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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 23 Apr 2010 [PDF]
• Airpower Summary: April 20 AFNS 23 Apr 2010
• Airpower Summary: April 19 AFNS 23 Apr 2010
• Airpower Summary: April 18 AFNS 23 Apr 2010
• Iraq Security Landscape Changes Bode Well for Transition AFPS 23 Apr 2010 -- The times are changing in Iraq, and they’re changing quickly.
• Humanitarian efforts deliver big results AFNS 23 Apr 2010 -- Most American parents are familiar with taking their children's lengthy school supply list to the store and filling a shopping cart full of paper, pencils and much more.
• Force protection Soldiers increase base safety measures Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- Soldiers with the Regimental Fires Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) implemented and installed new safety measures at Contingency Operating Base Marez, Iraq, April 15.
• Recovery mission to northern Mosul a quick success Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- Soldiers with A Battery, Regimental Fires Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) executed a recovery mission just north of Mosul, Iraq, April 14.
• JCC Abu Ghraib transferred to Iraqi Police United States Forces - Iraq Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- The 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division transferred authority of Joint Coordination Center Abu Ghraib to their Iraqi Police partners during a ceremony conducted here Tuesday.
• US Soldiers transfer JSS Salie to Federal Police United States Forces - Iraq Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- Soldiers of C Troop, 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, transferred Joint Security Station Salie to members of 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Federal Police in a ceremony Tuesday.
• NATO to Transfer Security Tasks to Afghan Government VOA 23 Apr 2010 -- NATO officials say Afghanistan will likely face security threats for years to come, but say alliance forces are making enough progress to begin transferring security responsibilities to the Afghan government this year.
• NATO Moves To Make Afghans 'Masters Of Own House' RFE/RL 23 Apr 2010 -- NATO has officially set in motion the process that it hopes will eventually allow it to wind up operations in Afghanistan.
• NATO Agrees Afghan Handover Plan RFE/RL 23 Apr 2010 -- NATO ministers have agreed conditions to start handing over security responsibility in Afghanistan to Afghans, despite security setbacks and a shortage of personnel to train local forces.
• Pakistani forces kill 15 militants IRNA 23 Apr 2010 -- Pakistani army said Thursday the security forces have killed at least 15 militants in Orakzai tribal region.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Air Force officials launch Atlas V carrying X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle AFNS 23 Apr 2010 -- Members of the 45th Space Wing here launched a United Launch Alliance-built Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle carrying an X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle at 7:52 p.m. EDT April 22 here.
• First Minotaur IV Lite launches from Vandenberg AFNS 23 Apr 2010 -- Members from the 30th Space Wing here launched the first Minotaur IV Lite launch vehicle at 4 p.m. April 22 here.
• Frustration Mounts, as Yemeni Detainees Languish in Guantanamo VOA 23 Apr 2010 -- Last year, U.S. President Barack Obama said the prison at Guantanamo Bay would be closed before the end of January, 2010. Three months after the deadline, families of Yemeni detainees, which make up about half of the prisoners held in Guantanamo, are hopeless and angry.
• Air Force officials announce criteria for basing of C-27J operations, training AFNS 23 Apr 2010 -- Air Force officials released the criteria April 23 to be used to determine the basing locations for C-27J operations and formal training units.
• Air Force officials announce criteria and candidate list for basing of C-17 AFNS 23 Apr 2010 -- Air Force officials released the candidate basing locations April 23 and the criteria they used to determine the candidate basing locations for additional C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.
• Air Force officials announce candidate list for basing of MC-12W aircraft AFNS 23 Apr 2010 -- Air Force officials released their candidate list of basing locations April 23 for MC-12W aircraft.
• DoD News: Navy Names Amphibious Ship for Congressman John Murtha DoD 23 Apr 2010 -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today the selection of the USS John P. Murtha as the name of the 10th San Antonio class Amphibious Transport Dock ship. Mabus made the announcement at John P. Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County airport in Johnstown, Pa.
• Air Force officials announce candidate list for basing of MQ-1/9 ground control stations AFNS 23 Apr 2010 -- Air Force officials released their basing criteria and candidate list April 23 for the basing of the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper ground control stations.
• Exercises test revamped mass casualty plan at Bondsteel hospital Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- It was a busy day at the Camp Bondsteel Hospital April 16.
