed