Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 18 Dec 2009 [PDF]
• Dec. 17 airpower summary AFNS 18 Dec 2009 -- Coalition airpower integrated with ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force troops in Afghanistan during operations Dec. 17 according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
• Iraqi Forces Target Assassination Cell AFPS 18 Dec 2009 -- Iraqi security forces arrested two suspected members of an al-Qaida in Iraq cell responsible for making bombs and attacking government officials.
• Mullen Points Out Progress in Iraq AFPS 18 Dec 2009 -- Iraq has made remarkable progress in a short while, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during a news conference.
• Oasis International Waters facilities hydrate Iraq Army News 18 Dec 2009 -- The Oasis International Waters water purification facility at Contingency Operating Location Adder, Iraq, is one of six such facilities providing clean drinking water to service members, civilians and contractors working throughout the country.
• Civilian Team Leaders Praise Advise, Assist Brigade AFPS 18 Dec 2009 -- The “advise and assist brigade” concept is a hit with leaders of the provincial reconstruction teams in southern Iraq.
• Iraq Says Iran Oil Well Takeover Violates Sovereignty RFE/RL 18 Dec 2009 -- Iraq: Takeover of a disputed oil well by a group of armed Iranians who crossed the border is a violation of the country's sovereignty.
• Iraq says Iranian troops must withdraw from oil well RIA Novosti 18 Dec 2009 -- Iraq demanded that Iranian troops occupying an oil well in a disputed oilfield in the south of the country withdraw immediately.
• Mullen Discusses Elections, Logistics in Iraq AFPS 18 Dec 2009 -- Discussions about upcoming elections and the withdrawal of American troops are highlighting Navy Adm. Mike Mullen’s visit to Iraq.
• Marines protect thousands aboard Camp Leatherneck USMC News 18 Dec 2009 -- For servicemembers deployed to Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, security is a top priority
• Results, Not Talk, Needed in Afghanistan, Mullen Says AFPS 18 Dec 2009 -- Results, not talk, are what’s important in Afghanistan now, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today while en route to Iraq after visiting Afghanistan.
• Mullen Praises Stryker Soldiers in Afghanistan AFPS 18 Dec 2009 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff praised the soldiers of 1-17th Infantry, for their service in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.
• Secretary of Army tours southern Afghanistan Army News 18 Dec 2009 -- The secretary of the Army got a first-hand look at Soldiers and their mission in southern Afghanistan during his fifth visit here and first as the Army's top leader Wednesday.
• Spain to send over 500 troops to Afghanistan RIA Novosti 18 Dec 2009 -- Spain will send 511 soldiers to Afghanistan in the near future, local media said, quoting the country's defense minister.
• ISAF Officials Investigate Civilian Casualty Claims AFPS 18 Dec 2009 -- ISAF is sending a team to work with Afghan officials in assessing reports of civilian casualties in the Shah Wali Kot district.
• Afghan Officials: Karzai to Keep Half His Cabinet VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- Mr. Karzai, who is beginning his second term, is due to present his selections for the 25 posts on Saturday.
• Commission Examines Contracting Issues AFPS 18 Dec 2009 -- Improved oversight and management of civilian contracts involved with the development and training of Afghan security forces should result in better stewardship of U.S. tax dollars.
• Iran invited to Afghan conference in London IRNA 18 Dec 2009 -- Iran is being invited along with other neighbouring counties to attend next month’s international conference on Afghanistan in London.
• Suicide bomber kills 12 in Pakistan: police IRNA 18 Dec 2009 -- A suicide bomber in a car bomb attack killed at least 12 people in northwestern Pakistan.
• Bomb Blast Kills 11 in Northwest Pakistan VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- The blast targeted a mosque located next to local police headquarters in the Lower Dir region.
• At least 10 killed in blast outside mosque in northwest Pakistan RIA Novosti 18 Dec 2009 -- At least 10 people have been killed and over 25 injured in a suicide explosion near a mosque in northwestern Pakistan's Lower Dir.
• As thousands more flee fighting in Pakistan, UN rushes in tents and supplies UN News Centre 18 Dec 2009 -- UN refugee agency is rushing hundreds of tents to supplement Government relief efforts in north-west Pakistan.
• US drone kills 8 people in Pakistan's North Waziristan IRNA 18 Dec 2009 -- US drone aircraft killed at least 8 people in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region.
• US drone kills 16 in Pakistan's North Waziristan IRNA 18 Dec 2009 -- US drone aircraft fired volley of missiles in Pakistan’s North Waziristan tribal region and killed at least 16 people.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD News: DOD Evaluates Sexual Harassment & Violence Programs At Military Service Academies DoD 18 Dec 2009 -- The Department of Defense (DoD) today released key findings from “The DoD Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the United States Military Service Academies for Academic Program Year (APY) 2008-2009.”