• Kunsan Airmen arm F-16s during Red Flag-Alaska AFNS 23 Apr 2010 -- Airmen with the 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron hone their wartime skills during the 10-day combat exercise known as Red Flag-Alaska at Eielson Air Force Base from April 19 through May 18.
• The U.S. Army Concept Capability Plan for Cyberspace Operations 2016-2028 Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) just published the Army's first comprehensive look at how the Army will leverage cyberspace and cyber operations, looking forward for nearly the next two decades.
• FDNY, Marines train for chemical attack USMC News 23 Apr 2010 -- The New York City Fire Department and the Marines’ Chemical Biological Incident Response Force responded to a simulated exploded bus, a subway chemical attack, a building collapse and two IED attacks, April 22.
• KFOR, KP work together to plan response exercise in Gjilan/Gnjilane Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- Representatives from the Kosovo Police, EULEX and Multinational Battle Group East conducted a "walk-through" on the grounds of Camp Monteith April 20 to coordinate a joint response exercise that will take place later in June.
• Army's newest helicopter now flying in Europe Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- The 21st Theater Sustainment Command paved the way for another first when it facilitated the acquisition and receipt of five UH-72A Lakota helicopters - the Army's newest aircraft. The cutting-edge helicopters received at Ramstein Air Base, April 13, are the first ones to reach the U.S. Army in Europe.
• U.S. Army South conducts joint humanitarian exercise in Nicaragua Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- U.S. Army South, along with U.S. Navy engineers, are working together with the Nicaraguan National Assembly to construct three waterwells in Los Sanchez, Samaria and La Noria from March 21 until May 21 as part of Army South's, Beyond the Horizon mission.
• Combat Center Marines train to counter IED threats at Range 800 USMC News 23 Apr 2010 -- Improvised explosive devices account for 85 percent of American and North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces casualties during Operation Enduring Freedom. So, stopping this deadly threat has been a top priority for military officials.
• Signal Corps community's recent progress good, gaps in support to operational force still exist Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- Progress was made during the last year, but more is needed from the Signal Corps community to fill gaps in its support of the operational force, said the commander of the U.S. Army's largest Command Thursday in Atlanta.
• Fort Benning cuts ribbon on $2.6 million kennel Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- Turns out, the doghouse isn't such a bad place to be after all.
• 3rd Brigade Combat Team opens new dining facility Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- The North Riva Ridge Dining Facility was officially opened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 15 on Fort Drum.
• Network kits, vehicles prepare for limited-user test Army News 23 Apr 2010 -- At Boeing labs in Huntington Beach, Calif., engineers are integrating the equipment and software that forms the backbone of the Army's Brigade Combat Team Modernization effort: the network.
• Commissioning program gets tougher, deadline approaches USMC News 23 Apr 2010 -- Enlisted Marines thinking about becoming officers face a gambit of new hurdles before they can be selected for commissioning, but Marine officials urge those who are dedicated to act quickly.
• Marines take to the skies – remotely USMC News 23 Apr 2010 -- In just five days, Marines from 2nd Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, II Marine Expeditionary Force, learned to fly a military aircraft. However, these Marines will never fly for more than one consecutive hour or higher than 1,000 feet above the ground. In fact, the Marines will never even step foot inside a cockpit.
• 1/7 Marines storm beach during raid training USMC News 23 Apr 2010
• NMCB 74 Returns From Afghanistan Deployment Navy NewsStand 23 Apr 2010 -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 74's Delayed Party arrived in their homeport of Gulfport, Miss., April 18 marking the completion of a successful eight-month deployment to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
• Enterprise Conducts First RAS in Two Years Navy NewsStand 23 Apr 2010 -- The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) conducted a replenishment-at-sea (RAS) April 23 with the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn (T-AO 198) only four days after being redelivered to the fleet.
• Freedom Successfully Concludes Historic Maiden Deployment Navy NewsStand 23 Apr 2010 -- The Navy's first littoral combat ship (LCS), USS Freedom (LCS 1), concluded its successful maiden deployment with arrival its homeport of San Diego April 23.
• US, Indian Navy Participate in Spitting Cobra 2010 Navy NewsStand 23 Apr 2010 -- Exercise Spitting Cobra 2010 concluded successfully April 22 after two weeks of intense training and simulations between the U.S. and Indian Navy on Guam.
