• 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 20 Oct 2008 [PDF]
• MNF-W Marine dies in non-combat related incident
• Coalition, Iraqis Detain 11 Suspects, Seize Weapons AFPS 20 Oct 2008 -- Coalition forces apprehended 11 suspected terrorists in and around Baghdad.
• Security forces employ tough, agile vehicle AFPN 20 Oct 2008 -- Airmen of the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Group took sole responsibility for base defense with one of the DoD's newest armored vehicles.
• IRAQ: Uncertainty over who is behind attacks on Christians IRIN 20 Oct 2008 -- Iraqi officials, leaders of the Christian community and ordinary Christians are divided over who is behind attacks on Christian minority.
• Iraqi parties want amendments to draft security pact with US IRNA 20 Oct 2008 -- Iraqi political parties and allies of the government said they could not endorse the pact as written and wanted amendments.
• Larijani: US proposed security pact will violate Iraq's security IRNA 20 Oct 2008 -- Visiting former Iraqi PM Jaafari conferred with Iran's Majlis Speaker Larijani on regional developments.
• US Praises Pakistani Efforts to Recruit Tribes Against Militants VOA 20 Oct 2008 -- Top US diplomat praising Pakistan's efforts to recruit local militias against Taliban and al-Qaida fighters.
• Russia worried by Iran urging peace with Afghanistan Talibs RIA Novosti 20 Oct 2008 -- Russia is worried by tendencies among some political forces in Iran to have Talibs engaged in peace efforts in Afghanistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• New Media Activity Activation Announced US Dept. of Defense 20 Oct 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today the activation of the Defense Media Activity (DMA).
• Defense Department Launches New Advertising Campaign US Dept. of Defense 20 Oct 2008 -- The Department of Defense announced today its latest national television advertising campaign, "Conversations," which asks parents to have an open dialogue with sons and daughters who are exploring military service as an option.
• US, Italy Sign Procurement Accord US Dept. of Defense 20 Oct 2008 -- Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Italian Minister of Defense Ignazio La Russa today signed an updated Reciprocal Defense Procurement Memorandum of Understanding which allows effective defense cooperation by establishing principles and procedures recognized by both governments for the conduct of defense procurements
• U.S., Serbian Leaders Discuss New Ways to Cooperate AFPS 20 Oct 2008 -- The military-to-military relationship between the United States and Serbia is growing closer.
• Mullen Arrives in Belgrade for Talks With Serb Leaders AFPS 20 Oct 2008 -- Navy Adm. Mullen became the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to visit this European capital since Gen. Omar Bradley in 1951.
• Idaho Air Guard unit wins Hawgsmoke team award AFNS 20 Oct 2008 -- The Idaho Air National Guard's 190th Fighter Squadron was named the top team at Hawgsmoke 2008 in Salina, Kan., Oct. 17. An awards banquet capped off four days of competition among 14 A-10 Thunderbolt II squadrons from across the Air Force.
• AF officials, Ohio hospital to ready nurses for deployment AFNS 20 Oct 2008 -- University Hospital Cincinnati and the Air Force officials inaugurated a new program in October to provide newly graduated registered nurses the advanced clinical training and experience needed to become Air Force Nurse Corps officers and to prepare them for deployment.
• Army launching effort to hire more wounded warriors Army News 20 Oct 2008 -- Army personnel officials are launching an outreach program as part of a push to hire more wounded warriors and their spouses as civilian employees
• USS Mustin Pulls into Vietnam for Port Visit Navy NewsStand 20 Oct 2008 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) and its crew arrived in Da Nang Oct. 18 for a scheduled port visit.
• Defense Media Activity Officially Stands Up with Pentagon Ceremony AFPS 20 Oct 2008 -- The DMA gives public affairs within the DoD a new structure to move forward as a consolidated and integrated team.
• CNO Speaks at DDG 108 Christening Navy NewsStand 20 Oct 2008 -- The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) spoke at the christening ceremony for the Arleigh-Burke class destroyer, USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) on Oct. 18.
