Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 28 Oct 2009 [PDF]
• U.S. Soldier dies in non-combat related incident
• DoD News: DoD Identifies Army Casualty
• UN rights expert voices concern over use of unmanned drones by United States UN News Centre 28 Oct 2009 -- The use of pilot-less drones by the United States to target militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan will be regarded as a breach of international law unless Washington can demonstrate that it follows the appropriate precautions and accountability mechanisms, an independent United Nations human rights expert warned.
• Oct. 27 airpower summary AFNS 28 Oct 2009 -- Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Oct. 27, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Ban dispatches special envoy to Iraq in aftermath of deadly blasts in capital UN News Centre 28 Oct 2009 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced he will dispatch an envoy to Iraq to consult with the Government on security and sovereignty issues in the country just days after a double bombing killed around 150 people in Baghdad.
• U.S. Medics Train Iraqi Counterparts AFPS 28 Oct 2009 -- U.S. Army medics here are taking a major step forward in normalizing the training of medical personnel at the 7th Iraqi Army Division’s Camp Mejid clinic by matching the training curriculum to the clinic’s real-time needs.
• U.S., IA take part in historic air assault Army News 28 Oct 2009 -- After hours of swift and rigorous searching in a small village, here, north of Baghdad, Iraqi and American Soldiers hustled to a small field to meet helicopters from the Iraqi Air Force and 1st Air Cavalry Brigade
• U.S. NCOs develop their Iraqi counterparts Army News 28 Oct 2009 -- A dedication to leading and training Soldiers sets a non-commissioned officer apart from all other ranks of military service, but in order to lead, a good NCO knows you must first learn to follow
• UN Chief: Bombing Will Not Deter UN from Afghan Mission VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says Wednesday's suicide attack on a U.N. guest house in Kabul that killed nine people, including six U.N. staffers, will not deter the organization from its mission in Afghanistan. From U.N. headquarters in New York, Margaret Besheer reports Mr. Ban said the United Nations would continue to help the country prepare for the second round of its presidential election scheduled for next month.
• Afghan Runoff Stirs Concern of Repeat Fraud VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- Afghanistan is scheduled to hold its runoff presidential election November 7. But can an electoral process that was so deeply marred by fraud the first time around be fixed in a short time? There is concern the second round of voting will prove to be as flawed as the first.
• UN Condemns Afghan Attacks, Says Will Not Be Deterred RFE/RL 28 Oct 2009 -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has condemned an armed attack in Afghanistan that left at least five UN workers dead, but said that the organization will not be deterred.
• Afghan President's Brother Denies CIA Payments VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai's brother has denied an American newspaper report that he receives payments from the CIA.
• Low Visibility Blamed for Helicopter Crash AFPS 28 Oct 2009 -- U.S. military authorities have determined that the cause of an MH-47 helicopter crash in Afghanistan’s Badghis province Oct. 26 was a combination of factors caused by very low visibility, officials said today.
• Taliban Attack UN Guesthouse in Kabul, Killing 9 VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- Militants in Afghanistan have killed at least six foreign U.N. workers and three Afghans during an attack on an international guesthouse in the capital, Kabul. One American is among those dead. Police are also reporting that a rocket attack on an international hotel in Kabul forced some 100 guests into a bunker.
• AFGHANISTAN: How should aid workers, military personnel interact? IRIN 28 Oct 2009 -- More than a year after a modus operandi was approved by humanitarian and military actors in Afghanistan, aid agencies have differing views on its success, but almost all agree it could be more strongly implemented and more widely disseminated.
• UN Staff, Others Killed In Kabul; Blasts Rock Hotel RFE/RL 28 Oct 2009 -- Twelve people, including six foreign UN workers, were killed in Kabul when armed men stormed a guest house compound used by UN staff early on October 28
• Afghan president tightens security for foreign organizations RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai issued an order on Wednesday to strengthen security around all international institutions following a militant attack on a UN hostel in Kabul.
• Six foreigners killed in attack on UN hostel in Afghanistan RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- Six foreigners were killed and another five wounded in an attack on a guest house used by UN staff in the center of the Afghan capital on Wednesday morning, the Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman told RIA Novosti.
