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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 06 Oct 2010 [PDF]
• Basra SWAT trains in close quarters with U.S. Army News 06 Oct 2010 -- The only markers on the range are the burnt craters where vehicles were once parked. Steel cable juts out of the ground, rusted and frayed as it sticks up from under the sand. There are no buildings in sight, and only a rough road gives any sense of direction in the desert.
• Intelligence Reports, Tips Lead to Insurgent’s Capture AFPS 06 Oct 2010 -- Multiple intelligence sources and tips from local residents yesterday led Afghan and coalition forces in the Muhammad Aghah district of Afghanistan’s Logar province to arrest a man who allegedly facilitates and conducts roadside-bomb attacks, military officials reported.
• Bad Coordination Blamed for NATO Attack on Pakistanis VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- A joint NATO-Pakistani investigation has concluded that better cross-border coordination could have avoided the incident last week in which a NATO helicopter crew based in Afghanistan fired on a Pakistani border post and killed two members of the Frontier Scouts. Pakistan had previously reported that three of its troops died and three were wounded, but the latest release says two were killed and four wounded.
• ISAF Releases Review of Pakistan Border Shooting AFPS 06 Oct 2010 -- An assessment released today of last week’s Pakistan border shooting in which two of the country’s forces were killed and four were wounded concluded that coalition helicopters likely fired on the troops after mistaking their warning fire for hostile fire.
• Afghan, Pakistani Officials In Talks In Kabul With Taliban RFE/RL 06 Oct 2010 -- RFE/RL has learned that talks are under way in Kabul today between Taliban representatives, Afghan officials, and a Pakistani government delegation.
• NATO-Pakistan Border Row Could Herald Deeper Strategic Disagreements RFE/RL 06 Oct 2010 -- The line of container trucks and fuel tankers waiting to cross into Afghanistan grows longer by the day at the Torkham border crossing, as Pakistan's partial blockade of NATO supply lines stretches into a sixth day.
• At Least 20 NATO Tankers Attacked in Pakistan VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- Police in Pakistan say a group of unknown gunmen have killed one person and set fire to at least 25 trucks carrying fuel to NATO forces stationed in neighboring Afghanistan. Taliban militants are reported to have claimed responsibility for the sixth attack this month on NATO convoys.
• Fox admits mistakes made in Afghanistan IRNA 06 Oct 2010 -- British Defence Secretary Liam Fox admitted Wednesday that mistakes have been made in the nine-year war in Afghanistan but insisted that the right strategy is now in place.
• Sharp Rise Reported In Drug Addiction Among Afghan Women RFE/RL 06 Oct 2010 -- Drug addiction among women in Afghanistan is rising dramatically, according to a survey conducted by the Afghan government in coordination with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reports.
• Mission complete for C-130, C-17 aircrews supporting flood relief AFNS 06 Oct 2010 -- As flood waters recede and Pakistan's aid delivery shifts focus from air to ground transportation, the Pakistan government informed the U.S. recently that U.S. military aircraft and other international cargo plane airlift support was no longer required.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Constitutional Protection Given to Foreign Terror Suspect VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- A U.S. federal judge in New York has ruled that testimony of a key witness identified as a result of coercion may not be used in the trial of accused terrorist Ahmed Ghailani. Ghailani is the first suspect held in Guantanamo to be tried in an American civilian court.
• Efficiencies Will Keep Military Strong in Tight Economy, Lynn Says AFPS 06 Oct 2010 -- Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III today reiterated the need for efficiencies as a way to keep the military strong during tight economic times.
• Michigan Reserve units first to get new M915A5 truck Army News 06 Oct 2010 -- Two Army Reserve companies in Michigan became the first units to be equipped with the new M915A5 line-haul tractor truck in a ceremony Sept. 29.
• ACC, ECC employees continue migration to Huntsville Army News 06 Oct 2010 -- With less than 12 months before the Army Contracting Command officially raises the command colors at its new home at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Ala., ACC employees have begun their southern migration.
• 916th Contingency Contracting Battalion activates at Fort Sam Houston Army News 06 Oct 2010 -- A ceremony was held Sept. 16 activating the 916th Contingency Contracting Battalion at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
• Red Dragons add Meritorious Unit streamer Army News 06 Oct 2010 -- For the more than 750,000 residents of Kirkuk, Iraq, a future without violence and threat of terror was once an uncertainty, however, the hard work of U.S Soldiers and their Iraqi Security Forces partners, it's become much more of a reality.
