Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• British and Afghan forces target insurgency in Nahr-e Saraj UK MOD 20 Feb 2012 -- Soldiers from 5th Battalion The Rifles have joined Afghan security forces in an operation to clear a key insurgent 'safe haven' in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
• Obama, Karzai Discuss Afghan Reconciliation RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- The White House says U.S. President Barack Obama has spoken with his Afghan counterpart to discuss regional support for moves toward Afghan reconciliation.
• US Senators Hold Talks with Afghan President Karzai VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- U.S. Senator John McCain said he hopes a strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan can be finalized before a NATO meeting in May.
• Karzai: No Agreement with U.S. Until Night Raids End RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- Night raids conducted by U.S. troops in Afghanistan remain a major stumbling block to a U.S.-Afghan agreement on long-term strategic cooperation.
• Atambaev Says No Foreign Troops At Manas After 2014 RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambaev has announced at a meeting with visiting U.S. State Department officials that that "no foreign troops" should remain at Kyrgyzstan's Manas airport after 2014.
• Kyrgyzstan Wants U.S. out of Manas in 2014 RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- The Kyrgyz president reiterated on Monday that the United States must withdraw all its troops from the Manas airbase in Kyrgyzstan when the current lease agreement expires in the summer of 2014.
• Albanian Soldier Dies in Attack in Southern Afghanistan VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- Albanian soldiers belonging to the NATO mission in Afghanistan came under attack, leaving at least one of them dead.
• Two Albanian Soldiers Killed In Afghan Attack RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Gunmen in Afghan police uniforms opened fire on NATO troops in southern Afghanistan on February 20, killing two Albanian soldiers.
• Leading Female Politician, Activist Eyes Afghan Presidency RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- A prominent female lawmaker has repeated her intention to run for Afghanistan's presidency when current President Hamid Karzai's term runs out in two years' time.
• DOD Identifies Air Force Casualties DoD 20 Feb 2012
• Plane Crash Kills Four US Military Personnel in Djibouti VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- A U.S. military plane has crashed in the East African nation of Djibouti, killing all four U.S. military personnel on board.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Hawaii Training Credited with Honing Strike Group Readiness NNS 20 Feb 2012 -- John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group's Air Wing Commander credited the Pacific Missile Range Facility with improving the group's readiness seven months earlier as it prepared to deploy.
• Rodong Sinmun on Japan Military Policy KCNA 20 Feb 2012 -- The Japanese defense minister was reported recently to have begged his U.S. counterpart to render cooperation in Japan's efforts to deploy ultramodern stealth fighter F-35 in Japan as planned.
• Rodong Sinmun on Projected U.S.-S. Korea Military Exercises KCNA 20 Feb 2012 -- The U.S. and the south Korean forces are going to stage again joint military exercises Key Resolve and Foal Eagle.
• Bulava Missile More Dangerous to Russia than to Enemy - Experts RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- Russian experts questioned how wise it is to adopt the troubled Bulava intercontinental missile for service.
• Putin Pledges 400 ICBMs for Russia in Ten Years RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- Russia’s armed forces will receive over 400 modern intercontinental ballistic missiles, more than 100 military spacecraft and over 2,300 new tanks within the next ten years.
• Foreign Military Hardware Should Give Russia Technology - PM RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- Purchases of military hardware abroad should not replace Russia’s own armament production, Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin wrote.
• Putin Warns Against Defense Contract Gouging RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- Any attempts to overprice arms and military equipment delivered under government defense contracts will be relentlessly suppressed, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said.
• Putin Speaks for Investment in Defense RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- Substantial investment in Russia’s defense sector, in particular, the armaments program, will be positive for the country’s economy, Prime Minister and presidential candidate Vladimir Putin said.
• Putin Proposes Vast Rearmament, Military Reform RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has outlined plans for military reform and rearmament that would see the Russian government spending 23 trillion rubles (some $770 billion) over a 10-year period.
• MOD launches facilities contracts for English regions UK MOD 20 Feb 2012 -- Defence Infrastructure Organisation has unveiled its plans for the future provision of facilities management across the English regions.
• Taiwan Navy does not confirm report on sources of submarines CNA 20 Feb 2012 -- U.S. submarines remain among the country's arms procurement priorities, Taiwan's Navy said.
• Eurocopter writes to Indian Army Chief over delays in chopper deal IRNA 20 Feb 2012 -- Expressing 'concern' over delays in finalising the deal for procuring 197 light helicopters for the defence forces.
• India to Buy 71 More Russian Helicopters RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- The Indian Air Force is planning to procure 71 more Mi-17 V5 helicopters, including 12 for the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• IRGC commander: Aggressors will be responsible for Hormuz Strait instability IRNA 20 Feb 2012 -- Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Ali Jafari said that aggressive countries will be responsible for probable instability of the Hormuz Strait, south of Iran.
• Iran Exercises Focus On Defending Nuclear Sites RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Iran says it has launched four days of military exercises aimed at boosting air defenses protecting nuclear sites.
• Iran starts major phase of military drill ISNA 20 Feb 2012 -- Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground Forces began the major phase of the drill .
• Iran Launches 4-Day Air Defense Drills RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- Iran launched on Monday four-day air defense drills to train protection of important national facilities, primarily nuclear facilities.
• Iran plans to build new military aircrafts ISNA 20 Feb 2012 -- Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the country aims to design and build new military aircrafts in the future.
• Defense minister: Iran to build new warplane IRNA 20 Feb 2012 -- Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said Iran has numerous programs underway to build warplanes and military aircraft.

