• 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 13 May 2009 [PDF]
• DoD News: DoD Identifies Army Casualties
• DoD News: DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• May 12 airpower summary: B-1B strikes enemy facility AFNS 13 May 2009 -- Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and ISAF in Afghanistan during operations.
• Kirkuk Police Seek to Ease Ethnic Tension AFPS 13 May 2009 -- Provincial police representatives in Iraq’s Kirkuk province met with Christian leaders in Kirkuk city to address concerns about increased violence.
• Forces Thwart Attack on Forward Operating Bases in Afghanistan AFPS 13 May 2009 -- Combined Afghan and coalition forces killed or captured several insurgents in various operations.
• Forces in Afghanistan Foil Attempt on Provincial Governor's Life AFPS 13 May 2009 -- Afghan and US forces killed 8 insurgents and repelled a complex suicide attack by multiple groups in Khost.
• Suicide bomb attack on U.S. base in Afghanistan kills 7 RIA Novosti 13 May 2009 -- A suicide bomber attacked a US military base in the eastern Afghan city of Khost, killing at least 7 civilians.
• Suicide Bomber Kills 7 in Eastern Afghanistan VOA 13 May 2009 -- Afghan officials say a suicide bomb attack has killed seven civilians outside a U.S. military base in the eastern part of the country.
• Seabees' Can Do Spirit at Work in Afghanistan Navy NewsStand 13 May 2009 -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, supporting NATO's ISAF.
• Investigation Launched Into White Phosphorus Claims In Afghanistan RFE/RL 13 May 2009 -- Cases have sparked suspicion that highly flammable white phosphorus was used in the fighting.
• Afghan Leaders, U.S. Soldiers Initiate Public Protection Program AFPS 13 May 2009 -- US soldiers joined new program designed to increase security, empower local residents and encourage them.
• Taliban Attacks Targets on Both Sides of Pakistan Border VOA 13 May 2009 -- Recent Taliban attacks on both sides of Pakistan's border with Afghanistan have targeted trucks carrying NATO supplies.
• Pakistan army heliborne troops land in Taliban stronghold IRNA 13 May 2009 -- Pakistan army heliborne troops have been successfully heli dropped in a stronghold and training center of militants in Swat valley.
• Pakistan Seeks World Aid for Civilians Displaced by Fighting VOA 13 May 2009 -- Pakistan's President Zardari appealed to the world to help more than one million civilians displaced by the fighting against Taliban.
• Bataan Amphibious Ready Group Deploys in Support of Maritime Strategy Navy NewsStand 13 May 2009 -- More than 4,000 Sailors and Marines began to deploy May 13.