• Commander observes future force test supported by CECOM Army News 06 Oct 2010 -- Maj. Gen. Randolph P. Strong, commander of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, was among senior Army officers who observed part of the Limited User Test of Increment One of the Army’s Early Infantry Brigade Combat Team, or E-IBCT, at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., last month.
• Essex Amphibious Ready Group Supports 31st MEU CERTEX Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2010 -- The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), with support from the ships of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), completed a MEU certification exercise (CERTEX) Oct. 4 and is now certified for deployment.
• USS Essex, 31st MEU Conduct NEO Exercise Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2010 -- USS Essex (LHD 2) and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) worked in conjunction to conduct a non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO) exercise Oct. 1 off the coast of Okinawa, Japan.
• U.S. 7th Fleet Units to Participate in Eastern Endeavor 2010 Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2010 -- A guided-missile destroyer and maritime patrol aircraft assigned to Commander U.S. 7th Fleet, will participate in the Republic of Korea-hosted Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) exercise Eastern Endeavor 2010, Oct. 13-14.
• Enterprise CSG Completes Synthetic Exercise, Departs for COMPTUEX Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2010 -- USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) departed for its Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) Oct. 5, after successfully completing an in-depth synthetic training scenario.
• Contract Awarded for Repairs to Marine Corps First Battalion Barracks at Parris Island Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2010 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a $6.4 million contract on Sept. 21 to Lake Moultrie Construction, Inc. of Bamberg, S.C. for repairs at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island.
• NAVFAC Southeast Awards Contract to Repair NAS Corpus Christi Roads Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2010 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast and Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi Public Works Department awarded a $6.7 million base-wide roads repair project Sept. 17 to Bay Ltd., of Corpus Christi, Texas.
• Indian Ocean-based Squadron Two Welcomes New Commanding Officer Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2010 -- Military Sealift Command's Maritime Prepositioning Ship (MPS) Squadron Two changed leadership in a ceremony held on board the squadron's flagship USNS SGT William R. Button (T-AK 3012) at Diego Garcia, Oct. 5.
• CNO Visits Sailors In Europe, Speaks at NAVEUR Change of Command Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2010 -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead visited Sailors in Sigonella and Naples, Italy, October 4-6.
• NAVEUR-NAVAF, JFC Naples, Welcome New Commander Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2010 -- Adm. Mark Fitzgerald turned over command to Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, during a change of command ceremony at Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Naples, Oct. 6.
• U.S. Naval Base Guam Firefighters Receive Three New Vehicles Navy NewsStand 06 Oct 2010 -- U.S. Naval Base Guam's (NBG) Fire and Emergency Services held a ribbon cutting ceremony for two new fire trucks and a wildland brush truck at Fire Station 1 on NBG Oct. 1.
• CMA Reaches 80 Percent Chemical Weapons Destruction Mark Army News 05 Oct 2010 -- The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) announced today that on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, they achieved the destruction of 80 percent of the U.S. chemical agent stockpile since Entry-Into-Force, when the United States ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty in April 1997.
• Gates, South Korean Counterpart to Discuss Exercises, Plans AFPS 06 Oct 2010 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and his South Korean counterpart will assess during meetings later this week the recent joint military exercises designed to send a deterrent message to North Korea, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters yesterday.
• Atlantic Strike simulates real combat AFNS 06 Oct 2010 -- The team of four servicemembers trudged down the road in the hot, mid-afternoon sun wearing body armor, Kevlar helmets and radios on their backs with their weapons drawn. There had been reports of an enemy stronghold in the area and the team's mission was to take the "bad guys" out.
• Armament Symposium brings DOD, industry together AFNS 06 Oct 2010 -- For the 36th year, the Air Armament Center partnered with the National Defense Industrial Association to host its annual Air Armament Symposium here Oct. 5 and 6.
• Busy Afghan mission leads to recognition AFNS 06 Oct 2010 -- A 919th Special Operations Wing aircrew recently was selected for the Air Force Association's Brig. Gen. Ross Hoyt Award for their efforts on a mission over Afghanistan in 2009.