• US Navy Prepares to Participate in Exercise Malabar 2010 Navy NewsStand 23 Apr 2010 -- Ships, submarines and aircraft from the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet arrived in Goa, India, April 23 to begin exercise Malabar 2010 hosted by the Indian Navy.
• SECNAV Announces Name of LPD 26, USS Murtha Navy NewsStand 23 Apr 2010 -- The secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) honored the legacy of the late U.S. Representative John Murtha by declaring April 23 that the Navy's 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, LPD 26, will bear his name.
• Warrior Games approaching fast AFNS 23 Apr 2010 -- With fewer than three weeks to go, the Air Force team is making preparations for the Department of Defense's inaugural Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 10th through the 14th.
• Aircrew breaks C-17 record with heaviest airdrop AFNS 23 Apr 2010 -- Members of the 418th Flight Test Squadron here set a record for the heaviest single payload ever extracted out of a C-17A T-1 during flight April 14 over Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz.
• VA Strives to Prevent Veteran Suicides AFPS 23 Apr 2010 -- With more than 6,000 veterans committing suicide every year –- and 98 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan taking their own lives during fiscal 2009 alone -- the Department of Veterans Affairs is redoubling its outreach to veterans and promoting its toll-free suicide-prevention hotline.
• Navy Facility Studies Marine Mammal Behavior AFPS 23 Apr 2010 -- The U.S. Navy is sponsoring research that seeks to better understand how marine mammals respond to human-made undersea sounds.
• Kyrgyz Government To Delay Decision On U.S. Military Base RFE/RL 23 Apr 2010 -- The interim Kyrgyz government says it will likely delay any decision on the fate of a U.S. military base that is key for shipping supplies to international troops in Afghanistan.
• Renewing Trident could jeopardise NPT review, warns Brown advisor IRNA 23 Apr 2010 -- Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s advisor of non-proliferation is at odds with the British government’s refusal to delay controversial plans to renew the UK’s Trident nuclear missile system.
• Ukrainian opposition unable to hamper Russian naval base deal - paper RIA Novosti 23 Apr 2010 -- The Ukrainian opposition will not be able to hamper the ratification of a deal between Moscow and Kiev on extending Russia's use of a naval base in Ukraine's Crimea, Russian daily Kommersant said.
• Russian envoy to Ukraine hails naval base deal RIA Novosti 23 Apr 2010 -- The deal extending Russia's use of a naval base in Ukraine's Crimea is economically beneficial for both Moscow and Kiev, the Russian ambassador to Ukraine said on Friday.
• Drills in Far East to involve warships of three Russian fleets RIA Novosti 23 Apr 2010 -- Warships of three Russian fleets will meet in the Sea of Japan during large-scale military exercises in the Far East, a Pacific Fleet source told RIA Novosti on Friday.
• NATO Looks To Evolve Without Shedding DNA RFE/RL 23 Apr 2010 -- NATO foreign ministers meeting in the Estonian capital for a second day are grappling with differences over efforts in Afghanistan in talks conducted together with non-NATO states contributing forces to the alliance's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
• Russian military doctrine off target - NATO chief RIA Novosti 23 Apr 2010 -- Russia continues to view NATO as a major security threat rather than an ally, while Moscow's military doctrine does not reflect reality, the head of the Western military alliance said on Friday.
• Peru to buy eight Russian helicopters for anti-drug efforts RIA Novosti 23 Apr 2010 -- Peru will buy eight Russian helicopters to use them in anti-drug efforts, the country's El Commercio paper said on Friday citing Defense Minister Rafael Rey.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 23 Apr 2010

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 23, 2010
• Northrop Grumman Awarded $114 Million Long Lead Material Contract Modification on U.S. Navy DDG 51 Class Destroyer Northrop Grumman 23 Apr 2010 -- The U.S. Navy awarded a $114 million contract modification to Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) to provide long lead materials for the company's 30th DDG 51 class Aegis guided missile destroyer. The materials purchased will be used in the construction of DDG 114.
