Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Dec. 7 airpower summary AFNS 08 Dec 2009 -- Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Dec. 7 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• DoD News: DoD Announces Replacement Unit for Iraq Rotation DoD 08 Dec 2009 -- The Department of Defense announced today the alert for mobilization of a replacement unit scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
• U.S., Iraqi Forces Capture 5 After Balad Attack AFPS 08 Dec 2009 -- U.S. forces today assisted Iraqi security forces in arresting five people after an indirect-fire attack on Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
• Odierno Cites Iraq’s ‘Deliberate, Steady Progress’ AFPS 08 Dec 2009 -- On the eve of holding parliamentary elections early next year, Iraq continues to make steady progress as a sovereign country that is a valued U.S. ally in the Middle East, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq said in Killeen, Texas, yesterday.
• US, Coalition Sailors Practice Firefighting On Iraqi Oil Platform Navy NewsStand 08 Dec 2009 -- The Sailors of guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) conducted a joint damage control drill with coalition Sailors assigned to Commander Task Force – Iraqi Maritime (CTF-IM) aboard Al Barsa Oil Terminal (ABOT) Dec. 3.
• Blair had been warned about lack of planning before Iraq invasion IRNA 08 Dec 2009 -- A senior British officer revealed Monday how he urged former prime minister Tony Blair to delay the 2003 invasion of Iraq because preparations for dealing with the aftermath were not in place.
• Transcript: Joint Press Conference with Secretary Gates and President Karzai from Kabul, Afghanistan DoD 08 Dec 2009 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai
• Transcript: Media Availability with Secretary Gates en route to Afghanistan DoD 08 Dec 2009 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• Forces Kill Militants, Detain Suspects AFPS 08 Dec 2009 -- Combined Afghan and international forces killed seven militants and detained several suspected insurgents in operations today in Afghanistan.
• McChrystal Says Pieces in Place for Success AFPS 08 Dec 2009 -- The core goal of American forces in Afghanistan is to defeat al-Qaida and disrupt and degrade the Taliban, the commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan told Congress today.
• National Guard key to president's Afghan agriculture initiative Army News 08 Dec 2009 -- The National Guard continues to make a significant contribution to developing agriculture in Afghanistan, one of the initiatives that President Obama discussed Dec. 1, in his speech to the nation.
• Eikenberry Stresses Civilian Component in Afghanistan AFPS 08 Dec 2009 -- While the increase of 30,000 American troops in Afghanistan has garnered most of the headlines, a concurrent increase on the civilian side also is occurring, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan told Congress today.
• McChrystal Calls Afghan Training Crucial to Mission Success AFPS 08 Dec 2009 -- The training of tens of thousands of additional, capable Afghan soldiers and police is among the crucial tasks necessary to achieving success in Afghanistan, the commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan told Capitol Hill legislators here today.
• AFGHANISTAN: Civilians killed, displaced by clashes in Helmand - aid group IRIN 08 Dec 2009 -- Up to 2,000 families have been forced out of their homes in Nawzad District in the southern Afghan province of Helmand following clashes between Taliban insurgents and government forces over the past week, according to the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS).
• US Commander: Next 18 Months Decisive for Afghanistan VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- The top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan told a congressional panel Tuesday that the next 18 months will be decisive. The U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan also spoke to a House of Representatives Armed Services Committee hearing.
• Gates: NATO Steps Up, Pakistan Makes Strides AFPS 08 Dec 2009 -- NATO’s commitment of 7,000 additional troops for the International Security Assistance Force it leads in Afghanistan comes as a pleasant surprise to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who calls it a sign of the alliance’s renewed commitment there.
• Gates Visits Afghanistan, Meets With Karzai RFE/RL 08 Dec 2009 -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has reportedly affirmed Washington's commitment to Afghanistan in a meeting with Hamid Karzai during a previously unannounced visit to Kabul
• Gates Meets With Karzai, Other Afghan Leaders AFPS 08 Dec 2009 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today, the first senior U.S. official to visit with Afghan President Hamid Karzai since President Barack Obama’s announcement last week of his new strategy for Afghanistan.
• Gates to Check Readiness for Incoming Forces AFPS 08 Dec 2009 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today to ensure troops in Afghanistan have what they need to accommodate the incoming 30,000 soldiers and Marines, and to tell them, “We are in this thing to win.”
