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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 11 Jun 2008 [PDF]
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• MNC-I Soldier dies of non-battle related causes (Baghdad)
• PRESS CONFERENCE: Operational Update: Maj. Gen. Bergner, Dr. al-Sheikhly, June 11, 2008 MNF-I 11 Jun 2008 -- Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, MNF-I, and Dr. Tahseen al-Sheikhly, civilian spokesman for Operation Fardh al-Qanoon, provide an operational update
• June 10 airpower summary: C-17s support SWA operations AFPN 11 Jun 2008
• Airmen teach Iraqis Western-style command, control AFPN 11 Jun 2008 -- As part of an ongoing process to stabilize Iraq, Airmen are teaching command and control techniques to their counterparts at the Iraqi air operations center at Camp Victory near Baghdad's international airport.
• Coalition Forces in Iraq Capture 'Special Groups,' al-Qaida Leaders AFPS 11 Jun 2008 -- Coalition forces in Iraq today captured a man believed to be the leader of an Iranian-backed enemy "special group" and another who's an alleged al-Qaida chieftain during separate operations conducted near Kut and in Mosul, respectively, military officials said.
• Air Strike in Pakistan 'Legitimate, Self-Defense,' Pentagon Official Says AFPS 11 Jun 2008 -- Defense Department officials called a U.S. air strike yesterday in Pakistan near the Afghanistan border "legitimate" and "self-defense," and said they are investigating the attack with Pakistani officials.
• Pentagon Defends Deadly Air Strike on Afghan-Pak Border VOA 11 Jun 2008 -- The Pentagon is defending a deadly air strike on the Pakistan-Afghan border that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers and drew strong protests from the government in Islamabad
• US Air Strike Aimed at Afghan Militants Kills 4 Civilians VOA 11 Jun 2008 -- In eastern Afghanistan, U.S.-led coalition forces killed four civilians during a raid Wednesday targeting insurgent gunmen.
• U.S. airstrike kills 13 Pakistani border guards RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2008 -- At least 13 Pakistani border guards have been killed in a U.S. airstrike, Afghanistan's Bakhtar news agency has said.
• Pakistan Says Coalition Airstrike Kills 11 Troops at Border Checkpoint VOA 11 Jun 2008 -- Pakistan says an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan has killed 11 Pakistani security forces at a checkpoint near the Afghan border
• AFGHANISTAN: Rebuilding programme calls for US$50 billion IRIN 11 Jun 2008 -- The government of Afghanistan is optimistic it will receive strong pledges from donors for its five-year national development strategy, to be unveiled at an international conference on 12 June in Paris.
• Afghanistan: Donor Pledges In Paris Unlikely To Pay For Development Plan RFE/RL 11 Jun 2008 -- For weeks, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has hinted at doubts among international donors over the Afghanistan National Development Strategy, a plan to rebuild the country that was devised at the 2006 London Conference.
• Pakistani PM Gilani condemns U.S-led coalition attack IRNA 11 Jun 2008 -- Pakistani Prime Minister on Wednesday condemned air strike on its border check post by the coalition forces in Afghanistan, which resulted into the killing of 11 soldiers.
• Pakistani Prime Minister on Wednesday condemned air strike on its border check post by the coalition forces in Afghanistan, which resulted into the killing of 11 soldiers. IRNA 11 Jun 2008 -- Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned air strike on its border check post by the coalition forces in Afghanistan, which resulted into the killing of 11 soldiers, the Foreign Ministry said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: DoD News Briefing with Press Secretary Geoff Morrell from the Pentagon 11 Jun 2008 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell
• Congressional Action Frees Up Funds for Military Pay, Operations AFPS 11 Jun 2008 -- The Defense Department will now be able to pay its troops and civilians through the end of next month, thanks to budgetary-related actions approved by Congress, a senior Pentagon spokesman told reporters here today.
• Pentagon is Open to Revamped GI Bill, Official Says AFPS 11 Jun 2008 -- The Pentagon is open to supporting a revamped GI Bill for servicemembers if it would enable the transfer of unused benefits to family members and wouldn't cause an exodus of troops from the military, a senior Defense Department official said here today.
• Future Combat Systems Complete First Major Test Army News 11 Jun 2008 -- In the high mountain desert of Fort Bliss, Texas, Future Combat Systems successfully completed a first Force Development Test and Experiment May 18.
• USS De Wert Visits Roatan, Honduras Navy NewsStand 11 Jun 2008 -- Twenty-five Sailors from USS De Wert (FFG 45) participated in a community relations project May 28, in a local public hospital while in port in Roatan.
• Dubuque UNREPs with Walter S. Diel Navy NewsStand 11 Jun 2008 -- USS Dubuque (LPD 8) completed an underway replenishment (UNREP) June 9, with USNS Walter S. Diel (T-AO 193), the first UNREP for Dubuque since getting underway following a four-day port visit to Phuket, Thailand.