• GE Powers "Green Hornet" to Successful Flight GE Aviation 23 Apr 2010 -- The F414 turbofan engine powered the 'Green Hornet,' an F/A-18 Super Hornet fueled by a 50/50 biofuel blend, marking the first time a United States Navy (USN) fighter had taken to the skies with a non-petroleum fuel source. The flight took place on Earth Day at the Naval Air Station in Patuxent River, MD.
• Poised to become a complete supplier of protection technologies, Rheinmetall takes up a majority stake in Verseidag Ballistic Protection GmbH Rheinmetall Defence 23 Apr 2010 -- The Düsseldorf-based Rheinmetall Group has taken up a majority share in Verseidag Ballistic Protection GmbH of Krefeld, Germany, giving it future control of an important supplier of civilian and military protection technology. This move is set to make Rheinmetall a complete supplier of protection systems for tactical vehicle manufacturers and carmakers.

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 23 Apr 2010
• Chad and UN officials agree on major downsizing in peacekeeping force UN News Centre 23 Apr 2010 -- United Nations and Chadian officials today agreed on a major initial reduction of peacekeepers there after the Government had called for the withdrawal of the UN mission’s military component.
• US Envoy Tries to Restart Mideast Peace Process VOA 23 Apr 2010 -- U.S. special envoy George Mitchell is back in the Middle East, trying to get the Israeli Palestinian peace process moving again.
• UN Agency Alarmed by Continued Sexual Violence Against Women in DRC VOA 23 Apr 2010 -- Recent data from the UNHCR shows that women and girls in The Democratic Republic of Congo continue to be sexually assaulted throughout the country at an average of almost 14-assaults each day since the beginning of the year.
• Secretary-General voices concern about human rights in Western Sahara UN News Centre 23 Apr 2010 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern today about alleged violations of human rights in the Western Sahara conflict after vowed to continue to promote the rights of Sahrawis after meeting with the head of the Frente Polisario, one of the parties to the dispute.
• Slow pace of returns to northern Yemen, two months after ceasefire – UN UN News Centre 23 Apr 2010 -- More than two months after a ceasefire was struck and one month after the official end to hostilities in northern Yemen, locals have been cautious and slow in returning to the area due to continuing security concerns, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.
• UN refugee agency dismayed by impunity for endemic rape in DR Congo UN News Centre 23 Apr 2010 -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today spoke out against the large number of rapes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), voicing concern at the impunity with which the attacks are being carried out.
• PHILIPPINES: Hopeful signs for end to Mindanao conflict IRIN 23 Apr 2010 -- The Philippine government and the country's largest Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), have agreed to facilitate the return of tens of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs); aid workers hope this could be the harbinger of a lasting peace deal.
• Analysis: Nigeria’s Delta amnesty at risk of unravelling IRIN 23 Apr 2010 -- The government’s amnesty programme whereby militants in the Niger delta are to be disarmed and rehabilitated with a stipend, job training and a micro-credit loan, has been linked to reduced violence in the delta, but critics say it has made the same mistake as almost every other disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration (DDRR) campaign: too much “dd” and not enough “rr”’.
• Analysis: Dangerous divisions in Sudan IRIN 23 Apr 2010 -- This month’s chaotic elections have widened divisions within the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM), according to analysts, who warn of risks to a referendum on southern secession, to future relations between two potentially independent states, and to the very stability of Sudan as a whole.

News Reports

• North Korea Announces Seizure of South Korean Properties VOA 23 Apr 2010 -- Pyongyang is seizing five South Korean properties at a joint tourism zone in North Korea. Tensions over the zone have been building for nearly two years. The North may confiscate more properties.
• DPRK to Freeze S. Korean Assets in Mt. Kumgang KCNA 23 Apr 2010 -- A spokesman for the General Guidance Bureau for the Development of Scenic Spots of the DPRK issued the following statement Friday:
• 2nd phase of Great Prophet V wargame held in Persian Gulf common zone IRNA 23 Apr 2010 -- Iranian armed forces displayed the country's military prowess on the second day of major drills held in the Persian Gulf and the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
• IRGC speedboats break new record in maritime war IRNA 23 Apr 2010 -- The speedboats of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) captured hypothetical enemy’s destroyer in less than 30 minutes, thus breaking a new record in world’s maritime combat.