• 386th Expeditionary goes 'green' with recycling program AFNS 06 Oct 2010 -- Officials in the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing are striving to go "green" as part of the Air Force's continuing effort to eliminate waste and become more energy efficient.
• Obama Awards Posthumous Medal of Honor to Green Beret AFPS 06 Oct 2010 -- President Barack Obama paid tribute today to a young U.S. Army Special Forces sergeant who gave up his life for his fellow soldiers.
• Troops in Korea Train on Casualty Reporting System AFPS 06 Oct 2010 -- Military medical personnel here are wrapping up training that ensures the 28,000 U.S. troops in South Korea are covered by the same casualty reporting system being used in Afghanistan, Iraq and 13 other forward-deployed locations around the world.
• Mullen Praises Trailblazing Military Women AFPS 06 Oct 2010 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, flanked by two of the nation’s top female military officers, today recounted the early days of women’s integration into the services and said “we would be nowhere as a military” without trailblazing women.
• NSPS Office Reaches Milestone in Transition AFPS 06 Oct 2010 -- Three-quarters of employees under the outgoing National Security Personnel System have transitioned to the General Schedule system, the head of the office in charge of the massive effort said today.
• Gas Chamber training preps Marines for worst case scenarios USMC News 06 Oct 2010 -- Teary eyes, burning skin and hacking coughs can all result after a brush with chlorobenzal malononitrile – an experience Marines know all too well.
• Canadian forces contribute to space mission AFNS 06 Oct 2010 -- When servicemembers here perform a mission, whether it is space surveillance or launching a payload into space, it is not solely an American effort, but rather a joint effort.
• Summit Highlights Veterans’ College Successes, Challenges AFPS 06 Oct 2010 -- Noting that America’s community colleges provide a gateway to good jobs and a better life for millions of Americans, President Barack Obama this week told one veteran’s story to illustrate his point.
• 8th ESB Marines assist Systems Command in new equipment testing USMC News 06 Oct 2010 -- Marines from 8th Engineer Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 25, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, supported Marine Forces Systems Command’s testing of new fuel analysis equipment, at Camp Lejeune, over the last week.
• U.S. administration seeks soonest ratification of arms treaty with Russia RIA Novosti 06 Oct 2010 -- The U.S. administration has been pressing for the soonest ratification of a new strategic arms reduction deal with Russia, a U.S. assistant secretary of state said in her speech to the First Committee of the UN General Assembly.
• Test launches of Russia's troubled Bulava missile to be held Thursday RIA Novosti 06 Oct 2010 -- Test launches of Russia's troubled Bulava ballistic missile will be held in the White Sea by the end of the week, a source in the administration of the northern Russian town of Severodvinsk said.
• India, Russia to revive joint military drills IRNA 06 Oct 2010 -- India and Russia will revive the joint military exercise series that focuses on counter-terrorism training.
• U.S. conducting assessment of Taiwan's defense needs CNA 06 Oct 2010 -- Washington has begun a sweeping assessment of Taiwan's defense needs over the next five to 10 years to determine the types of defensive weapon systems the United States should provide it with, a U.S. business leader said Tuesday.
• Former military chief expects UK to defer Trident replacement IRNA 06 Oct 2010 -- Former military chief Sir Richard Dannatt suggested Wednesday that the UK government was likely to delay controversial plans to renew the country’s Trident nuclear missile system when it announces its defence review later this month.
• Iran says still discussing missile system deal with Russia RIA Novosti 06 Oct 2010 -- Tehran is still negotiating the purchase of S-300 air defense missile systems with Moscow, the Iranian defense minster said on Wednesday.
• October 6, 2010 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 06 Oct 2010

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 06, 2010
• Airbus Military A330 MRTT obtains military certification EADS 06 Oct 2010 -- Airbus Military has obtained certification for the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport from Spanish military certification authority Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Aerospacial (INTA). This paves the way for first delivery of the aircraft to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the coming weeks. The A330 MRTT is now the only certified new-generation tanker and transport being offered to the world’s air forces.