• Surge Shows Enduring Commitment, Gates Says AFPS 08 Dec 2009 -- The deployment of 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan underscores the enduring U.S. commitment to Afghanistan and its people, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
• Villagers Embrace Marines, Afghan Forces AFPS 08 Dec 2009 -- A previous fear of the Taliban would have kept the people of Amir Agha hidden in their compounds as Marines patrolled through their fields and town, but their willingness to talk has increased with a growing sense of security.
• 100th British soldier killed in Afghanistan this year IRNA 08 Dec 2009 -- UK military leaders have played down the landmark significance of the 100th British soldier to be killed in Afghanistan so far this year, urging the public not to judge the war by casualties alone.
• Afghanis condemn, protest against NATO for killing civilians RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- Afghan citizens in the eastern Laghman province staged a shocking demonstration on Tuesday condemning NATO for killing civilians during a military operation near the provincial administrative center, local television reported.
• US Commander in Afghanistan: Obama's Strategy Achievable VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan says President Barack Obama's new war strategy is achievable, and that the number of American combat troops there can be reduced beginning in mid-2011.
• Karzai, Gates Agree Afghans Need Long-Term International Commitment VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai says it could take 20 years for Afghanistan to be able to pay for its own security, although he has said he hopes his new army and police force will be able to take over security control in five years. President Karzai spoke at a joint news conference in Kabul with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
• Gates to US Troops: 'We're in . . . to Win' in Afghanistan VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates flew into Kabul on Tuesday to tell Afghan leaders that they need to move faster to increase the size and competence of their security forces, and to tell embattled U.S. troops that the United States is "in this thing to win."
• 10 dead, twenty-five injured in two bomb explosions in Lahore IRNA 08 Dec 2009 -- At least 10 people were killed and over 40 others seriously injured including women and children in 2 bomb explosions in Moon Market, Iqbal Town, Lahore Monday evening.
• Death toll from Pakistan’s twin blasts reaches 49 IRNA 08 Dec 2009 -- Death toll from twin blasts in the Pakistani eastern city of Lahore reached 49, officials said Tuesday.
• 12 killed in blast in eastern Pakistan: rescue officials IRNA 08 Dec 2009 -- At least 12 persons were killed when a bomb blast ripped through an army area in the Pakistani eastern city of Multan on Tuesday, rescue team said.
• Bomb Blasts Across Pakistan Kill More Than 70 Since Monday VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- Pakistani officials say since Monday, more than 70 people have died in bombings across the country. In the latest attack, police say a bomb blast near an intelligence office in the central city of Multan killed at least 12 people and severely damaged several buildings.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Al-Qaida Remains Dangerous, Mullen Says AFPS 08 Dec 2009 -- Al-Qaida remains a danger, and the area along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan is the epicenter of global Islamic extremism, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at the Foreign Press Center here today.
• DoD News: New Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army Invested DoD 08 Dec 2009 -- The Army yesterday invested three new civilian aides to the secretary of the Army (CASAs) in a ceremony held in the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes
• Bataan ARG Returns from Deployment Navy NewsStand 08 Dec 2009 -- Sailors and Marines of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) completed a successful seven-month deployment Dec. 8 when USS Bataan (LHD 5) and USS Ponce (LPD 15) arrived at Norfolk Naval Station and USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) returned to Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, Va.
• Bataan Returns to Heroes' Welcome Navy NewsStand 08 Dec 2009 -- Friends and family of Sailors and Marines aboard multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) lined Pier 10 on Naval Station Norfolk Dec. 8 to welcome home Bataan's crew following a seven-month deployment conducting Maritime Security Operations in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility.
• 26 MEU communications more than just hot air USMC News 08 Dec 2009 -- “Any station this net, any station this net, this is echo-five-bravo, radio check, over.”
• Ion Tiger Fuel Cell Unmanned Air Vehicle Sets Flight Endurance Record Navy NewsStand 08 Dec 2009 -- The Naval Research Laboratory's Ion Tiger, a hydrogen-powered fuel cell unmanned air vehicle (UAV), flew 26 hours and 1 minute, Nov. 16-17, carrying a 5-pound payload, setting another unofficial flight endurance record for a fuel-cell powered flight.
