Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 17 May 2012 [PDF]
• Insurgents Killed in Firefight, Airstrike AFPS 17 May 2012 -- An Afghan and coalition security force engaged in a firefight and called in a close-air-support strike that killed multiple insurgents in the Jaji district of Afghanistan's Paktia province today, military officials reported.
• 563rd MP Company prepares for deployment Army News 17 May 2012 -- Soldiers of 563rd Military Police Company, 91st Military Police Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (LI), formally readied themselves for deployment to Afghanistan during a flag casing ceremony May 15 at Magrath Gym.
• Attack On Afghan Governor's Compound Leaves 11 Dead RFE/RL 17 May 2012 -- Officials in Afghanistan say a group of suicide bombers have attacked a governor's compound in western Afghanistan, and at least 11 people are dead, including the assailants.
• Taliban Launch Deadly Attack on Afghan Governor’s Office RIA Novosti 17 May 2012 -- Eleven people, including four Taliban fighters, were killed and more than a dozen others were injured when militants attacked a provincial governor’s compound in western Afghanistan.
• 563rd MP Company prepares for deployment Army News 17 May 2012 -- Soldiers of 563rd Military Police Compan formally readied themselves for deployment to Afghanistan.
• Devil Dogs prepare Black Wolves for Contingency Operations USMC News 17 May 2012 -- Marines and sailors with Black Sea Rotational Force 12 trained with Romanian soldiers from the 151st and 634th Infantry Brigades May 8-18.
• Russia to Sign Afghan Mi-17 Option by Year-End RIA Novosti 17 May 2012 -- A delivery schedule for an option order of Mil Mi-17 transport helicopters for the Afghanistan Armed Forces will be signed by Russia and the U.S. by the end of the year.
• New incinerator reduces ammo disposal costs in Afghanistan UK MOD 17 May 2012 -- An incinerator to dispose of unserviceable small arms ammunition has been delivered to Afghanistan ahead of schedule and well under budget.
• US Military Role Deepens in Yemen VOA 17 May 2012 -- BThe United States is expanding its military role in Yemen. Yemeni officials say U.S. forces assisted Yemeni troops in launching a wide air and land offensive against militant groups in the south of the country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Pakistani President to Attend NATO Summit VOA 17 May 2012 -- Pakistan says its president will attend the upcoming two-day NATO Summit in Chicago that will discuss the international community's role in Afghanistan.
• Saakashvili Says Chicago Summit To Note Tbilisi's NATO Progress RFE/RL 17 May 2012 -- President Mikhail Saakashvili says he expects the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago to note the progress Georgia has made toward membership.
• Panetta: U.S.-Israel Security Cooperation Never Stronger AFPS 17 May 2012 -- In talks today at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and his Israeli counterpart discussed Israel's Iron Dome air defense system.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta on Meeting with Minister Ehud Barak DoD 17 May 2012
• DOD News Briefing with George Little from the Pentagon DoD 17 May 2012 -- Presenter: Press Secretary George E. Little
• CSG8 Successfully Completes COMPTUEX NNS 17 May 2012 -- Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Eight successfully completed a Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) May 17, off the East Coast of the United States from Virginia to Florida, in preparation for their scheduled combat deployment later this year.
• Canadian Military Embarks Mercy for Pacific Partnership 2012 NNS 17 May 2012 -- Canadian armed forces medical personnel embarked Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) during its scheduled port visit in Pearl Harbor May 15, to participate in Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12).
• Carl Vinson visits Hawaii during Return to San Diego Homeport NNS 17 May 2012 -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 arrived in Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled port visit, May 15.
• USS George H.W. Bush Receives Fleet's Top Honors NNS 17 May 2012 -- USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) received the fleet's highest recognition for superior operational performance and excellence in safety during an awards ceremony in the ship's hangar bay, May 16.
• Phoenix Express 2012 Pre-Sail Conference Marks Start to Underway Exercise NNS 17 May 2012 -- Service members from European, North African and U.S. Naval forces participated in a pre-sail conference kickoff for Exercise Phoenix Express 2012 (PE12) at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center (NMIOTC) in Souda Bay May 16.