• At least five UN staff killed in attack on Kabul guest house UN News Centre 28 Oct 2009 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his top envoy in Afghanistan have strongly condemned today’s attack on a guest house in Kabul that claimed the lives of at least five United Nations staff members and injured several others, and pledged that it will not deter the world body’s work in the country.
• Clinton arrives in Pakistan to win over public skeptical of U.S. RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday for a three-day visit to Pakistan amid a spate of terrorist attacks in the country.
• Secretary-General condemns deadly bombing in Pakistani city UN News Centre 28 Oct 2009 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon deplored today’s bombing of a crowded marketplace in the Pakistani city of Peshawar that has killed more than 80 people and injured at least 200 others and is only the latest in a series of deadly attacks targeting civilians across the country.
• Blast Kills More Than 90 in NW Pakistan Shortly After Clinton Arrival VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- A car bomb has killed more than 90 people and wounded more than 200 others in a shopping area of the northwestern Pakistan city of Peshawar. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Pakistan just hours earlier for a three-day visit.
• At Least 90 Dead In Peshawar Blast As Clinton Visits Islamabad RFE/RL 28 Oct 2009 -- A powerful bomb blast in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar has killed and wounded dozens of people, as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Islamabad vowing a new page in U.S.-Pakistan relations
• At least 90 killed in Pakistan blast RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- At least 90 people have been killed and another 150 injured in a blast in a Pakistani market on Wednesday, CNN has reported.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Act Ends Controversial Personnel System AFPS 28 Oct 2009 -- With President Barack Obama’s signature today on the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, a controversial pay-for-performance personnel system is abolished.
• Contingency response Airmen build partnership capability in Egypt AFNS 28 Oct 2009 -- Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing bolstered Egypt's ability to mobilize its troops by training 20 Egyptian airborne soldiers on airlift and cargo loading procedures during Exercise Bright Star in Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 9 to 21.
• Cope India dubbed a success AFNS 28 Oct 2009 -- U.S. and Indian air force officials are pleased with the positive results of all of the joint-training operations executed here during Cope India, Oct. 19 to 23.
• Misawa officials save energy with a flip of the switch AFNS 28 Oct 2009 -- Last year, Misawa officials spent approximately $85,000 on the energy bill for airfield lights. With a simple flip of a switch, energy planners hope to cut that bill by two-thirds.
• Army Continues Advancing Soldier Capabilities AFPS 28 Oct 2009 -- Since 2002, Program Executive Office Soldier, better known simply as PEO Soldier, has been the Army’s dedicated organization in developing, enhancing and fielding soldier capabilities.
• The Center for Army Lessons Learned Publishes Snipers Handbook Army News 28 Oct 2009 -- The Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas has just released CALL Leader's Handbook No. 10-01, Commanders' Guide to Snipers Handbook
• Army to launch technology blog Army News 28 Oct 2009 -- The Army is launching a new blog to help Soldiers and the public discover a little-known side of the Army: the research, development, engineering, testing and evaluation that goes into the technologies that make Soldiers safer and more effective.
• Battling the unseen wounds of war USMC News 28 Oct 2009 -- When rounds are flying over head down range being able to hear is critical
• FATS cuts the fat out of the budget USMC News 28 Oct 2009 -- Keeping the country safe from terror threats requires a great deal of training to ensure military members are familiar with the weapon system they will be using in combat
• ServMart sales soar in FY09 USMC News 28 Oct 2009 -- For Marines and other Department of Defense employees, getting quality, reasonably priced supplies and equipment is crucial for day-to-day operations and now it's easier than ever
• Exercise Tartan Eagle a success USMC News 28 Oct 2009 -- British Royal Marines recently finished a two-week training package here Oct. 11 - 25 during the second phase of Exercise Tartan Eagle, an annual training operation conducted by the U.S. and British Marine Corps
• Navy Loses Communication with T-34 Training Aircraft Navy NewsStand 28 Oct 2009 -- Naval Air Station Corpus Christi air traffic control tower lost contact with a T-34C Turbomentor aircraft at approximately 3:20 p.m. Oct. 28.
