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Military


10 December 2010 Military News

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

Defense Policy / Programs

  • Officials select potential base for Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 training unit AFNS 10 Dec 2010 -- Air Force officials announced today that Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, is their preferred alternative to potentially host a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA maintenance and flying training unit in the U.S.
  • Pentagon Talks Advance U.S.-China Military Ties AFPS 10 Dec 2010 -- The Pentagon’s policy chief believes the Defense Consultative Talks between the U.S. and China here today moved the ball forward in fostering Chinese candor and transparency.
  • DoD News: Air Force selects potential base for Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 Training Unit DoD 10 Dec 2010 -- The Air Force announced today Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, as its preferred alternative to potentially host a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA maintenance and flying training unit in the United States.
  • Transcript: DOD News Briefing with Under Secretary Flournoy from the Pentagon DoD 10 Dec 2010 -- Presenter: Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy
  • George Washington Carrier Strike Group, JMSDF Wrap Up Keen Sword 2011 Navy NewsStand 10 Dec 2010 -- The George Washington Carrier Strike Group (GWCSG) and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) concluded the joint bilateral exercise Keen Sword 2011, Dec. 10.
  • Essex ESG Completes Keen Sword 2011 Navy NewsStand 10 Dec 2010 -- The forward-deployed Essex Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) and Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed exercise Keen Sword 2011 Dec. 10 off the coast of Okinawa, Japan.
  • Nimitz Arrives in Bremerton, Navy Announces Everett as Ship's New Homeport Navy NewsStand 10 Dec 2010 -- USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and 2,800 Sailors arrived at Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Wash., Dec. 9 after completing a four-day transit from San Diego.
  • Navy Sets New World Record with Electromagnetic Railgun Demonstration Navy NewsStand 10 Dec 2010 -- The Office of Naval Research (ONR) achieved a milestone Dec. 10 when it successfully conducted a world-record 33-megajoule shot of the Electromagnetic Railgun aboard Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division.
  • Shiloh Joins Japanese Counterparts for Biennial Exercise Navy NewsStand 10 Dec 2010 -- After a port visit to Maizuru, Japan, USS Shiloh (CG 67) got underway to participate in the Exercise Keen Sword, bringing together 34,000 Japanese troops and 10,000 U.S. service members with combined 430 aircraft and 60 ships for missile-defense air, land and sea operations, Dec. 2.
  • USS Shiloh Concludes Keen Sword 2011 Navy NewsStand 10 Dec 2010 -- The guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67), guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), the Japanese destroyers JS Kurama (DDH 144) and JS Myoko (DDG 175) ended the exercise Keen Sword 2011 with a diamond formation photograph Dec. 10.
  • USS Shiloh, JS Myoko Meet Press for Keen Sword Navy NewsStand 10 Dec 2010 -- Members from the guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh and (CG 67) and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) Commander, Escort Division 6 embarked aboard the Japanese destroyer JS Myoko (DDG 175) to deliver a message to the media about the importance of the biennial Keen Sword exercise Dec. 6.
  • USS Mustin Departs Cambodia Following Four-Day Visit Navy NewsStand 10 Dec 2010 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) concluded its four-day port visit to Cambodia Dec. 7.
  • USS Mustin Makes Historic Visit to Remote Cambodian Region Navy NewsStand 10 Dec 2010 -- Sailors from the guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) and 7th Fleet Orient Express Band traveled to the northwestern area of Cambodia, on Dec. 5 to participate in an overnight community service (COMSERV) project with the Maddox Jolie-Pitt foundation (MJP).
  • Renovated Naval Amphibious Base Galley Opens for Business Navy NewsStand 10 Dec 2010 -- An official ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the reopening of the galley at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Calif., Dec. 8 after more than a year and nearly $9 million in renovations.
  • NOAA Pacific Regional Center Construction Begins Navy NewsStand 10 Dec 2010 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii and Walsh Construction held a ground breaking ceremony and traditional Hawaiian blessing Dec. 7 for the new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pacific Regional Center's main facility on Ford Island.
  • U.S. Navy Security Team Partners with Peruvian Navy for Info Exchange Navy NewsStand 10 Dec 2010 -- Sailors assigned to a security training team engaged in a week-long subject matter expert exchange with Peruvian naval police in support of Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2011 in Callao, Peru, Dec. 9.
