• 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 03 Jun 2008 [PDF]
• MND-B Soldier dies of non-battle related cause (Baghdad)
• DoD News: DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• US Troops in Iraq Capture Two Al-Qaida Operatives, Shi'ite Militia Leader VOA 03 Jun 2008 -- The U.S. military in Iraq says American troops captured two al-Qaida operatives and a Shi'ite militia leader Tuesday during operations around the country.
• Officials: US Military Deaths in Iraq at Lowest Monthly Level Since War Began VOA 03 Jun 2008 -- Officials in Iraq say 19 U.S. service members died in Iraq in the month of May, the lowest monthly casualty toll since the start of the war five years ago
• June 2 airpower summary: A-10 hits target AFPN 03 Jun 2008
• Troops in Iraq Kill Four Militants, Detain 13, Seize Weapons AFPS 03 Jun 2008 -- Coalition and Iraqi forces killed four enemy fighters, captured 13 suspects and seized scores of weapons in Iraq in recent days, military officials said.
• Predator crashes north of Balad AFPN 03 Jun 2008 -- An MQ-1 Predator crashed north of Balad Air Base at approximately 10:40 p.m. local time June 2.
• McKiernan Assumes Command of NATO Forces in Afghanistan AFPS 03 Jun 2008 -- U.S. Army Gen. David D. McKiernan assumed command of NATO's International Security Assistance Force from U.S. Army Gen. Dan K. McNeill during a ceremony here today.
• New road to bring prosperity to Afghan province AFPN 03 Jun 2008 -- More than 1,000 people attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a new $6 million road May 28 in Barak of the Bazarak District in the Panjshir province.
• New US General Takes Command of NATO Troops in Afghanistan VOA 03 Jun 2008 -- The U.S. general who led allied ground forces in the invasion of Iraq has taken command of NATO troops in Afghanistan
• AFGHANISTAN: Export restrictions, insecurity delay food aid delivery IRIN 03 Jun 2008 -- Tuesday, June 03, 2008Five months after a joint appeal by the UN and the Afghan government for US$77 million to provide emergency food assistance to 2.55 million Afghans affected by soaring food prices, relief has reached only about 38 percent of the targeted population, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) told IRIN.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Unwavering U.S. Commitment Provides Backdrop to Korean Command Change AFPS 03 Jun 2008 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates hailed newly promoted Army Gen. William "Skip" Sharp as "the right man" to advance the close U.S. alliance with South Korea today, as Sharp took on the top U.S. military post on the Korean peninsula.
• New Commander in Korea Outlines Top Priorities AFPS 03 Jun 2008 -- The new top U.S. officer here assumed command today with three priorities: maintaining deterrence through strength, strengthening the U.S.-South Korean military alliance, and improving the quality of life for U.S. troops stationed here.
• US Defense Chief Says American-Korean Alliance Still Strong VOA 03 Jun 2008 -- United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates has reaffirmed that Washington's military commitment to South Korea will remain strong, well after the South makes a key move toward autonomy in its command structure
• Helmet Sensors, Improved Armor Helping Soldier Survivability Army News 03 Jun 2008 -- About 7,000 Soldiers from the 101st Airborne and 4th Infantry Divisions deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are wearing helmet sensors to help Program Executive Office-Soldier improve upon the safety features of the advanced combat helmet.
• Sharp Takes Command in Korea Army News 03 Jun 2008 -- Gen. Walter L. Sharp assumed command today of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea, saying the U.S.-Republic of Korea Alliance will stay "flexible and powerful enough" to deal with any potential threats in the region.
• Remote maintenance saves Air Force millions of dollars AFPN 03 Jun 2008 -- Air Force Materiel Command members are using remote maintenance technology to repair air traffic control and landing systems, or ATCALS, and perform remote flight inspections, saving the Air Force millions of dollars.
• Air Force officials look at hydrogen as potential fuel source AFPN 03 Jun 2008 -- Few car owners would ever think of pouring water down the gas tank; however, as Air Force officials here continue initiatives to redefine the Air Force's energy culture, more Airmen might picture water as an energy source.
• Pentagon Seeks to Limit Procurement Cost Growth, Official Says AFPN 03 Jun 2008 -- The Defense Department is working to limit the growth of procurement costs for new equipment, the Pentagon's top acquisition official reported in written testimony submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee today.
• Independence Blue Receives Crew Certification Navy NewsStand 03 Jun 2008 -- Precommissioning unit (PCU) Independence's (LCS 2) blue crew received their first two certifications May 28, achieving a perfect score.
• WASP Leads The Way With The Navy's New PT Uniform Navy NewsStand 03 Jun 2008 -- USS Wasp (LHD 1) became the first ship in the Navy to receive the service's new Physical Training (PT) uniforms on May 30, when representatives from the Navy Exchange (NEX) Norfolk arrived at the ship at the crack of dawn to distribute them to the crew.
