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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 21 Apr 2010 [PDF]
• Crackdown Continues on al-Qaida in Iraq AFPS 21 Apr 2010 -- Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors killed one senior al-Qaida in Iraq leader and captured two others in recent operations in Mosul, military officials reported.
• Iraqis Make Security Progress as War Winds Down AFPS 21 Apr 2010 -- The past week was a very good one for security progress in Iraq, with two al-Qaida leaders being killed in an Iraqi-led operation, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
• Q-West drawdown continues Army News 21 Apr 2010 -- 15th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), Soldiers assisted a mobile redistribution property accountability team to collect an estimated $30 million in equipment no longer needed here April 12-17 as part of the Army's ongoing effort to reduce its forces in Iraq.
• Anchors Aweigh: Army Reserve Boat Crew Leaves for Southwest Asia Army News 21 Apr 2010 -- Family, friends and fellow soldiers gathered at the U.S. Army Reserve Training Center here April 10 to say 'fair winds and following seas' to the 16 members of Detachment 3, 467th Transportation Company, as the unit was called to active duty for service overseas.
• NMCB 133 Provides Clever Communication Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2010 -- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 arrived at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan March 12 and the troops knew this deployment would be like no other.
• Forces Detain Suspected Insurgents, Find Weapons AFPS 21 Apr 2010 -- Afghan and international forces detained numerous suspected insurgents and seized illegal weapons in recent operations throughout Afghanistan, military officials reported.
• NATO Apologizes for Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan VOA 21 Apr 2010 -- NATO has apologized for the deaths of four Afghans shot by international troops, saying their report describing two of those killed as "known insurgents" was incorrect.
• AFGHANISTAN: Drug addiction - a growing burden IRIN 21 Apr 2010 -- Afghanistan’s production of opiates and hashish is increasingly hurting its own people as well as damaging the health of millions across the world, officials and experts warn.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Transcript: DOD News Briefing with Geoff Morrell from the Pentagon DoD 21 Apr 2010 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell
• Official Explains Need for Export-control Reform AFPS 21 Apr 2010 -- Economic controls have a direct relationship to national security, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says it’s time some of those controls got a makeover.
• DFAS begins recouping separation pay soon AFNS 21 Apr 2010 -- Recouping military retirees' voluntary separation incentive special separation benefit and other separation payments by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service will resume in August.
• Services Improve Diagnosis of Brain Injuries, PTSD AFPS 21 Apr 2010 -- Better understanding of post-combat brain injuries and psychological trauma, coupled with a host of measures to diagnose and treat such disorders, are preventing servicemembers from being unfairly discharged due to undiagnosed conditions, Defense Department officials told Congress members yesterday.
• Troops Take Advantage of GI Bill Transferability AFPS 21 Apr 2010 -- More than 100,000 requests from troops desiring to transfer their unused education benefits to family members have been approved under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, a defense official said today.
• Army Networks MRAPs, M-ATVs Army News 21 Apr 2010 -- The U.S. Army has outfitted a handful of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles with Network Integration Kits (NIK) designed to give the bomb-defeating vehicles the ability to share real-time information such as sensor data from robots and UAVs while on-the-move in combat, service officials said.
• Sheltering in Style at the Navy's Newest Berth Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2010 -- USS Shoup (DDG 86) became the first ship to pull into the newly reopened Berth Lima at Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI), Coronado, Calif. April 1.
• CSFTL Highlights Training Value of Joint Warrior 10-1 Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2010 -- As the training in Joint Warrior 10-1 intensifies off the coast of Scotland, Norfolk-based Commander, Strike Force Training Atlantic (CSFTL) praised the value the exercise brings to fleet readiness.
• Navy Implements Changes to DoD 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Regulations Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2010 -- The Secretary of Defense revised the rules regarding separations under the law March 25. NAVADMIN 137/10 summarizes the changes and provides guidance for processing open and future cases under the new regulations. The DoD implements the law in two instructions – DoD Instruction (DODI) 1332.14 for enlisted separations and DODI 1332.30 for officer separations. Changes to both instructions raise the level of the commander authorized to initiate inquiries and separation proceedings regarding homosexual conduct, revise what constitutes "credible information," and specify certain categories of information that cannot be used for purposes of homosexual conduct.
• Main Gate Re-opens at Naval Base San Diego Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2010 -- Naval Base San Diego (NBSD) re-opened its main gate at a ceremony April 20 after completing 10 months worth of vital upgrades.
• Joint Warrior Hones ASW Skills Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2010 -- Distant pinging can be heard through the bulkheads of the guided missile destroyer USS Laboon while Sailors aboard the ship conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercises April 17 and 18.
• USNS Sacagawea, USNS Guadalupe, USNS Catawba Honored for Excellent Food Service Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2010 -- Military Sealift Command presented its annual David M. Cook Food Service Excellence Awards at the International Food Service Executives Association's annual Joint Military Awards Ceremony April 17 in Reno, Nev.