  • Federal agencies share latest research on polytrauma and reintegration AFNS 10 Dec 2010 -- Helping severely wounded veterans and servicemembers recover and reintegrate into their families and communities was the theme of a joint Department of Veterans Affairs, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury and National Institutes of Health two-day conference at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md.
  • Identifying friendly forces to become easier for AWACS AFNS 10 Dec 2010 -- Engineers with the Electronic Systems Center have achieved the next step in bringing an improved Identification Friend or Foe, system capability to Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.
  • Sun sets on Keen Sword exercise AFNS 10 Dec 2010 -- Servicemembers at military installations throughout mainland Japan, Okinawa and in the waters surrounding the country wrapped up a seven-day joint, bilateral field-training exercise with their Japan Self-Defense Force counterparts as Exercise Keen Sword 11 came to an end Dec. 10.
  • Air Force, industry leaders brainstorm at Renewable Energy Industry Day AFNS 10 Dec 2010 -- During the U.S. Air Force Renewable Energy Industry Day on December 8, Air Force senior leaders joined more than 250 industry professionals to exchange ideas about partnering to increase renewable energy supplies and achieve energy goals.
  • Online Site Uses Games to Hone Acquisition Skills AFPS 10 Dec 2010 -- The Defense Acquisition University has launched a casual gaming website that’s designed to hone the skills of DOD’s acquisition and logistics work force.
  • Doctors Use Acupuncture as Newest Battlefield Tool AFPS 10 Dec 2010 -- J.D. Nichols, a retired Navy flight officer and cryptologist, limped into the Air Force Acupuncture Center at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland early yesterday morning, leaning heavily on a cane.
  • Puerto Rico Guard Helps Save Manatee AFPS 10 Dec 2010 -- An 840-pound male West Indian manatee, injured in a boat strike, has a new lease on life, a new name and a new home thanks to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard.
  • Warrior Training Center's Air Assault Course prepares students for combat operations Army News 10 Dec 2010 -- "The toughest 11 days in the Army" is a common phrase among students at Fort Benning's Air Assault School.
  • APS - 3 equipment overhauled in Korean port Army News 10 Dec 2010 -- Packed with more than 1,000 trucks, trailers, and other equipment belonging to the Army's Prepositioned Stocks - 3 program, the USNS Watson docked here to service its cargo.
  • Gates Heads Back to Washington From Overseas Trip AFPS 10 Dec 2010 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is on his way back to Washington today after visiting with deployed servicemembers, getting a ground-view perspective on operations in eastern and southern Afghanistan, and meeting with leaders in Oman, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.
  • Gates Repeats Call for Senate to Repeal 'Don’t Ask' AFPS 10 Dec 2010 -- Repeating his warning that the Defense Department would be unable to prepare properly if a court strikes down the law that bans gays from serving openly in the military, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today he hopes the Senate repeals the law before its session ends next week.
  • US, Japanese fighter pilots promote peace in Asia-Pacific region AFNS 10 Dec 2010 -- Fighter pilots and more than 160 other servicemembers from Misawa Air Base, Japan, are deployed here to support the largest exercise in the Asia-Pacific region Dec. 3 to 11.
  • ACC commander visits Kirtland AFB prior to start of virtual exercise AFNS 10 Dec 2010 -- Gen. William M. Fraser III, the Air Combat Command commander, visited the 705th Combat Training Squadron here Dec. 7, prior to the start of Virtual Flag.
  • Media Availability with Secretary Gates en route to Andrews Air Force Base from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates DoD 10 Dec 2010 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
  • Back to our Amphibious roots USMC News 10 Dec 2010 -- In the summer of 2008, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James T. Conway, released a message to all Marines and sailors directing them to reestablish their traditional roles as "fighters from the sea." Now, after more than ten years of fighting in land-locked warfare, II Marine Expeditionary Force is teaming up with the Navy’s Second Fleet Dec. 11 to conduct exercise Bold Alligator 2011.
  • Live-fire training with a blast USMC News 10 Dec 2010 -- Marines from 3rd Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, concluded this evolution of the Artillery Relocation Training Program at Camp Sendai, Japan, Dec. 1.
  • Inspections keep HMM-265 blades spinning USMC News 10 Dec 2010 -- Between training exercises and deployments, the CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter is an asset used throughout the Marine Corps, said Maj. Cory Dekraai, an Ann Arbor, Mich. native and aircraft maintenance officer with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force.
  • Water survival qual changed USMC News 10 Dec 2010 -- The Marine Corps implemented a new qualification system for the combat water survival training that went into effect for all Marines Nov. 10. The new system focuses on safety and effectiveness while reforming qualification requirements.