• USS Makin Island Arrives in Malaysia NNS 17 May 2012 -- The amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), along with the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), arrived in Sepangar, Malaysia May 18, for a port visit.
• Pentagon Details Decisions NATO Faces at Chicago Summit AFPS 17 May 2012 -- NATO leaders and those of partner nations will finalize major decisions about Afghanistan and the future of the alliance during the NATO summit in Chicago this weekend, George Little, acting assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, said here today.
• Future Joint Force Must Be Balanced, General Says AFPS 17 May 2012 -- The Defense Department is facing unprecedented times and must have the right balance for the joint force of 2020, a Joint Staff official said today at the sixth annual 2012 Joint Warfighting Conference here.
• Eucom Humanitarian Assistance Enhances Security Aims AFPS 17 May 2012 -- A robust humanitarian assistance program in Europe is helping to provide essential services while bolstering bilateral relationships and setting conditions for future cooperation in a crisis, U.S. European Command officials reported.
• Odierno: Sequestration could lead to hollow Army Army News 17 May 2012 -- It's possible the Army could be cut to 400,000 if the sequestration option spelled out in the Budget Control Act of 2011 goes into effect, the Army's chief of staff said this morning.
• 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade: A history 1988-2012 Army News 17 May 2012 -- As part of the closing ceremonies of the Fires Seminar, the 6th Air Defense Artillery Brigade will be redesignated as the 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.
• Defense group builds partnerships among U.S. allies Army News 17 May 2012 -- The Defense Memorandum of Understanding Attaché Group (DMAG) visited Redstone Arsenal and the U.S. Security Assistance Command Headquarters for its Army service-branch update. It was supported by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation (DASA-DEC) to help articulate the Army organizations involved in security assistance. The DMAG consists of 21 allies with reciprocal defense procurement Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with the U.S. Department of Defense facilitating bilateral defense trade cooperation, and/or procurement of defense items through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sales (DCS).
• Navy Commissions Amphibious Transport Dock Ship San Diego DoD 17 May 2012 -- The Navy will commission the newest San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship San Diego during a 10 a.m. PDT ceremony Saturday, May 19, 2012, in San Diego, Calif.
• US Boosts Funding for Israel's 'Iron Dome' Defense System VOA 17 May 2012 -- The United States has fulfilled Israel's request for another $70 million to pay for Iron Dome, a missile defense system aimed at protecting Israelis from rockets fired by militants in the Gaza Strip.
• Drug Trafficking Threatens National Security, Official Says AFPS 17 May 2012 -- Narcotics trafficking, because of its links to other forms of transnational organized crime, has become a major national security challenge that demands continued close collaboration among the Defense Department and its interagency and international partners, a senior defense official told Congress yesterday.
• DOD, Agencies Cooperate to Confront West Africa Trafficking AFPS 17 May 2012 -- With a senior State Department official declaring West Africa under attack by drug traffickers during congressional testimony yesterday, a defense official reported progress being made through the interagency West Africa Cooperative Security Initiative to confront this threat.
• Fighters to Fly Air Defense Exercise to Prepare for NATO Summit AFPS 17 May 2012 -- Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region fighters will be active in the skies over Chicago tomorrow in preparation for the next week's NATO summit.
• New York Army National Guard Division Mans Homeland Response Force Command Post Army News 17 May 2012 -- The scenario is as horrific as it is potentially tragic: what if terrorists attacked the United States with chemical weapons?
• Commander Seeks Better Military-to-Military Relations With China AFPS 17 May 2012 -- Chinese and American officials recognize the importance of good, uninterrupted military-to-military relations.
• Panetta Honors Marine Corps Aviation’s Centennial AFPS 17 May 2012 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta spoke of spirit and history here last night at an event commemorating the 100th anniversary of Marine Corps Aviation.