• Naval Leader Planning Guide Now Available Navy NewsStand 08 Dec 2009 -- The Center for Personal and Professional Development (CPPD) completed the 2010 edition of the Naval Leader Planning Guide (NLPG) and the Naval Leader Weekly Planner (NLWP).
• Mustin Departs Malaysia After International Exhibition Navy NewsStand 08 Dec 2009 -- USS Mustin (DDG 89) departed Langkawi, Malaysia, Dec. 5 after a five-day port visit.
• New Warfare Designator Making its Way to the Fleet Navy NewsStand 08 Dec 2009 -- Nine officers at Navy Personnel Command were among the first Sailors Navy-wide to receive the Professional Aviation Maintenance Officer (PAMO) warfare designator during a ceremony Dec. 4.
• Fitzgerald Concludes SHAREM 163 Navy NewsStand 08 Dec 2009 -- Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) completed the Ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Readiness and Evaluation Measurement (SHAREM) 163 exercise Dec. 7, off the coast of Okinawa, Japan.
• NSA Bahrain Changes Leadership Navy NewsStand 08 Dec 2009 -- Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain held a change of command ceremony Dec. 6 in Manama, Bahrain.
• Russia to keep silo-based ballistic missiles in future RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- Russia's Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) will keep both silo-based and mobile ballistic missile systems in service until at least 2020, the SMF commander said on Tuesday.
• Russia to decide on buying Mistral warship by yearend - military RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- Russia will decide by the end of 2009 whether to purchase a Mistral class amphibious assault ship from France, the chief of Russia's General Staff said on Tuesday.
• Putin prioritizes weapons procurement for Russian army RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- The Russian defense industry should focus its efforts on the production of modern weaponry, including tanks and armored vehicles, for the Russian Armed Forces, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
• Russia restores full-scale military priesthood RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- Some 30 priests will be sent to serve at Russia's military bases as part of a program aimed at restoring full-scale military priesthood, a spokesman for the Russian Holy Synod said on Tuesday.
• Russian paratroopers to receive new weaponry in near future RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- The Russian Airborne Troops will receive a variety of advanced weaponry, including BMD-4M airborne infantry fighting vehicles (AIFV), in the next few years, the Airborne Troops commander said.
• US Ready to Expand Military Help for Pakistan VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the United States is prepared to expand defense cooperation with Pakistan as quickly as that country wants, particularly in the wake of continuing attacks inside Pakistan by groups linked to the Taliban and al-Qaida.
• Ban presents next steps to move ahead on plan to rid world of nuclear weapons UN News Centre 08 Dec 2009 -- Highlighting recent progress in efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged nations to build on the momentum, laying out a number of steps to move the process forward.
• Defence pact with Russia to boost defence capability: India IRNA 08 Dec 2009 -- India on Wednesday voiced confidence that its agreement with Russia on a 10-year military and technical cooperation from 2011 would help enhance the operational capability of its defence forces in the next decade.
• Nepal Army chief to visit India on December 11 IRNA 08 Dec 2009 -- Nepal's Army chief Chhatra Man Gurung will pay a week-long visit to India this week, his first foreign trip after assuming office, during which he will be conferred with the honorary title of general of Indian Army.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 08 Dec 2009

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 08, 2009
• Russia's MIG company confirms delivery of naval fighters to India RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- Russia's MiG aircraft maker said on Tuesday it has delivered the first four MiG-29 Fulcrum-D carrier-based fighter jets to India.
• MiG Corporation is 70 years old RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- On December 8, the Russian aircraft corporation MiG, formerly called the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau, celebrates its 70th anniversary
• French Defense Ministry orders two Eurocopter EC225 helicopters for search and rescue missions EADS 08 Dec 2009 -- The two EC225s ordered by the French Armament Procurement Agency (DGA) will be the first to be operated by the French Navy. The helicopters, which will be used to perform search and rescue (SAR) missions off the coast of Brittany, are slated for delivery in the first half of 2010 and will be assigned to the Lanvéoc naval air station in the Finistère region. They are destined to replace the navy's Super-Frelon helicopters, which are near the end of their service life, and will be operated until such time as the first NH90 NFH helicopters enter service at the base in late 2011.
• Premium AEROTEC delivers 300th centre fuselage section for the Eurofighter EADS 08 Dec 2009 -- Premium AEROTEC delivered the 300th centre fuselage section for the Eurofighter "Typhoon".