  • Momentum Builds To Ratify New START VOA 10 Dec 2010 -- Efforts to ratify the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty in the U.S. Senate received a boost Friday. Two more opposition Republican Senators say they will vote for the treaty, and the White House is expressing new confidence that it will pass this year.

  • Russia defense minister denies plans to build aircraft carriers RIA Novosti 10 Dec 2010 -- Russia is not planning to build any new aircraft carriers in the foreseeable future, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Friday.

  • Indian ballistic missile test ends in failure RIA Novosti 10 Dec 2010 -- The maiden test launch of an Indian nuclear-capable missile ended in fiasco on Friday after it plunged into the sea a few seconds after takeoff, the Indian Express newspaper reported.

Defense Industry

  • DoD News: Contracts for December 11, 2010
  • General Dynamics Awarded $317 Million for RG-31 MRAP Survivability and Mobility Upgrades General Dynamics 10 Dec 2010 -- The U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command awarded General Dynamics Land Systems–Canada a USD$317.4 million delivery-order modification for upgrade kits for RG-31 Mk5E vehicles previously delivered under the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle program. General Dynamics Land Systems, the Canadian company’s parent corporation, is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
  • General Dynamics Awarded $74 Million by U.S. Army to Produce M2 Machine Guns General Dynamics 10 Dec 2010 -- General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products was awarded two delivery orders and a contract modification in August 2010 by the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command to produce 5,080 M2 heavy barrel (M2HB) machine guns and to convert an additional 6,000 M2HB guns to the M2A1 configuration. The cumulative value of the awards is $73.5 million. General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
  • U.S. Navy Awards Lockheed Martin $45.8 Million to Prepare Unmanned K-MAX Helicopter for Deployment Lockheed Martin 10 Dec 2010 -- The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Kaman Aerospace [NASDAQ GS: KAMN] a $45.8 million contract for K-MAX® unmanned aircraft systems for a U.S. Marine Corps evaluation of unmanned cargo resupply in an operational forward deployed environment.

Other Conflicts

News Reports

  • Nobel Peace Prize Awarded To Liu Xiaobo In Absentia RFE/RL 10 Dec 2010 -- The Nobel Committee has formally awarded jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo its 2010 Peace Prize in absentia.
  • Nobel Committee Awards Peace Prize to Jailed Chinese Dissident VOA 10 Dec 2010 -- The head of the Nobel committee placed this year's peace prize award on the empty seat of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. Liu is imprisoned in China and was unable to collect the award himself.
  • Nobel Prize Winner Veteran of Long Campaign for Political Reform VOA 10 Dec 2010 -- Liu Xiaobo is a 54-year-old writer and veteran of pro-democracy campaigns in China. Liu has been in and out of Chinese prisons over the past two decades because of his outspoken advocacy of human rights and political reform.

  • Chair of UN monitoring body voices concern at violations of Iran sanctions UN News Centre 10 Dec 2010 -- The chair of the United Nations committee monitoring the arms embargo imposed on Iran over its nuclear programme voiced deep concern today that violations of the sanctions are continuing.
  • Western Powers say Iran Continues to Flout UN Sanctions Resolutions VOA 10 Dec 2010 -- The United States, Britain and France expressed their continued concern about Iran's suspect nuclear program Friday, saying Tehran persists in disregarding its international obligations to answer questions about the nature of its program and to stop enriching uranium.
  • Ayatollah Jannati praises Iran’s initiatives in talks with P5+1 IRNA 10 Dec 2010 -- Tehran’s Substitute Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati praised the performance of Iran’s negotiating team during talks with the P5+1.

