Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 07 Apr 2008 [PDF]
• MND-B Soldier attacked by IED (Baghdad)
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualties
• Update: Coalition Force Soldiers attacked in Diyala
• MND-B Soldier attacked by small-arms fire
• MND-B Soldiers attacked by RPG (Baghdad)
• April 6 airpower summary: Reaper destroys target AFPN 07 Apr 2008
• Coalition Troops in Iraq Kill Five, Capture Eight Terrorists AFPS 07 Apr 2008 -- Coalition troops killed five terrorists and captured eight suspects during counterinsurgency operations in Iraq today, military officials reported.
• Coalition Forces Go After Rocket, Mortar Squads AFPS 07 Apr 2008 -- Coalition forces are increasingly focused on destroying enemy rocket and mortar teams following attacks on two Baghdad sites yesterday that killed three U.S. servicemembers and wounded 26 others.
• Iraqi Security Forces Managing Recent Violence in Sadr City Army News 07 Apr 2008 -- Even though the violence in Sadr City has recently risen, Iraqi Security Forces have increased their support for the residents living in the area.
• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Rodriguez from Afghanistan 07 Apr 2008 -- Presenter: Commander, Combined Joint Task Force 82 and Commanding General 82nd Airborne Division Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez
• AFGHANISTAN: Threat of ethnic clashes over grazing land IRIN 07 Apr 2008 -- There are increasing fears of an imminent outbreak of ethnic conflict in central Afghanistan over access to grazing land between Kuchis and Hazaras.
• Afghanistan: Vocal 'Warlord' Critic Seeks To Reverse Her Expulsion From Legislature RFE/RL 07 Apr 2008 -- She's been called "the bravest woman in Afghanistan" for her criticism of warlords, and even compared to Aung Sun Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar's democracy movement
• General Reflects on Improved Afghan Government, Security Forces AFPS 07 Apr 2008 -- Afghanistan's government and national security forces have improved consistently over the past year, the outgoing commander of Regional Command East, part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force, said today.
• Afghan, U.S. Forces Capture Militants in Nuristan Province Raid AFPS 07 Apr 2008 -- Afghan and coalition security forces operating in Afghanistan's Nuristan province cleared Kendal and Shok villages of insurgents and captured several suspects yesterday, military officials reported, while coalition troops and Afghan police seized two militants in operations in Khowst province.
• Afghan Troops Say They Inflict Heavy Casualties on Insurgents VOA 07 Apr 2008 -- The Afghan Defense Ministry says Afghan and U.S-led forces inflicted heavy casualties on insurgents in a battle Sunday in the eastern province of Nuristan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Charges Referred Against Detainee Mohammed Kamin 07 Apr 2008 -- The Defense Department announced today that charges have been referred against Guantanamo detainee Mohammed Kamin of Afghanistan.
• Detainees Treated Fairly Says New Guantanamo Deputy Army News 07 Apr 2008 -- The recently appointed deputy commander of Joint Task Force - Guantanamo said he knows why many have a hard time letting go of misconceptions about detainee treatment at the facility.
• Department of Defense Releases Selected Acquisition Reports 07 Apr 2008 -- The Department of Defense (DoD) has released details on major defense acquisition program cost, schedule, and performance changes since the September 2007 reporting period
• Reserve officials activate space wing AFPN 07 Apr 2008 -- Air Force Reserve Command officials stood up its first space wing, the 310th Space Wing, April 4 at Peterson Air Force Base.
• Ronald Reagan Earns Blue Water Certification During COMPTUEX Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2008 -- USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76)and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 14 earned their "Blue Water Certification" as part of Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) held March 17 - April 7 off the coast of southern California.
• Program benefits American, Bulgarian maintainers AFPN 07 Apr 2008 -- American and Bulgarian Airmen received familiarization briefings on F-15 Eagles and MiG-29 aircraft in an effort to increase theater security cooperation in April here.
