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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 02 Aug 2011 [PDF]
• NATO and Libya - Operational Media Update: 01 Aug 2011
• NATO to continue Libya attacks during Ramadan: official IRNA 02 Aug 2011 -- NATO vowed to continue its air assault on Libya over the holy Muslim month of Ramadan unless Libyan dictator Mommar Qadhafi agreed to a 'verifiable and credible' ceasefire, a spokesman for the western military alliance said Tuesday.
• Longknifes transition Falcon to Iraqi control Army News 02 Aug 2011 -- Forward Operating Base Falcon, under the control of U.S. forces since 2003, has been transitioned to the Iraqis in preparation for the December 2011 drawdown of forces in Iraq.
• Mullen Blasts Iran for Interference in Iraq AFPS 02 Aug 2011 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today took Iran to task for interfering in Iraq to pursue 'maleficent goals.'
• Combined Force Detains Insurgents, Seizes Weapons AFPS 02 Aug 2011 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained multiple suspected insurgents while searching for Haqqani terrorist network leader in the Mata Khan district of Afghanistan's Paktika province yesterday, military officials reported.
• Air Force doctor brings unique skillset to Afghanistan AFNS 02 Aug 2011 -- Many wounded Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines in Afghanistan have suffered injuries that have changed their lives forever, but one doctor at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital has made it his mission to support those who need it most.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Obama Nominates Carter as Next Deputy Secretary AFPS 02 Aug 2011 -- President Barack Obama today nominated the Pentagon's head of acquisitions, technology and logistics to become the next deputy secretary of defense.
• Statement by Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta on Ashton B. Carter DoD 02 Aug 2011
• Statement by Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta on Senate Confirmations DoD 02 Aug 2011
• MEU Marines sight in on 'brilliance in the basics' USMC News 02 Aug 2011 -- The old adage, 'every Marine is a rifleman,' is taken seriously by the Marine Corps, reminding its Marines that regardless of their military occupational specialty, they all are riflemen first.
• U.S. Marines and Aussie soldiers partner at Darwin training evolution USMC News 02 Aug 2011 -- Marines and Sailors of Company F., Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted a bilateral live-fire training event here with their Australian counterparts during the exercise Raider Dawn.
• Machine guns, Mustaches and Motivation USMC News 02 Aug 2011 -- There are nine machine gunners in a regular infantry platoon, each one capable of unleashing 850 rounds per minute with their standard M249 squad automatic weapon. All gunners in a regular infantry platoon combined, that's 7,650 rounds per minute rained upon the enemy. Multiply 7,650 rounds per minute seven times and you have the capability Machine Gun Platoon, Support Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Division based out of Chicopee, Mass.
• Essex ARG, 31st MEU Wrap Up Exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 NNS 02 Aug 2011 -- Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) back loaded their amphibious craft and gear to the forward-deployed amphibious dock-landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42), July 30 from Freshwater Beach, Australia, marking the end of exercise Talisman Sabre 2011.
• USS Samuel B. Roberts Makes APS Port Call In Tanzania NNS 02 Aug 2011 -- Guided-missile frigate, USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) arrived in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Aug. 1, to begin its engagement with Africa Partnership Station (APS) East's Tanzania hub.
• New Communications Initiative Leads the Way for Future War Fighting NNS 02 Aug 2011 -- American and Australian Armed Forces used a new program to enhance communications abilities while embarked onboard the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) for Exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 (TS-11) July 9 – 25.
• ONR Celebrates 65 Years of Pioneering Science and Technology NNS 02 Aug 2011 -- The Office of Naval Research celebrated its 65th anniversary at its headquarters Aug. 1, unveiling a design for an expansive mural showcasing the command's history of science and technology (S&T) milestones.
• Japanese Sailors Welcomed Aboard USS Nitze for PASSEX NNS 02 Aug 2011 -- The Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) conducted a Passing Exercise (PASSEX) with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) from July 29 to Aug. 2, which tested communication capabilities and offered a chance for a professional exchange in the Atlantic Ocean.
• Ecuadorian Navy Officers Visit USS Thach During Southern Seas 2011 NNS 02 Aug 2011 -- Guided-missile frigate USS Thach (FFG 43) hosted Ecuadorian navy officers for a tour while pierside in Manta, Ecuador, Aug. 1 as part of Southern Seas 2011.
• Makin Island's AIMD Passes First-Ever Aviation Maintenance Inspection NNS 02 Aug 2011 -- USS Makin Island's (LHD 8) Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) successfully passed its 'first-ever' Aviation Maintenance Inspection (AMI) July 28, receiving a score of 'on track' for 38 out of 39 program and getting the certification necessary to support embarked aircraft.
• USS Cleveland Set to Return from Pacific Partnership 2011 NNS 02 Aug 2011 -- USS Cleveland (LPD 7) is scheduled to return to its homeport of San Diego Aug. 4, completing a five-month deployment to the South Pacific as the lead vessel in Pacific Partnership 2011.