• 1st ANGLICO Conducts Night Operations Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2010 -- Marines of the 1st Air Naval Gun Fire Liaison Company (1st ANGLICO), stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., conducted night operations to perform checks on their weapons, radios and tactical gear.
• TRAWING 5 Initiates Training on T-6B Texan Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2010 -- Training Air Wing (TRAWING) 5 initiated its first class into ground school training for the new T-6B flight syllabus April 19 at Naval Air Station Whiting Field.
• ARRA Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Celebrates Energy Improvements Navy NewsStand 21 Apr 2010 -- Naval Base Point Loma (NBPL) gathered April 9 for a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of a solar photovoltaic (PV) power roof system installation in San Diego.
• 15th Transportation Company Goes Over the Road Army News 21 Apr 2010 -- For transportation units moving their vehicles from one location to another is just another training day. But for one unit it became part of a bigger mission and a preparation for deployment to combat.
• 2-18 Field Artillery Regiment Fires Over Wisconsin Army News 21 Apr 2010 -- The sounds of rockets and engines reverberated the early morning hours, but the noise was not echoing off the Oklahoma Mountain ranges as normal, instead the echo rang over the Wisconsin countryside.
• Army leverages private industry, academia to advance robotics research Army News 21 Apr 2010 -- Developing smart robots with the ability to work for and alongside Soldiers is the ultimate goal of the Army's $63.2 million investment in a new robotics cooperative agreement with industry and academia over the next five years.
• Mortar men train in Afghan-like environment Army News 21 Apr 2010 -- Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment seized an opportunity for extra training to practice their newly qualified mortar skills on the parade field at Camp Guernsey, Wyo., April 11.
• Elite force takes fix to fight, aids warfighters around world Army News 21 Apr 2010 -- Warfighters rely on an elite team of professionals who take the fix to the fight repairing battle-damaged equipment in the combat zone.
• DoD News: Fourth U.S.-Singapore Strategic Security Policy Dialogue Concludes DoD 21 Apr 2010 -- Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy and Permanent Secretary for Defence Chiang Chie Foo co-chaired the fourth U.S.-Singapore Strategic Security Policy Dialogue today at the Ministry of Defence in Singapore.
• US Admiral: Commercial Ships Need Armed Guards to Fight Pirates VOA 21 Apr 2010 -- A top U.S. naval officer says commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean should carry armed guards to help defend against Somali pirates. Admiral Mark Fitzgerald spoke with VOA correspondent at the Pentagon.
• North Korea says no plans to abandon nuclear weapons RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2010 -- North Korea said it would not abandon its nuclear weapons program, but was ready to take part in non-proliferation efforts together "with other nuclear weapons states," South Korea's Yonhap agency said on Wednesday.
• India to arm 40 Russian-built fighters with BrahMos missiles RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2010 -- The Indian Air Force will arm 40 Su-30MKI Flanker-H fighters with BrahMos missiles, the head of BrahMos Aerospace said on Wednesday.
• Russia Grants Ukraine Gas Discount In Return For Fleet Lease Extension RFE/RL 21 Apr 2010 -- Ukraine has agreed to a lengthy extension for the Russian Black Sea Fleet's base in Crimea in exchange for a major discount on Kyiv's imports of Russian gas.
• Moscow, Kiev extend lease on Russian Navy base in Crimea after 2017 RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2010 -- Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday signed an agreement extending Russian naval presence in the Crimea for 25 years after 2017, when the current lease is due to expire.
• Moscow, Kiev may ratify deal on Russian Navy base on Tues. - Russian speaker RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2010 -- An agreement on the extension of the Russian Black Sea Fleet presence in Ukraine after 2017 might be simultaneously ratified by the Russian and Ukrainian parliaments next Tuesday, a Russian parliamentary speaker said.
• Moscow, Kiev agree on gas-for-fleet tradeoff RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2010 -- In a dramatic sign of improving ties, Moscow and Kiev on Wednesday agreed to extend the lease on a Russian naval base in the Crimea in exchange for a 30% cut in gas prices for Ukraine.
• Ukraine's opposition slams Russian Navy base extension, calls for president's impeachment RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2010 -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych should be impeached for signing an agreement extending Russian naval presence in the Crimea for 25 years after 2017, because it contradicts the Ukrainian Constitution, a statement by pro-western Ukrainian Viktor Yushchenko's party said on Wednesday.
• Russia to buy French warship by yearend - federal agency RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2010 -- Russia will sign an agreement with France on the purchase of a Mistral-class helicopter carrier by yearend, the head of the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation said on Wednesday.
• Russian conscripts to have five-day working week - Defense Ministry RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2010 -- Conscripts in the Russian armed forces will have a five-day working week and civil workers will be hired to cook food and clean, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said.
