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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 13 Oct 2011 [PDF]
• NATO and Libya - Operational Media Update: 12 Oct 2011
• Centcom Releases Report on Chinook Tragedy AFPS 13 Oct 2011 -- An insurgent-fired rocket-propelled grenade was the primary cause of an Aug. 6 CH-47 helicopter crash in Afghanistan that killed 38 U.S. and Afghan forces, a U.S. Central Command investigation confirmed.
• Afghan, Coalition Forces Detain Insurgents AFPS 13 Oct 2011 -- A combined Afghan and International Security Assistance Force team detained multiple suspected insurgents during an operation in search of a Taliban leader in southern Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported.
• U.N. Extends NATO Mandate in Afghanistan AFPS 13 Oct 2011 -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously yesterday to extend authorization of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan for another year while continuing to transfer key responsibilities to the Afghan government by the end of 2014.
• A different fight in Helmand at Fiddlers Green USMC News 13 Oct 2011 -- The Marines of Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, are always on call. At any moment coalition units in the area could call for fire support, and the artillerymen must be ready day and night.
• Afghan Anticorruption Official Suspects Ministers Of Graft RFE/RL 13 Oct 2011 -- A senior Afghan official says he believes some cabinet ministers are involved in corruption because of their failure to work with his graft-monitoring agency, RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan reports.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Panetta: Doubling Cuts Would Force Irresponsible Budgeting AFPS 13 Oct 2011 -- The nation's forces are near the goal of defeating al-Qaida, and must now prepare to counter new and emerging threats with steeply reduced funds, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told Congress here today.
• Dempsey: Partnerships, Innovation Crucial for Future Force AFPS 13 Oct 2011 -- Military operations since 9/11 teach that capabilities are spreading, international relationships matter, and innovation is essential to the joint force, the nation's senior military officer told Congress today.
• Secretary, Chairman Offer Glimpse into Budget Strategy AFPS 13 Oct 2011 -- Troop locations, benefits, future equipment and the role of reserve component forces are under scrutiny as military services prepare to trim spending and reshape for future missions, the Defense Department's senior leaders told Congress members here today.
• Makin Island ARG Completes CERTEX NNS 13 Oct 2011 -- Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) returned to homeport Oct. 13 after completing a 12-day certification exercise (CERTEX) with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) off the coast of Southern California.
• ONR Funds Scientists in International Climate Research and Mapping Project NNS 13 Oct 2011 -- An international team of researchers co-sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is studying Indian Ocean meteorological and oceanographic processes for clues to predicting worldwide weather patterns, ONR announced Oct. 13.
• Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Wraps up COMPTUEX in Preparation for Deployment NNS 13 Oct 2011 -- Sailors assigned to Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group wrapped up a composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX), Oct. 12, off the coast of Southern California.
• PCU Mississippi Takes Major Steps Toward Completion NNS 13 Oct 2011 -- Marking Navy's 236th birthday, Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Mississippi (SSN 782) achieved another milestone as the Virginia-class submarine floated for the first time in its dock at General Dynamics Electric Boat Oct. 13.
• NAVFAC Southwest Awards $30 Million Task Order for New Electrical Distribution NNS 13 Oct 2011 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest awarded a $30 million task order Sept. 28 to RQ-Berg JV of Carlsbad, Calif. for the design and construction of electrical upgrade at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
• Navy Dive and Salvage Unit Returns from Recovery Mission NNS 13 Oct 2011 -- Sailors from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2 assisted Chilean officials Sept. 28 to locate a Chilean military plane that disappeared off the coast of Chile Sept. 3.
• Navy Installs Large-Scale Solar Project on Oahu Base Facilities NNS 13 Oct 2011 -- Several facilities across Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) received solar hot water systems between mid-May and early October, with the last two receiving final inspection Oct. 3, as part of a large energy project that will eventually save the Navy approximately $200,000 annually.
• Columbia Visits Malaysia during Western Pacific Deployment NNS 13 Oct 2011 -- Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Columbia (SSN 771) arrived at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Oct. 13 for a visit as part of its deployment to the Western Pacific.
• George Washington Carrier Strike Group Returns to Singapore NNS 13 Oct 2011 -- The George Washington Carrier Strike Group, centered around nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, arrived in Singapore for a port visit, Oct. 13.
• USS Fitzgerald, USS McCampbell Participate in Pacific Eagle 2011 NNS 13 Oct 2011 -- Guided-missile destroyers USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) and USS McCampbell (DDG 85) will join Russian Federation Navy (RFN) forces to conduct Exercise Pacific Eagle 2011 (PE-11) Oct. 13-15.
• NAVFAC Southwest Awards $68.8 Million Contract NNS 13 Oct 2011 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest awarded a $68.6 million contract Sept. 29 to Harper Construction Co. of San Diego to build bachelor enlisted quarters (BEQs) at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
• Army overhauling personnel management Army News 13 Oct 2011 -- The all-volunteer force can expect several changes in terms of promotion, evaluation and professional development as the Army looks at new strategies for overhauling its personnel management system.
• Ground broken for $6.8 million barracks project at Fort McCoy Army News 13 Oct 2011 -- Fort McCoy installation leadership and civilian contractors donned hard hats and used golden shovels Sept. 28 to break ground for the construction of the Annual Training/Mobilization (AT/MOB) barracks.
• Sikorsky Partnership Helps CCAD Reach 48th Black Hawk Army News 13 Oct 2011 -- Black Hawk production reached unprecedented levels this year at the Corpus Christi Army Depot due to an integral partnership with Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation.
• DOD Announces New Reserve Forces Policy Board Members DoD 13 Oct 2011 -- Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta today announced the following new members to the Reserve Forces Policy Board (RFPB)
• Southcom, Partners Fight Transnational Crime AFPS 13 Oct 2011 -- The military's work with partners in South and Central America and the Caribbean have brought a range of gains in the area from close military cooperation to supporting the region's fight against organized crime, the commander of U.S. Southern Command said here yesterday.
• Construction begins on Navy's fifth Astute Class submarine UK MOD 13 Oct 2011 -- The main construction phase of the Royal Navy's fifth Astute Class submarine, Anson, officially began today with a traditional keel-laying ceremony attended by Minister for International Security Strategy Gerald Howarth.
• Russian-U.S. naval anti-terror exercises begin in Pacific RIA Novosti 13 Oct 2011 -- The Russian and the United States navies began joint anti-terrorism exercises near the Mariana Islands on Thursday, a Russian Pacific Fleet spokesman said.
• October 13, 2011 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 13 Oct 2011