• ATK Wins $5.8 Million Contract to Supply Ammunition to the Crane Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center ATK 08 Dec 2009 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) has received a $5.8 million contract for ammunition from the Crane Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The contract is for the production of Mk318 5.56mm and Mk319 7.62mm caliber cartridges. The ammunition will be manufactured in Anoka, Minn.
• Lockheed Martin Receives $14.75 Million Award to Integrate Ku Band Messaging Interface with the MH-60R Helicopter Lockheed Martin 08 Dec 2009 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has received a $14.75 million U.S. Navy contract to integrate a digital messaging interface that will improve the flow of data the MH-60R anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter can send to U.S. Navy ships across the new Ku band tactical data link.
• Marine Corps UH-1Y Helicopters With Northrop Grumman Integrated Cockpit Deploy to Afghanistan Northrop Grumman 08 Dec 2009 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Integrated Avionics System and the company's integration support were key elements in preparing the UH-1Y Venom helicopters for deployment to Afghanistan recently with the U.S. Marine Corps Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367.
• Northrop Grumman and U.S. Air Force's Next-Generation of Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft Takes Flight Northrop Grumman 08 Dec 2009 -- The first Block 40 configuration of the RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) successfully completed its first flight on Nov. 16.
• DCNS presents ambitious growth strategy: championship DCNS 08 Dec 2009 -- Patrick Boissier, Chairman & CEO of the DCNS group, said: “DCNS aims to grow revenue by 50 to 100% over the next ten years. To this end, the Group’s first priority is to remain the French Navy’s prime provider. The Group also aims to expand into extremely competitive sectors – international naval defence, civil nuclear engineering, and marine renewable energy.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Dec 2009
• PHILIPPINES: Don’t forget Mindanao IDPs, officials urge IRIN 08 Dec 2009 -- The government and international donors should not forget the crisis in southern Mindanao after a shift in focus to flood-ravaged Manila and the main southern island of Luzon, officials say.
• Somalia faces humanitarian crisis in 2010 with aid coffers empty, UN warns UN News Centre 08 Dec 2009 -- Highlighting recent progress in efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged nations to build on the momentum, laying out a number of steps to move the process forward.
• Ban deplores deadly consecutive attacks against blue helmets in Darfur UN News Centre 08 Dec 2009 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today spoke out against the second deadly attack in as many days on peacekeepers serving with the joint African Union-United Nations mission in the war-ravaged Sudanese region of Darfur, issuing a call for the perpetrators to be brought to justice immediately.
• UN force commander confers with Lebanese, Israelis on recent incidents UN News Centre 08 Dec 2009 -- The military chief of United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon today discussed with senior Lebanese and Israeli military officials recent incidents in the south, where Israel fought a 34-day war with Hizbollah in 2006.
• Efforts to thwart rebels in eastern DR Congo a mixed bag, says Ban UN News Centre 08 Dec 2009 -- Progress in bringing stability to the war-wracked east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is mixed, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report, noting the heavy humanitarian toll wrought by a military operation to flush out a notorious ethnic Hutu militia.
• Russia, U.S. Face Off In Court Over Kosovo's Independence RFE/RL 08 Dec 2009 -- The United States has urged a UN court not to raise doubts about Kosovo's statehood, arguing that Pristina's declaration of independence has brought stability to the Balkans and has offered people across the region a European future.
• EU: Jerusalem Should Be Shared Capital VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- The European Union says Jerusalem should be the shared capital of Israel and a future Palestinian state.

News Reports

• US: Immediate North Korean Decision on Nuclear Talks Unlikely VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- U.S. envoy Stephen Bosworth is in Pyongyang to determine North Korea's readiness to return to the Chinese-sponsored six-party nuclear talks.
• US Envoy Bosworth Here KCNA 08 Dec 2009 -- Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, and his party arrived here by air on Tuesday.
• U.S. says Bosworth to focus mainly on six-party talks in N.Korea RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special envoy to North Korea, has a 'simple agenda' for his visit to Pyongyang with the main aim of returning the country to the six-party talks, the U.S. Department of State said.
• China hopes for positive results at U.S.-N.Korea talks RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- China hopes for positive results of the U.S.-North Korea talks on persuading Pyongyang to return to the six-party negotiations on the Korean peninsula denuclearization, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said on Tuesday.