• DoD News: Joint Statement from Secretary Gates and Secretary Clinton on Defense Appropriations DoD 18 Dec 2009
• Hackers Steal US-South Korea Military Secrets VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- S. Korea's military: Computer hackers who may be from N. Korea have gained access to a secret plan to defend the peninsula if war breaks out.
• US Senate Defense Spending Bill Advances VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- In an effort to clear its docket before the end of the year, the U.S. Senate has advanced a Defense Department spending bill.
• Clinton, Gates Urge Appropriations Bill Passage AFPS 18 Dec 2009 -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates issued a joint statement today encouraging Senate passage of the Defense Appropriations Bill.
• Weapons school grad marks a first AFNS 18 Dec 2009 -- An Air National Guard MQ-1 Predator pilot marked the beginning of a new era Dec. 12.
• MWSS-273 sweathogs get down and dirty USMC News 18 Dec 2009 -- Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 returned from Fort Stewart in Hinesville, Ga., after completing a field training exercise called Battle Hog, Dec. 11 and 12.
• Kearsarge Conducts First Underway Replenishment in a Year Navy NewsStand 18 Dec 2009 -- Amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) conducted a refueling at sea with USNS Laramie (T-AO-203) Dec. 10, taking on more than 530,000 gallons of marine diesel fuel and 198,000 gallons of jet fuel (JPS).
• Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Independence Navy NewsStand 18 Dec 2009 -- The Navy officially accepted delivery of the future USS Independence (LCS 2) Dec. 18 during a short ceremony in Mobile, Ala. Independence is the second littoral combat ship delivered to the Navy, and the first LCS of the General Dynamics variant. LCS is a new breed of U.S. Navy warship with versatile warfighting capabilities, capable of open-ocean operation, but optimized for littoral, or coastal, missions.
• Navy Bids Farewell to USNS San Jose, Combat Stores Ships Navy NewsStand 18 Dec 2009 -- Military Sealift Command combat stores ship USNS San Jose (T-AFS 7) marked the close of 39 years of service to the Navy fleet in a shipboard ceremony Dec. 18 in Pearl Harbor.
• Construction Commences on First Joint High Speed Vessel Navy NewsStand 18 Dec 2009 -- Workers at the Austal USA shipyard started fabrication of the first Joint High Speed Vessel Dec. 17 in Mobile, Ala.
• Corps of Engineers works to expand, modernize Air Force clinic Army News 18 Dec 2009 -- The Sacramento District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently renovating more than 17,000 square-feet of the medical clinic at Beale Air Force Base, Calif.
• Fort Riley opens one of Army's first Warrior Zones Army News 18 Dec 2009
• Barracks-upgrade project opens renovated building to Navy students Army News 18 Dec 2009 -- Community leaders celebrated the continuing $17.5 million barracks-upgrade project at the Presidio of Monterey with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for building 646 here Dec. 15.e
• Maneuver Battle Lab tests new mortar system Army News 18 Dec 2009 -- The Army wants to decrease the weight Soldiers carry on missions, and Fort Benning's Maneuver Battle Lab is part of the effort.
• Guard armories modernize as others close Army News 18 Dec 2009 -- The National Guard's standing armories - iconic centers of stone and brick where the nation's citizen-Soldiers muster to defend state and nation - are weathering a storm of change, officials here said this week.
• 21st TSC, 598th TG support 172nd Bde.'s redeployment Army News 18 Dec 2009
• 'Demon Brigade' trains for deployment at Fort Rucker Army News 18 Dec 2009 -- In just eight days, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division Soldiers from Fort Riley, Kan., used advanced technology to simulate five years of deployments in Iraq.
• Fort Rucker Physical Fitness Facility renovations continue on pace Army News 18 Dec 2009 -- It's often loud at the Fort Rucker Physical Fitness Facility these days, but to some, the ear-shattering noises of jackhammers and wall demolition are sounds of progressing upgrades to provide better services.
• Fort Sill graduates 2,000th student from Joint Fires Observer Course Army News 18 Dec 2009 -- The Joint Fires Observer Course just produced its 2,000th graduate. That may not seem like a significant number, but to those in theater it is critical.
• New Army retention standards take effect, more to follow Army News 18 Dec 2009 -- New changes to the Army's retention program will affect not only how the Army operates, but also who will be allowed to stay in the Army.