• Peleliu, Halsey Underway Following Sydney Port Visit Navy NewsStand 20 Oct 2008 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) departed Sydney, Australia, Oct. 14 following a scheduled four-day port visit.
• USS San Francisco Undocks With New Bow Navy NewsStand 20 Oct 2008 -- USS San Francisco (SSN 711) returned to the water Oct. 10 after successfully undocking at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).
• Depot efforts continue to keep T-38s flying AFPN 20 Oct 2008 -- Members of the 573rd Commodities Maintenance Squadron continue to make sure Air Force pilot training doesn't come to a halt.
• Russia to keep upgraded Su-25 strike aircraft until 2020 RIA Novosti 20 Oct 2008 -- Russia will keep a modernized version of its Su-25 strike aircraft in service with the Air Force until 2020.
• Ex-Soviet states to test integrated air defense this week RIA Novosti 20 Oct 2008 -- More than 50 combat aircraft will participate in a joint command-and-staff air defense exercise conducted by members of the CIS.
• IDF jet fighters to undergo special inspection CNA 20 Oct 2008 -- Locally developed Ching-kuo indigenous defense fighters will undergo inspections after one of them apparently crashed on a training mission.
• Taiwan jet fighter disappears CNA 20 Oct 2008 -- Debris from an Air Force jet fighter that apparently crashed on a training mission over the island county of Penghu has been collected.
• Iran's Air Force completes 5-day aerial drills RIA Novosti 20 Oct 2008 -- Iranian Air Force completed a 5-day series of large-scale exercises in the northwest of the country.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 20 Oct 2008
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Dana Perino The White House 20 Oct 2008

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 20, 2008
• ATK Poised to Enter Resurgent U.S. Nuclear Power Industry With New Composite Rotor Tube Manufacturing Facility in West Virginia ATK 20 Oct 2008 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) is opening two new high-tech composite manufacturing facilities at the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (ABL) in Rocket Center, West Virginia.
• BAE SYSTEMS TO SUPPLY BRADLEY PROTECTION KITS FOR COMBAT VEHICLES BAE Systems 20 Oct 2008 -- BAE Systems has been awarded two new contracts to fit additional protection kits to more than 800 Bradley fighting vehicles at military bases in the United States and deployed in combat.
• BAE SYSTEMS RECEIVES $66 MILLION IN ORDERS FOR THERMAL WEAPON SIGHTS BAE Systems 20 Oct 2008 -- The U.S. Army has awarded BAE Systems orders worth $66 million for continued production of thermal weapon sights
• Boeing to Supply Security Systems for Minuteman III Launch Facilities Boeing 20 Oct 2008 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] announced today that it will manufacture and deliver control system hardware and modification kits to improve security at more than 450 Minuteman III facilities as part of the U.S. Air Force Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Security Modernization Program.
• CACI Awarded Prime Position on $260 Million, Multiple-Award Contract With Defense Business Transformation Agency CACI 20 Oct 2008 -- CACI International Inc (NYSE:CAI) announced today that it has been awarded a prime position on an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity prime contract, with a ceiling value of $260 million, to support the Department of Defense Business Transformation Agency (BTA) Cross Agency Support Services (CASS) effort in the area of thought leadership and change management.
• Raytheon Receives $12 Million for Development of Excalibur 1b Raytheon 20 Oct 2008 -- The U.S. Army awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a $12 million contract for the initial design and maturation phase of the 155 mm, precision-guided Excalibur 1b projectile.
• Raytheon to Deliver Zumwalt's Dual Band Radar to CVN 78 Raytheon 20 Oct 2008 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) received a $23.5 million U.S. Navy contract to adapt the Dual Band Radar (DBR) developed for the Zumwalt-class destroyer for installation on the future U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), America's next-generation aircraft carrier.