Defense Policy / Programs

• AFCENT officials begin to look Iraq reposture AFNS 13 May 2009 -- More than 80 Air Force, Army and Navy functional experts gathered to lay the groundwork for USAFCENT's reposture from Iraq.
• Pakistani, Afghan Leaders Pledge to Improve Stability VOA 13 May 2009 -- Pakistan's PM Gilani and Afghan President Hamid Karzai pledged to work together to achieve greater regional stability and prosperity.
• Afghan, Pakistani leaders vow to defeat terrorism IRNA 13 May 2009 -- Afghan's President Karzai and Pakistani PM Gilani resolve to defeat terrorism, saying terrorists' attacks have displaced thousands of people.
• British and Pakistani Leaders Discuss Anti-Taliban Campaign VOA 13 May 2009 -- Conflict between Pakistan and Taliban topped the agenda as British PM Brown held talks with Pakistani President Zardari.
• U.S. Envoy Urges Congress To Boost Aid To Pakistan RFE/RL 13 May 2009 -- Special US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan appeared before Congress to testify about U.S. policy toward those 2 countries.
• Fishing Boat Incidents Indicate Troubling Rift With China, Admiral Says AFPS 13 May 2009 -- Top US officer in the Pacific called recent Chinese harassment of U.S. Navy ships "troublesome."
• Defense Budget Reflects Lessons Learned, Future Threats AFPS 13 May 2009 -- Focal points in FY10 budget were troops and families, balancing between current and future missions and reforming buying.
• Global Security Environment Calls for Balanced Force, Admiral Says AFPS 13 May 2009 -- A greatly changed global security environment makes it imperative for the US to field balanced military forces.
• Army Makes Progress in Achieving Balance, Casey Says AFPS 13 May 2009 -- Army is making progress toward getting current operational needs and long-term requirements back in balance, but there is still a long way to go.
• Nominee Plans to Draw on Lessons From Past Programs AFPS 13 May 2009 -- President Obama's nominee to be assistant to the secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs agrees with a recent report on future opportunities for the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program.
• USS New Orleans Underway from Bahrain Navy NewsStand 13 May 2009 -- USS New Orleans returned to sea the evening of May 12, fully mission capable after completing repairs in Manama, Bahrain.
• Test center officials link mobility to 'boots on the ground' AFNS 13 May 2009 -- Historic drop was conducted digitally with a tactical data link known as the Situational Awareness Data Link, or SADL.
• Army Seeks Inexpensive, Lightweight, Reliable Battery AFPS 13 May 2009 -- The Army’s Advanced Automotive Battery Initiative is searching for the “holy grail” of power technology: an inexpensive, lightweight and reliable battery.
• Upcoming Joint Wargame Examines Future Force Capabilities AFPS 13 May 2009 -- Security experts from inside and outside the Pentagon soon will test out predictions on what the U.S. military will look like and how it will operate in coming years, a senior U.S. military officer said here yesterday.
• Exercise to Test Aerospace Response Over Washington AFPS 13 May 2009 -- North American Aerospace Defense Command will conduct an exercise over the nation’s capital and its suburbs May 15.
• Mulitnational Exercise Increases Interoperability in Caribbean Navy NewsStand 13 May 2009 -- Ships from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru and US participating in Operacion Multinacional Alianza May 8-14.
• USS Forrest Sherman Returns to Norfolk Following UNITAS Navy NewsStand 13 May 2009 -- USS Forrest Sherman completed a 3-week underway May 8.
• Seabees Build Critical Infrastructure, Relationships in Uganda Navy NewsStand 13 May 2009 -- Sailors from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11 Detachment Horn of Africa completed work on a critical concrete bridge.
• Admiral Cites Partnership, Commitment as Keys to Piracy Crackdown AFPS 13 May 2009 -- Far-less-recognized multilateral partnership has brought pirates’ swashbuckling days to a virtual halt in the strategic Strait of Malacca.
• Training, Humanitarian Assistance Fuse During Continuing Promise AFPS 13 May 2009 -- Personnel involved in Operation Continuing Promise 09 already treated more than 25,000 patients from 3 countries.
• Russian president approves national security strategy until 2020 RIA Novosti 13 May 2009 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has approved a national security strategy to last until 2020.
• New sea trials of Nerpa submarine set for June - paper RIA Novosti 13 May 2009 -- New sea trials of the Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine will be conducted on June 15-20.
• Russia's newest frigate starts final sea trials in Baltic Sea RIA Novosti 13 May 2009 -- Russia's newest frigate, the Yaroslav Mudry, has started state-commissioned sea trials in the Baltic Sea.
• Japanese Reactionaries' Ambition for Overseas Expansion Flayed KCNA 13 May 2009 -- Maritime Self-Defence Force and the National Safety Agency reported staged combined drill.
• Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 13 May 2009
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 5/13/2009 The White House 13 May 2009