• Jalili: Great Prophet V maneuver show of Iran’s stregnth IRNA 23 Apr 2010 -- Secretary of Supreme National Security Council of Iran Saeed Jalili said here Friday that the “Great Prophet V” war game in Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz is show of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s and Iranians’ strength in the face of any insecurity and disorder in the Persian Gulf.
• Ayat. Jannati: Iran vanguard of nuclear disarmament IRNA 23 Apr 2010 -- Substitute Friday prayers leader of Tehran Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said here Friday that the Islamic Republic of Iran pioneers nuclear disarmament.
• Russia does not back Iranian nuclear conference's statement RIA Novosti 23 Apr 2010 -- Russia does not support a final document distributed after an international nuclear conference in Iran that gathered top officials and experts from 60 countries, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday.
• Iran in Day 2 of large-scale military drills in Persian Gulf RIA Novosti 23 Apr 2010 -- Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Friday started the second stage of a three-day military exercise in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, the Fars news agency reported.
• Iranian War Games Intensify Arab Anxiety VOA 23 Apr 2010 -- Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards began a second day of military exercises in the Persian Gulf Friday to show their readiness to contest any attack by the United States or Israel. Analysts, however, say the maneuvers are also sending a strong message to Arab nations, which already believe Tehran has plans to extend its power in the region.
• Deposed Kyrgyz Leader Vows Not to Return VOA 23 Apr 2010 -- Kyrgyzstan's ousted president says from exile in Belarus that he will not return to his homeland as its leader.
• The Roots Of Kyrgyzstan's Uprising RFE/RL 23 Apr 2010
• Bakiev Says He Doesn't Intend To Return To Kyrgyzstan As President RFE/RL 23 Apr 2010 -- Kyrgyzstan's ousted president, Kurmanbek Bakiev, has said he does not "intend to return to Kyrgyzstan as president."
• Ousted Bakiyev says has no intention of returning to Kyrgyzstan as president RIA Novosti 23 Apr 2010 -- Deposed Kyrgyz president Kurmanbek Bakiyev said he has no intention of returning to Kyrgyzstan as president, despite his statement that he has not admitted to his resignation.
• Multiple Explosions Target Shi'ite Worshippers Across Baghdad VOA 23 Apr 2010 -- A series of bloody explosions, timed to coincide with Friday prayer services in several mostly Shi'ite districts of Baghdad, have left at least 58 people dead and scores wounded.
• Pakistani-Born New Yorker Faces Terrorism Trial VOA 23 Apr 2010 -- Every two weeks outside the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, friends and supporters gather to hold a vigil for New Yorker Syed "Fahad" Hashmi, an American citizen who has been held in solitary confinement for nearly three years.
• Suspect in NYC Bomb Plot Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges VOA 23 Apr 2010 -- A suspect in a plot to bomb the New York City subway system has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges.
• Chechen Leader's Spokesman Rejects Assassination Allegations RFE/RL 23 Apr 2010 -- A spokesman for Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has rejected allegations that Kadyrov ordered the assassinations of three brothers, RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service reports.
• U.S., France Praise Armenia's Statement On Turkey RFE/RL 23 Apr 2010 -- The United States and France praised Armenia on April 23 for not annulling the agreements to normalize relations with Turkey despite Ankara's refusal to implement them at this juncture, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reports.
• More Georgian Opposition Leaders Visit Russia RFE/RL 23 Apr 2010 -- The leaders of two Georgian opposition parties are in Moscow for talks about the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia with Russian politicians and Georgian diaspora groups, RFE/RL's Georgian Service reports.
• Greece Asks For EU/IMF Rescue Package RFE/RL 23 Apr 2010 -- Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has asked the European Union and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help bail his country out of its ever deepening financial crisis.
• Thailand Fears More Bloodshed After Grenade Attacks VOA 23 Apr 2010 -- Leaders from the anti-government protest movement in Bangkok deny being behind a grenade attack that killed at least one person and injured scores of others. Senior Thai officials say while it is hunting for those behind the attacks, it is also exploring ways to ease tensions in the capital.
• UN trust fund backs projects in fight against piracy off Somali coast UN News Centre 23 Apr 2010 -- A United Nations trust fund set up as part of the international fight against maritime piracy today announced plans to support a series of five projects that are aimed at assisting Somalia and its neighbours to tackle the scourge.