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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF Casualty Update 11 Jan 2011 [PDF]
• Civil engineers restore electricity to village AFNS 11 Jan 2011 -- For the past three months, inhabitants of Bakir village, Iraq, were without power, but members of the 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, contractors and local Iraqi electricians worked together to install new high-voltage cable to restore electricity.
• US Soldiers teach Iraqi Army proper ambush reaction techniques Army News 11 Jan 2011 -- Soldiers assigned to 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, trained Iraqi soldiers to react to an enemy ambush at Al Ghuzlani Warrior Training Center (GWTC), here, Jan. 5.
• Biden: US Will Stay in Afghanistan as Long as Afghans Want Help VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden says the United States is prepared to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014, if Afghans wanted it. The international military coalition plans to transfer security control of Afghanistan to local forces.
• NATO Officials Confirm Taliban Leaders’ Deaths AFPS 11 Jan 2011 -- Officials from NATO’s International Security Assistance Force Joint Command today confirmed the identity of two Taliban leaders killed recently in Afghanistan.
• Afghan, U.S. officials open power plant Army News 11 Jan 2011 -- Businesses on the east side of Kandahar City are about to get around-the-clock power generation.
• Biden: US Committed to Afghanistan Beyond 2014 VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden says if the Afghan people want the United States to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014, the U.S. is prepared to do so.
• Biden Assures Afghans U.S. Won't Leave Prematurely RFE/RL 11 Jan 2011 -- On the first leg of his trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has told his Afghan hosts that Washington will remain in the country beyond 2014 if that is what Afghans want.
• Biden Meets Karzai, Visits Troops in Afghanistan AFPS 11 Jan 2011 -- Vice President Joe Biden today spoke with Afghan national and local leaders as he continued what White House officials described as a visit to assess progress and reinforce the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan.
• UK rejects call for inquiry into Afghan war IRNA 11 Jan 2011 -- The British government has rejected a call to hold an inquiry into the reasons for the UK incursion into Helmand province in Afghanistan in 2006.
• Afghan peace process cannot be Pak-driven: India IRNA 11 Jan 2011 -- In a clear pointer to Pakistan, India has said any “external” interference in transition process of Afghanistan will be detrimental to both its success and future of Afghan people.
• National Guard Tackles Southeast Winter Storm AFPS 11 Jan 2011 -- As of 9:30 a.m. today, 337 National Guard members were activated in support of relief operations for the winter storm that has blanketed most of the Southeast.