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 13, 2009
• Boeing, Super Hornet Industry Partners Explore Industrial Participation Opportunities in Greece Boeing 13 May 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] sees significant opportunities to partner with Greek businesses, Boeing officials told more than 15 Greek aerospace and defense companies today at a Boeing-hosted supplier conference in Athens
• DCNS and Singapore Technologies Marine Ltd to set up Joint Venture DCNS 13 May 2009 -- DCNS and Singapore Technologies Marine Ltd (ST Marine) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today with the objective of setting up a joint venture to provide through life support for the Republic of Singapore Navy’s Formidable-class frigates.
• Boeing, AgustaWestland Sign Contract to Provide ICH-47F Chinooks to Italian Army Boeing 13 May 2009 -- The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) and AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, today signed a contract for the manufacture and support of 16 ICH-47F Chinook helicopters for the Italian Army.
• Czech Republic acquires four C-295 military transport aircraft from Airbus Military EADS 13 May 2009 -- The Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic has signed an agreement for the acquisition of four C-295 military transport aircraft from Airbus Military.
• General Dynamics Awarded Contract to Continue Work on U.S. Navy's Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program General Dynamics 13 May 2009 -- The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems a $39.9 million contract for development and production as part of the Navy’s Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 1B.
• Northrop Grumman's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Completes 1,000th Hour of Flight Testing; Program On-Track for Operational Evaluation in 2011 Northrop Grumman 13 May 2009 -- In the blue skies over St. Augustine, Fla., Northrop Grumman's (NYSE:NOC) E-2D Advanced Hawkeye System Development and Demonstration program aircraft recently reached its 1,000th hour of flight testing. The aircraft, currently in flight testing at Northrop Grumman's East Coast Manufacturing and Flight Test Center, continues to successfully meet, or exceed, all major program and performance milestones.

Other Conflicts

• DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL United Nations 13 May 2009
• Pope urges lifting Gaza blockade IRNA 13 May 2009 -- Pope Benedict XVI telling Palestinians they had a right to a sovereign homeland “in the land of your forefathers, secure and at peace with its neighbors."
• Pope Pledges Support for Palestinian Statehood VOA 13 May 2009 -- The pope urged young Palestinians not to resort to violence or terrorism, and pledged his support for the creation of Palestinian state.
• Pope backs creation of Palestinian 'homeland' on Bethlehem visit RIA Novosti 13 May 2009 -- Pope Benedict XVI expressed his support for "a sovereign Palestinian homeland" on during visit to West Bank.
• Heavy Fighting Impeding Red Cross in Sri Lankan Combat Zone VOA 13 May 2009 -- ICRC is making another attempt to rescue wounded and ill civilians in Sri Lanka's only remaining combat zone.
• US, Britain, Call For End to Sri Lanka Fighting VOA 13 May 2009 -- US and Britain have made a joint call for an immediate end to hostilities in Sri Lanka and the evacuation of civilians from last LTTE stronghold.
• Insurgents in Somalia Attack Presidential Compound VOA 13 May 2009 -- Somalia's government said it has repulsed a military attack by foreign-backed insurgents trying to overrun the presidential compound in Mogadishu.
• Fragile Somali peace process needs international support - UN officials UN News Centre 13 May 2009 -- Top UN officials urged the international community to continue to nurture the fragile peace process in Somalia.
• At Least 7 Killed in Central Somalia Fighting VOA 13 May 2009 -- Clashes in central Somalia between pro-government fighters and insurgents have left at least seven people dead.
• UN urges end to inter-ethnic clashes in southern Sudan UN News Centre 13 May 2009 -- UN official in the region: Surge in deadly ethnic violence in southern Sudan is cause for serious concern, calling for an immediate and peaceful resolution to the clashes.
• DR Congo: UN mission deplores attack on civilians in volatile east UN News Centre 13 May 2009 -- UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC has strongly condemned a deadly attack against civilians and government troops.
• YEMEN: Fissiparous tendencies as unrest flares in south? IRIN 13 May 2009 -- Yemen’s stability and security, and its future as a unitary state, are in jeopardy following recent violent demonstrations in the south.
• Counterterrorist Operation Under Way In Daghestan RFE/RL 13 May 2009 -- Authorities in Daghestan have imposed a counterterrorist regime in two districts of the southern Russian republic.
• Israel hands over cluster bomb maps to UN force in Lebanon UN News Centre 13 May 2009 -- Israeli Defence Forces have handed over data and maps on the cluster munitions it fired over southern Lebanon during 2006 conflict.
• UN hands over first district to Timor-Leste national police unit UN News Centre 13 May 2009 -- National Police of Timor-Leste will take over law enforcement duties in a district of the fledgling nation this week for the first time since violent clashes rocked the country in 2006.