• Israel Defense Forces Purchases IAI's Inertial Navigation Systems to Be Utilized on its APC Israel Aerospace Industries 06 Oct 2010 -- Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) was awarded a multi- year contract worth approximately $30 million (USD), to supply TAMAM's Modular Azimuth Position System (TMAPS) and the Advanced Navigation System (ADNAV), to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
• Lockheed Martin Receives $106 Million Contract for Next-generation ICBM Reentry Field Support Equipment Lockheed Martin 06 Oct 2010 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced today that it has received a $106 million engineering, manufacturing and development contract from Northrop Grumman Corporation to develop the next-generation Reentry Field Support Equipment (RFSE) for the U.S. Air Force’s Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) system.
• Northrop Grumman Announces Installation of New, Updated Air Traffic Control Voice Switch Product at U.S. Navy Test Range Northrop Grumman 06 Oct 2010 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) today announced the successful installation and activation of a new, upgraded air traffic control (ATC) voice switch capability at the U.S. Navy's Southern California Offshore Range (SCORE) facility at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., which provides tactical range training and testing services to the U.S. Navy units of the Pacific Fleet.
• BAE Systems Receives $7 Million Order to Armor MIlitary Trucks BAE Systems 06 Oct 2010 -- BAE Systems announced today that it has received a $7 million order from Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) to produce armor kits for M915A5 military line haul tractors.
• U.S. Army Orders Next-Generation Heavy Hauler from Oshkosh Defense Oshkosh 06 Oct 2010 -- Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), has been awarded its first production order for the newest configuration of the Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) from the U.S. Army. The Oshkosh® HET A1 features design improvements to provide a more powerful vehicle fleet. It is a part of the Army’s Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV), produced by Oshkosh Defense, which also includes the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) A4 and the Palletized Load System (PLS) A1.
• Northrop Grumman Loads 100,000 Gallons of Fuel on Company's Sixth Amphibious Transport Dock Ship San Diego (LPD 22) Northrop Grumman 06 Oct 2010 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Shipbuilding facility has achieved an important milestone by loading 100,000 gallons of fuel aboard the company's sixth San Antonio-class ship on Saturday.
• Raytheon to Design Technology Demonstrator for Air and Missile Defense Radar Raytheon 06 Oct 2010 -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) received a $112.3 million contract to design and develop an S-band radar and radar suite controller technology demonstrator for the U.S. Navy's new Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR). This highly advanced system will provide unprecedented capabilities for the Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
• U.S. Army Awards Common Army Ranges and Target Systems (CARTS) Contract to SAIC SAIC 06 Oct 2010 -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI) announced today it was awarded a new prime contract by the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation, to provide technical solutions to support the modernization of Army training ranges worldwide. The multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a one-year base period of performance, four one-year options, and a total ceiling value of $400 million for all awardees if all options are exercised.

Other Conflicts

• UN Secretary-General Urges Intensive Middle East Talks VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- The U.N. Secretary-General is urging Israeli and Palestinian leaders to hold intensive talks to resolve their core issues.
• Palestinian Nation-Building Reaches Halfway Point VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is midway through an ambitious two-year effort to build his government's institutions in order to build a viable Palestinian state if peace negotiations with Israel are successful. Analysts are mixed in their reviews about the results of this nation-building.
• Israeli PM Condemns YouTube Video VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned videos filmed by Israeli soldiers that degrade Palestinians.
• Ban again urges Israel to restrain settlement building in occupied Palestinian territory UN News Centre 06 Oct 2010 -- In a review of global crisis flashpoints, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on Israel to restore a settlement moratorium in occupied Palestinian territory and warned than mishandling of the independence referendum in Southern Sudan could spark renewed conflict.
• Clinton Renews Call for Russian Withdrawal From Georgia VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has renewed the U.S. call for a withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgia under the accords that ended the two countries' brief war in 2008.
• YEMEN: Emergency aid delivery in Al-Jawf challenged by insecurity IRIN 06 Oct 2010 -- Tribal conflicts, roadblocks, hijacking and unexploded mines are hindering effective aid delivery to thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Al-Jawf governorate, say aid workers and community leaders.
• Security Council mission visits UN facility in Uganda, confers with President UN News Centre 06 Oct 2010 -- A delegation from the Security Council today visited the United Nations logistics support base in the Ugandan city of Entebbe, where they were briefed on the facility’s activities, and met with the country’s President, Yoweri Museveni, before heading to Sudan.