• Peleliu Makes Port Visit to Singapore Navy NewsStand 03 Jun 2008 -- Sailors and Marines aboard USS Peleliu had a chance to meet local citizens, experience local customs and traditions and enjoy the many recreational activities offered during a scheduled port visit to Singapore, June 2.
• U.S. European Command Opens Navy Element Navy NewsStand 03 Jun 2008 -- U.S. European Command (EUCOM) Headquarters opened a Navy Support Element at the Army Post in Stuttgart, Germany, June 2.
• HSL-49 Det. 6 Returns to North Island Navy NewsStand 03 Jun 2008 -- The "Highlifers" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 49 Det. 6 returned to Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) May 30, after completing a six-month deployment aboard the guided-missile frigate USS Crommelin (FFG 37).
• Continuing Promise 2008 Concludes El Salvador Visit Navy NewsStand 03 Jun 2008 -- Salvadoran officials hosted a ceremony in Sonsonate, El Salvador May 31 to commemorate the completion of USS Boxer's (LHD 4) Continuing Promise (CP) 2008 efforts in El Salvador.
• French Navy Hands Command of CTF 150 to Canada Navy NewsStand 03 Jun 2008 -- Canadian Navy Commodore Bob Davidson relieved French Navy Rear Adm. Jean-Louis Kerignard as Commander, Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 during a change of command ceremony aboard FS Marne (A 630), June 3.
• SECNAV Tours Next Generation Amphibious Assault Ship Navy NewsStand 03 Jun 2008 -- Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter visited Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Makin Island (LHD 8) May 29, as part of a scheduled Gulf Coast visit.
• USNS Sioux, USNS Grapple Complete Successful Tow of Decommissioned Nuclear Submarine Navy NewsStand 03 Jun 2008 -- Military Sealift Command (MSC) fleet ocean tug USNS Sioux (T-ATF 171) completed the successful tow of decommissioned nuclear submarine ex-USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 709) to the Pacific Northwest May 30.
• USS Rodney M. Davis Crew Returns to Everett Navy NewsStand 03 Jun 2008 -- Family and friends waved and cheered as USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG 60) and her crew pull into their homeport, Naval Station Everett, May 30, after spending more than two months training in port and at sea in preparation for upcoming deployments.
• 'Hurricane Herb' Gives Florida Guard Disaster-Response Test AFPS 03 Jun 2008 -- Just days into the 2008 hurricane season, the Florida Department of Military Affairs and Florida National Guard are actively preparing in case a devastating storm strikes the state this year.
• NATO secretary general to discuss Ukraine's membership bid in Ukraine RIA Novosti 03 Jun 2008 -- NATO's secretary general will discuss Ukraine's bid to join the alliance's Membership Action Plan (MAP) at a North Atlantic Council meeting in Kiev on June 16-17, a deputy head of the presidential secretariat said on Tuesday.
• New chief of staff to revive Russia's ailing military - expert RIA Novosti 03 Jun 2008 -- Gen. Nikolai Makarov's appointment as chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces suggests higher priority will be given to modernizing the military, a top Russian military expert said on Tuesday.
• Deputy Defense Minister Makarov appointed chief of General Staff RIA Novosti 03 Jun 2008 -- Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Nikolai Makarov has been appointed chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, the Russian president said on Tuesday.
• Russia destroys over 25% of its chemical weapons RIA Novosti 03 Jun 2008 -- Russia has destroyed over 25% of its chemical weapons arsenal, or 10,500 metric tons, a senior military official said on Tuesday.
• Russia to test aircraft carrier for India's navy in 2011 RIA Novosti 03 Jun 2008 -- The Russian Sevmash shipyard said on Tuesday it planned to test an aircraft carrier currently being modernized for the Indian navy in 2011.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 03 Jun 2008
• Press Briefing by Dana Perino The Whihe House 03 Jun 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 03, 2008
• BAE SYSTEMS RECEIVES $1.65 BILLION CONTRACT FOR FAMILY OF MEDIUM TACTICAL VEHICLES BAE Systems 03 Jun 2008 -- The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded BAE Systems a contract for the supply of up to 10,000 Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV), worth up to US$2.2 billion, with US$1.65 billion of funding already agreed
• BAE SYSTEMS ANTI-MISSILE DECOY BEGINS TESTS ON F-18 SUPER HORNET BAE Systems 03 Jun 2008 -- The U.S. Navy has completed developmental testing of a BAE Systems fiber-optic towed decoy, and has begun operational tests on the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet
• Boeing Fires New Thin-Disk Laser, Achieving Solid-State Laser Milestone Boeing 03 Jun 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] fired its new thin-disk laser system repeatedly in recent tests, achieving the highest known simultaneous power, beam quality and run time for any solid-state laser to date.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 03 Jun 2008
• New global ban on cluster bombs will save millions of young lives - UN agency UN News Centre 03 Jun 2008 -- Stressing the unspeakable suffering inflicted on millions of children by the use of cluster munitions, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has lauded the recent adoption of a new global treaty banning the production, use and transfer of these deadly weapons.
