Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 10 May 2012 [PDF]
• US Family: Attempts to Free Taliban-Held Soldier Not Enough VOA 10 May 2012 -- The parents of the only United States soldier captured and still held in Afghanistan are breaking their silence, urging Washington to do more to secure his release.
• Kandahar advisers empower Afghan maintainers AFNS 10 May 2012 -- In the difficult-to-traverse landscape of Afghanistan the MI-17 helicopter has proven to be a valuable asset to air operations in the war-ravaged country. The aircraft has proven itself in missions ranging from supplying distant outposts to providing overwatch for coalition forces.
• Combined Force Detains Taliban Facilitator AFPS 10 May 2012 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban facilitator and another suspected insurgent in the Arghistan district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.
• Top UN relief official stresses need for disaster preparedness in Afghanistan UN News Centre 10 May 2012 -- The top United Nations relief official today called for greater efforts to build the resilience and preparedness of the people of Afghanistan to natural disasters, given the country's vulnerability to floods and droughts that affect large segments of the population every year.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DOD News Briefing with Secretary Panetta and General Martin Dempsey from the Pentagon DoD 10 May 2012 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta and General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Defense Leaders Discuss Syria, Yemen AFPS 10 May 2012 -- The Defense Department's senior civilian and military officer offered their perspectives today on the ongoing unrest in Syria and the threat al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula poses in Yemen.
• Report Shows Success of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal AFPS 10 May 2012 -- A new report shows the repeal of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' law is being implemented successfully in the military, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said during a news conference today.
• Panetta, Dempsey: DOD Budget Request Reflects Tough Choices AFPS 10 May 2012 -- As Congress marks up the military budget, the nation's defense leaders said today they stand ready to work with lawmakers to maintain the balance they built into their budget proposal.
• Welsh nominated as next CSAF AFNS 10 May 2012 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced May 10 that the president has nominated Gen. Mark A. Welsh III to be the next chief of staff of the Air Force, succeeding Gen. Norton Schwartz, who has served in the position since August 2008.
• Panetta, Dempsey Laud Nominee for Air Force Chief AFPS 10 May 2012 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced today that President Barack Obama has nominated Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III as the next Air Force chief of staff.
• Readout of Secretary Panetta's Call with the Spanish Minister of Defense DoD 10 May 2012
• Readout of Secretary Panetta's Meeting with Finnish Minister of Defense Stefan Wallin DoD 10 May 2012
• Vicksburg Conducts Multinational Operations NNS 10 May 2012 -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69) conducted weeklong combined operations with French anti-air destroyer FS Cassard (D 614), April 16-21.
• Enterprise Carrier Strike Group Conducts Multinational Training NNS 10 May 2012 -- Aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69) conducted integrated mission training with French navy anti-aircraft destroyer Cassard (D 614) and British navy air defense destroyer HMS Daring (D 32) in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, April 21.
• Guatemala Welcomes Navy Dive - Southern Partnership Station 2012 NNS 10 May 2012 -- U.S. Navy divers, assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2, Company 2-1, kicked off the fourth stop of Navy Dive - Southern Partnership Station 2012 (ND-SPS 12) with an opening ceremony in Puerto Barrios, May 9.
• Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific Participates in Armed Forces Communications Symposium NNS 10 May 2012 -- 'Optimized Total Ownership Cost (TOC) with affordable and sustainable Information Dominance' was the theme of this year's Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Reconnaissance and Surveillance (C4ISR) symposium held May 1-3, at the Hall of Champions in San Diego, Calif.
• Army completes network design for Capability Set 13 Army News 10 May 2012 -- The Army has completed the network design for Capability Set 13, the first integrated group of advanced tactical communications technologies that will be fielded to Soldiers beginning this fall.
• Travis AFB concludes C-5 AMP AFNS 10 May 2012 -- A 1970 C-5A Galaxy was the last C-5A to be converted from a 'legacy' C-5 to an Avionics Modernization Program C-5 here May 6.
• Army cyber company activates at ceremony Army News 10 May 2012 -- The guidon of Delta Company, 781st Military Intelligence Battalion, 780th MI Brigade, was unfurled for the first time during an activation ceremony on April 23 at the Fort Meade Museum.