• CJTF-HOA Officers Visit USS Shoup Navy NewsStand 11 Jun 2008 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86) hosted Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) staff officers from the French Army and Romanian Navy on May 24, while conducting operations in the Gulf of Aden.
• USS Carl Vinson Holds Summer Safety Standdown Navy NewsStand 11 Jun 2008 -- More than 2,500 Sailors assigned to USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) attended an all-hands safety standdown at the Hampton Roads Convention Center, June 6, in Hampton.
• Sea Falcon '08 Brings Together Regional Partners Navy NewsStand 11 Jun 2008 -- Sea Falcon '08, a maritime security awareness conference held in Bahrain June 8-11, brought together over 50 maritime law enforcement officials from around the region.
• CVN 77: First Class Factory Navy NewsStand 11 Jun 2008 -- For the past two Navy advancement cycles, Fall 2007 and Spring 2008, Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) has promoted twice as many first class petty officers than the fleet average.
• Air Force launches NASA gamma ray study AFPN 11 Jun 2008 -- The Air Force successfully launched a United Launch Alliance Delta II booster carrying NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, satellite into space at 12:05 p.m. June 11 from the Space Launch Complex here.
• Joint Chiefs Chairman Praises Coast Guard's Flexibility AFPS 11 Jun 2008 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said last night that military and federal agencies should become more like the Coast Guard by stepping up levels of flexibility, mutual engagement and cooperation.
• USS Crommelin Returns to Pearl Harbor Navy NewsStand 11 Jun 2008 -- The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Crommelin (FFG 37) returned to her homeport at Naval Station Pearl Harbor (NAVSTA PH) June 8, after a deployment to Latin America and the Eastern Pacific.
• VP-1 Returns to Whidbey Island Navy NewsStand 11 Jun 2008 -- Patrol Squadron (VP) 1, the "Screaming Eagles," returned home to Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island after a six-month deployment to the Eastern Pacific, June 9.
• Boxer Extends Maritime Strategy to Peru with Continuing Promise 2008 Navy NewsStand 11 Jun 2008 -- USS Boxer (LHD 4) along with various embarked units began operations in Peru, June 10, the ship's final stop during Continuing Promise (CP) 2008.
• CARAT Phase One in the Philippines Ends on a High Note Navy NewsStand 11 Jun 2008 -- The first phase of the 14th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series came to a close with the opening of a newly constructed school building in the fishing village of Narra a week before the new school year begins.
• Medvedev doubts NATO's ability to protect Europe RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2008 -- Russia's president said on Wednesday that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is ill-equipped to address the security problems facing Europe.
• Russia Proposes New European Security Structure VOA 11 Jun 2008 -- Russian President Dmitri Medvedev is proposing a new European security structure that appears aimed at replacing NATO and possibly reducing U.S. influence on the continent
• India to boost military spending by 50% RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2008 -- India is planning to raise its military budget by 50% to almost $40 billion, making military expenditure 3% of the annual gross domestic product (GDP), the defense minister said.
• Russia beefs up military presence in Kyrgyzstan RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2008 -- Russia will deploy more personnel and equipment at its air base in Kyrgyzstan, the Air Force commander told a Russian daily on Wednesday.
• Russian Navy planes patrol the Arctic RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2008 -- Two Tu-142 aircraft from Russia's Northern Fleet have successfully conducted a reconnaissance flight over the Arctic Ocean in latitudes close to the North Pole, a Navy spokesman said on Wednesday.
• Russian Tu-160 bombers continue patrols over the Arctic RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2008 -- Four Russian Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers are conducting patrol flights over the Arctic Ocean, a spokesman for Russia's Air Force said on Wednesday.
• Russia starts building new missile frigate for Indian Navy RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2008 -- The Yantar Shipyard in Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad will start on Wednesday the construction of the third Project 11356 frigate for the Indian Navy under a second contract, the company said.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 11 Jun 2008
• President Bush Participates in Joint Press Availability with Chancellor Merkel of Germany The White House 11 Jun 2008
• Press Gaggle by Dana Perino, Judy Ansley, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Regional Affairs, and Dan Price, Assistant to the President for International Economics The White House 11 Jun 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 11, 2008
• Sikorsky Aircraft Fully Equips First U.S. Army Unit With UH-60M BLACK HAWK Helicopters Sikorsky 11 Jun 2008 -- Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. today delivered the 30th UH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopter to the U.S. Army for the 4-101 Assault Battalion, making it the First Unit Equipped (FUE) with the aircraft
• BAE SYSTEMS AND VT GROUP CREATE NAVAL JOINT VENTURE BAE Systems 11 Jun 2008 -- BAE Systems and VT Group today signed the final legally binding agreement to form the Joint Venture (JV) company, BVT Surface Fleet (BVT).