• GE LM2500+ Gas Turbines to Power United States Navy's LHA 6 Ship Hybrid Propulsion System Configuration GE Marine 20 Oct 2008 -- GE Marine announces that its LM2500+ marine aeroderivative gas turbines have been selected by Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding (NGSB), Pascagoula, Miss., to power the United States Navy's new LHA 6 amphibious assault ship.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICES OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AND THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT United Nations 20 Oct 2008
• Russian peacekeepers return home from Abkhazia RIA Novosti 20 Oct 2008 -- Russian peacekeepers from the 15th motorized infantry brigade returned home after an almost 3 year mission in Abkhazia.
• Hamas blames Israel for stagnation of peace talks RIA Novosti 20 Oct 2008 -- Hamas: Deadlock in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks due to lack of proposals by Israel on release of hostage Israeli soldier Shalit.
• Abbas Criticizes Israeli Response to Attack on Palestinian Farmers VOA 20 Oct 2008 -- Palestinian President Abbas accused Israel of not protecting Palestinian olive farmers against attacks by settlers.
• Sudan Blames Rebels for Kidnapping Chinese Oil Workers VOA 20 Oct 2008 -- Sudanese and Chinese officials working to make contact with the kidnappers of 9 Chinese oil workers abducted in Sudan.
• Nepalese police officers boost UN mission's presence across Darfur UN News 20 Oct 2008 -- Over 100 Nepalese police officers have arrived to serve with the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur.
• SUDAN: Darfur peacekeepers offer no protection - IDPs IRIN 20 Oct 2008 -- Darfur's displaced population has long complained that UNAMID offers no protection.
• EU Warns Mauritania of Measures if Law is Not Restored VOA 20 Oct 2008 -- The EU has given the West African country of Mauritania a month to restore constitutional order or face unspecified "measures."
• Ivorian stability and security threatened, UN experts warn UN News 20 Oct 2008 -- Côte d'Ivoire's fragile political stability and security situation at risk as country struggles to reach benchmarks agreed to in the peace pact signed last year.
• Cambodia postpones border talks with Thailand RIA Novosti 20 Oct 2008 -- Talks between Cambodia and Thailand to address recent clashes have been postponed on Phnom Penh's request.
• CAMBODIA: Residents flee as war fears stirred up IRIN 20 Oct 2008 -- After 3 Cambodian soldiers were killed in gun battle with Thai troops, Cambodians have been fleeing their homes at the border.

News Reports

• Israeli Prime Minister-Designate Misses Deadline to Form Government VOA 20 Oct 2008 -- Today is the first deadline for Israel's current foreign minister to form a new government.
• US Warns of New Zimbabwe Sanctions if Mugabe Reneges on Power-Sharing VOA 20 Oct 2008 -- The US warns it is prepared to impose additional sanctions against President Mugabe if he reneges on power-sharing with the opposition.
• Opposition Boycotts Southern African Summit on Zimbabwe VOA 20 Oct 2008 -- The parties to the Zimbabwe crisis talks were to brief leaders in Swaziland, but the opposition is boycotting because opposition leader Tsvangirai not given a passport.
• Ukraine PM says ready to resign to stabilize country RIA Novosti 20 Oct 2008 -- Ukraine's prime minister ready to step down if it will help the country overcome its mounting financial headaches.
• Belarus welcomes thaw with EU, stresses brotherhood with Russia RIA Novosti 20 Oct 2008 -- President Lukashenko: Belarus would like to have good relations with the EU, but would not sacrifice ties to Russia.
• SWAZILAND: Govt fails to stop "terrorist" meeting IRIN 20 Oct 2008 -- An international conference of NGOs dedicated to social change took place in Swaziland despite the government banning the meeting on grounds of public safety; it had alleged some of the delegates were supporters of terrorism
• MAURITANIA: Coup members face one-month sanctions ultimatum IRIN 20 Oct 2008 -- Following a meeting between Mauritania’s junta leaders and the European Union in Paris, EU officials have given the military officials one month to show how they will restore constitutional order, or sanctions will take effect
• Russian President Visits Armenia RFE/RL 20 Oct 2008 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has begun a two-day official visit to Armenia, his first trip to the small Caucasus state since he became president