• DOD Seeks Captured Army Sergeant's Return AFPS 10 May 2012 -- The Defense Department is doing everything possible to secure the return of an Army sergeant who has been in Taliban hands for nearly three years, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.
• Scan Eagle UAS Deploying Aboard Coast Guard National Security Cutter NNS 10 May 2012 -- Navy engineers demonstrated the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of a ship-based unmanned aerial system (UAS) for senior Coast Guard, Navy and Congressional stakeholders in an exercise on the Potomac River May 3.
• 2-22 Infantry Soldiers conduct air-load training Army News 10 May 2012 -- The 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment from 1st Brigade Combat Team assumed the responsibility of the Global Response Force last month from 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st BCT.
• Tooele Army Depot completes Mobilization Plan Army News 10 May 2012 -- When Tooele Army Depot (TEAD), Tooele, Utah, first started down the path of continuous improvement, it was called JIT (just-in-time).
• Tooele Army Depot Marks 70 Years of Service Army News 10 May 2012 -- It's an exciting time to be at Tooele Army Depot (TEAD), Tooele, Utah, as the Army celebrates the depot's 70 years of long selfless history.
• Marine Rotational Force Promotes Partnership, Efficiency AFPS 10 May 2012 -- A rotational concept stood up in Europe and now extended to Africa is providing valuable lessons in ways to sustain partnerships despite force reductions and tightened resources.
• Vice Chiefs Testify on Readiness, Contingency Funding AFPS 10 May 2012 -- The services' vice chiefs testified on readiness during a Capitol Hill hearing today, with most stressing the continuing need for overseas contingency operations funding.
• Test pilot school adds cyberspace to test and evaluation training AFNS 10 May 2012 -- The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School has a long, rich history of educating the best of the best in air and space. Apollo 13 astronaut, Fred Haise; X-15 pilot, Joe Engle; and the first man to break the sound barrier, Chuck Yeager; are just a few of the notable Test Pilot School alumnae who have cemented their places in history books for their impressive accomplishments in both air and space.
• German lawmakers veto funding of NATO's drone project IRNA 10 May 2012 -- German lawmakers vetoed a government request to fund a NATO surveillance project 20 years in the making that will use unmanned aerial vehicles to collect information, press reports said here Thursday.
• Oral Statement on Carrier Strike Capability - Defence Secretary 10 May 2012 UK MoD 10 May 2012
• MOD announces change of Joint Striker Fighter jet UK MOD 10 May 2012 -- Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has announced that plans to deliver Carrier Strike capability will now be executed using a different type of Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) jet than was planned.
• India plans to equip Agni-V missile with multiple warheads: DRDO chief IRNA 10 May 2012 -- Agni-V, India's most powerful missile with a strike range of over 5,000 kms, is set to get substantially higher destruction capabilities with plans to equip it with multiple warheads.
• Pakistan tests nuclear capable ballistic missile: army IRNA 10 May 2012 -- Pakistan Thursday conducted a successful training launch of Short Range Ballistic Missile, which can carry nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 290 kilometers, the army said.
• Jordan Interested in Russia's Heavy Flamethrower System RIA Novosti 10 May 2012 -- Russia's arms trading company Rosoboronexport has offered Jordan to buy the TOS-1 Buratino multiple launch rocket system, Newsru.com reported on Thursday.
• May 10, 2012 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 10 May 2012
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney aboard Air Force One, 5/10/2012 The White House 10 May 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 10, 2012
• Superjet 100 Wreckage Found at Mount Salak - Indonesia HQ RIA Novosti 10 May 2012 -- The wreckage of Russia's missing Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ 100) has been found at Mount Salak, the Indonesian rescue headquarters reported on Thursday.
• Indonesian Rescuers Find Bodies Near Russian Jetliner Wreckage VOA 10 May 2012 -- Indonesian rescuers say they have discovered bodies from a wrecked Russian jetliner on a near-vertical cliff of a dormant volcano south of Jakarta. Authorities say there are no signs of survivors among the estimated 50 people on board, and warn that recovery efforts were hampered Thursday by bad weather and the remoteness of the crash site.

Other Conflicts

• 10 May 2012 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 10 May 2012
• Libya nearing key moment in its democratic transition, says UN envoy UN News Centre 10 May 2012 -- Libya is nearing a key moment in its democratic transition with upcoming elections, the United Nations envoy for the North African country said today, while adding that the polls are just one part of a process that requires addressing key issues such as ensuring public security and promoting human rights.