• Fitzgerald Arrives for Proliferation Security Exercise Deep Sabre II Navy NewsStand 28 Oct 2009 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) arrived in Singapore Oct. 26 for multinational exercise Deep Sabre II, a proliferation security initiative exercise.
• Sea of Sailors Welcomes President Obama To Naval Air Station Jacksonville Navy NewsStand 28 Oct 2009 -- President Barack Obama boarded Air Force One for a flight to Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville Oct. 26 where he addressed more than 3,400 enthusiastic Sailors, Marines, Department of Defense civilians and military families.
• NBG Pool Reopens, Sets to Reinvigorate Swim Programs Navy NewsStand 28 Oct 2009 -- The U.S. Naval Base Guam pool has reopened for command exercises and community usage following a short closure to ensure safety maintenance.
• Arctic Submarine Reporting Stirs Memories at SSC Pacific Navy NewsStand 28 Oct 2009 -- When USS Annapolis (SSN-760) surfaced in the Arctic earlier this month, it brought back fond memories for some employees at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific).
• Navy Ship Commanded By Vietnamese-American to Visit Vietnam Navy NewsStand 28 Oct 2009 -- A U.S. Navy officer picked up as a boy off the coast of Vietnam by a U.S. Navy ship will return to Vietnam next month in command of one.
• Ghana Navy Recognized During Dutch APS Deployment Navy NewsStand 28 Oct 2009 -- Fifteen maritime professionals from Ghana concluded three weeks of at-sea training with a graduation ceremony held on the flight deck of the Dutch Africa Partnership Station (APS) platform HNLMS Johan de Witt (L 801) Oct. 26.
• Employees improve UAV Reset process Army News 28 Oct 2009 -- Tobyhanna employees are improving the unmanned aerial vehicle system Reset process
• Air Force updates guidance for wear of PTU AFNS 28 Oct 2009 -- Air Force officials have updated guidance for wear of the physical training uniform, replacing previous guidance published in Air Force Instruction36-2903.
• U.S.-Indian Armies Wrap Up Historic Exercise AFPS 28 Oct 2009 -- With a massive display of firepower and teamwork, the U.S. and Indian armies finished their largest joint military exercise to date yesterday.
• Summit Unites State Military Leaders Army News 28 Oct 2009 -- Disaster contingency plans, antiterrorism and force protection programs, emergency drills and pandemic influenza plans were all on the table for discussion during an annual meeting that brought Alabama's commanders to Redstone Arsenal
• Officials Cite Military’s Domestic Response Role AFPS 28 Oct 2009 -- If not for the logistical capability and other unique assets the U.S. military has at its disposal during times of crises, the American population would suffer significantly, federal health officials said.
• AEDC engineers play critical role in NASA Ares I-X first flight AFNS 28 Oct 2009 -- Workers at the Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center here contributed to the successful unmanned flight test of the NASA Ares 1-X flight vehicle, which was launched for the first time Oct. 28.
• 45th Space Wing Airmen support successful Ares I-X launch AFNS 28 Oct 2009 -- Airmen, Air Force civilians and contractors from the 45th Space Wing provided Eastern Range support for NASA's successful launch of the Ares I-X. The test rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) Oct. 28.
• Washington says talks to replace START 1 to continue in Moscow RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- Washington says its U.S. National Security Adviser James Jones' primary aim of visiting Russia is to negotiate a new nuclear arms cuts treaty to replace START 1, a spokesman for the White House said.
• Russia not currently supplying S-300 SAM systems to Iran RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- Russia is not supplying S-300 defensive surface-to-air missile systems to Iran, a Russian deputy prime minister said on Wednesday.
• No timetable for discussing cross-strait confidence-building measures CNA 28 Oct 2009 -- The government has no timetable for conducting talks on cross-Taiwan Strait confidence-building measures, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Wednesday
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 28 Oct 2009
• Briefing by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 10/28/09 The White House 28 Oct 2009

Defense Industry

• Russia sells special purpose weaponry to NATO - arms exporter RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- Russia supplies weaponry and equipment for police and special purpose military units in several NATO countries, state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Wednesday.
