Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 16 Jun 2011 [PDF]
• NATO and Libya - Operational Media Update: 15 Jun 2011
• White House Responds to Criticisms on Libya VOA 16 Jun 2011 -- The White House pushed back Thursday on criticisms from members of Congress of a lengthy explanation sent to Capitol Hill about the legality of U.S. involvement in military operations in Libya.
• NATO Pounds Tripoli Targets; Pressure Mounts on Gadhafi VOA 16 Jun 2011 -- NATO fighter jets pounded targets near Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's Tripoli compound on Thursday while Russia and Italy led new diplomatic efforts to resolve Libya's crisis.
• Report: U.S. Aid is Critical to the Mission in Libya AFPS 16 Jun 2011 -- American support is critical to the NATO-led mission in Libya and is having no significant operational impact on the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, Defense and State department officials said in a new report to Congress.
• 402nd AFSB fielding H-AAB equipment set in Iraq Army News 16 Jun 2011 -- The 402nd Army Field Support Brigade is often called upon to fulfill unique missions.
• Vanguards head home, begin transferring mission Army News 16 Jun 2011 -- Soldiers of the 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division are packing their bags and preparing to return to Fort Stewart, Ga., as they near the completion of their year-long tour to Iraq. The team of 3,000 Soldiers supported the Iraqi Security Forces and local Anbar government during the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom and into New Dawn.
• Iraq should keep regulating private military and security firms, say UN experts UN News Centre 16 Jun 2011 -- While the number of incidents involving private military and security companies in Iraq has decreased in recent years, the Government should continue to regulate and monitor their activities, a group of independent United Nations human rights experts said today.
• DOD News Briefing with Maj. Gen. Toolan via Teleconference from Afghanistan DoD 16 Jun 2011-- Presenter: Commander, Regional Command Southwest Maj. Gen. John Toolan Jr.
• Commander Outlines Situation in Southwest Afghanistan AFPS 16 Jun 2011 -- Key areas in Afghanistan's Helmand and Nimroz provinces are likely candidates for the second or third rounds of transition to Afghan security, the U.S. commander there said today.
• Ospreys continue success story in Afghanistan USMC News 16 Jun 2011 -- The Marine Corps' MV-22B Osprey is the world's first production military tiltrotor aircraft. Since the inception of its concept in the early 1980s, the Osprey has seen many trials and tribulations. Unsuccessful prototypes took Marine's lives, while negative press slammed the project for being too expensive.
• Afghan, Coalition Force Kills, Captures Insurgents AFPS 16 Jun 2011 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed two armed insurgents and detained several suspects during a nighttime security operation in the Mota Khan district of Afghanistan's Paktika province yesterday, military officials reported.
• Savannah Corps team members deploy for Alabama tornado recovery Army News 16 Jun 2011 -- While thousands of families struggle to rebuild after devastating tornados swept across the Southeast this spring, members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District continue to volunteer their time for recovery efforts in northern and central Alabama.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD News Briefing with Secretary Gates and Adm. Mullen from the Pentagon DoD 16 Jun 2011-- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen
• In Final Press Conference, Gates Cites Afghan Success, Sees Challenges For Al-Qaeda RFE/RL 16 Jun 2011 -- two goals he said the United States has 'largely done in Iraq.'
• Pentagon: US Will Capture and Kill New Al-Qaida Leader VOA 16 Jun 2011 -- Top Pentagon officials say the U.S. military will capture and kill al-Qaida's new leader and that he will meet the same fate as Osama bin Laden.
• Greenert Recommended for CNO NNS 16 Jun 2011 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced June 16, he has recommended Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, vice chief of naval operations, to succeed the retiring Adm. Gary Roughead as the next chief of naval operations.
• Baltic Operations 2011 Concludes Tactical Phase NNS 16 Jun 2011 -- The Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2011 tactical phase concluded as USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) prepared to pull into Kiel, Germany, after 12 days at sea, June 16.
• Navy Pilot Safe After T-45 Goshawk Crash in South Texas NNS 16 Jun 2011 -- A T-45 Goshawk from Training Air Wing Two at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville crashed at approximately 10 a.m., June 15, in a remote field near George West, Texas.
• USS Michigan Returns Home NNS 16 Jun 2011 -- Guided-missile submarine USS Michigan (SSGN 727) arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard June 14, to begin a major maintenance period after more than a year deployed overseas.