• Air Force secretary discusses tankers, cyber operations AFPN 07 Apr 2008 -- The secretary of the Air Force spoke of the future while reflecting on the past during an April 3 and 4 visit to Hanscom Air Force Base.
• Vice Chief Says Strain on All-Volunteer Force Unprecedented Army News 07 Apr 2008 -- The Army's vice chief of staff said America's Army continues on track to achieve the most comprehensive transformation since World War II, but warned challenges lie ahead to sustain the all-volunteer force.
• USS George Washington Departs Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2008 -- The aircraft carrier USS George Washington (GW) (CVN 73) with its crew of approximately 3,200 Sailors departed Norfolk, April 7, to begin its journey to Yokosuka, Japan to replace USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) as the United States' only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier.
• U.S. Navy Ships Visit Thailand Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2008 -- Hawaii based guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70), Hawaii based guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal (CG 73), and Washington based guided-missile frigate USS Ingraham (FFG 61) arrived April 3 for a regularly scheduled port visit to Phuket Island.
• USS Simpson Completes Successful Counter--narcotics Deployment Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2008 -- USS Simpson (FFG 56) pulled back into homeport at Naval Station Mayport April 5, after a six-month counter-narco terrorism deployment to the Eastern Pacific with Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 405 and Helicopter Squadron Anti-Submarine Light (HSL)46 Detachment (Det) 7.
• USS Nashville Holds Underway Change of Command Ceremony Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2008 -- USS Nashville (LPD 13) held a change of command ceremony while underway, April 2.
• USS Farragut Delivers Support for Partnership of Americas Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2008 -- USS Farragut (DDG 99) onloaded eight pallets of Project Handclasp supplies April 3 for donation to several Latin American partner nations during the ship's deployment for Partnership of the Americas (POA) 2008.
• Coalition Exercises Strengthen with Maritime Security Core Navy NewsStand 07 Apr 2008 -- From January to March, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26 embarked USS Cleveland (LPD 7) to assume the role of an Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) for several coalition exercises in 5th Fleet area of operations.
• U.S.-Czech missile defense deal to be signed in May - agency RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2008 -- Washington and Prague will sign a bilateral treaty on the stationing of a U.S. radar base on Czech soil in early May, a Czech news agency reported on Monday.
• Russia, Poland to hold U.S missile shield talks in Moscow RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2008 -- Russian and Polish deputy foreign ministers will meet on Tuesday in Moscow to discuss U.S. plans to deploy elements of its missile defense system in Poland, a Russian diplomatic source has said.
• Poland ready to talk missile shield with Russia, the U.S. RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2008 -- Warsaw is ready to hold talks with Russia and Washington on the proposed U.S. anti-missile shield if it is deployed in Poland, the deputy foreign minister said.
• Iran proposes missile shield against U.S., Israel RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2008 -- Iran's defense minister said on Monday the world needs a missile shield to protect against threats from Israel and the United States.
• Pakistan Air Force gets American radar system IRNA 07 Apr 2008 -- Pakistan Air Force (PAF) said Monday it has got the latest generation of American radar system
• Press Briefing by Tony Fratto and United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab The White House 07 Apr 2008
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 07 Apr 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 07, 2008
• General Dynamics Awarded $109 Million Army Contract for WIN-T Satellite Communications Terminals General Dynamics 07 Apr 2008 -- General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies has been awarded $109 million from the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command in Fort Monmouth, N.J., to provide specialized satellite communications earth terminals and support services for Increment One of the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) program.
• Northrop Grumman Completes Strategic Agreement With SEAKR Engineering for Command and Data Handling Equipment for Satellites Northrop Grumman 07 Apr 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) today announced a strategic, long-term supply agreement with SEAKR Engineering, Inc., Centennial, Colo., making SEAKR an exclusive supplier for select command and data handling equipment.
• Boeing Teams With Computer Sciences Corp. for Special Operations Competition Boeing 07 Apr 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced a teaming agreement with Computer Sciences Corp. [NYSE: CSC] to pursue the multibillion-dollar U.S. Special Operations Forces Support Activity (SOFSA) contract.