• H1N1 Vaccines Crucial To Fleet Readiness Navy NewsStand 18 Dec 2009 -- Commands and medical clinics throughout U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF) continue to execute a strategy of information awareness and vaccination of personnel to fight against the H1N1 flu.
• Facilities Energy Management Course Steers Commands Toward Energy Savings Navy NewsStand 18 Dec 2009 -- More than 25 energy and utility managers representing 16 installations throughout the Far East and Guam participated in the Civil Engineer Corps Officer School Facilities Energy Management Course and Utilities and Energy Management (UEM) Workshop Dec. 14-18 at Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka.
• Russia, U.S. set to sign new arms reduction treaty in mid-Jan RIA Novosti 18 Dec 2009 -- Russia and the United States could sign a new strategic arms reduction treaty in a month's time.
• New arms cuts treaty ready soon - Medvedev RIA Novosti 18 Dec 2009 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev: Russia and the US will finalize a new strategic arms reduction treaty in the near future.
• Obama: US Close to New Arms Deal with Russia VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- Mr. Obama discussed the issue with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in a private meeting.
• Development of strategic nuclear fleet under threat? RIA Novosti 18 Dec 2009 --Unsuccessful Bulava missile test calls into question the entire development strategy Russia has chosen for its strategic nuclear forces.
• Russia marks anniversary of its best tank RIA Novosti 18 Dec 2009 -- On December 19, 1939, the Soviet government's Defense Committee issued a resolution approving the supply of several new types of automobiles and armored vehicles to the army.
• Putin prioritizes production line shipbuilding RIA Novosti 18 Dec 2009 -- Russia should focus on production line shipbuilding, rather than one-of-a-kind projects, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said.
• NATO chief set to leave Moscow after plane trouble RIA Novosti 18 Dec 2009 -- NATO's secretary general is set to leave Moscow for Brussels, after being delayed overnight due to technical problems with his plane.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 18, 2009
• Boeing Delivers 1st Mk3 Chinook to UK Royal Air Force Boeing 18 Dec 2009 -- Boeing Defence UK Ltd., a subsidiary of The Boeing Company [NYSE:BA], today confirmed the Nov. 30 delivery of the first converted Chinook Mk3 helicopter to the Royal Air Force (RAF). Following the early delivery, the RAF declared Initial Operational Capability for Chinook Mk3, enabling the aircraft to begin supporting operational needs in locations such as Afghanistan.
• EADS Defence & Security to equip Swiss military airfields with advanced air traffic control systems EADS 18 Dec 2009 -- EADS Defence & Security (DS) will equip Swiss military airfields with a new military approach control system to ensure flight safety in the dense air traffic of Central Europe and in particular over the mountainous terrain of Switzerland.
• Boeing B-1 With FIDL Avionics Upgrade Completes 1st Phase of Flight Test Boeing 18 Dec 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] has successfully completed the first phase of flight test for a B-1 bomber upgraded with new digital avionics. The B-1 Fully Integrated Data Link (FIDL) flight test plan for Phase 1 concluded Oct. 16; it included nine sorties performed by the U.S. Air Force at Edwards Air Force Base.
• U.S. Army Awards General Dynamics $134 Million for Stryker Combat Vehicle Work General Dynamics 18 Dec 2009 -- The U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), $134 million for work in support of the Stryker family of combat vehicles.
• General Dynamics Littoral Combat Ship Team Delivers Independence (LCS 2) and Lays Keel for Coronado (LCS 4) General Dynamics 18 Dec 2009 -- The General Dynamics Littoral Combat Ship Team today delivered Independence (LCS 2), its innovative high-speed trimaran combatant ship, to the United States Navy. The ship was constructed by team member Austal USA in Mobile. The delivery of Independence was preceded by the keel laying of its sister ship, Coronado (LCS 4), on Thursday, December 17.
• Orbital Awarded Phase 2 Contract for "System F6" Satellite Program by DARPA Orbital Sciences Corp. 18 Dec 2009 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), a world leader in smaller-sized civil government and national security satellites, announced today that it has been awarded a Phase 2 contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Arlington, VA, to develop the final design for “System F6” (Future Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying Spacecraft).
• Oshkosh Defense Receives First HEMTT A4 LET Delivery Order Oshkosh 18 Dec 2009 -- Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), has been awarded a $56 million delivery order from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command (TACOM LCMC) to supply the Army with the first Light Equipment Transporters (LET), a variant of the next-generation Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT A4).
• Thales welcomes Royal Navy frigate’s sonar upgrade Thales 18 Dec 2009 -- One of the Royal Navy’s (RN’s) most advanced Type 23 frigates has re-entered operational service, fitted with Thales’s Sonar 2087 system, following a period of intensive sea trials.