News Reports

• Officials Identify Victims of Camp Liberty Shooting AFPS 13 May 2009 -- Defense Department officials today released the names of four soldiers killed in a shooting at a combat stress clinic at Camp Liberty, Iraq on May 11.
• Swine Flu Continues to Spread VOA 13 May 2009 -- The swine influenza A-H1N1 virus is still spreading around the world.
• Influenza A(H1N1) cases now reported in 33 countries, says UN health agency UN News Centre 13 May 2009 -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said today that 33 countries have reported 5,728 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection as of today, with Cuba, Finland and Thailand the latest to join the list.
• US Officials Expect More Swine Flu Cases, Deaths VOA 13 May 2009 -- The number of U.S. cases of swine flu has risen to 3,000 - an increase of 400 from Monday's released figures.
• WHO says 5,728 confirmed swine flu cases worldwide, 61 deaths RIA Novosti 13 May 2009 -- WHO: 33 countries have confirmed a total of 5,728 cases of swine flu, including 61 deaths.
• Airmen deliver 30,000 H1N1 prevention kits to South America AFNS 13 May 2009 -- Air Mobility Command C-17 delivered 30,000 H1N1 influenza prevention kits to 6 South American countries.
• UN agency to issue guidance for H1N1 caregivers IRNA 13 May 2009 -- UN WHO will soon publish initial guidance for clinical management of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
• Navy Updates Number of Confirmed H1N1 Cases Navy NewsStand 13 May 2009 -- The Navy updated its confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza May 13 to 40 Sailors.
• China Submits Maritime Claims to United Nations VOA 13 May 2009 -- China will rely on peaceful negotiations to establish its maritime boundaries, even as it aggressively rejects claims by other countries.
• India Ends Month-Long Elections VOA 13 May 2009 -- Millions of people have voted in the final phase of polling in India, bringing its month-long staggered general elections to a close.
• Putin says Japan must agree to Russia's terms for peace treaty RIA Novosti 13 May 2009 -- PM Putin: Russia will only sign a formal peace treaty with Japan on terms that meet Moscow's interests.
• Ukraine parliament could insist on early presidential election RIA Novosti 13 May 2009 -- Ukraine's parliament is likely to insist that the presidential election be held in October rather than next January.
• Ukrainian presidential poll date declared unconstitutional RIA Novosti 13 May 2009 -- Ukraine's Constitutional Court has declared unlawful parliament's decision to set October 25 as the date for presidential polls.
• Moldova parliament to elect president May 20 RIA Novosti 13 May 2009 -- Moldova's parliament on Wednesday scheduled a vote to elect a new president for May 20.
• NIGERIA: Violence creates “human security” crisis in Delta IRIN 13 May 2009 -- Violence and criminality undermine Niger Delta residents’ access to food, health and economic safety, according to the International Crisis Group.
• Conviction of MDC Legislators Threatens Party's Parliament Majority VOA 13 May 2009 -- 2 MDC legislators have been convicted and another on trial for charges defense lawyers say are designed to deprive their clients of their parliament seats.
• Washington Expresses Worry About Kenya's Political Impasse VOA 13 May 2009 -- President Obama's administration is expressing worry that ongoing political impasse within Kenya's coalition government could potentially degenerate into chaos reminiscent of the 2007 post-election violence.
• Brother says Yamadayev alive, vows revenge on Chechen leader RIA Novosti 13 May 2009 -- Sulim Yamadayev survived an attempt on his life and has sworn to take revenge on Chechnya's leader.