Defense Policy / Programs

• China Praises Renewed Military Ties With U.S., But Distrust Remains RFE/RL 11 Jan 2011 -- The United and China are trying to defuse military tensions during U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates' visit to Beijing.
• Gates: Chinese Taking Strategic Dialogue Proposal Seriously AFPS 11 Jan 2011 -- The Chinese are taking an American proposal to hold a strategic dialogue between the two countries seriously, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
• Taiwan Could be Less Hot-Button Issue in Future, Gates Says AFPS 11 Jan 2011 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates believes that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan may evolve into a less hot-button issue in U.S.-China relations.
• Media Roundtable with Secretary Gates from Beijing, China DoD 11 Jan 2011 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
• Gates: North Korea Becoming Direct Threat to U.S. AFPS 11 Jan 2011 -- If it continues on its current path, North Korea could be a “direct threat” to the United States in five years or less, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
• Gates Says North Korea Could Be a Threat to US Within 5 Years VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says North Korea will likely have a missile that can reach the United States within five years, and his talks in Beijing this week were aimed in part at getting China to help put the Pyongyang government "on a different path." Gates wants North Korea to declare a moratorium on further testing of its most dangerous weapons.
• Indian, U.S. Divers Exchange Techniques at SALVEX 11 NNS 11 Jan 2011 -- USNS Safeguard (T-ARS 50), with U.S. Navy divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 1, Company 1-6, conducted Salvage Exchange 2011 (SALVEX 11) with the Indian navy Jan. 4-11.
• Naval Undersea Warfare Center Det. San Diego Relocates NNS 11 Jan 2011 -- Sailors assigned to Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Detachment San Diego want fleet customers to know that their new offices at Building 36 aboard Naval Base San Diego (NBSD) are open for business starting in January 2011.
• Stockdale, Gridley Conduct a Passing Exercise with JMSDF NNS 11 Jan 2011 -- Ships and aircraft from the Carl Vinson Strike Group participated in a Passing Exercise (PASSEX) with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) while underway in the Sea of Japan Jan. 10.
• Southern Partnership Station 2011 Delivers Wheel Chairs, Aid NNS 11 Jan 2011 -- The Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2011 team aboard High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift delivered more than 30,000 pounds of Project Handclasp donations for Ecuadorian medical facilities at Puerto Manta in Ecuador Jan. 10.
• 'ONE Suit Pro' IDEA saves Air Force money AFNS 11 Jan 2011 -- Saving money and improving quality of service and efficiency in the workplace were the motivating factors behind the "ONE Suit Pro" idea that won awards for the members of the 17th Civil Engineer Squadron, Innovative Development through Employee Awareness program team recently.
• F-4 continues long-time service to Air Force with new mission AFNS 11 Jan 2011 -- The 82nd Aerial Target Squadron officials here are replacing the use of Lear jets for their banner tow missions with the F-4 Phantom, creating an air-to-air target that aircrews in training can safely evaluate, develop and test their weapons systems.
• Survey will assess Air Force community well-being AFNS 11 Jan 2011 -- Invitations to take the 2011 Air Force Community Assessment will be sent out Jan. 25.
• Leaders Emphasize Importance of Moral Courage, Candor AFPS 11 Jan 2011 -- Telling the boss what he or she wants to hear is easy. But what are service members to do when asked to provide professional advice or a recommendation, knowing it runs contrary to what the senior leader wants or expects?
• Tobyhanna manufactures 1 million helmet brackets Army News 11 Jan 2011 -- Tobyhanna has a million reasons to celebrate the new year.
• IMCOM to AMC logistics transformation on schedule for Oct. 1 completion Army News 11 Jan 2011 -- While transferring the logistics functions of U.S. Army installations across the globe from one U.S. Army command to another is no simple task, the Installation Management Command and the Army Materiel Command are making strides toward the scheduled completion date of Oct. 1.
• Body armor safe, despite procurement shortcuts Army News 11 Jan 2011 -- Soldiers have the best body armor in the world, the Army said, in spite of a recent Department of Defense Inspector General report that states the service failed to follow contracting rules in purchasing components for Interceptor Body Armor between 2004 and 2006.
• Critical care air transport team brings ICU to battlefield AFNS 11 Jan 2011 -- He walks into the Kandahar Air Hospital with his medical bags in tow. Minus a few dusty footprints at the doorway from the outside environment, it resembles any other hospital complete with a clean, sterile smell -- a scent absent anywhere else on the airfield in Afghanistan which is noted for its infamous open sewage.
• HAW, Ramstein AB Airmen team up for training AFNS 11 Jan 2011 -- Airmen from the Heavy Airlift Wing at Papa Air Base, Hungary, and Ramstein AB will participate in for aerial port training Jan. 10 through 13 near here and Grafonvier, Germany.
• DoD News: Senior Executive Service Announcements DoD 11 Jan 2011
• Marines train to be ready when called upon USMC News 11 Jan 2011 -- The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is the only continually forward deployed MEU in the Marine Corps and is constantly training to be ready when called upon. Combat Logistics Battalion 31, the logistics arm of the 31st MEU, conducted its bi-annual exercise CLBEX, Jan. 5-12, to prepare for the upcoming deployment of the Asia-Pacific Region.
• Chinese Leaders Surprised by Fighter Test During Gates Visit VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- A senior U.S. defense official says China’s civilian leaders did not know about Tuesday’s first flight test of the country’s new fighter jet when U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked about it during a meeting with President Hu Jintao.
• China reportedly tests stealth fighter CNA 11 Jan 2011 -- China test-flew a J-20 fighter, its version of the stealth jet, for the first time Tuesday, according to a military observer.
• China confirms maiden flight of fifth-generation fighter RIA Novosti 11 Jan 2011 -- Chinese President Hu Jintao confirmed on Tuesday his country had carried out its first test-flight of a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.
• Chinese websites claim fifth-generation fighter has made maiden flight RIA Novosti 11 Jan 2011 -- China's fifth-generation stealth fighter appears to have flown for the first time on Tuesday, according to a series of accounts and images taken by Chinese aviation enthusiasts.
• Explosion at Georgian military base kills 3 RIA Novosti 11 Jan 2011 -- An explosion at a Georgian military base killed three people and injured at least another 13, Georgian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
• January 11, 2011 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 11 Jan 2011