• Successful launch of Helios 2B satellite Thales 18 Dec 2009 -- The Helios 2B military observation satellite, built for the French Ministry of Defence by EADS Astrium as prime contractor and featuring a very-high-resolution optical imaging instrument produced by Thales Alenia Space, was successfully launched today by Arianespace, using an Ariane 5 rocket, from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 18 Dec 2009
• SRI LANKA: Landmine clearance a long-haul effort IRIN 18 Dec 2009 -- Progress is being made in clearing landmines to allow internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sri Lanka’s north to return home, but clearance will ultimately be a long-term process with no fixed deadline, agencies say.
• Record number of people make perilous journey to Yemen, UN reports UN News Centre 18 Dec 2009 -- Fleeing conflict, poverty and drought, more than 74,000 people – a record number – from the Horn of Africa risked their lives this year to make the treacherous journey across the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea to begin their lives anew in Yemen, the United Nations refugee agency said today.
• ICG Urges International Seriousness to Resolve Tensions in Sudan VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- ICG Official: Sudan’s stability could be compromised if the 2005 CPA is not fully implemented before the deadline for its expiration.
• Carter Center says Sudan Voter Registration Largely Successful, but Significant Challenges Remain VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- The Carter Center has released its evaluation of Sudan’s voter registration process, which ended December 7th.
• Belarus parliament shelves recognition of S.Ossetia, Abkhazia RIA Novosti 18 Dec 2009 -- Belarusian parliament will not hold hearings on recognizing the former Georgian republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia before spring 2010.
• Liberia Welcomes Lifting of U.N. Arms Embargo VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- UN security council lifted an arms embargo on Liberia's government, saying it has made progress in rebuilding the country.
• KENYA: What drives conflict in northern Kenya IRIN 18 Dec 2009 -- Cattle raids, inter-communal resource conflicts and banditry are common across much of the arid lands of northern Kenya.
• Timor-Leste takes over further security responsibilities from UN UN News Centre 18 Dec 2009 -- UN handed over further policing responsibilities to Timor-Leste as part of the gradual transfer of the security functions it assumed in 2006.
• Cambodia Tribunal Charges Former Khmer Rouge Head of State With Genocide VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- Court spokesman: Khieu Samphan was brought before investigating judges of UN-assisted tribunal and charged.
• UN maritime force takes part in rescue after ship sinks off Lebanese coast UN News Centre 18 Dec 2009 -- UN maritime task force serving off the Lebanese coast is taking part in a search-and-rescue operation.

News Reports

• Official suspended for barring Pakistan minister from China visit IRNA 18 Dec 2009 -- Pakistani PM Gilani has suspended top Interior Ministry official for stopping the country’s Defence Minister from visiting China.
• Pakistani court summons Interior Minister IRNA 18 Dec 2009 -- An anti-corruption court in Pakistan has summoned Interior Minister Rehman Malik in a graft case after the Supreme Court revived cases against thousands of people.
• Pakistani Defence Minister barred from China visit IRNA 18 Dec 2009 -- Country’s Defence Minister barred from boarding a plane to proceed to China on official visit after his travel abroad has been banned over corruption cases.
• UN Secretary-General Receives Report on Guinea Protesters' Killing VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- The secretary-general considering the report and will then pass it on to Guinea's military government, the AU, ECOWAS, and the UN Security Council.
• UN Chief Receives Inquiry Report on Guinea Massacre VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- UN chief has begun examining a report from an international inquiry commission on a deadly September attack against opposition protesters in Guinea.
• Opponents of Niger President Agree to Mediation Talks VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- Political opponents of Niger's President Mamadou Tandja have agreed to mediation talks to resolve the country's political crisis.
• No 'outside forces' involved in arms plane seizure RIA Novosti 18 Dec 2009 -- A cargo plane originating from North Korea with a cache of illegal weapons was seized solely by Thai intelligence and security agencies.
• Dutch gov't denies role in alleged US plot to topple Chavez IRNA 18 Dec 2009 -- Dutch government: Not plotting with the US to overthrow Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez following accusations made by Chavez.
• Venezuela Sees US Threat in Dutch Islands VOA 18 Dec 2009 -- President Chavez made the accusation Thursday during a speech in Copenhagen, where he is attending climate talks.
• UN disaster teams reach 1,000th deployment UN News Centre 18 Dec 2009 -- The 16-year-old United Nations disaster response system reached its 1,000th deployment this year, with the dispatch of experts to the storm-battered Philippines.