• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 08 Apr 2013 [PDF]
• UN seriously concerned at deaths of Afghan children and woman in recent clash UN News Centre 08 Apr 2013 -- The United Nations today voiced "serious concern" over the deaths of at least 10 Afghan children and a woman, and injuries to seven others in an armed clash during a joint Afghan-NATO operation against the Taliban in eastern Kunar province.
• Combined Afghan, Coalition Force Arrests Facilitator AFPS 08 Apr 2013 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan facilitator Juma Khan in the Ishkamish district of Afghanistan's Takhar province today, military officials reported.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Statement from Secretary Hagel on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response DoD 08 Apr 2013 -- Last month, I asked the Department of Defense's Office of General Counsel to review Article 60 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) after a commander dismissed an Air Force officer's court-martial conviction for sexual assault, using the authority provided by Article 60.
• Hagel Seeks to Limit Convening Authority Powers Under UCMJ AFPS 08 Apr 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will ask Congress to change military law so that commanders cannot overturn major convictions, the secretary announced in a written statement issued today.
• F-35B conducts first night time vertical landing USMC News 08 Apr 2013 -- PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- An F-35B Lightning II completed the first short takeoff and vertical landing during a test mission at night to expand the flight envelope and deliver capability to the warfighter.
• Marines learn about new escalation of force equipment USMC News 08 Apr 2013 -- Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. -- Marines and sailors aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune attended classes and demonstrations of the new escalation of force equipment, April 2-4, 2013.
• Navy Leaders Announce Plans for Deploying Cost-Saving Laser Technology NNS 08 Apr 2013 -- Citing a series of technological breakthroughs, Navy leaders announced plans Apr. 8 at the Sea-Air-Space exposition to deploy for the first time a solid-state laser aboard a ship in fiscal year 2014.
• Africa Partnership Station Brings Medical Practitioners Together NNS 08 Apr 2013 -- U.S. and Cameroonian forces wrapped up the last of three consecutive bi-lateral civil-military engagements with the conclusion of a combined health outreach April 5.
• Mass casualty exercise prepares Task Force Jaguar for mission in El Salvador Army News 08 Apr 2013 -- Joint Task Force Jaguar recently tested itself by conducting a mass casualty exercise here as it prepares for Beyond the Horizon 2013 mission.
• Fort Bragg team awards multimillion dollar contract in 34 days Army News 08 Apr 2013 -- Members of the Mission and Installation Contracting Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., played a critical role in meeting an expedited need to establish a comprehensive training and support program for Iraqi defense forces.
• Libyan Military Leaders Visit Naples to Discuss Maritime Security NNS 08 Apr 2013 -- Leaders from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and U.S. 6th Fleet and the Libyan navy and coast guard, met to discuss maritime security in Naples, Italy, April 3-4.
• Strategic Command Plans for Unexpected, Commander Says AFPS 08 Apr 2013 -- The last thing Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler -- the point man for the U.S. nuclear arsenal as well as space, cyber, ballistic missile and other capabilities -- wants is to be caught by surprise.
• Nations to Gather for IMCMEX 13 NNS 08 Apr 2013 -- Representatives from more than 30 nations will gather May 6-30 in Bahrain and waters of the Gulf region for International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) 13.
• Kearsarge ARG Completes Suez Transit, Enters 5th Fleet NNS 08 Apr 2013 -- The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed a scheduled transit of the Suez Canal and entered the Red Sea, April 5.
• Eisenhower Jet Crashes, Two Aircrew Safely Eject NNS 08 Apr 2013 -- No one was injured when an F/A-18F Super Hornet crashed into the water while operating near USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) in the North Arabian Sea, April 8.
• USS Chung-Hoon Enters 7th Fleet NNS 08 Apr 2013 -- The Arleigh-burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) arrived in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations April 6 after departing Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam April 2 for an independent deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
• Defense Minister Slams Cash Up Front Procurement RIA Novosti 08 Apr 2013 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday criticized as totally unacceptable the existing practice of 100 percent prepayment for state defense contracts.
• No secrets leaked at radar system commissioning ceremony: MND CNA 08 Apr 2013 -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Monday that no sensitive information was leaked at a commissioning ceremony for a new advanced early warning radar system that took place in February this year.
• Ban calls for total elimination of chemical weapons within five years UN News Centre 08 Apr 2013 -- Warning that the fog of war must never again be composed of poison gas, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed to the 188 States Parties to the United Nations-backed treaty outlawing chemical weapons to do all in their power to bring on board the eight nations that still have not signed on.
• Peaceful use of outer space at heart renewed UN efforts UN News Centre 08 Apr 2013 -- The United Nations pressed ahead today with efforts to insure that outer space is used solely for peaceful purpose and to counter the threat posed by space debris.
• April 8, 2013 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 08 Apr 2013
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 4/8/2013 The White House 08 Apr 2013