• NAVSUP FLC Jacksonville Supports USS Eisenhower in Mayport NNS 02 Aug 2011 -- NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center (NAVSUP FLC) Jacksonville Logistics Support Representative (LSR) team stood ready to fulfill USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) logistics requirements (LOGREG) when the ship arrived at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., July 24.
• McKinley: Guard accessible, fiscally sound operational force Army News 02 Aug 2011 -- Reserve Component senior leaders met on Capitol Hill, July 27, to discuss maintaining the Reserves as an operational force and measures to keep it funded in such a capacity.
• Under Secretary continues Central, South America tour Army News 02 Aug 2011 -- Under Secretary of the Army Joseph W. Westphal continued his visit to Central and South America today visiting the U.S. Embassy and key military leaders in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
• Under Secretary completes Central, South America tour Army News 02 Aug 2011 -- The Under Secretary of the Army completed his week-long visit to Central and South America July 30, after visits to key U.S. Department of State officials and partner nation military leaders in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia.
• Transatlantic Division reshapes as priorities shift in Middle East Army News 02 Aug 2011 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers realigned its overseas operations this summer to reflect the shifting workloads in Afghanistan, Iraq and throughout the Middle East and central Asia.
• Combined exercise tests interoperability between coalition partners AFNS 02 Aug 2011 -- Firefighters from the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing completed a training scenario with the French and host nation firefighters here July 25 to test their interoperability.
• Mullen Stresses Lessons of Jointness AFPS 02 Aug 2011 -- The men and women gathered in the apse of the Al-Faw Palace here spoke volumes of what the United States military has become.
• Mullen Speaks on Debt Deal, Progress in Iraq AFPS 02 Aug 2011 -- Because the growing national debt remains as the biggest threat to national security, the recent debate and resolution of the debt ceiling crisis are important steps, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.
• New crews qualify on Mobile Gun System Army News 02 Aug 2011 -- Since mid-July, Stryker crews assigned to 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment have been at Yakima Training Center conducting gunnery qualification on the Mobile Gun System.
• ACC Executive Industry Council stresses common goal: meeting warfighter requirements Army News 02 Aug 2011 -- Army Contracting Command's Executive Industry Council gathered here July 28 to discuss contracting innovations and best practices targeted at improving contracting business processes.
• Change of Command, reflagging completed for Army's only deployable Combat Training Center Army News 02 Aug 2011 -- Col. Mark E. McKnight relinquished command of the Mission Command Training Program July 22, at a ceremony held at the Lewis and Clark Center. Previously known as the Battle Command Training Program, MCTP is the U.S. Army's only deployable combat training center.
• Rapid Trident 2011: Breaking barriers, building bridges Army News 02 Aug 2011 -- Rapid Trident 2011, underway at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center here, is in full swing and 13 nations have been training and conducting airborne operations together since the exercise started July 25.
• Army North preps for 'complex catastrophes' stateside Army News 02 Aug 2011 -- Were an earthquake to occur along the 150-mile-long New Madrid Fault system -- which has in the past produced quakes in Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana -- Army North is ready to assist.
• Turkey Says Farewell To The Generals RFE/RL 02 Aug 2011 -- There was a time when to be a senior commander in Turkey's military was to be above all else in a state forged and shaped, after all, by a soldier, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
• Russian army to receive 120 Iskander tactical missile systems RIA Novosti 02 Aug 2011 -- The Russian Defense Ministry is planning to buy up to 120 Iskander-M tactical missile systems, Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Dmitry Bulgakov said.
• 181 U.S. congressmen urge prompt sale of F-16 C/Ds to Taiwan CNA 02 Aug 2011 -- One hundred and eighty-one United States' congressmen have urged the U.S. to sell F-16 C/D jet fighters to Taiwan as soon as possible to help ensure peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
• Indian Air Force fighter crashes, pilot dies IRNA 02 Aug 2011 -- A MiG-21 fighter aircraft of Indian Air Froce (IAF) crashed on Tuesday soon after taking off from Naal airfield in Rajasthan's Bikaner district killing the pilot.
• Iran Navy saves local container vessel in high seas ISNA 02 Aug 2011 -- Iranian Navy saved a domestic container vessel dubbed 'Hadith' and attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
• Flotilla of Exercise Warships of Navy of CPLA to Visit DPRK KCNA 02 Aug 2011 -- A flotilla of exercise warships of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (CPLA) headed by Vice Admiral Tian Zhong, commander of the North Sea Fleet of the Navy of the CPLA, will pay a goodwill visit to the DPRK from Aug. 4 to 8 on the 50th anniversary of the conclusion of the DPRK-China treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 8/2/2011 The White House 02 Aug 2011
• August 2, 2011 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 02 Aug 2011