Defense Industry

• ATK Selected to Develop Alternative Warhead for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System ATK 20 Feb 2012 -- ATK announced that it has been selected by the U.S. Army to develop an alternative warhead for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS).
• Boeing Receives Additional Ship's Signal Exploitation Equipment Increment F Order from US Navy Boeing 20 Feb 2012 -- The Boeing Company today announced that the U.S. Navy has exercised an additional contract option for production and delivery of Ship's Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE) Increment F systems.
• AxleTech International and Hendrickson Awarded Contract by Navistar Defense for 2,717 MaxxPro Suspension Systems General Dynamics 20 Feb 2012 -- Hendrickson, a Boler Company, and AxleTech International, a General Dynamics company, were recently awarded a contract from Navistar Defense, LLC, to equip 2,717 International® MaxxPro® Long Wheel Base (LWB) Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles with independent suspension systems.
• Edwards F-35A Conducts First External Weapons Test Mission Lockheed Martin 20 Feb 2012 -- On Feb. 16, the first external weapons test mission was flown by an F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., further expanding the program’s flight test envelope.

Other Conflicts

• Red Cross Negotiating Humanitarian Cease-Fire in Syria VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross says it is trying to broker a humanitarian cease-fire in Syria.
• Red Cross Negotiating Humanitarian Ceasefire In Syria RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- The Red Cross says it is negotiating with the Syrian authorities to try to bring a halt to violence in the country so that it can deliver vital aid.
• No One Wants Military Action in Syria – Arab League Envoy RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- The Arab League envoy to Russia has dismissed Moscow's fears of a foreign military intervention in Syria.
• Iranian Warships Dock At Syria Port RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Two Iranian navy ships have docked in the Syrian port of Tartous on a reported mission to provide training to Syrian naval forces.
• S. Korea Ignores Threat from Pyongyang to Retaliate for Drill VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- South Korea went ahead with an artillery drill near a disputed maritime border despite an unusually explicit threat by North Korea.
• South Korea Holds Live Fire Drill Despite North's Threats RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- South Korea has conducted live fire military exercises on five islands located close to the disputed border between South and North Korea.
• Iraq's Sunni Vice President Seeks Popular Support To Fight Charges RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Iraq's Sunni VP al-Hashimi, has called on "all honest people" to support him as he fights government charges.
• Kenya's Military Presses Advances Against Al-Shabab VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- VOA's Gabe Joselow reports from Liboi, Kenya, on the border with Somalia, where al-Shabab militants block roads, preventing food aid from being delivered.
• AMISON Official Welcomes Expected Troop Increase VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- A spokesman for the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia has welcomed the news that the U.N.Security Council will vote this week to increase the size of AMISON forces from 12,000 to nearly 18,000.
• Darfur Rebels Kidnap 50 UN Peacekeepers VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- A rebel group in Sudan's Darfur region says it has abducted about 50 international peacekeepers, mostly from Senegal.
• South Sudan: UN urges ethnic groups to show how to 'make your own peace' UN News Centre 20 Feb 2012 -- The top UN official in South Sudan has urged warring ethnic communities in the country to find peaceful solutions to their disputes.
• SOUTH SUDAN: Worsening food crisis IRIN 20 Feb 2012 -- An already dire food situation in South Sudan could deteriorate amid growing economic problems, food shortages and a mass influx of people fleeing Sudan in the next two months, agencies warn.
• Thai, Malaysian Leaders Hold Talks on Border Unrest VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- The prime ministers of Thailand and Malaysia are promising deeper cooperation in an ongoing push against a low-level rebellion in Muslim-majority border regions separating the two Southeast Asian nations.
• Uzbeks, Tajiks Resume Border Talks After Three-Year Pause RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- An Uzbek delegation has arrived in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, to discuss delimitation of the Tajik-Uzbek border.
• Serbia, Kosovo To Discuss Name Issue RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Serbian and Kosovar negotiators will meet in Brussels on February 21 in the latest round of EU-sponsored talks aimed at normalizing ties between the two states.