• DoD News: Contracts for October 28, 2009
• Boeing Donates C-17 Fuselage to US Army for Air-Load TrainingBoeing 28 Oct 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] transported a 170-foot-long C-17 Globemaster III fuselage by tractor-trailer from its facility in Long Beach to Seal Beach, Calif., and then by ship to Fort Lee, Va. -- a monthlong journey that ended on Aug. 22.
• Raytheon Receives $9 Million Contract for Ship Self-Defense System SupportRaytheon 28 Oct 2009 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) received a $9.6 million modification to an existing U.S. Navy contract to serve as the platform systems engineering agent for the Ship Self-Defense System.
• Rheinmetall Defense and Israel Aerospace Industries to Provide ISR Services for German Armed Forces in Afghanistan Israel Aerospace Industries 28 Oct 2009 -- Rheinmetall Defence and the German Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (Bundesamt f?r Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung – BWB) signed a service provider contract today to provide the German Bundeswehr with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities through the deployment of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system.
• Rheinmetall Defence and Israel Aerospace Industries to Provide ISR Services for German Armed Forces in Afghanistan Rheinmetall Defence 28 Oct 2009 -- Rheinmetall Defence and the German Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung – BWB) signed a service provider contract today to provide the German Bundeswehr with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities through the deployment of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system.
• Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System Defeats Ballistic Missile Target in Japanese TestLockheed Martin 28 Oct 2009 -- JS Myoko, Japan’s third destroyer equipped with Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system, successfully intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile target above the atmosphere during a test event today. The test marked the 20th successful ballistic missile intercept by the system.
• Boeing Supports Japan's 2nd Successful Test of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense SystemBoeing 28 Oct 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] on Oct. 27 played a key role in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's second successful test of the sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense weapon system. During the test, a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IA, guided by a Boeing-built kinetic warhead sensor, engaged and destroyed a medium-range ballistic missile target more than 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean.
• Japan Achieves Second Ballistic Missile Intercept Using Raytheon Standard Missile-3Raytheon 28 Oct 2009 -- PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY -- The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force achieved another ballistic missile intercept in space using a Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN)-built Standard Missile-3. During the Oct. 27 test, the SM-3 Block IA missile engaged and destroyed a medium-range ballistic missile target more than 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean.
• Raytheon Awarded $81.1 Million for Airborne Low Frequency SonarRaytheon 28 Oct 2009 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has received an $81.1 million U.S. Navy contract for the AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS), the primary undersea warfare sensor for the Navy's MH-60R multi-mission helicopter.
• Success of ARTIST, the first field experiment in the BOA upstream study program of the French army Thales 28 Oct 2009 -- From 12 September to 2 October 2009, the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), the French Army and the Thales Nexter Sagem industrial group tested the concepts arising from the BOA (Bulle Opérationnelle Aéroterrestre or Air-land operational digitalisation) upstream study plan (Programme Etudes Amont or PEA) for the first time in real conditions, as part of the ARTIST experiment.

Other Conflicts

• Jerusalem must be capital of both Israel and Palestine, Ban says UN News Centre 28 Oct 2009 -- Jerusalem must be the capital of two States – Israel and Palestine – living side-by-side in peace and security, with arrangements for the holy sites acceptable to all, if peace in the Middle East is to be achieved, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today.
• UN’s Balkan war crimes tribunal re-elects President and Vice-President to new terms UN News Centre 28 Oct 2009 -- The two most senior officials of the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up to try people accused of committing the worst offences during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s have been elected to another stint in office, the court announced today.
• UN to airlift tents and emergency aid for Angolans expelled from DR Congo UN News Centre 28 Oct 2009 -- United Nations agencies are preparing to airlift tents and an emergency response team to help scores of thousands of Angolans expelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as each country continues to drive out its neighbour’s nationals.
• UN official calls for increased assistance to nations ravaged by conflict and disaster UN News Centre 28 Oct 2009 -- On the heels of a four-nation trip to see first-hand the damage caused by conflict and natural disasters, the top United Nations humanitarian official today appealed for international support to help these countries recover and rebuild.