• First NH90 for Finnish Army Aviation delivered EADS 07 Apr 2008 -- The first of 20 NH90 TTT (Tactical Troop Transport) for the Finnish Army Aviation was delivered on March 11 at Eurocopter's Marignane facility
• U.S. Army Awards General Dynamics Contract for Biological Detection System Production and Support General Dynamics 07 Apr 2008 -- The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Acquisition Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., has awarded General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products a contract option worth approximately $43 million to produce and test Joint Biological Point Detection Systems (JBPDS).
• ATK Receives $415.6 Million in Military Small-Caliber Ammunition Orders and Modernization Funding ATK 07 Apr 2008 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK), the largest supplier of ammunition to the United States military, has received an additional $415.6 million in military small-caliber ammunition orders and modernization funding for the Lake City Army Ammunition plant
• BAE SYSTEMS AWARDED $19.7 MILLION CONTRACT MODIFICATION TO SUPPORT 57 M88A1 MEDIUM RECOVERY VEHICLES BAE Systems 07 Apr 2008 -- BAE Systems has been awarded a US $19.7 million contract modification from U.S. Army's Anniston Army Depot to support, in partnership with the Depot, the reset to combat ready status of 57 Army-configured M88A1 medium recovery vehicles.
• Boeing Modifies 5th C-17 For Royal Air Force Boeing 07 Apr 2008 -- Structural mechanic Richard Flores labels fasteners to be removed from a United Kingdom C-17 as part of the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) modification at the Boeing [NYSE: BA] facility in San Antonio.
• Boeing CH-47F Chinook Helicopter Fielded by US Army's 4th Infantry Division Boeing 07 Apr 2008 -- The Boeing Company's [NYSE: BA] CH-47F Chinook helicopter has been fielded by Bravo Company, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood,
• General Dynamics NASSCO Launches USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE 6) General Dynamics 07 Apr 2008 -- General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), yesterday launched the U.S. Navy's newest resupply ship, USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE 6).
• General Dynamics Canada Bolsters HALIFAX Class Modernization Team with addition of CMC Electronics General Dynamics 07 Apr 2008 -- General Dynamics Canada today announced that CMC Electronics Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, has joined the CSI HALIFAX Team bidding on the Canadian Navy's $1.1 billion HALIFAX Class Modernization Combat Systems Integration program (HCM-CSI).
• L-3 Supplies U.S. Army with Handheld Mine Detectors Valued at $26 Million L-3 Communications 07 Apr 2008 -- L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) announced today that it will provide AN/PSS-14 mine detection systems and accessories to the U.S. Army.
• Northrop Grumman Begins Training International Suppliers to Make Composite Parts for F-35 Lightning II Aircraft Northrop Grumman 07 Apr 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is adding momentum to its commitment to create international second source suppliers for F-35 Lightning II aircraft components by hosting composite manufacturing training for engineers and manufacturing specialists from Danish firm Terma and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
• SAIC Awarded U.S. Army Contract for 30 Relocatable VACIS(R) Inspection Systems SAIC 07 Apr 2008 -- Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI) today announced that it received a delivery order from the U.S. Army for 30 Relocatable VACIS(R) inspection systems.
• MODERNIZED GPS SATELLITE BEGINS OPERATIONS FOLLOWING ANOTHER RECORD ON-ORBIT DEPLOYMENT BY JOINT U.S. AIR FORCE/LOCKHEED MARTIN TEAM Lockheed Martin 07 Apr 2008 -- A combined U.S. Air Force/Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] team has completed a rapid on-orbit deployment of the modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-M) satellite launched on March 15 from Cape Canaveral
• SAIC Awarded DIA Intelligence Analysis Contract SAIC 07 Apr 2008 -- Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAI) today announced it was awarded a prime contract in December by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). This multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract will support the Solutions for Intelligence Analysis (SIA) program.