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 08, 2013
• Russia Touts Possible Missile Deal with Brazil RIA Novosti 08 Apr 2013 -- Russia and Brazil will discuss the possibility of the joint development of an advanced surface-to-air missile system, Parana, at the LAAD 2013 defense exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, Russian state-owned defense firm Rosoboronexport said on Monday.

Other Conflicts

• 8 April 2013 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Apr 2013
• Taipei urges Pyongyang to exercise self-restraint CNA 08 Apr 2013 -- President Ma Ying-jeou has urged North Korea to exercise self-restraint and refrain from taking any action that could jeopardize regional peace and stability, the Presidential Office said Monday.
• North Korea to suspend joint industrial zone with South Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- North Korea says it will suspend operations at an industrial complex it has jointly run with South Korea blaming military warmongers for the move.
• US calls for 'counterprovocation' measures against N Korea Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- The US and South Korea have prepared plans to respond 'more forcefully' than in recent past to North Korean threats of launching retaliatory strikes against the two allies in a supposed effort to "prevent" a wider war.
• Seoul Now Says No Signs Of Imminent North Korea Nuclear Test RFE/RL 08 Apr 2013 -- The statement came shortly after a South Korean cabinet minister said there was an 'indication' of preparations at the North's main atomic test site. Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae later said he 'misspoke' in his comments to a parliamentary committee.
• North Korea Could Launch Missile This Week - Report RIA Novosti 08 Apr 2013 -- South Korean Presidential Security Advisor Kim Jang-soo said North Korea could launch a missile this week, South Korea's The Chosun Ilbo daily reported.
• Putin Warns Korean Crisis Could Be Worse Than Chernobyl RIA Novosti 08 Apr 2013 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin appealed on Monday for calm on the Korean Peninsula, warning that the escalation of tension in the region could lead to a nuclear disaster far worse than the Chernobyl incident.
• Moscow Hails US Decision to Delay Missile Test RIA Novosti 08 Apr 2013 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday praised the US decision to postpone an intercontinental ballistic missile test in order to avoid further escalation of the conflict on the Korean Peninsula.
• UN chief urges DPR Korea to refrain from 'further' provocation UN News Centre 08 Apr 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to refrain from taking "any further provocative measures" following reports that the country is planning a new missile launch.
• North Korea to Suspend Kaesong Operations VOA 08 Apr 2013 -- Pyongyang is to pull out all of its 53,000 workers from the only joint complex operated by the two Koreas.
• Amid Korean Tensions, China Warns Against 'Chaos' VOA 08 Apr 2013 -- China's foreign ministry has made further comments on remarks by President Xi Jinping that were widely interpreted in Western media as a rebuke of North Korea.
• China's Military Unmoved by North Korean Threats VOA 08 Apr 2013 -- As the United States and South Korean militaries closely track North Korea's troops, military hardware and missiles, China has said little about what precautions its forces are taking. China has the longest border with North Korea but analysts say Beijing is focused on maintaining stability and has little concern of being affected by hostilities.
• Syria Blocks UN Chemical Weapons Mission VOA 08 Apr 2013 -- The Syrian foreign ministry said Monday it would not admit a U.N. chemical weapons investigation team, despite having asked for it.
• Advance team for UN weapons probe ready within 24 hours to deploy to Syria, Ban says UN News Centre 08 Apr 2013 -- Technical and logistical arrangements are now all in place for an advance United Nations-team to deploy to Syria to investigate allegations of reported use of chemical weapons, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today on the sidelines of the Review Conference of the landmark Chemical Weapons Convention.
• Militants suffer heavy losses near Syrian capital Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- The Syrian army continues its mop-up operations against armed groups on the outskirts of Damascus as the militants suffer heavy losses for the second consecutive day.
• Powerful Explosion Hits Syrian Capital RFE/RL 08 Apr 2013 -- Syrian state television says a car bomb has exploded in central Damascus.
• International donors pledge billions for recovery of Darfur UN News Centre 08 Apr 2013 -- The International Donor Conference for Reconstruction and Development in Darfur wrapped up today with calls from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the Government of Sudan to demonstrate its commitment to the region and to facilitate humanitarian and development work there.
• UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan urges greater protection for civilians in Jonglei UN News Centre 08 Apr 2013 -- The top United Nations official in South Sudan today urged authorities and communities in Jonglei state to take all necessary steps to prevent inter-communal violence and attacks by armed groups which are threatening civilians and spurring a deadly cycle of violence.
• Remarks With Israeli President Shimon Peres Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 08 Apr 2013
• Kerry Meets Israeli, Palestinian Leaders in Peace Talks Push VOA 08 Apr 2013 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Israel for talks aimed at reviving Middle East peace negotiations. Kerry is meeting with senior Israeli officials Monday after visiting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas Sunday night.
• French Troops Move Against Islamist Base in Mali VOA 08 Apr 2013 -- French troops in northern Mali have launched a new operation against a suspected Islamist militant base near the city of Gao.
• Mounting crisis for conflict-hit northern Mali pastoralists IRIN 08 Apr 2013 -- Ongoing fighting and the fear of reprisal killings has severely disrupted normal migration patterns for pastoralists in northern Mali, putting them and their families in danger of severe food insecurity and poverty as the lean season approaches.
• S Africa scheduled to send troops to DRC Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- The South African government is scheduled to dispatch troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of UN Organization Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO).
• Top FARC leader in Cuba for peace talks Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- A high-ranking leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has arrived in the Cuban capital to join a team of FARC negotiators discussing a peace deal with the Colombian government.
• Increasing violence in Iraq taking toll on civilians, security forces, UN warns UN News Centre 08 Apr 2013 -- The United Nations mission in Iraq today expressed concern at the rising violence in the Middle Eastern country, which killed more than 200 civilians and wounded over 800 people last month alone.