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for October 13, 2011
• Anson Makes an Astute Move BAE Systems 13 Oct 2011 -- The keel laying ceremony for the fifth hunter-killer Astute class submarine ‘Anson’ was laid today at BAE Systems in Barrow-In-Furness, by the Minister for International Security Strategy, Gerald Howarth MP.
• Northrop Grumman Wins Contract for Rapid DNA Biometrics Northrop Grumman 13 Oct 2011 -- Northrop Grumman Corporationand teammate IntegenX Inc. announced today that they have won an award on the Biometrics Operations and Support Services - Unrestricted (BOSS-U) contract vehicle to supply IntegenX's RapidHIT™ 200 Human DNA Identification System to the U.S. Army Biometrics Identity Management Agency.
• Sagem: infrared version of AASM Hammer SBU-54 guided air-to-ground modular weapon enters service with French armed forces Sagem (Safran group) 13 Oct 2011 -- In July, the French air force and Naval aviation began operational deployment of the infrared terminal guidance version (SBU-54) of the Hammer IR AASM modular air-to-ground weapon.

Other Conflicts

• 13 October 2011 - Daily Press Briefing by the Offices of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General and the Spokesperson for the General Assembly President United Nations 13 Oct 2011
• 13 October 2011 Press Conference by New Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations United Nations 13 Oct 2011
• Blue helmets deserve best security possible, says new UN peacekeeping chief UN News Centre 13 Oct 2011 -- The new United Nations peacekeeping chief today stressed the need to ensure the safety of the more than 120,000 personnel serving in missions worldwide and to equip them to carry out their vital and often dangerous tasks.
• Libya's NTC Offensive Continues in Gadhafi Stronghold VOA 13 Oct 2011 -- Libyan provisional government fighters say efforts to oust remaining loyalists of former leader Moammar Gadhafi in his hometown of Sirte are focused on two neighborhoods, amid conflicting reports that one of Gadhafi's sons has been arrested.
• Libya's Gadhafi Loyalists Fight to Hold Sirte VOA 13 Oct 2011 -- Well-armed loyalists of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi have slowed an advance by provisional government fighters who have been trying to gain control of the coastal town of Sirte.
• HEALTH: Rape as a 'weapon of war' against men IRIN 13 Oct 2011 -- Sexual violence against men, including rape, is under-reported, poorly addressed and has a severe impact on both men and their families, according to a presentation at the annual Sexual Violence and Research Initiative (SVRI), held in Cape Town, South Africa.
• COTE D'IVOIRE: Wounds raw in west IRIN 13 Oct 2011 -- Ivoirian government officials recently visiting displaced families in the west were met with hostile youth and wailing women - a reminder six months after election violence ended that wounds are still raw and reconciliation distant.