• US Envoy Arrives in Pyongyang VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- Washington's special envoy to North Korea has arrived in Pyongyang for the highest-level bilateral talks with North Korean officials since U.S. President Barack Obama took office.
• Security Council and Ban deplore series of deadly car bombings in Baghdad UN News Centre 08 Dec 2009 -- The Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned today’s series of apparently coordinated car bombings across Baghdad that have killed or injured scores of residents of the Iraqi capital.
• Car Bombs Kill Over 100, Wound More than 400 in Baghdad VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- A wave of car bombings rocked the Iraqi capital Baghdad, Tuesday morning, killing at least 118 people and wounding more than 200 others. It was the worst violence to hit Baghdad, since October, when two massive car-bombs killed 155 people.
• Blasts kill more than 100, injure scores in Iraqi capital RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- At least 100 people were killed and more than 100 were injured as a result of coordinated bomb attacks in Iraq's capital of Baghdad on Tuesday, Euronews reported.
• Car Bombs Kill 100, Injure Nearly 200 In Iraqi Capital RFE/RL 08 Dec 2009 -- the lowest monthly death toll of Iraqi civilians in more than six years.
• FM: IAEA resolution determines us to fully attain nuclear technology IRNA 08 Dec 2009 -- Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki sent separate letters on Tuesday to the foreign ministers of the IAEA Board of Governors to inform them of Iran’s nuclear path as well as the country’s firm determination in attaining the peaceful nuclear technology.
• Tehran ready to exchange fuel under certain conditions: spokesman IRNA 08 Dec 2009 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mihman-Parast said on Tuesday that Tehran is ready to exchange fuel under certain conditions.
• FM spokesman: US talks not on the table IRNA 08 Dec 2009 -- Spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that negotiations with the US has never been on the working agenda of the Iranian government.
• U.S. reiterates its concerns over human rights situation in Iran RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- Iranians should know that the United States supports their peaceful demonstrations and is still concerned with the human rights situation in their country, the U.S. Department of State said.
• Iran Threatens Tough Action Against Protesters VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- Iran's top prosecutor warns that authorities will take tough action against opposition protesters, a day after thousands took to the streets in anti-government demonstrations.
• Al-Qaida Affiliated Groups Claim Responsibility for Kidnappings in West Africa VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- A terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaida is claiming responsibility for last month's kidnapping of three Spanish aid workers in Mauritania and a Frenchman in Mali.
• Guinea Accuses ECOWAS Leader of Undermining Military VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- Guinea says the leader of West Africa's political alliance is trying to destabilize the country's military government by suggesting that soldiers not run in elections. Guinea's military leader is recovering in a Moroccan hospital after being shot last week by members of the presidential guard.
• ZIMBABWE: Improving but still fragile IRIN 08 Dec 2009 -- The humanitarian community in Zimbabwe, taking a cautiously optimistic approach, has appealed for US$378 million dollars to buy food and medicines, and bolster health, education, sanitation and access to safe water in 2010 - half the amount requested in 2009.
• Zimbabwe's ZANU-PF Looking for Mugabe Successor VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- Wednesday, Zimbabwe's ZANU-PF begins one of its most important party congresses since coming to power at the country's independence in 1980. Many ZANU-PF delegates say they want to decide who will succeed President Robert Mugabe, who will be 86 in February.
• Hubble Telescope Spots Oldest Galaxies Ever Seen VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- U.S. and European scientists say the upgraded Hubble space telescope has spotted the oldest galaxies ever seen.
• Ukraine's Yushchenko rejects PM post if Yanukovych wins election RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said he will not accept the post of the country's prime minister in case his main political opponent Viktor Yanukovych wins the country's presidential election.
• More than 200 Protesters Reported Arrested in Sudan VOA 08 Dec 2009 -- Global advocacy group Amnesty International says more than 200 people were arrested during a public demonstration Monday in Khartoum. Protests broke out across southern Sudan following reports senior officials of the South's ruling party had been detained.
• Virgin Galactic unveils its first space tourism craft RIA Novosti 08 Dec 2009 -- Virgin Galactic, a U.S. space tourism company, has unveiled to the public its first SpaceShipTwo commercial six-passenger space vehicle.