Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 10 Oct 2012 [PDF]
• Statement by Secretary Panetta on NATO Intervention, Brussels, Belgium DoD 10 Oct 2012
• Panetta: Afghan Campaign 'Succeeding' Despite Attacks VOA 10 Oct 2012 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says after more than 11 years the war in Afghanistan is 'succeeding,' and will not be derailed by the recent series of insider attacks or any other tactic the enemy might use.
• Rakkasans Complete Transition Army News 10 Oct 2012 -- The 101st Airborne Division has a remarkable and distinguished history. Within the storied lineage, the book of the Rakkasans is thick with chapters of heroism and success. Since it's activation in 1945, Rakkasans have played a vital part in every major conflict in which our nation fought.
• Legionnaires overcome difficult challenges to secure CH-47 Army News 10 Oct 2012 -- A CH-47 helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in the Arghandab district in southern Afghanistan Aug. 12 when the helicopter suffered from mechanical errors.
• Patrols increasing confidence of Afghan Army Army News 10 Oct 2012 -- As task forces across Afghanistan continue to adjust to their role as trainers, mentors and enablers, the members of the Afghan National Security Forces are also learning to adjust.
• 421st Riggers: Supporting the fight from afar Army News 10 Oct 2012 -- Around noon while most units are taking a break from the day's work, Army riggers with the 421st Quartermaster Company are still hard at work in the 105-degree sweltering humidity at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
• Tail swap enables Afghan mission support and humanitarian effort AFNS 10 Oct 2012 -- A 317th Airlift Group C-130J and aircrew already assigned to deploy to Afghanistan on a tail-swap mission were given the perfect opportunity to conduct their mission and help the people of Afghanistan as well by participating in the Denton Program and transporting school supplies to students and teachers in Afghanistan Sept. 18.
• Combined Force Kills Several Insurgents AFPS 10 Oct 2012 -- An Afghan and coalition security force killed several armed insurgents during an operation to arrest a Taliban leader in Afghanistan's Sar-e Pul province today, military officials reported.
• Panetta Details New Realities, Command Change in Afghanistan AFPS 10 Oct 2012 -- Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today detailed new realities of the coming year in Afghanistan and announced leadership changes for NATO and the International Security Assistance Force.
• NATO Chief Welcomes New Military Leaders, Discusses Afghanistan AFPS 10 Oct 2012 -- NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen today welcomed the selection of Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen to be the new alliance commander in Europe and the selection of Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. to succeed Allen as coalition commander in Afghanistan.
• Ministers agree the framework for a new, post-2014 Afghanistan mission NATO 10 Oct 2012 -- Defence Ministers from NATO Allies and ISAF partner nations on Wednesday (10 October) endorsed the broad political framework for a new training, advising and assisting mission in Afghanistan after 2014.
• NATO Defence Ministers make progress on capabilities, planning for new Afghan mission NATO 10 Oct 2012 -- NATO Defence Ministers took stock of progress in improving Allied defence capabilities and endorsed the first stage of planning for the post-2014 training and assistance mission in Afghanistan, in a two-day meeting in Brussels.
• NATO To Discuss Afghan Training Mission RFE/RL 10 Oct 2012 -- NATO defense ministers are expected to discuss Afghanistan on the second and final day of a NATO meeting in Brussels.
• NATO, U.S. Insist Insider Attacks Will Not Change Afghan Mission RFE/RL 10 Oct 2012 -- NATO and the United States say attacks by uniformed Afghans on foreign soldiers will not deter NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) from carrying out its mission in Afghanistan.
• Panetta: Afghan Campaign 'Succeeding' Despite Attacks VOA 10 Oct 2012 -- U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says after more than 11 years the war in Afghanistan is 'succeeding,' and will not be derailed by the recent series of insider attacks or any other tactic the enemy might use.
• NATO Commander Optimistic on Afghanistan, Despite Problems VOA 10 Oct 2012 -- The commander of all NATO forces says the Taliban is under significant military pressure, designed in part to motivate its leaders to reach a political settlement with the Afghan government. In an interview, U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis told VOA that, despite recent problems, he is more optimistic now than he was a few years ago that Afghanistan will be stable when allied forces end their combat role, in a little more than two years.
• Report: US Military Puts Task Force in Jordan RIA Novosti 10 Oct 2012 -- The United States has secretly set up a special military force in Jordan to help the country cope with an influx of refugees from Syria, prepare in case Syria loses control of its chemical weapons and be ready for the possibility that the conflict there could spill over Syria's borders, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
• Suspected US Drone Strike Kills 5 in Pakistan VOA 10 Oct 2012 -- Pakistani intelligence officials say a suspected U.S. drone strike has killed five people in the country's northwest, near the border with Afghanistan.