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 11, 2011
• Lockheed Martin Collaborates with U.K. Businesses on Advanced Naval Radar Research Lockheed Martin 11 Jan 2011 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] is collaborating with several United Kingdom companies to provide an advanced naval radar demonstrator as part of a joint U.S. Navy and Royal Navy research program that will help guide performance improvements to existing and planned radar systems in both the U.S. and U.K.
• Northrop Grumman Completes Assembly of DDG 1000 Engineering Control System Units Six Months Ahead of Schedule Northrop Grumman 11 Jan 2011 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) finished assembly of Engineering Control System (ECS) Distributed Control Units (DCUs) and Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) for the first two ship sets for the DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class Destroyer Program nearly six months ahead of schedule and under budget.
• SAIC Announces Lease Signing at The GATE at Aberdeen Proving Ground SAIC 11 Jan 2011 -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI) today announced it has signed a new lease with St. John Properties to occupy 31,000 square feet of office space at The GATE (Government and Technology Enterprise) office and tech park at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Md.
• DRS and Thales Joint Venture Acquires Advanced Acoustic Concepts Thales 11 Jan 2011 -- DRS Sonar Systems, LLC, a DRS/Thales joint venture, announced that it has acquired Advanced Acoustic Concepts, Inc. (AAC), a privately held company headquartered in Hauppauge, NY.
• Lockheed Martin Developed Multi-Mission Satellite Operations Center Goes Live With Launch of STPSAT-2 Lockheed Martin 11 Jan 2011 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced that the satellite command and control system – the Multi-Mission Satellite Operations Center Ground System Architecture– recently went operational with the successful launch of the multi-payload experimental Space Test Program STP-S26 mission, STPSat-2. The architecture was developed by Lockheed Martin and the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center Space Development and Test Directorate.
• Northrop Grumman Scalable SIRU(TM) Selected as Inertial Reference Unit for Boeing Satellites Northrop Grumman 11 Jan 2011 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) today announced that its Scalable Space Inertial Reference Unit (Scalable SIRU™) has been selected as the inertial reference unit of choice for Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems satellite platforms.
• Rheinmetall takes over complete control of Verseidag Ballistic Protection GmbH Rheinmetall Defence 11 Jan 2011 -- The Rheinmetall Group is now sole owner of Verseidag Ballistic Protection GmbH of Krefeld, Germany. Rheinmetall had already acquired a 51% stake in the company – a leading producer of advanced civilian and military protection equipment – in July 2010. Effective 31 December 2010, Rheinmetall has now taken over the remaining 49% interest held by Jagenberg AG, thus giving the Düsseldorf-based defence group 100% control of the company.
• Orbital-Built Glory Earth Science Satellite Arrives at Vandenberg Air Force Base Launch Site Orbital Sciences Corp. 11 Jan 2011 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), one of the world’s leading space technology companies, today announced that the Glory satellite has arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA to be integrated with the company’s Taurus® XL rocket that will launch the satellite into low-Earth orbit in late February.

Other Conflicts

• 11 January 2011 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 11 Jan 2011
• Gbagbo Aide Calls Lethal Ivorian Clashes “Regrettable” VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- A special adviser to embattled Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo has described as regrettable the eruption of violence that left at least five people dead and several injured in the commercial capital, Abidjan, Tuesday.
• Deadly Violence Erupts in Ivory Coast VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- Gunfire has erupted in Ivory Coast's commercial capital, killing at least two two people as the political power struggle continued in the West African nation.
• COTE D'IVOIRE: Warnings from the west IRIN 11 Jan 2011 -- “Everyone agrees that the population should not become hostages of Côte d’Ivoire’s political problems,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator Ndolam Ngokwey told IRIN after returning to Abidjan from a two-day mission to the west with the UN’s Humanitarian Country Team (HCT).
• Number of Ivorian refugees in Liberia tops 25,000 – UN agency UN News Centre 11 Jan 2011 -- The United Nations refugee agency said today that there are now some 25,000 Ivorian refugees in neighbouring Liberia, with around 600 people arriving daily after fleeing the post-electoral crisis in their homeland.
• Jimmy Carter Expects Credible, Free, Fair Sudan Referendum VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter told VOA he has been assured by Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir that his ruling National Congress Party (NCP) will accept the outcome of the south Sudan referendum.
• More Violence as South Sudanese Vote in Landmark Referendum VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- Southern Sudanese officials say 10 people were killed in an attack near the north-south border, as people continue to flood polling stations to vote in a landmark referendum on southern Sudan's independence.
• Sudan: UN peacekeepers intensify patrols after clashes in north-south border region UN News Centre 11 Jan 2011 -- United Nations peacekeepers intensified their patrols in the border area between North and South Sudan after reports of deadly clashes as the week-long independence referendum in the South entered its third day today.
• African Union urges successful conclusion of referendum in Sudan IRNA 11 Jan 2011 -- African Union Peace and Security Council in its 256th meeting on Monday urged all parties and all Sudanese to continue to demonstrate the same commitment towards the successful conclusion of the referendum process.
• UN Warns Sudan Referendum Puts Children at Risk VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- The U.N. Children’s Fund warns Sudanese children are at high risk of becoming separated from families who leave their homes to take part in southern Sudan’s independence referendum. UNICEF says children are particularly vulnerable during large-scale population movements such as the one occurring right now in the Sudan.
• UN concerned over Nepal's peace process as it wraps up mission IRNA 11 Jan 2011 -- Chief of UN peace mission in Nepal Monday said UNMIN will wrap up its task, but there was no clarity as to who would manage the arms and armed personnel of the Maoists and the military after its exit by the end of this week.
• India terms reports of Chinese incursion as 'baseless' IRNA 11 Jan 2011 -- India on Monday termed media reports alleging Chinese troop intrusion in the Demchok area of Leh District in Jammu and Kashmir as ‘baseless’.