  • Former WikiLeaks insiders to set up rival site RIA Novosti 10 Dec 2010 -- A rival site for WikiLeaks will be set by former insiders of the whistleblowing website, Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported.
  • Former US Ambassador to Yemen Weighs in on Wikileaks Scandal VOA 10 Dec 2010 -- Among the countries which have been mentioned in the leaked U.S. diplomatic dispatches is Yemen. Some analysts worry that the leaked information could give al-Qaeda an edge in that country.

  • US Sought Removal of UN Burma Envoy, Leaked Documents Show VOA 10 Dec 2010 -- Newly disclosed State Department documents show the U.S. sought to have the U.N. Special Envoy on Burma removed from his job. A new batch of classified cables released by the activist website WikiLeaks also documents Chinese frustration with Burma's generals and rumblings about possible North Korean nuclear cooperation with Burma.
  • US Envoy Meets Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma VOA 10 Dec 2010 -- A senior U.S. diplomat met with Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and members of her National League for Democracy party in Rangoon Friday, after a series of meetings with officials in the military government.

  • WikiLeaks Revelations Put Zimbabwe in Jeopardy of Further Instability, says Analyst VOA 10 Dec 2010 -- A leading security analyst based in southern Africa says the spilling of United States government secrets about Zimbabwe by the WikiLeaks organization is “dangerous” for the region, and could lead to instability and violence ahead of the election Harare’s expected to call next year.

  • Pakistan slams exception in nuclear cooperation IRNA 10 Dec 2010 -- Pakistan has cautioned that creating exceptions for any country is not only a step backward in terms of promoting peace nuclear cooperation but also has serious implications for regional and global security.
  • WikiLeaks Proving A Political Bombshell In Pakistan RFE/RL 10 Dec 2010 -- 'Don't trust WikiLeaks,' Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani told journalists recently while discussing confidential U.S. diplomatic cables published by the whistle-blower site. The leaks, he said, are 'the observations of junior diplomats.'

  • Senior Iraqi Official Rejects Corruption Watchdog's Findings RFE/RL 10 Dec 2010 -- A senior Iraqi official has criticized as unreliable and lacking in credibility Transparency International's latest annual report, which lists Iraq among the world's most corrupt countries, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reports.

  • Ukraine prime minister orders abolition of ministries RIA Novosti 10 Dec 2010 -- Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has started self-reorganization in line with President Viktor Yanukovych's orders, the government press service said on Friday.
  • Ukrainian ex-secret police boss quizzed over Yushchenko poisoning RIA Novosti 10 Dec 2010 -- Former deputy head of the Ukrainian secret police Volodymyr Satsyuk has been questioned over his involvement in the 2004 dioxin poisoning of former President Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine's prosecutor general Viktor Pshonka said.
  • Ukrainian ministers sacked as part of administrative reform RIA Novosti 10 Dec 2010 -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has sacked 15 ministers of the country's Cabinet as part of his administrative reform, according to decrees published on the president's official website on Friday.

  • Slow Pace Of Coalition Talks Sparks Kyrgyz Crisis Fears RFE/RL 10 Dec 2010 -- The Kyrgyz parliament's efforts to form a coalition are moving at a snail's pace, leading to rumblings that the country is on the brink of another political crisis.
  • Prague To Host EU Satellite Navigation Agency RFE/RL 10 Dec 2010 -- EU ministers in Brussels have voted to let the Czech Republic host the headquarters of a planned European satellite navigation tool that could rival the U.S. government's Global Positioning System (GPS).
  • Haiti: Security Council calls on all sides to end post-electoral violence UN News Centre 10 Dec 2010 -- The Security Council today called on all sides in Haiti to refrain from further violence in the dispute over preliminary results from last month’s first round of presidential and legislative elections.
  • The flight of the Dragon RIA Novosti 10 Dec 2010 -- Yesterday, at 18:55 GMT, a space capsule opened the typical orange-and-white landing parachutes above the Pacific, 500 miles off the coast of Mexico. But there was nothing else typical about the event. This was the first working prototype of the Dragon spacecraft developed by SpaceX, a private American space transportation company. It was yet another sign that governments are rapidly losing their hegemony over space technology.



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