• USS Anzio Departs Georgia NNS 16 Jun 2011 -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio (CG 68) completed its third successful Black Sea port visit in Batumi, Georgia, June 9–12.
• Truxtun Sailors Experience History, Culture of Cyprus NNS 16 Jun 2011 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) departed Limassol, Cyprus, after a successful port visit, June 13.
• USS Gettysburg Departs Italy NNS 16 Jun 2011 -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) departed Naples, Italy, June 14 after a three-day port visit.
• Pacific Partnership Arrives in Timor-Leste NNS 16 Jun 2011 -- The Pacific Partnership 2011 team arrived in Dili, Timor-Leste, to begin the fourth phase of its humanitarian assistance/disaster response mission with representatives from Australia, Canada, France, Spain and the United States, June 16.
• Fort Belvoir Hospital Nears Completion NNS 16 Jun 2011 -- Fort Belvoir announced June 16, construction of the new hospital on board the base is nearly complete and still on time for facility's Aug. 10 opening date.
• NAVSUP Fleet Planners Meet, Discuss Ways to Strengthen Capabilities NNS 16 Jun 2011 -- Supply Corps Fleet planners and senior-level operational planning personnel within the Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Enterprise attended a fleet planner conference focused on logistics capabilities, June 7-9.
• Merchant Marine Reserve Program becomes Strategic Sealift Officer Program NNS 16 Jun 2011 -- The deputy chief of naval operations for Fleet Readiness and Logistics approved revisions to the latest CNO Instruction (OPNAVINST 1534.lD), transitioning the Merchant Marine Reserve (MMR) Program into the Strategic Sealift Officer Program (SSOP) June 10.
• Mitscher Concludes Exercise, Visit to Montenegro NNS 16 Jun 2011 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57) departed Bar, Montenegro, June 15, after completing a successful five-day port visit signifying the end of the Partnership of Adriatic Mariners (PAM).
• DoD News: Army Released May Suicide Data DoD 16 Jun 2011 -- The Army released suicide data today for the month of May. Among active-duty soldiers, there were 21 potential suicides: one has been confirmed as suicide, and 20 remain under investigation.
• ACU changes make Velcro optional - Fort Rucker phasing in Army News 16 Jun 2011 -- The voice of the Soldier has been heard: the Army announced the patrol cap will replace the black wool beret as the default headgear for the Army combat uniform.
• Nellis to receive Air Force's first MTC flight simulator AFNS 16 Jun 2011 -- Delivery is underway for a first-of-a-kind flight simulator here, with completion and operational turnover set for October.
• Gates Thanks Media for Critical Watchdog Role AFPS 16 Jun 2011 -- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today thanked reporters for their service as watchdogs for the American public and for bringing to light some problems that hadn't been raised by the Pentagon's vast bureaucracy.
• U.S., Pakistan Must Keep Communications Lines Open AFPS 16 Jun 2011 -- The U.S.-Pakistan relationship is complicated, but the two countries must keep the lines of communication open, said Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates during his last news conference today.
• US NATO Brigade presides over AFNORTH Battalion change of command on USAG Schinnen Netherlands Army News 16 Jun 2011 -- U.S. Army Col. BJ Constantine, U.S. NATO Brigade Commander, passes the AFNORTH Battalion Colors to Lt. Col. Donald Stoner, III, in a Change of Command Ceremony held on U.S. Army Garrison Schinnen, Netherlands, where Lt. Col. Marvin G. Vannatter, Jr., relinquished command June 16, 2011.
• Army Contracting Command transfers to Redstone Arsenal Army News 16 Jun 2011 -- The U.S. Army Contracting Command and its subordinate Expeditionary Contracting Command marked the official transfer of their headquarters to Redstone Arsenal with a command flag uncasing ceremony today.
• US Soldiers share tactical knowledge with Indonesian Armed Forces Army News 16 Jun 2011 -- Improvised explosive devices are one of the most dangerous weapons Soldiers encounter during missions around the globe. Seasoned U.S. Soldiers are teaching Indonesian Soldiers to face that danger on their own terms, June 13.
• Army unburdens Soldiers through battery innovations Army News 16 Jun 2011 -- In a typical 72-hour mission in Afghanistan, a U.S. Soldier carries 70 individual batteries. Army scientists are researching ways to unburden the Warfighter by lightening the load.
