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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• The First and Last Assistance Team for the Qalat Reserve Kandak Army News 26 Jan 2013 -- 'Hippos' is the name the 11 man Security Forces Assistance Team goes by when rolling off Forward Operating Base Lagman for a mission.
• First NATO Patriot battery in Turkey operational NATO 26 Jan 2013-- The first of six Patriot missile batteries deploying to Turkey was declared operational and placed under the command and control of NATO on Saturday, 26 January.
• NATO Says Missiles Operational on Turkey-Syria Border VOA 26 Jan 2013 -- NATO says the first of six missile defense batteries sent to Turkey to intercept possible rockets fired from Syria is operational.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Ground-Based Interceptor Completes Successful Flight Test MDA 26 Jan 2013 -- The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully completed a flight test of a three-stage Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI), launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., at 2 p.m. (PST) today.
• Readout of Secretary Panetta Call with French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian DoD 26 Jan 2013
• Carter Honors Defense Threat Reduction Agency AFPS 26 Jan 2013 -- In an auditorium filled with nearly 400 Defense Threat Reduction Agency employees and other defense officials, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter presented the Joint Meritorious Unit Award to agency representatives yesterday.
• French Warship for Russia 'Won't Work in Cold' - Minister RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2013 -- Two amphibious assault ships bought for the Russian Navy from France in a 1.2 billion euro deal will not be able to operate in temperatures below seven degrees centigrade, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin admitted on Saturday, in critical comments about the contract.
• Military Servicing Work Must be Outsourced - Minister RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2013 -- The Russian forces should hand over maintenance and support services to suitably-experience commercial enterprises, and will consider buying equipment abroad if local suppliers fail to come up to scratch, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Saturday in an interview with the Rossiya TV channel.
• Russia's Forces Are Ready for War - Army Chief RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2013 -- Russia's armed forces are ready for a major war, Chief of the military's General Staff Col. Gen. Valery Gerasimov said on Saturday.
• Russian Rear Admiral Assesses Pirate Threat RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2013 -- At least five well organized pirate groups are currently operational off the Somali coast, Rear Admiral Vasily Lyashok said in an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station on Saturday.
• China's homegrown transport plane takes off successfully CNA 26 Jan 2013 -- China's first homegrown strategic heavy-lift transport aircraft, the Yun-20, took off successfully Saturday, marking the beginning of the country's strategic air power buildup.
• Defense minister proposes establishing Islamic military organization IRNA 26 Jan 2013 -- Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has proposed establishing a military organization comprising armed forces of the Islamic states to defend the oppressed across the world.
• Taiwan to receive first P-3C anti-submarine aircraft by year end CNA 26 Jan 2013 -- Taiwan will take delivery of the first batch of 12 submarine-hunting aircraft purchased from the United States by the end of this year, which will beef up the country's anti-submarine capabilities, the Navy said Saturday.
• Mirage fighter jets readiness rate acceptable: legislator CNA 26 Jan 2013 -- The Air Force's Mirage fighter jet fleet is in an 'acceptable' state of readiness after gradual improvement over the past two years, Legislator Lin Yu-fang said Saturday.
• Air Force rebuts report of failed mission to escort President Ma CNA 26 Jan 2013 -- The Air Force on Saturday dismissed a report that its jet fighters had failed in a mission to escort President Ma Ying-jeou on a flight between Taiwan proper and the outlying island of Matsu.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• French-Backed Malian Forces Advance on Gao VOA 26 Jan 2013 -- French officials say French-backed Malian forces have recaptured the strategic city of Gao, an Islamist militant stronghold in the country's north.
• Facing Constraints, US Urges Political Progress in Mali VOA 26 Jan 2013 -- A U.S. representative at the African Union summit says a political solution is needed in Mali alongside military operations to bring stability to the country that was seized by a militant uprising in the north. While the U.S. says it will support the African force in Mali, Washington cannot fully engage with the country until a new government is elected.
• Defense Officials Try to Rush African Troops to Mali VOA 26 Jan 2013 -- Defense officials from the West African regional body ECOWAS met in Abidjan on Saturday to discuss options for expediting the deployment of more African troops to Mali. Though some African troops have already arrived, officials acknowledge that they require training and funding.
• Iran: Syrian army should not be weakened IRNA 26 Jan 2013 -- Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said on Saturday that Syrian Army, the vanguard of campaign against Zionist regime should not be weakened.
• Larijani blames extremist groups for Syria problems IRNA 26 Jan 2013 -- Majlis Speaker Ali-Larijani said on Saturday that extremist groups in Syria should be blamed for current problems in that country.
• 24 killed in militant clash in NW Pakistan IRNA 26 Jan 2013 -- At least 24 militants were killed and many others injured in a clash between Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Ansarul Islam (AI) militant groups on Friday in Pakistan's north western tribal region, local media reported.

News Reports

• Egyptian Troops Sent To Suez After Seven Killed RFE/RL 26 Jan 2013 -- Egyptian authorities have deployed troops and armored vehicles to the city of Suez following violence between security forces and protesters that has left at least seven people dead and hundreds wounded.
• Egyptian Soccer Sentences Spark Deadly Clashes RFE/RL 26 Jan 2013 -- An Egyptian court has sentenced 21 defendants to death over riots that killed dozens of people a year ago, sparking new deadly violence.
• Soccer Trial Verdict Triggers Unrest in Egypt RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2013 -- At least 26 people have died and over 200 have been injured during clashes between police and soccer fans in the Egyptian city of Port Said, the head of the local hospital confirmed on Saturday.
• Egypt Football Verdict Sparks Deadly Clashes VOA 26 Jan 2013 -- Egyptian authorities say at least 30 people have been killed in violence that erupted in the coastal city of Port Said, after a court handed down death sentences over last year's deadly football riot. Army enforcements are being deployed to the area to restore order.
• Kim Jong Un Guides Consultative Meeting of Officials in Fields of State Security and Foreign Affairs KCNA 26 Jan 2013 -- A consultative meeting of officials in the fields of state security and foreign affairs took place as regards the grave situation prevailing in the DPRK.
• New head of U.S. House foreign affairs committee visits Taiwan CNA 26 Jan 2013 -- The new chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs arrived in Taiwan Saturday for a three-day visit to discuss bilateral ties and trade issues, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said.
• Chavez Begins New Treatment Course – Vice President RIA Novosti 26 Jan 2013 -- Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, recuperating in Cuba after surgery for cancer, has started an additional course of treatment, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said on Friday.
• Former PM Wins Czech Presidency VOA 26 Jan 2013 -- Left-leaning former Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman has won his country's first direct presidential elections with about 55 percent of the vote. The international community was closely watching the voting as it will impact the Czech Republic's future relations with the European Union.