News Reports

• UN Inspectors Return to Iran for Nuclear Talks VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- Senior United Nations nuclear inspectors have arrived in Tehran for two days of talks on Iran's disputed nuclear program.
• Iran says IAEA experts not to visit nuclear facilities ISNA 20 Feb 2012 -- The IAEA experts would not visit Iranian nuclear installations, said Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Monday.
• IAEA Team in Tehran for More Talks RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- A high-level delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran on Monday for talks on further cooperation.
• Salehi: IAEA delegation’s new visit, result of past agreements IRNA 20 Feb 2012 -- Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said the current visit of the International Atomic Energy Agency delegation to Tehran comes as a result of past agreements.
• IAEA Inspectors Arrive In Iran RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Inspectors from the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency have arrived in Iran for two days of talks about that country's nuclear program, including signs of possible work on atomic weapons.
• Iran plans to change Tehran reactor's core ISNA 20 Feb 2012 -- The Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Fereydoun Abbasi said the core of Tehran reactor would be changed in coming months.
• Iran says producing indigenous fuel affects talks with P5+1 ISNA 20 Feb 2012 -- The Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Fereydoun Abbasi said generation of indigenous fuel would affect the results of negotiation with P5+1.
• Iran Enriches 100 Kg of Uranium to 20% RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- Between 90 and 100 kilograms of uranium have been enriched to 20 percent at a facility in the Iranian city of Natanz.
• Iran Threatens Oil Cuts to More EU Countries RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- Iran has threatened to stop exporting oil to more European countries: Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal and the Netherlands.
• Europe Oil Stocks Sufficient to Cover Iran Cutoff RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- The European Union has sufficient oil stocks to do without Iranian crude oil supplies for four and a half years, European Commission spokeswoman Marlene Holzner said.
• European companies must pay compesations for imposing oil sanctions IRNA 20 Feb 2012 -- The European companies must pay compensations for imposing oil sanctions on Iran in contravention of the oil contracts already signed with the country.
• In Cairo, UN Assembly chief holds talks on Egypt's democratic transition UN News Centre 20 Feb 2012 -- The President of the General Assembly and Egypt's Foreign Minister held talks today in Cairo on the state of the country's democratic transition in the wake of the Arab Spring reform movement.
• Imperfect Election Marks Start of Yemen's Transition VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- Yemenis go to the polls Tuesday in an uncontested presidential election that is part of a negotiated end to the decades-long rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
• WPK Conference to Be Convened KCNA 20 Feb 2012 -- The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on Feb. 18 issued decision on convening the WPK Conference.
• Burma Eases By-Election Restrictions VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- Burma's most prominent opposition party says the government has eased some restrictions on political organizing after the party complained that the fairness of coming by-elections was at risk.
• Pakistani Hard-Liners Stage Islamabad Rally RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Pakistanis from religious and hard-line groups have rallied in the capital, Islamabad, in the latest in a string of demonstrations highlighting tensions.
• China Has High Praise for VP's Trip to US VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- China has effusive praise for last week's trip by its vice president to the United States.
• Senegal Opposition Calls on International Community to End Pre-Election Violence VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- A prominent member of Senegal’s opposition M23 is calling on the international community to pressure President Abdoulaye Wade to end the growing pre-election violence.
• Protests Intensify as Senegal Vote Nears VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- Senegal's opposition is calling for more protests in downtown Dakar, the capital Monday, less than a week before a contentious presidential poll.
• Wade Aide Predicts First Round Victory in Senegal Election VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- With less than a week before Senegal’s election, a spokesman for President Abdoulaye Wade said he has no doubt the president will win in the first round of the February 26th vote.
• Zimbabwe President Mugabe, at 88, Says Must Still "Groom" His Successor VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- Observers are still sifting through statements by President Robert Mugabe in interviews with a range of state media outlets shortly before his 88th birthday.
• Arrests Continue In Restive Kazakh Area RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 --Activists who Kazakh authorities suspect of playing a role in the violence in the western city of Zhanaozen in December are still being rounded up by authorities.
• Reelected Turkmen President Makes First Cabinet Moves RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has made the first appointments to his new cabinet in the wake of his landslide reelection win earlier this month.
• Lithuania Hails Neighbor Latvia's 'No' Vote On Russian RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius has praised voters in neighboring Latvia for rejecting a measure to make Russian a second state language in that fellow Baltic state.
• Medvedev Meets With Opposition Protest Leaders RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has met with opposition leaders to discuss easing the rules on registering political parties and other political reforms.
• Medvedev to Meet with Opposition Leaders RIA Novosti 20 Feb 2012 -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will meet with the leaders of unregistered political parties to discuss political reform in the country.
• Former Georgian Lawmaker Arrested On Coup Plot Charges RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- Georgia's Interior Ministry says a former lawmaker has been arrested on charges of plotting a coup amid a political crisis in the country some four years ago.
• US Marks 50 Years Since Glenn's Historic Orbit of Earth VOA 20 Feb 2012 -- The U.S. space agency is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first time an American orbited the Earth.
• U.S. Marks 50 Years Since Its First Space Flight RFE/RL 20 Feb 2012 -- The United States is marking the 50th anniversary of the first flight of an American into orbit.