• Downrange deja vu is I Corps exercise goal Army News 16 Jun 2011 -- With a deployment on the horizon, America's Corps is ramping up as it prepares for its departure to Afghanistan.
• Lynn Outlines New Cybersecurity Effort AFPS 16 Jun 2011 -- Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III outlined a pilot program here today in which the government helps the defense industry in safeguarding the information their computer systems hold.
• Deputy Secretary Lynn Details Anti-Cyber Threat Strategy AFPS 16 Jun 2011 -- The world is at a crossroads in the development of threats in the cyber realm, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said here today.
• Remarks by Deputy Secretary Lynn at the International Workshop on Global Security, Paris, France DoD 16 Jun 2011 -- Presenter: Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III
• Controllers step it up a notch during Northern Edge AFNS 16 Jun 2011 -- Every two years, the U.S. Pacific Command exercise Northern Edge brings nearly 150 aircraft together to hone pilots' aerial combat skills in Alaska.
• Dragons join 31st MEU USMC News 16 Jun 2011 -- Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (Reinforced), known as the 'Dragons,' attached to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit June 13, as the MEU's incoming air combat element.
• Pakistan Military Chief Under Pressure Following US Raid VOA 16 Jun 2011 -- A report in Thursday's edition of The New York Times says that the head of Pakistan's military, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, is fighting to save his position as his officer corps reacts with fury to last month's U.S. commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden in the Pakistan's garrison city of Abbottabad.
• Taiwan Develops Advanced Missiles VOA 16 Jun 2011 -- This year Taiwan started to deploy supersonic anti-ship missiles in response to China's growing naval arsenal. Those third generation Hsiung Feng missiles that are now positioned on some 20 ships point to a strengthening in Taiwan's normally low-key domestic missile production. But its military might is growing at a time when relations with Beijing are better than ever.
• U.S. arms sale to Taiwan must be maintained: former premier CNA 16 Jun 2011 -- Defining Taiwan-China relations as 'domestic relations with international factors,' former Premier Hau Pei-tsun said Thursday U.S. arms sales to Taiwan were 'important international politics' that contributed to maintaining the status quo.
• June 16, 2011 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 16 Jun 2011
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 6/16/2011 The White House 16 Jun 2011

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 16, 2011
• U.S. Navy Conducts Integration Flight Tests of ATK's Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) on EA-18G Growler and FA-18E/F Super Hornet ATK 16 Jun 2011 -- ATK's (NYSE: ATK) Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) recently completed an initial flight integration test on the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft in May and has completed multiple flight hours of integration testing on FA-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft.
• U.S. Air Force Receives 300 Sectéra® Edge™ Smartphones by General Dynamics for Senior Leadership Communications General Dynamics 16 Jun 2011 -- General Dynamics C4 Systems is delivering 300 rugged Sectéra® Edge™ Smartphones to the U.S. Air Force.
• Thales sees its support contract extended for Tiger Aircrew Training Thales 16 Jun 2011 -- Thales today announced that its support contract for the Tiger Aircrew Training Means (TATM) has been extended by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR (1), representing Germany and France.
• Australia Selects U.S. Navy's MH-60R SEAHAWK® Helicopter for Air 9000 Phase 8 Program Lockheed Martin 16 Jun 2011 -- The U.S. Navy today announced the Commonwealth of Australia has selected the MH-60R SEAHAWK® helicopter to fulfill the Australian Defence Force's AIR 9000 Phase 8 requirement for a fleet of 24 new-generation, multi-role naval combat aircraft. The Commonwealth will acquire the helicopters with associated training and logistical support via the U.S. Government's Foreign Military Sales program.
• L-3 Achieves U.K. Integrated Broadcast Service Program Milestone for On-Budget Performance, Ahead of Schedule L-3 Communications 16 Jun 2011 -- L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) announced today that it has achieved a significant performance milestone in support of a high-priority United Kingdom intelligence project.
• Raytheon Receives $51.6 Million U.S. Navy Contract to Support Satellite Communication System Raytheon 16 Jun 2011 -- The U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a $51.6 million contract to provide logistics support for the communication terminals of the Navy's Extremely High Frequency Satellite Program (NESP).