• U.S. drone kills 5 in Pakistan's tribal region IRNA 10 Oct 2012 -- American drone aircraft fired missiles on a house in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region early Wednesday and killed five people, tribesmen said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Bayonet brigade deactivates at Baumholder Army News 10 Oct 2012 -- The 170th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted a casing of the colors ceremony Oct. 9 in the Hall of Champions on Smith Barracks.
• 'Vortex surfing' could be revolutionary AFNS 10 Oct 2012 -- Migrating birds, NASCAR drivers and Tour de France bicyclists already get it. And now the Air Force is thinking about flying gas-guzzling cargo aircraft in formation -- 'dragging' off one another -- on long-haul flights across the oceans.
• Dempsey: Partnerships Essential to Defense Strategy AFPS 10 Oct 2012 -- The Defense Department depends on its relationships with partner nations, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said here today.
• Obama Praises Nominees for Key Military Positions AFPS 10 Oct 2012 -- President Barack Obama today announced his nominations for two key military leadership positions in Europe and Afghanistan.
• Dempsey Praises Allen, Dunford Nominations AFPS 10 Oct 2012 -- In a statement released today, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, praised Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen's accomplishments as commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
• Land, Sea Roles Changing, Dempsey Says AFPS 10 Oct 2012 -- While the Navy's aircraft carrier fleet is sized correctly to carry out its mission, land forces are facing 'significant changes,' Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said here today.
• Army celebrates first generation network fielding completion Army News 10 Oct 2012 -- The Army's current tactical communications wide area network backbone, Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) Increment 1, hit a major milestone when it celebrated the final fielding of the last unit identified to receive the system.
• ARL's new combustion lab sparks studies that could lead to JP-8 'super engine' Army News 10 Oct 2012 -- including their fuel systems - and calibrated for JP-8, said Dr. Chol-Bum 'Mike' Kweon, acting team lead of the Engines Team of ARL's Vehicle Technology Directorate at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Md.
• Fort Huachuca installs first trunked Land Mobile Radio system Army News 10 Oct 2012 -- The Network Enterprise Center here recently installed the installation's first trunked Land Mobile Radio system to better prepare Fort Huachuca for any type of disaster. The efforts were part of a two-year process during which the NEC worked with the Project Development for Land Mobile Radio systems, or PDLMR, the Electronic Proving Grounds and Motorola Solutions.
• Radio-based combat ID -- for free Army News 10 Oct 2012 -- The U.S. Army announced it has completed field testing for radio-based combat identification capabilities, which it expects to field next year as part of Capability Set 14.
• DOD Announces Return of Royal Air Force Upwood Clinic DoD 10 Oct 2012 -- The U.S. Department of Defense announced today it will return the Royal Air Force (RAF) Upwood Clinic in the United Kingdom to the host nation.
• Iraq, Kuwait and US Conduct Security Exercise NNS 10 Oct 2012 -- The Iraqi Navy, Kuwaiti Coast Guard and U.S. Coast Guard conducted their first trilateral theater security exercise in more than seven years, Sept. 29.
• PCU North Dakota Crew Members Participate in Namesake Visit NNS 10 Oct 2012 -- Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) North Dakota's (SSN 784) engineering department master chief and the boat's prospective executive officer are participating in a namesake visit to the state, Oct. 10 - 13.
• Medical Intelligence Center Monitors Health Threats AFPS 10 Oct 2012 -- From a windowless building behind barriers and fences here, scientists, physicians and other experts monitor a range of intelligence and open-source channels for threats to the health of U.S. forces and the homeland.
• 'Warhorse' Soldiers recertify UAV Army News 10 Oct 2012 -- Soldiers from the Unmanned Aerial System Platoon, Company A, 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, participated in recertification training on the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at Fort Carson's Camp Red Devil, Sept. 24 thru Oct. 5.
• Mission not impossible: responding to disaster Army News 10 Oct 2012 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District is part of a broad Planning and Response Team (PRT). The PRT is a special team of individuals who respond to disasters like flooding and hurricanes within days of the end of a disaster.
• 15E unmanned aircraft systems repairers study UAS maintenance support on FH Army News 10 Oct 2012 -- Unmanned aircraft systems, or UASs, are often called 'eyes in the sky.' That is because UASs can film videos of potentially hostile locations and transmit the imagery over many miles while not putting Soldiers in harm's way. The aircraft systems are controlled remotely by a pilot on the ground. Specially trained 15E unmanned aircraft systems repairers provide maintenance support for the Shadow 200, Hunter and Gray Eagle, enabling these UASs to execute their missions.