• Yemen, Iran trade Accusations About Houthi Rebels VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- Yemen's government has confirmed reports its coast guard has seized an Iranian ship with arms it says were destined for Yemeni rebels. Iranian media counters the Yemeni government is using al-Qaida in its war against the Shi'ite rebels.
• UN chief says elections, referendums may resolve Sudan conflict RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- Democratic elections, as well as nationwide referendums, are the key issues for resolving a long-standing conflict in Sudan, the UN Secretary General said.
• Hague court releases Serbian war criminal RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- The Hague Tribunal has approved the early release of the former president of the Republika Srpska, Biljana Plavsic, 79, who has served two-thirds of her sentence
• Hamas orders Gaza to ignore January polls RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- The Islamist movement Hamas said on Wednesday Palestinians in the Gaza Strip must not take part in elections scheduled for January by President Mahmoud Abbas or face persecution.
• UN blue helmets looking into latest rocket firing from Lebanon UN News Centre 28 Oct 2009 -- United Nations peacekeepers have launched an investigation into a recent incident in which a rocket was fired from Houla in southern Lebanon and struck the vicinity of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel.
• Indian PM Makes Fresh Offer of Dialogue to Pakistan VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has offered to talk on all issues to rival Pakistan provided it cracks down on terror groups based in the country. The Indian leader, who is visiting Indian Kashmir, also called on separatist groups in the region to join a dialogue with his government.

News Reports

• US Defends Cuba Policy Amid UN Condemnation VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- The Obama administration on Wednesday defended the long-running U.S. economic embargo against Cuba in the face of another overwhelming U.N. General Assembly vote condemning American policy toward the island nation.
• Iran to respond to IAEA's enrichment deal on Thursday RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- Iran will formally respond to the UN nuclear watchdog's uranium enrichment proposals on Thursday, the Iranian Mehr news agency has reported.
• Iran to Respond to Nuclear Deal Thursday VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- Iran says it will present its response to a United Nations-brokered nuclear fuel deal on Thursday.
• US: Support for Iran Reformist, Democracy Groups Unchanged VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- A senior State Department official has told Congress that the United States is not lessening its support for reformers in Iran and U.S.-based organizations supporting them. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Jeffrey Feltman responded to lawmakers concerned about what they call signs of diminished support for some U.S.-based organizations working in support of Iran's democracy and reform advocates.
• Russia reports 1,819 confirmed swine flu cases, 4 deaths RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- There have so far been 1,819 confirmed swine flu cases in Russia, the country's chief sanitary official said on Wednesday.
• NASA Tests Rocket for Planned Moon, Mars Missions VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- NASA launched an unmanned test rocket on Wednesday in the hopes it will become the backbone of a new program to send astronauts to the moon and Mars. The Ares program aims to launch with humans onboard by 2015, but budget concerns are threatening its future.
• NASA Finally Launches New Rocket VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- After delays of more than a day, the U.S. space agency NASA has finally launched its newest rocket, the Ares I-X.
• Yanukovych registered as candidate in Ukraine presidential poll RIA Novosti 28 Oct 2009 -- Ukraine's Central Election Commission on Wednesday registered the leader of the opposition Party of Regions, Viktor Yanukovych, as a candidate for presidential elections scheduled for early next year.
• Iraq to Vote on Kirkuk Balloting Guidelines VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- A member of the Iraqi parliament's legal committee, Salim Abdullah al-Jibouri, says lawmakers have agreed to vote by Thursday on balloting guidelines for the oil-rich northern region of Kirkuk.
• UN agency helps Mozambique organize presidential and legislative polls UN News Centre 28 Oct 2009 -- More than nine million Mozambicans are expected to vote today in presidential and parliamentary polls after a campaign where the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has helped supply critical equipment, improve election officials’ skills, train journalists, raise public awareness and coordinate the work of international monitors.
• US Envoys to Visit Honduras, Push for Crisis Resolution VOA 28 Oct 2009 -- Senior U.S. officials are traveling to Honduras Wednesday to push for a resolution to the months-long political crisis over the June ouster of President Manuel Zelaya in a military-backed coup.