Other Conflicts

• 16 June 2011 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 16 Jun 2011
• Press Conference by Director of Police Division, Department of Peacekeeping Operations United Nations 16 Jun 2011
• Russian presidential envoy meets with Libyan premier, foreign minister RIA Novosti 16 Jun 2011 -- Mikhail Margelov, the Russian presidential envoy to Africa, is holding talks on Thursday with top representatives of Col. Muammar Gaddafi's inner circle in the country's capital of Tripoli.
• Libya ready to hold elections, adopt new constitution - Gaddafi's son RIA Novosti 16 Jun 2011 -- Libyan authorities are ready to hold free elections within three months and draft a new constitution as a compromise with the insurgents who are demanding Muammar Gaddafi's resignation, Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, said on Thursday.
• Russian envoy to meet Gaddafi 'next time' RIA Novosti 16 Jun 2011 -- Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has promised to meet with the Russian president's point man on Africa, Mikhail Margelov said on Thursday.
• China Patrol Ship Heads to Tense South China Sea VOA 16 Jun 2011 -- One of China's largest civilian patrol ships is crossing through the South China Sea, where tensions are heightened because of territorial disputes over islands believed to sit on top of huge oil and gas deposits.
• UN food aid agency helps thousands of Sudanese fleeing fighting UN News Centre 16 Jun 2011 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today said it is assisting thousands of people fleeing from fighting Sudan's Southern Kordofan state, but the conflict continues to hinder the agency's efforts to reach more people uprooted by the violence.
• Sudan Blames Bombardment on Southern Aggression VOA 16 Jun 2011 -- As violence continues along Sudan's disputed north-south border, the government of Sudan has rejected U.S. President Barack Obama's demand for peace.
• SOMALIA: The hidden cost of piracy IRIN 16 Jun 2011 -- The growth of piracy off the coast of Somalia from an occasional nuisance to shipping into a multi-million-dollar criminal enterprise has another, often deliberately overlooked cost: the worsening violence meted out to thousands of captured crew members.
• PAKISTAN: Fears over security in North Waziristan IRIN 16 Jun 2011
• Commentary: Mladic's Long Shadow RFE/RL 16 Jun 2011

News Reports

• Al-Zawahri Named Al-Qaeda Leader RFE/RL 16 Jun 2011 -- Al-Qaeda has reportedly appointed Ayman al-Zawahri as its leader following last month's killing of long-time chief Osama bin Laden.
• Al-Qaida Appoints Egyptian Zawahri as New Leader VOA 16 Jun 2011 -- A Jihadist website has announced that Ayman al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden's deputy, is the new leader of al-Qaida, as had been expected since the killing of bin Laden in May.
• Syrian Forces Expand Assault in Northwest Region VOA 16 Jun 2011 -- Syrian rights activists say the country's security forces are expanding their assault in the northwest region that for days has been under a military crackdown.
• Islamist Group Claims Responsibility for Nigeria Bombing VOA 16 Jun 2011 -- Militant Islamist group Boko Haram is claiming responsibility for a suicide bombing outside a police headquarters in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, Thursday. At least two people were killed and several others wounded in the blast.
• UN Considers Splitting Al-Qaeda-Taliban Blacklist RFE/RL 16 Jun 2011 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has placed enormous importance on his reconciliation and reintegration plan, aimed at drawing moderate Taliban members away from the battlefield and back into society.
• Indonesian Cleric Sentenced to 15 Years in Terror Trial VOA 16 Jun 2011 -- Radical Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir was sentenced to 15 years in jail on Thursday for terrorism, marking the latest development in the country's fight against Islamic radicalism.
• India, Canada to complete ratification of nuclear-deal soon IRNA 16 Jun 2011 -- India and Canada are close to completing the ratification process of their civil nuclear agreement, paving the way for transfer of technology, sale of atomic reactors as well as uranium.
• 7 million doses of H1N1 vaccine to be destroyed in India IRNA 16 Jun 2011 -- It was a race for preparing the country's first ever vaccine against the H1N1 virus or swine flu. In Pune, Serum Institute of India took up the challenge and launched the indigenously developed vaccine, Nasovac, in July last year. But now that the pandemic has retreated, the institute will have to discard at least 7 million unused doses.
• Without Constitution, cross-strait ties will go nowhere: President CNA 16 Jun 2011 -- President Ma Ying-jeou said Thursday that the Republic of China Constitution is very important and remains the basis upon which the government deals with relations across the Taiwan Strait.