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 02, 2011
• BAE Systems Receives $108.4 Million for Recovery Vehicles BAE Systems 02 Aug 2011 -- BAE Systems was recently awarded a contract modification for $108.4 million to provide 45 M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Evacuation System (HERCULES) vehicles and associated parts to the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.
• General Dynamics to Supply 33 Light Armored Vehicles to the U.S. Marine Corps General Dynamics 02 Aug 2011 -- General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada has been awarded a $42 million contract to produce 33 Light Armored Vehicles (LAV-A2) in various configurations for the United States Marine Corps. General Dynamics Land Systems, the Canadian company's parent corporation, is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).
• SAIC Awarded Contract by U.S. Army Materiel Command SAIC 02 Aug 2011 -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI) announced today it was awarded a follow-on contract by the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) to provide ammunition operations and maintenance services to the Department of Defense (DoD). The single award blanket purchase agreement (BPA) has a one-year base period of performance, four one-year options and a contract ceiling of $21 million if all options are exercised. Work will be performed primarily in Chambersburg, Pa., Alexandria, Va., and Huntsville, Ala.

Other Conflicts

• 2 August 2011 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 02 Aug 2011
• Press Conference by Security Council President on August Work Programme United Nations 02 Aug 2011
• Iran urges Western governments to halt bloodshed in Libya IRNA 02 Aug 2011 -- Iran on Tuesday called on Western governments to stop bloodshed in Libya caused by indiscriminate bombardment of residential areas.
• Horn of Africa: UNICEF urges airlines to cut costs of delivering aid UN News Centre 02 Aug 2011 -- As aid agencies continue to scale up their response to the dire humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is appealing to the air transport sector to provide free and discounted cargo space to bring emergency food supplies into the region.
• UN envoy welcomes step on sanctions against violators of children in Somalia UN News Centre 02 Aug 2011 -- The United Nations envoy advocating for the rights of children during armed conflicts today welcomed the Security Council's decision to agree to apply sanctions against any individuals or entities that violate children's rights.
• UN: Militants Forcing Somali Migration Along With Famine VOA 02 Aug 2011 -- Drought and famine are forcing tens of thousands of Somalis to abandon their homes and seek assistance in the capital, Mogadishu, or neighboring countries. The U.N. World Food Program and other agencies say, however, the ongoing conflict in Somalia and actions by the militant group al-Shabab also are to blame for the growing migration.
• US Easing Sanctions on Al-Shabab to Help Famine Aid VOA 02 Aug 2011 -- The United States says aid workers will not be prosecuted if they deliver food to parts of Somalia controlled by militant group al-Shabab.
• DRC: Controversy over 'conflict minerals' law IRIN 02 Aug 2011 -- Major industries are seeking to alter the proposed US reporting rules on 'conflict minerals' mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
• Germany to send hundreds of additional troops to Kosovo IRNA 02 Aug 2011 -- Germany is to send hundreds of additional soldiers to Kosovo after a week of violence near the border with Serbia left one Kosovo police officer dead and brought peacekeepers under fire, the website of the German army announced Tuesday.
• US Assistance Aims at Preventing Cross Border Conflict in Mekong Region VOA 02 Aug 2011 -- Although the dispute about conflicting claims in the South China Sea took center stage at the recent ASEAN security forum, U.S. officials also focused on addressing another potential conflict relating to Asia's growing energy needs. The Mekong River and its tributaries sustain tens of millions of people in Southeast Asia, but the river is also the site of several controversial new hydropower projects.

News Reports

• Iran warns West not to enter into new issues in Syria ISNA 02 Aug 2011 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Tuesday western countries should not enter into new issues in Syria.
• Syria Bloodshed Continues; Int'l Community Mulls Steps Amid Advance On Hama RFE/RL 02 Aug 2011 -- Syrian government troops have reportedly advanced on the central city of Hama to quell antiregime protests, even as the international community took diplomatic steps to prevent the bloodshed from escalating.
• Alarmed at Syrian bloodshed, UN rights chief demands authorities end brutality UN News Centre 02 Aug 2011 -- The United Nations human rights chief today voiced alarm at reports that at least 145 people have been killed in demonstrations in Syria during the past four days and called for an end to the bloodshed, warning the country's authorities that the world is bearing witness to the brutality against civilians.
• UN Debates Resolution Condemning Syria As Unrest Continues VOA 02 Aug 2011 -- New diplomatic efforts to pressure Syria to end its crackdown on dissent got underway at the United Nations Tuesday as government forces stepped up attacks on the flashpoint city of Hama.
• S. Korea Investigates Alleged North Korean Spy Ring VOA 02 Aug 2011 -- An alleged North Korean spying ring in South Korea is under investigation by prosecutors. It is the first such major espionage case in more than a decade and is sending shock waves through Seoul's political establishment. Police have arrested five people and are questioning others, including opposition party and labor union officials.
• Mubarak Trial to Begin Wednesday in Egypt VOA 02 Aug 2011 -- Egyptian officials are making last-minute preparations for the televised trial of ex- President Hosni Mubarak, his two sons and several other former top officials. The possibility of the ex-leader facing justice is something many thought would never happen, and a few believe may still not.
• Liberian Opposition Party Challenges Electoral Commission's Neutrality VOA 02 Aug 2011 -- In Liberia, the main opposition Congress for Democratic Change party is boycotting this month's constitutional referendum, in part, because it questions the neutrality of Electoral Commission chairman James Fromayan, a long-time supporter of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
• Four contract workers exposed to radiation at India's nuke plant IRNA 02 Aug 2011 -- Four contract workers were exposed to radiation at a nuclear power unit at Kakrapara in Gujarat state, with the plant operator maintaining that the exposure was lower than that which can cause adverse health effects.