• Boeing- and SAIC-led Industry Team, Future Combat Systems Program Complete Integration of 1st Manned Ground Vehicle Prototype Boeing 11 Jun 2008 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Science Applications International Corp. [NYSE: SAI], together the Lead Systems Integrator (LSI) for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, today announced the successful integration and public debut of the first FCS Manned Ground Vehicle (MGV) prototype -- the Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon (NLOS-C).
• EADS Defence & Security will carry out the Harrier AV-8B modernization programme for the Spanish Navy EADS 11 Jun 2008 -- EADS Defence & Security (DS) will carry out the modernization programme of four Harrier AV-8B "Day Attack" aircraft of the Spanish Navy.
• General Dynamics NASSCO Awarded $100 Million Contract for Twelfth T-AKE's Long-Lead Materials General Dynamics 11 Jun 2008 -- General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been awarded a $100 million contract from the U.S. Navy to purchase long-lead materials for the construction of a twelfth T-AKE dry cargo-ammunition ship.
• Lockheed Martin F-35B Stovl Stealth Fighter Achieves Successful First Flight Lockheed Martin 11 Jun 2008 -- With test pilot Graham Tomlinson at the controls, the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35B Lightning II streaked into blue Texas skies Wednesday, marking the first flight of an aircraft that will provide a combination of capabilities never before available: stealth, supersonic speed and STOVL basing flexibility.
• Northrop Grumman Applauds First Flight of First F-35 STOVL Aircraft Northrop Grumman 11 Jun 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) today congratulated F-35 Lightning II prime contractor Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) for successfully completing the inaugural flight of the first F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet.
• Northrop Grumman Supplies Navigation Systems for Offshore Supply Vessels Under Construction in Brazil Northrop Grumman 11 Jun 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has won orders to supply electronic navigation systems for four new offshore supply vessels to be built in Brazil.
• Northrop Grumman to Supply Army With Additional Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder Systems Northrop Grumman 11 Jun 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has received a contract from the U.S. Army to provide over 150 of the company's battle-proven Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder (LLDR) systems that provide targeting capability for laser-guided, GPS-guided and conventional munitions.
• Lockheed Martin Completes Major Hardware Integration Milestone On Second Advanced EHF Satellite Lockheed Martin 11 Jun 2008 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced today that it has successfully mated the spacecraft core structure and the payload module for the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellite.
• FURY JOINS UNMANNED SYSTEMS FAMILY BAE Systems 11 Jun 2008 -- BAE Systems has unveiled the latest member of its UAS (Unmanned Autonomous System) family. Sharing a similar airframe and some vehicle system components with the HERTI reconnaissance and surveillance UAS, Fury is an armed reconnaissance and close air support UAS which features latest generation mission systems avionics, a newly developed stores management system and a proven weapon guidance system.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 11 Jun 2008
• UN workshop on tracing small arms opens in Brazil UN News Centre 11 Jun 2008 -- The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs opened a workshop today in Rio de Janeiro to help governments trace illicit small arms and light weapons.
• UN tribunal welcomes arrest of Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect UN News Centre 11 Jun 2008 -- The Prosecutor of the United Nations tribunal set up to deal with the worst crimes committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s has welcomed today's announcement that indicted Bosnian war crimes suspect Stojan Župljanin had been arrested.
• Lebanon Dismisses Israel's Call for Peace Talks VOA 11 Jun 2008 -- Lebanon has dismissed a call by Israel for the two countries to open peace talks, saying the Jewish state must first withdraw from a disputed border region.
• Iraq's Kurds Condemn Turkish Shelling VOA 11 Jun 2008 -- Turkey has stepped up military operations this year against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region
• SUDAN: Flight reductions to hurt aid work IRIN 11 Jun 2008 -- A reduction in humanitarian flights within Sudan will compromise aid work because many areas of operations are either difficult to access or are insecure, according to aid workers.
• Israel Backs Away From Gaza Invasion VOA 11 Jun 2008 -- Israel is backing away from the idea of invading the Gaza Strip

News Reports

• Top UN political official to visit Zimbabwe ahead of presidential election run-off UN News Centre 11 Jun 2008 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is dispatching a top United Nations official to Zimbabwe, which has been beset by deadly political violence recently, to try to resolve tensions ahead of the run-off round of the presidential election set for later this month.
• EU: Ireland Holds Future Shape Of Europe In Its Hands RFE/RL 11 Jun 2008 -- Ireland's comparative handful of a few million voters seems set to decide the future shape of the European Union, with its 490 million people.
• 'Merchant of Death' defense says no extradition to U.S. RIA Novosti 11 Jun 2008 -- A lawyer for an alleged Russian arms dealer in custody in Thailand on suspicion of illegal arms trading and other crimes, said Wednesday his client is unlikely to be extradited to the United States.
• Nepal's Dethroned King Hands Over Crown, Leaves Palace VOA 11 Jun 2008 -- Nepal's ousted king has handed back his crown and left his main city palace in Kathmandu, marking yet another milestone in the newly formed republic