• Producing weapon with S-300 capability on Iran’s agenda: Minister IRNA 21 Apr 2010 -- Defense Minister Brigadier-General Ahmad Vahidi said Wednesday that producing weapon with S-300 capability has been put on the agenda of Iran’s weapons manufacturing sector.
• Iran to hold three-day naval, air drills RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2010 -- Iran's Revolutionary Guards will conduct a three-day military exercise in the Persian Gulf starting Thursday, a top military official said.
• Iran Revolutionary Guard Announces Military Maneuver in Persian Gulf VOA 21 Apr 2010 -- The deputy head of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard says it will begin a major military exercise in the Gulf, Thursday, in the vicinity of the vital Strait of Hormuz.
• Pakistan to buy guided missile frigate from U.S. -TV RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2010 -- Pakistan has signed a deal with the United States to buy a guided missile frigate USS McInerney (FFG-8), Pakistani television network Geo-TV said on Wednesday, citing military sources.
• Clear Skies For NATO Meeting, Though Trouble Brews Over Russia, Afghanistan RFE/RL 21 Apr 2010 -- NATO foreign ministers are breathing a collective sigh of relief as skies in Europe clear from volcanic ash and their April 22-23 meeting in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, can now officially go ahead.
• UK should be prepared to scrap nuclear missiles, say generals IRNA 21 Apr 2010 -- Four former army commanders Wednesday added their voice to growing calls for a review of the government’s controversial plans to replace Britain’s nuclear missiles, questioning if it was value for money.
• Briefing by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, 4/21/10 The White House 21 Apr 2010
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 21 Apr 2010

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 21, 2010
• Russia, Israel plan joint venture to produce drones RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2010 -- State Technology Corporation Rostekhnologii plans to establish a joint venture with Israel Airspace Industry for the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Russian corporation's head said on Wednesday.
• Boeing Team Supports Upcoming Biofuel-powered Flight of US Navy F/A-18 Boeing 21 Apr 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] is supporting the U.S. Navy's biofuel-powered flight, scheduled to take place on Earth Day, April 22. An unmodified, Boeing-built F/A-18F Super Hornet will take off from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., powered by a sustainable biofuel blend of 50 percent camelina and 50 percent JP-5 aviation fuel.
• EADS Defence & Security and Thales selected by DGA to supply Deployable Geographic Modules for French Army EADS 21 Apr 2010 -- EADS Defence & Security (DS) and Thales have received a contract worth 26.1 million euros from the French defence procurement agency DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement) to produce and support two sets of MGPs (Modules Géographiques Projetables – deployable geographic modules) for the 28th Geographic Group of the French Army. The operation, for which DS has been designated prime contractor, aims to develop a system that is deployable and reactive in terms of production, maintenance and distribution of military geography information. The MGP modules will be used to supply geographic data updated in the field to operational land forces via a single cartographic access point.
• Bath Iron Works Awarded $16 Million for DDG 1001 Advanced Material Procurement and Support General Dynamics 21 Apr 2010 -- The U. S. Navy has awarded Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), a $15.9 million modification to a previously awarded contract for procurement of long-lead material and engineering, production and related support services associated with the construction of DDG 1001. The original contract was awarded in February 2008. Work encompassed by this modification is expected to be completed by July 2010.
• DCNS and the Royal Malaysian Navy sign a contract for a simulator and its associated services DCNS 21 Apr 2010 -- DCNS signed yesterday a contract with the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) for the supply of a simulator and services allowing extensive training around navigation safety, combat system, including sensors, and periscope operations for Scorpene submarines.
• EADS Defence & Security and Thales selected by DGA to supply Deployable Geographic Modules for French Army Thales 21 Apr 2010 -- EADS Defence & Security (DS) and Thales have received a contract worth 26.1 million euros from the French defence procurement agency DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement) to produce and support two sets of MGPs (Modules Géographiques Projetables – deployable geographic modules) for the 28th Geographic Group of the French Army.
• General Dynamics Awarded $24 Million Contract for 155mm M795 Metal Parts Ammunition Production General Dynamics 21 Apr 2010 -- General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems has been awarded a $23.9 million option on a previously awarded multi-year contract for production of M795 projectile metal parts. The contract was awarded by the U.S. Army Joint Munitions & Lethality Life Cycle Management Command (JM&L LCMC) of Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. The multi-year contract has a total potential value of $166.7 million if all options are exercised. The work on this contract will be performed at the company’s Scranton Operations in Pennsylvania.
• Oshkosh Defense Receives $44 Million Award for MTVR Upgrade Kits Oshkosh 21 Apr 2010 -- Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), announced today it has received an award valued at more than $44 million, but not to exceed more than $89 million, from the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) for more than 5,750 upgrade kits for the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR). Work is expected to be completed in September 2010.