• Press Conference with Secretary Panetta at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium DoD 10 Oct 2012 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta
• Troop Numbers to Remain Stable for Kosovo, Rasmussen Says AFPS 10 Oct 2012 -- NATO has no plans to reduce its Kosovo Force, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Brussels today.
• Remarks by Secretary Panetta at the NATO Ministers of Defense Meeting, Brussels, Belgium DoD 10 Oct 2012 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta; NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen; George Little, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs; and Admiral James G. Stavridis (USN), Commander, European Command, and Supreme Allied Command
• NATO Defence Ministers review security situation in Kosovo NATO 10 Oct 2012 -- NATO Defence Ministers discussed the security situation in Kosovo during talks at NATO headquarters on Wednesday (10 October). They affirmed that KFOR continues to play an indispensible role in Kosovo. Allies were joined in their meeting by Ministers from non-NATO troop contributing nations and a senior European Union representative.
• NATO At Fault Over Arms Talks Stalemate - Lavrov RIA Novosti 10 Oct 2012 -- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused NATO on Wednesday of increasing armed forces and weaponry disparity in Europe, while demanding Moscow fulfils its obligations under the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty (CFTE), which Russia left in 2007.
• Russia to Deliver Indian Carrier in Fall 2013 – Minister RIA Novosti 10 Oct 2012 -- Russia plans to deliver the overhauled aircraft carrier Vikramaditya to the Indian Navy in the fourth quarter of 2013, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Wednesday after an intergovernmental meeting in New Delhi.
• India to Build Export T-50 Stealth Fighter by 2020 RIA Novosti 10 Oct 2012 -- India will begin production of an export variant of Russian plane-maker Sukhoi's T-50 stealth fighter from 2020, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Wednesday during a visit to Delhi.
• US Sees No Problem in Russia-Iraq Military Deals RIA Novosti 10 Oct 2012 -- The United States does not see any problem for its military cooperation with Iraq after learning that Baghdad and Moscow have signed arms deals worth over $4.2 billion in the sphere of military-technical cooperation, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
• Upgraded ship simulator aids Royal Navy training UK MOD 10 Oct 2012 -- The most advanced ship simulator in the Navy has been installed at Dartmouth, featuring photo-realistic recreations of key harbours to train bridge teams.
• Russia Walks Out of Nunn-Lugar Agreement – Paper RIA Novosti 10 Oct 2012 -- Moscow is to abandon participation in a decades-old program with the United States aimed at dismantling weapons of mass destruction, Russian daily Kommersant reported Wednesday.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 10/10/2012 The White House 10 Oct 2012

Defense Industry

• Termination of talks regarding the possible merger of BAE Systems and EADS EADS 10 Oct 2012 -- Following the announcements made by BAE Systems plc (“BAE Systems”) and EADS N.V. (“EADS”) on 12 September 2012 in relation to a possible combination of their businesses through a dual listed company structure, BAE Systems and EADS announce that they have decided to terminate heir discussions.
• DoD News: Contracts for October 10, 2012

Other Conflicts

• 10 October 2012 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 10 Oct 2012
• At conference, Ban highlights role of police peacekeeping to uphold rule of law UN News Centre 10 Oct 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today spotlighted the role that police peacekeepers play in upholding the rule of law and helping countries achieve lasting progress, while calling on countries to boost support for their work.
• Press Conference to Launch 2012 Human Security Report United Nations 10 Oct 2012
• Panetta: DOD Works with Jordan, Turkey on Syria Repercussions AFPS 10 Oct 2012 -- The Defense Department is working with Jordan and Turkey to help with collateral humanitarian and security issues affecting them because of the brutal war that continues in Syria, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.
• Turkish Military Chief Warns Against Further Syrian Shelling VOA 10 Oct 2012 -- The head of Turkey's armed forces says the military will respond with greater force if shelling from Syria continues to spill across the border.
• State TV Says Turkey Forces Syrian Plane to Land in Ankara VOA 10 Oct 2012 -- Turkish state-run television says Turkey has forced a Syrian passenger plane to land in Ankara on suspicion that it was carrying weapons to Syria.
• Iranian diplomat says Iran has not sent arms to Syria via Iraq IRNA 10 Oct 2012 -- Iran's consul in Basra Hamid-Reza Mokhtasabadi on Wednesday ruled out rumors that Iran had shipped arms to Syria via Iraq.