• UN-Arab League envoy condemns 'in strongest possible' terms attacks in Damascus UN News Centre 10 May 2012 -- The Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States on the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan, today condemned 'in the strongest possible terms' attacks that took place earlier Thursday in Damascus.
• At Least 55 Killed in Damascus Suicide Car Bombings VOA 10 May 2012 -- Syrian authorities say a double suicide bombing in Damascus has killed at least 55 people and wounded another 370, making it the country's deadliest attack since an opposition uprising began 14 months ago.
• Taiwan reasserts sovereignty over Taiping amid Vietnam protest CNA 10 May 2012 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday reasserted Taiwan's sovereignty over Taiping Island, a disputed island in the South China Sea, shortly after Vietnam protested against Taiwanese officials paying a visit there.
• China, Philippines Intensify War of Words Over S. China Sea VOA 10 May 2012 -- A recent flare-up between China and the Philippines about a disputed island has renewed tensions surrounding South China Sea territories. The spat has also highlighted a July deadline for agreement on a code of conduct in the sea between China and Southeast Asian nations.
• UN official urges Israel to resolve Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike issue UN News Centre 10 May 2012 -- The head of the United Nations agency tasked with assisting Palestinian refugees today urged the Israeli Government to find an acceptable solution to the issue of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike, noting their demands are generally related to basic prisoners' rights as stipulated in the Geneva Conventions.
• Military Spokesman Insists Uganda not Meddling in Sudan Conflict VOA 10 May 2012 -- The spokesman for Uganda's People's Defense Forces (UPDF) said his country is not trying to get involved in tensions between Sudan and South Sudan.
• India's N-E separatist group extends moral support to Maoists IRNA 10 May 2012 -- United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)'s anti-talk faction Thursday extended 'moral support' to the Maoists and condemned the killing of four ultras at Sadiya in Assam's Tinsukia district.

News Reports

• President: Iran never gives up even one iota its legitimate rights IRNA 10 May 2012 -- On the threshold of the next round of talks between Iran and G5+1, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that the Iranian nation will never give up even one iota its legitimate rights.
• N.Korea Executed at Least 3 Cannibals in Recent Years RIA Novosti 10 May 2012 -- North Korea held at least three public executions of people charged with cannibalism in recent years, Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday.
• Israel Unity Deal Unlikely to Significantly Shift Iran Strategy VOA 10 May 2012 -- Former Israeli opposition leader Shaul Mofaz's surprise entry into Israel's ruling coalition this week appears unlikely to trigger a major shift in Israeli policy on Iran's nuclear program, analysts say.
• FSB Claims Foiled Sochi Olympics Terrorist Plot RIA Novosti 10 May 2012 -- Russian and Abkhaz security services claim to have uncovered a terror plot targeting the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games, the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAK) reported on Thursday.
• ICRC Suspends Most Operations in Pakistan VOA 10 May 2012 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross says it has stopped most of its relief operations in Pakistan following the brutal murder of one of its workers. These types of killings are making it increasingly difficult for foreign aid groups to operate in the country.
• Ban welcomes Papua New Guinea's decision to go forward with elections UN News Centre 10 May 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the decision by Papua New Guinea to carry out elections within the timeframe stipulated by the constitution, following recent uncertainties in relation to the country's next parliamentary elections, and stressed that they should be carried out in a transparent and peaceful manner.
• MALAWI: Dream fades for inland port project IRIN 10 May 2012 -- Visitors arriving in Nsanje, the sleepy capital of Malawi's southernmost district, are greeted by a large yellowing billboard announcing: 'The dream becomes reality. Nsanje Port opens October 2010.' But those who go to the port will find little more than a concrete quay with a couple of dozen mooring posts, and a few fishermen manoeuvring crude dug-out canoes through the murky brown waters of the Shire River.
• Yemen Airstrikes, Raids Kill 17 al-Qaida Militants VOA 10 May 2012 -- Airstrikes and mortar fire have killed at least 17 al-Qaida militants in southern Yemen, days after details emerged about a Saudi mole within the terrorist network whose information helped the U.S. foil a plot by the group's Yemeni branch.