• Israelis and Palestinians must press ahead with peace process, says Ban UN News Centre 03 Jun 2008 -- Israelis and Palestinians need to enhance their efforts to bring a peace deal to fruition, although some recent progress has been made, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.
• Wide Gaps Emerge in New Israel-Syria Peace Talks VOA 03 Jun 2008 -- Wide gaps have emerged in new negotiations between Israel and Syria
• ISRAEL-OPT: Palestinians give up on legal building route - UN IRIN 03 Jun 2008 -- Palestinians living in Area C of the West Bank, under Israeli control, have given up on obtaining construction permits from the authorities and instead build without them, leaving 3,000 structures in the territory under constant threat of demolition, according to a UN report.
• Israeli PM Arrives in US for 3-Day Visit VOA 03 Jun 2008 -- Israeli prime Minister Ehud Olmert has arrived in Washington for a three-day visit that is being overshadowed by a corruption scandal at home.
• Syrian President Says US Sponsorship Critical for Talks With Israel VOA 03 Jun 2008 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says the United States will have to be involved if Syria and Israel are to sign a lasting peace agreement.
• UN continues efforts to promote peace in Darfur and southern Sudan UN News Centre 03 Jun 2008 -- The Security Council delegation visiting Africa held talks today in southern Sudan on recent violence there, while the top United Nations envoy to Darfur concluded a three-day visit to Khartoum in a bid to advance peace negotiations over the troubled region.
• UN Security Council Discusses Abyei Clashes During Sudan Visit VOA 03 Jun 2008 -- The recent violence in Sudan's Abyei region, as well as reports that the Khartoum government is sending over 1,000 more troops to the disputed oil-rich area topped the agenda during a meeting Tuesday between a U.N. Security Council delegation and Southern Sudan's President Salva Kiir
• NEPAL: Demining under way but threat of casualties persists IRIN 03 Jun 2008 -- The demining process is making steady progress, according to the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), which has been involved in the clearance and destruction of landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) since November 2007, supported by a team of international specialists from ArmorGroup.
• SRI LANKA: Communal violence disrupts relief efforts in the east IRIN 03 Jun 2008 -- Communal clashes and ethnic tension between Tamils and Muslims have been disrupting humanitarian work in the eastern Batticaloa District of Sri Lanka since 22 May, UN and other relief workers said.
• SOMALIA: Reconciliation talks move closer in Djibouti IRIN 03 Jun 2008 -- Representatives of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and an Eritrea-based opposition alliance met in Djibouti for the second time in less than four weeks for peace talks, with the government and civil society expressing hope about the outcome.
• US Urges Colombia Neighbors to Combat Rebels VOA 03 Jun 2008 -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte is calling on Colombia's neighbors to help stop Colombian guerrillas from cross-border operations in jungle regions of South America
• Russia defends move to send railroad troops to Abkhazia RIA Novosti 03 Jun 2008 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday the country's railroad troops repairing track in a Georgian rebel region are working in strict compliance with bilateral agreements.

News Reports

• More than 1 million Myanmar cyclone victims have received aid, says UN UN News Centre 03 Jun 2008 -- Some 1.3 million people affected by the deadly cyclone that battered Myanmar one month ago have received assistance, the humanitarian arm of the United Nations said today.
• UN maritime agency welcomes Security Council action on Somalia piracy UN News Centre 03 Jun 2008 -- The United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) has welcomed a new Security Council resolution which aims to curb piracy along Somalia's coast by allowing ships to enter the country's territorial waters to prevent attacks by armed robbers.
• MYANMAR: Concerns over premature returns IRIN 03 Jun 2008 -- Aid workers have expressed concerns over reports of cyclone survivors prematurely returning to their places of origin in Myanmar's devastated Ayeyarwady Delta.
• Burma Says New Constitution Washes Away NLD Victory VOA 03 Jun 2008 -- Burma's state media say a referendum approving a new military-backed constitution has "washed away" the victory won by Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition party in 1990 elections.
• Russian Navy ready to head for Somalia - Dygalo RIA Novosti 03 Jun 2008 -- If a decision is made, Russian naval ships are ready to head for the Somali coast where pirates recently seized a Dutch ship, an aide to the Russian Navy commander said Tuesday.