• Raytheon Awarded $19 Million U.S. Navy Missile Launcher Contract Raytheon 21 Apr 2010 -- The U.S. Navy's Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) an $18.9 million firm-fixed-price contract to produce LAU-115D/A and LAU-116B/A missile launchers.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 21 Apr 2010
• U.S. Envoy Says Washington Will Review Sudan’s Elections With African Union VOA 21 Apr 2010 -- A United States envoy says Washington will soon hold discussions with the African Union to review Sudan’s general elections criticized by international poll observers as failing to meet international standards.
• Global support vital for UN conciliation role in Kosovo, Ban says UN News Centre 21 Apr 2010 -- The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the Serbian province which unilaterally declared its independence over two years ago, “remains uniquely placed” to facilitate dialogue between the communities, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his latest report on the issue as he calls for ongoing international support for the operation.
• Sudanese Government Blocks Independent Elections Monitoring Web Site VOA 21 Apr 2010 -- An online platform designed to facilitate independent monitoring of the Sudanese elections is being blocked, preventing citizens from reporting irregularities in the recent polls.

News Reports

• Ousted Kyrgyz Leader Says He is Still President VOA 21 Apr 2010 -- Kyrgyzstan's ousted leader Kurmanbek Bakiyev says he is still the rightful president of his country.
• Deposed Kyrgyz President Bakiyev refutes resignation RIA Novosti 21 Apr 2010 -- Ousted Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has denied claims made by the Central Asian Republic's interim government that he has resigned from his post as president and said was ready to answer to the law.
• Bakiev Insists He's Still Kyrgyzstan's President RFE/RL 21 Apr 2010 -- In his first public comments from exile, Kyrgyzstan's ousted leader has said he remains the legitimate president of the country and called on the international community not to recognize the interim government in Bishkek.
• UN To Work On Standards For Flights After Volcanic Eruptions RFE/RL 21 Apr 2010 -- The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN agency responsible for aviation safety, says it will lead efforts to establish travel safety standards for flights in the aftermath of volcanic eruptions.
• New UN envoy appointed to help resolve Guyana-Venezuela border controversy UN News Centre 21 Apr 2010 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed a respected diplomat, academic and economist from Jamaica to assist Guyana and Venezuela in resolving a long-standing border controversy.
• Foreign Ministry Issues Memorandum on N-Issue KCNA 21 Apr 2010 -- The DPRK Foreign Ministry, in a memorandum issued on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, underscored the need to get a correct understanding of how nuclearization started on the peninsula and what was the root cause of it if a solution to the denuclearization of the peninsula is to be found with proper understanding of its essence.
• In Pakistan, Mystery Deepens Over Missing Former Spies RFE/RL 21 Apr 2010 -- Two former agents of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) -- high-profile figures who often publicly defended the Taliban -- are reportedly being held by an extremist group in the western tribal regions of Pakistan.
• IAEO chief: Iran seeks objective, sufficient guarantee for fuel swap IRNA 21 Apr 2010 -- Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi said on Wednesday that the Islamic Republic of Iran seeks objective guarantee for fuel swap.
• Enemies feared of IRGC’s power to defuse plots IRNA 21 Apr 2010 -- Enemies are angry with the Islamic Revolution Guards' Corps as they saw it has been successful in defusing all plots against Iran, said a statement issued here Wednesday.
• Ahmadinejad says Iran is ready for simultaneous fuel swap IRNA 21 Apr 2010 -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told a German TV network that Iran is ready for simultaneous swap of 3.5% fuel with 20% one.
• Iraq to Begin Election Recount VOA 21 Apr 2010 -- An Iraqi elections official says a manual recount of votes cast in Baghdad during the March 7 election will begin in a few days.
• UN-backed agreement outlines main issues on global flu readiness UN News Centre 21 Apr 2010 -- With an estimated 75 per cent of new infectious diseases in humans coming from animals and two new animal-to-human diseases expected to emerge each year, a United Nations-backed health conference in Viet Nam today wrapped up with an agreement to keep a close eye on new diseases that can jump species and cross borders.
• Sri Lanka Ruling Coalition Wins Huge Parliamentary Majority VOA 21 Apr 2010 -- In Sri Lanka, the final counting of votes in recent parliamentary elections has given President Mahinda Rajapaksa's coalition an overwhelming majority. It is the biggest victory won by a party in the past three decades.
• Tensions Remain High in Bangkok VOA 21 Apr 2010 -- In Bangkok tensions remain high following a troop build up in the city as anti-government protesters set up barricades around their rally headquarters. The protesters are ruling out new direct talks with the government, but say they would consider talks with intermediaries.
• Somali Pirates Seize Liberian-Owned Ship With 21 Crew VOA 21 Apr 2010 -- Suspected Somali pirates have seized a Liberian-owned bulk carrier with 21 crew members, all of them Filipino.