• Thales awarded contract for Moroccan OPV Thales 07 Apr 2008 -- On 1 April 2008 Thales Nederland was awarded a contract for the supply of integrated sensor, command & control and communication systems for three new multi-mission frigates that will be built for the Royal Moroccan Navy. Prime Contractor is Schelde Naval Shipbuilding who will build the vessels. In 2012 the last of the three ships will be delivered.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 07 Apr 2008
• Providing Security to Failed States Yields Mixed Results VOA 07 Apr 2008 -- Failed states are countries plagued by conflict, corruption, poverty and a lack of basic security
• Israeli, Palestinian Leaders Recommit to Peace at Summit VOA 07 Apr 2008 -- Israeli and Palestinian leaders tried to advance the Middle East process during talks in Jerusalem Monday
• Israeli PM, Palestinian president meet for first time in six weeks RIA Novosti 07 Apr 2008 -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met on Monday in Jerusalem to discuss the peace process in their first meeting since a devastating Israeli raid on the Gaza Strip.
• DR Congo: UN envoy calls on parties to implement commitments in Kivus UN News Centre 07 Apr 2008 -- The top United Nations official in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has appealed to the parties in the volatile Kivu provinces in the country's northeast to implement the commitments made in recent accords and help more than one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees try to resume normal life.
• UN has 'moral duty' to act on lessons of Rwanda - Ban Ki-moon UN News Centre 07 Apr 2008 -- The United Nations has a "moral duty" to act on the lessons of Rwanda and bolster efforts to prevent another genocide, Ban Ki-moon said in a message marking the fourteenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide.
• Failed, Weak States Threaten Global Security VOA 07 Apr 2008 -- Failed and weak states are unable for various reasons to provide security and other basic services for their citizens
• SUDAN: Human Rights Watch calls on government to end sexual violence in Darfur IRIN 07 Apr 2008 -- The Sudanese government and rebel groups in the war-ravaged Darfur region should immediately take measures to end the sexual violence endemic to the conflict, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
• Sri Lankan war planes bomb rebels's suicide bomber base IRNA 07 Apr 2008 -- Sri Lankan war planes bombed a suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber base on Monday, a day after a suspected guerrilla blew up a government minister, the defence ministry said.

News Reports

• French Military Police Mobilized After Somalia Hijacking VOA 07 Apr 2008 -- France has mobilized members of an elite military police force in response to the hij
• French Military Police Mobilized After Somalia Hijacking VOA 07 Apr 2008 -- France has mobilized members of an elite military police force in response to the hijacking of a French yacht last week by Somali pirates.
acking of a French yacht last week by Somali pirates
• World: Governments Take Action To Curb Rising Food Prices, But At What Cost? RFE/RL 07 Apr 2008 -- Skyrocketing food prices have sparked protests around the world, as well as riots in places like Egypt.
• Nepal's political leaders must ensure polls are free and fair, Ban Ki-moon says UN News Centre 07 Apr 2008 -- Nepal's political leaders are responsible for ensuring that this Thursday's elections for a Constituent Assembly are free, fair and credible, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today as he urged the country's people to grasp the "historic milestone" in the peace process.
• Bush Wants Zimbabwe to Release Election Results VOA 07 Apr 2008 -- The White House is calling on Zimbabwe's government to release the results of presidential elections held March 29
• Secretary-General urges swift release of Zimbabwean presidential poll results UN News Centre 07 Apr 2008 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed concern that the results of presidential elections in Zimbabwe have not been released and urged the electoral authorities to do so "expeditiously and with transparency."
• Zimbabwe High Court Delays Opposition Party Request VOA 07 Apr 2008 -- The Movement for Democratic Change, or MDC, must now wait until at least Tuesday to hear the outcome of its High Court appeal to force election officials to release results of the presidential election held nine days ago
• Zimbabwe Court Delays Decision on Election Results VOA 07 Apr 2008 -- The Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, must now wait until at least Tuesday to hear the outcome of its application to the High Court to force election officials to release results of the presidential election held nine days ago