• Aviation Combat Element Keeps BSRF Aloft USMC News 17 May 2012 -- Approximately 350 Marines and sailors with Black Sea Rotational Force 12 are well into their six-month deployment.
• Eucom Humanitarian Assistance Enhances Security Aims AFPS 17 May 2012 -- A robust humanitarian assistance program in Europe is helping to provide essential services.
• Agreement benefits 241st MP, 200th MP Command Army News 17 May 2012 -- Since its formation in 2008, members of the Reserve's 200th Military Police Command have sought better ways to train and actually perform their military jobs while not deployed.
• Russia: ‘No Plans’ to Close Kyrgyz Airbase RIA Novosti 17 May 2012 -- No decision has been made to withdraw the Russian airbase from the town of Kant, Kyrgyzstan.
• Russian AF to Get First T-50 Fighters in 2013 RIA Novosti 17 May 2012 -- The Russian Air Force will receive the first batch of prototypes of its fifth-generation T-50 fighter for performance testing in 2013.
• Russia to Field New Ground Attack Jet RIA Novosti 17 May 2012 -- The Russian Air Force will start receiving new ground attack aircraft based on the Sukhoi Su-25SM Frogfoot combat jets by 2020.
• Russian Air Force Gets First Modernized An-124s RIA Novosti 17 May 2012 -- The Russian Air Force has received three modernized Antonov An-124-100 super-heavy transport aircraft as part of an update program for its transport fleet.
• Mi-28NE Havoc Helicopter to be Displayed at Moscow Expo RIA Novosti 17 May 2012 -- The Mil Mi-28NE Havoc attack helicopter and 49 other military exhibits will be displayed by 14 Russian organizations at the 5th International Helicopter Industry Exhibition.
• Russia May Fit Foreign Weapons on Export Helicopters RIA Novosti 17 May 2012 -- Russia may install foreign manufactured weapon systems on combat helicopters exported to other countries.
• HMS Westminster delivers blow to Indian Ocean piracy UK MOD 17 May 2012 -- HMS Westminster has thwarted the activities of three pirate groups in a fortnight, destroying their boats and means of further action.
• Air Force Collision Kills 4 Pakistani Pilots RFE/RL 17 May 2012 -- Officials in Pakistan say two Pakistani air force planes have collided in midair, killing all four pilots onboard the aircraft.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, 5/17/12 The White House 17 May 2012
• May 17, 2012 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 17 May 2012

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 17, 2012
• Sukhoi Jet 'Went off' Flight Path Before Crashing RIA Novosti 17 May 2012 -- A senior Indonesian air traffic controller said the ill-fated Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet 100 that crashed last week had deviated from its planned flight path before disappearing from radar screens.
• Superjet Recorder Deciphering Equipment to Arrive in Jakarta RIA Novosti 17 May 2012 -- Deciphering equipment for the voice recorder of a crashed Russian passenger jet will be delivered to Jakarta from Moscow.
• UAC to Launch Military Transport Division RIA Novosti 17 May 2012 -- Russia's United Aircraft Corporation plans to set up a standalone division to produce military transport aircraft.
• Russian Helis Expects 45% Revenue Growth in 2012 RIA Novosti 17 May 2012 -- Russian Helicopters expects to produce over 300 aircraft this year and boost IFRS revenues by 45 per cent to 150 billion rubles ($5 billion).

Other Conflicts

• 17 May 2012 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 May 2012
• Leader of Syria's Fragmented Opposition to Resign VOA 17 May 2012 -- Syria's fragmented opposition has suffered a further setback, with the newly re-elected head of the main exiled coalition offering to resign due to criticism of his leadership and infighting that has plagued groups trying to oust President Bashar al-Assad.
• UN Observers Face Daunting Challenges in Syria VOA 17 May 2012 -- The United Nations has deployed more than 200 unarmed observers to Syria who are monitoring a month-old cease-fire that appears to be in jeopardy of collapse. Increasingly, the U.N. monitors are getting caught up in the violence.