• UN agency appeals for better protection for world’s stateless people UN News Centre 06 Oct 2010 -- The United Nations refugee agency appealed today for greater efforts to help an estimated 12 million people worldwide who are considered stateless and left in limbo with limited human rights.
• Rusesabagina Welcomes Congo Report, Warns of Another Genocide in Rwanda VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- Rwandan peace activist Paul Rusesabagina has welcomed the release of a controversial report detailing crimes against humanity committed by Rwanda in Congo.
• Top UN political official arrives in Nepal to review progress UN News Centre 06 Oct 2010 -- The top United Nations political official arrived in Nepal today during what he called a “crucial period” for the South Asian nation as it moves forward with its peace process and the world body’s special political mission prepares to wrap up its work in the country.
• Ivory Coast Begins Voter Card Registration VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- Election officials in Ivory Coast have begun the distribution of voter cards in Abidjan, a key step toward holding a long-delayed presidential poll at the end of this month.

News Reports

• Iran President: World in dire need of new order IRNA 06 Oct 2010 -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that world is in dire need of new order and management based on justice, humanitarian spirit and respect.
• Iranian President Downplays Turmoil On Foreign Exchange Market RFE/RL 06 Oct 2010 -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad says Iran's foreign currency reserves have recently reached a level unprecedented in the country's history, RFE/RL's Radio Farda reports.
• Iran Opposition Calls for Referendum on Ahmadinejad VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has called for a referendum on what he calls the "destructive" policies of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
• Assailants in Yemen Attack British Diplomats, Frenchman VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- An attack on a British embassy car in the Yemeni capital has left one passenger and several passersby injured. Officials say a rocket-propelled grenade exploded near a car carrying five employees to the British embassy. Officials say the deputy chief of mission was among those in the vehicle, but was not hurt.
• British Foreign Office: Yemen Attack 'Unwarranted' VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- British officials are denouncing an attack on a British embassy car carrying a senior British diplomat in Yemen's capital, Sana'a.
• Ethnic Tensions Linger as Kyrgyzstan Prepares for Elections VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- On Sunday, three months after ethnic tensions in Kyrgyzstan exploded into a conflict that left hundreds dead, voters are to select a new parliament to create Central Asia's first parliamentary democracy.
• Russia demands justice in alleged arms dealer's case RIA Novosti 06 Oct 2010 -- Russia called on Thai authorities to show an "unbiased approach" to the case of alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, whom the United States wants extradited and Moscow wants repatriated.
• Ecuador extends state of emergency until October 8 RIA Novosti 06 Oct 2010 -- Authorities in Ecuador have extended until Friday the state of emergency imposed during last week's police uprising in the country, the state-run Andes news agency reported on Wednesday.
• UN urges long-term solutions to help countries with protracted food crises recover UN News Centre 06 Oct 2010 -- Natural disasters, conflict and weak institutions have thrust 22 countries into recurring food crises and high prevalence of hunger, two United Nations agencies said today in a report on food insecurity around the world, calling for longer-term solutions to help those States recover their productive capacity.
• UN nuclear watchdog team suggests safety improvements for French power plant UN News Centre 06 Oct 2010 -- After visiting a nuclear power plant in eastern France, an international team led by the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has made recommendations on how to reinforce its safety practices.
• Bomb Explosion Near Bangkok Adds to Political Uncertainty, Tension VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- An explosion on the outskirts of Bangkok that killed at least four people has added to Thailand's political uncertainty. It appears the country's political tensions are worsening.
• Niger Delta Militants Deny Involvement in Nigeria Bombing VOA 06 Oct 2010 -- Niger Delta militants say they are not behind Nigeria's independence day bombing that killed 12 people. President Goodluck Jonathan says the attack was carried out by a small group of terrorists from outside Nigeria.
• Ex-president's office accuses prosecutors of abusing power CNA 06 Oct 2010 -- The office of former President Chen Shui-bian on Wednesday accused the Special Investigation Division (SID) under the Supreme Prosecutors Office of abusing judicial power by raiding Chen's office and seizing documents.
• Ukraine parliament backs 2004 reform reversal RIA Novosti 06 Oct 2010 -- Ukraine's parliament on Wednesday voted to support a recent decision to reverse a 2004 reform that curbed presidential powers.