News Reports

• Alleged Iranian Plot Raises Questions About Possible Motive VOA 13 Oct 2011 -- The U.S. government's allegation that Iranian agents tried to hire Mexican drug runners to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador in a Washington restaurant has some Middle East experts puzzled over why Iran would carry out such an attack.
• Obama: Iran Must be Held Accountable VOA 13 Oct 2011 -- President Barack Obama says Iran's government must be held accountable for what he calls 'dangerous and reckless behavior' in what the U.S. has alleged was a plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States. President Obama spoke during a joint news conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.
• U.S., Saudi Arabia Vow 'Strong International Response' To Alleged Iran-Backed Plot RFE/RL 13 Oct 2011 -- Saudi Arabia says it is considering 'decisive steps' over an alleged Iranian-backed plot to assassinate its ambassador in Washington..
• Deputy FM: US anti-Iran scenario ambiguous IRNA 13 Oct 2011 -- There are key questions and ambiguities about latest US anti-Iran scenario, Deputy Foreign Minister for Euro-American Affairs Ali Ahani said Wednesday evening.
• IRGC commander terms US recent anti-Iran plot as baseless IRNA 13 Oct 2011 -- Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General Hossein Salami said Wednesday that US latest accusation against Iran was 'hilarious and baseless.'
• Larijani: Americans blame others to justify own failures IRNA 13 Oct 2011 -- Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said on Thursday that the Americans try to put blames on others to justify their own failures in the Middle East region and they even never hesitate to mastermind seditions to attain their sinister goals.
• Iran's Quds force behind Saudi diplomat murder plot - White House RIA Novosti 13 Oct 2011 -- White House Spokesman Jay Carney said Iran's Quds Force was behind the alleged Iranian-backed plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to Washington.
• US Eyeing New Sanctions Against Iran VOA 13 Oct 2011 -- The United States is promising to increase pressure on Iran following an alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington.
• Activists: Clashes in Syria Kill at Least 13 VOA 13 Oct 2011 -- Syrian rights activists say clashes between government security forces and armed men believed to be army defectors have killed at least 13 people across Syria.
• PAKISTAN: Flood impact to worsen unless aid increases IRIN 13 Oct 2011 -- Pakistan's monsoon floods have devastated millions of lives, but one month on, the international response remains sluggish, raising fears of a worsening humanitarian situation.
• Osama panel questions military intelligence chief IRNA 13 Oct 2011 -- A Pakistani panel, investigating US raid to kill Osama bin Laden in northwestern city of Abbotabad on May 2, on Wednesday questioned country's military intelligence chief who gave his perspective of the US operation, the commission said.
• Ex-president sentenced to 18 years for bribery CNA 13 Oct 2011 -- Former President Chen Shui-bien was sentenced to 18 years in prison by the High Court Thursday for his part in bribery over a series of bank mergers.
• Ex-president's acquittal overturned, nine found guilty CNA 13 Oct 2011 -- The High Court overturned Thursday last year's acquittals of former President Chen Shui-bien, his wife Wu Shu-jen and seven other people over a string of bribery and money laundering charges.
• Former first couple to appeal guilty verdicts: lawyer CNA 13 Oct 2011 -- Former President Chen Shui-bian and his wife Wu Shu-jen, who were handed prison terms Thursday of 18 years and 11 years, respectively, for bribe-taking over a series of financial company mergers, will appeal the guilty verdicts, the ex-first couple's lawyers said later that day.
• After latest release, UN expert urges Myanmar to free all political prisoners UN News Centre 13 Oct 2011 -- An independent United Nations human rights expert today welcomed the decision by Myanmar's President to grant amnesty and release a significant number of detainees and urged the Government to free the remaining political prisoners.
• Ukraine Opens New Case Against Tymoshenko RFE/RL 13 Oct 2011 -- Ukraine says it has opened a new criminal case against jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko for suspected embezzlement when she was heading a utility firm in the 1990s.
• Tymoshenko accused in new $405 million embezzlement case RIA Novosti 13 Oct 2011 -- The Ukrainian security service (SBU) launched a new criminal case against Ukraine's former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko on Thursday, accusing her of attempting to embezzle $405 million during the 1990s, an SBU official said.
• U.S. court starts interviewing witnesses in Bout case RIA Novosti 13 Oct 2011 -- Witnesses began to testify during the second day of suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout's trial.
• NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Marks Program Milestone With Completion of Giant Flight Sunshield Alignment Table Northrop Grumman 13 Oct 2011 -- The 2,000-pound platform that engineers will use to precisely align the Webb telescope's enormous five-layer sunshield is completed, with work slated to begin on flight-like template membranes early next year. Northrop Grumman Corporationis leading the design and development effort for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.