News Reports

• South Korea Reluctant to Resume Talks With North VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- Both Koreas are continuing to talk about talking. But there has been no agreement on discussions that North Korea has asked to start before the end of this month. South Korea still says the time is not right.
• Iran suggests to big powers to find common points in upcoming talks IRNA 11 Jan 2011 -- A senior official at Iran's Supreme National Security Council suggested to the Western powers Monday to try to find common points with Iran in their next round of talks with the country.
• Mehmanparast says Istanbul talks will be held January 21-22 IRNA 11 Jan 2011 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Istanbul talks will be held January 21-22.
• Iranian IAEA representative to visit Russia January 20-21 RIA Novosti 11 Jan 2011 -- Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali Asghar Soltaniyyeh, will visit Russia on January 20-21, the Iranian ambassador to Moscow told the Fars news agency on Tuesday.
• Iran Says EU Snub Will Not Derail Istanbul Talks VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- Iran says it will not let the European Union's rejection of an invitation to tour Iranian atomic plants affect upcoming talks with world powers concerned about its nuclear program.
• Iran’s Spy Chief Denounces Alleged Israeli Plot Against Nuclear Scientists VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- Iran’s Intelligence Minister, Heydar Moslehi, says there is a vast assassination plot behind the attacks on Iranian nuclear physicists last year.
• Assassin of Iranian scientist was trained in Israel IRNA 11 Jan 2011 -- The terrorist behind last year's assassination of Iran's nuclear scientist confessed that he was trained in a military base in Israel, it was reported Tuesday.
• Ali-Mohammadi's wife calls for trial of terrorist agents IRNA 11 Jan 2011 -- Wife of an assassinated Iranian scientist here on Tuesday called for trial of agents behind assassination of Iranian scientists by international courts.
• Iranian nuclear scientist murder suspect says was trained in Israel RIA Novosti 11 Jan 2011 -- A man suspected of killing an Iranian nuclear scientist last year has admitted he was trained at a military base in Israel, the IRNA news agency said on Tuesday.
• Iran Links 10 Assassination Suspects to Israel VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- Iran's intelligence minister says authorities have arrested more than 10 suspects in connection with last year's assassination of a nuclear scientist.
• WikiLeaks Lawyers Lay Out Case Against Extradition VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has made public his case against extradition to Sweden in connections with allegations of sexual misconduct and rape. He appeared in a London court for a preliminary hearing on the extradition. Comprehensive arguments will be made in court next month.
• British court eases bail conditions for Wikileaks founder RIA Novosti 11 Jan 2011 -- Britain's Belmarsh Magistrates' Court has eased bail conditions for Julian Assange, the founder of the controversial WikiLeaks website, responsible for leaking thousands of confidential U.S. diplomatic cables.
• WikiLeaks Will Continue Leaking Documents VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said his group plans to accelerate its publication of secret U.S. diplomatic cables and other documents.
• Clinton Backs Yemeni Efforts Against al-Qaida VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in an unusual high-level U.S. visit to Yemen Tuesday, said the two countries have a mutual interest in defeating the Yemeni affiliate of al-Qaida. The Clinton visit was not announced in advance because of security considerations. The secretary of state also met with Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh.
• US: Sudan Could be Removed from Terror List This Year VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- U.S. diplomats say they are pleased with the course of Sudan's ongoing referendum on independence for the south. And, if the Sudanese government embraces the results as it has pledged to and meets other criteria, diplomats say Sudan could be removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism by the middle of this year.
• China Denies Involvement in Renault Corporate Espionage Scandal VOA 11 Jan 2011 -- China has denied involvement in industrial spying allegations swirling around French carmaker Renault. Three Renault executives have been suspended and the affair may damage French-Chinese ties.
• One year on, huge challenges remain for Haitian quake recovery – UN UN News Centre 11 Jan 2011 -- On the eve of the first anniversary of the devastating earthquake that killed 220,000 Haitians and made 1.5 million others homeless, United Nations humanitarian agencies today looked back at a year of achievements, albeit at times spotty, and forward to the enormous challenges still ahead.
• Kyrgyz Probe Faults Uzbek Leaders, Interim Government Over Ethnic Violence RFE/RL 11 Jan 2011 -- some of whom are also serving in the new government -- An official probe into last year's deadly ethnic clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan has blamed local Uzbek leaders and relatives of the former president for instigating the violence, but also chastised the interim government for failing to avert the unrest.
• Government rebuts ex-president's claim about Tiaoyutais CNA 11 Jan 2011 -- The Presidential Office rebutted Tuesday a claim by former President Lee Teng-hui that the disputed Tiaoyutai Islands are Japanese territory.