• Syrian Activist Group Threatens Opposition Bloc Pullout VOA 17 May 2012 -- A key Syrian activist group has threatened to pull out of the country's already fractured opposition bloc.
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: DDR moves forward IRIN 17 May 2012 -- The Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration process relating to former rebels in the Central African Republic is back on track.
• 'More Than Half' Of Iraqi Camp's Iranian Residents Relocated RFE/RL 17 May 2012 -- The United States special adviser on Camp Ashraf in Iraq, Daniel Fried, says nearly 2,000 residents of the camp have moved to a transit site called Camp Liberty.
• Azerbaijani Soldier Severely Wounded Along Border With Separatist Region RFE/RL 17 May 2012 -- Azerbaijani military officials are blaming Armenian soldiers for a shooting incident near the border with the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is run by an ethnic Armenian administration.
• Mladic Trial Suspended VOA 17 May 2012 -- A judge has suspended the war crimes trial of Bosnian Serb wartime General Ratko Mladic on its second day at The Hague.
• Mladic War-Crimes Trial Adjourned RFE/RL 17 May 2012 -- The United Nations war crimes tribunal has adjourned indefinitely the trial of former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic -- just a day after it opened.
• Urging progress on Abyei, Security Council extends mandate of UN peacekeeper force UN News Centre 17 May 2012 -- In a new resolution, the Security Council today extended by six months the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping force for Abyei, an area contested by South Sudan and Sudan, and demanded that the two countries finalize the establishment of an administration for the area in line with an agreement signed last year.
• UN envoy hails workshop related to Guyana-Venezuela border dispute UN News Centre 17 May 2012 -- A UN envoy today hailed a recent workshop related to a long-standing border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela as a demonstration of both countries' on-going commitment to a peaceful resolution of the matter.
• Security Council to visit Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone UN News Centre 17 May 2012 -- The members of the United Nations Security Council will leave New York on Friday for an official mission to West Africa.
• South Sudan: SPLA Soldiers Hold Frontline Position VOA 17 May 2012 -- The border between South Sudan and Sudan is quiet, but tense after weeks of fighting in contested areas - which sparked fears of all-out war. South Sudanese troops are at a standstill as they await talks on a U.N. Security Council resolution and commanders are awaiting orders on their next move.

News Reports

• Hezbollah to invade us, if Israel attacks Iran IRNA 17 May 2012 -- A daily expressed worries lest Lebanese Hezbollah would target sensitive spots in Israel in case Tel Aviv would dare to invade the Iranian nuclear facilities.
• Bahrain Warns Iran Against Interference RFE/RL 17 May 2012 -- Bahrain has reportedly warned Iran against interfering in its affairs, in the wake of Iranian criticism of a proposed union between Gulf Arab states.
• N. Korea Reportedly Resumes Work on Reactor VOA 17 May 2012 -- New satellite images show North Korea has resumed construction on a new nuclear reactor, despite international criticism.
• N. Koreans Demand Ransom for Detained Chinese Fishermen VOA 17 May 2012 -- China Central Television and the Beijing News are reporting a rare public maritime spat between China and North Korea.
• Chinese Activist to Receive Passports in 2 Weeks VOA 17 May 2012 -- Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng says he and his family will be issued passports to leave the country within the next two weeks.
• U.S. Calls For Ukraine To Release Opposition Leaders RFE/RL 17 May 2012 -- The United States has urged Ukraine to free imprisoned opposition leaders and allow them to run in the October 28 parliamentary elections.
• Regional Crises Boost Turkey's Ties With Iraq's Kurds VOA 17 May 2012 -- The prime minister of Iraq's Kurdistan autonomous region is visiting Turkey - his first trip there since taking office in March. The visit is expected to build on the growing rapprochement between Turkey and Iraq's Kurds. That process is being enhanced by deepening crises in Iraq and and mutual neighbor Syria.
• US Suspends Economic Sanctions on Burma VOA 17 May 2012 -- The United States has suspended economic sanctions against Burma, which have banned American investment in the country for the last 15 years.