• Ban condemns coordinated bombings in Syrian capital, urges move towards dialogue UN News Centre 10 Oct 2012 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the string of coordinated terrorist bombings in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Monday night that resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, urging all sides to move towards a political transition and dialogue.
• Islamists use fear, drug money to maintain control of northern Mali – UN rights official UN News Centre 10 Oct 2012 -- Radical Islamists who seized northern Mali earlier this year are maintaining their control through fear and drug money, imposing an extremist version of Muslim Sharia law and restrictions that target women in particular, a top United Nations human rights official said today.
• Press Conference on Mali by Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights United Nations 10 Oct 2012
• MALI: Whatever happened to Azawad? IRIN 10 Oct 2012
• Head of UN peacekeeping visits mission in Western Sahara UN News Centre 10 Oct 2012 -- The United Nations peacekeeping chief arrived today in Laayoune to visit the world body's mission in Western Sahara, following which he will hold talks with both parties involved in the dispute over the territory.
• Japan may take more conciliatory approach toward China in islet row CNA 10 Oct 2012 -- The Japanese government is considering adopting a more conciliatory attitude toward China in the two countries' territorial dispute over the Diaoyutai Islands, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported Wednesday.
• BURUNDI: State still accused of killings, cover-ups IRIN 10 Oct 2012 -- With a couple of clicks, a photo appeared on the Burundian human rights activist's computer screen: a hillside; a prone, male body, its severed head lying next to it; another man, naked, sitting, ankles and wrists bound, still alive when the photo was taken but since deceased; the uniformed legs of several other men, allegedly police, standing over the scene; the back of a jeep-type vehicle.

News Reports

• Congressional Panel Examines Benghazi Attack VOA 10 Oct 2012 -- The U.S. House of Representatives has started hearing testimony on the situation in Benghazi prior to the September 11 attack that killed U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
• White House Defends Stance on Libya Attack VOA 10 Oct 2012 -- The White House is defending its response to the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Obama administration officials acknowledged that their account of the incident changed as new information became available.
• US Technology Export Case Suspect to Appeal Remand RIA Novosti 10 Oct 2012 -- The defense of Russian Anastasia Diatlova, a defendant in a high-profile illegal technology export case in the United States, will appeal Houston court's ruling to remand her in custody, defense lawyer Alexei Tarasov said.
• Iran's Supreme Leader Calls EU Support for Sanctions 'Foolish' VOA 10 Oct 2012 -- Iran's supreme leader has lashed out at European nations for supporting economic sanctions against his country in the latest salvo by an Iranian political leader responding to the country's currency crisis.
• Supreme Leader: Iranians will overcome impacts of sanctions as they did in case of major problems so far IRNA 10 Oct 2012 -- Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that Iranian nation will overcome impacts of sanctions as they did in the case of other major problems the western governments created for Iranians so far.
• Terrorist MKO not a popular grouplet, senior commander IRNA 10 Oct 2012 -- A senior commander said the terrorist Mojahedeen-e Khalq Organization (MKO) has no place not only in Iraq but also among the world nations.
• Actually, Iran Sanctions Aren't Working RFE/RL 10 Oct 2012 -- There are two misconceptions about sanctions on Iran and the country’s currency crisis: one, that sanctions are the only cause for the rial’s free fall in value last week. And two, that sanctions are achieving their strategic objectives.
• Commercial Space Freighter Docks with Orbital Station RIA Novosti 10 Oct 2012 -- The privately-owned reusable Dragon cargo spacecraft carrying more than 1,000 lbs (some 450 kg) of supplies docked on Wednesday with the International Space Station, NASA's website said.
• China official hopes Taiwan-China ties continue under '1992 consensus' CNA 10 Oct 2012 -- Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Yang Yi said Wednesday he hoped the relationship between Taiwan and China can continue under the '1992 consensus' and reiterated China's opposition to Taiwan independence.
• No evidence of human-to-human transfer of new virus, says UN health agency UN News Centre 10 Oct 2012 -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said today there was 'no evidence' of human-to-human transmission of a new virus that can cause acute respiratory infection and renal failure, and whose discovery in a second patient last month spurred the agency to issue a global alert.
• Chavez Says He Will Continue to Speak Out Against Imperialism VOA 10 Oct 2012 -- President Hugo Chavez's election victory appears to mean that relations between Venezuela and the United States will remained strained. Chavez has been a fierce critic of the U.S. while nurturing friendships with U.S. adversaries like Cuba, Iran, and Syria, and his first news conference after his election seemed to reinforce some of those positions.