News Reports

• Obituary: Margaret Thatcher, Britain's 'Iron Lady' RFE/RL 08 Apr 2013 -- Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister whose iron will is credited with helping to pull down the Iron Curtain, is dead.
• Britain's 'Iron Lady' Dead at 87 VOA 08 Apr 2013 -- Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has died at the age of 87, following a stroke.
• UK Ex-PM Thatcher Dies at 87 RIA Novosti 08 Apr 2013 -- Former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died on Monday at the age of 87 following a stroke, her spokesman announced.
• Death of Margaret Thatcher US Dept. of State 08 Apr 2013
• Statement by NATO Secretary General on the death of Baroness Thatcher NATO 08 Apr 2013
• Yellowcake production plant at Ardakan to come on stream on Tuesday IRNA 08 Apr 2013 -- Ardakan Governor Ahmad Kamali said on Monday that Saghand uranium complex and Shahid Rezaei Nejad yellowcake production plant are to come on stream on Tuesday marking the national 'Nuclear Day'.
• President: Iranian nation not to bow to West's pressures IRNA 08 Apr 2013 -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad played down the effectiveness of the US-led western sanctions against Iran, and said that the Iranian nation will not give in its indispensible right to nuclear technology under the West's pressures.
• Ahmadinejad: People's massive turnout in elections will change all equations in favor of nation IRNA 08 Apr 2013 -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that people's massive turnout in the upcoming presidential election will resolve problems and change all equations to the benefit of the Iranian nation.
• Arrogant powers in position of weakness: Ahmadinejad Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says arrogant powers are currently in a position of weakness, stressing the importance of establishing a world free of aggression and bullying.
• Iran presidential candidate Velayati pledges most powerful Iranian govt. Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- Iran's presidential candidate Ali Akbar Velayati says his electoral coalition will form the most powerful Iranian government, if he wins the upcoming election.
• Enrichment suspension, Iran's red line in talks: Iranian MP Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- The spokesman for Iran's Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee has described the suspension of enrichment activities as Tehran's red line in talks with the world powers.
• Russia voices hope for more Iran-5+1 talks Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- Russia has expressed hope for the continuation of talks between Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers (Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States plus Germany).
• Egypt's President Morsi condemns deadly clashes in Cairo Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi has condemned recent deadly clashes between Christians and Muslims that followed the funeral of four Coptic Christians in Cairo.
• Second tank leak found at Fukushima plant Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- Radioactive water has apparently leaked from another underground storage tank at Japan's heavily damaged Fukushima Daiichi power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) officials say.
• WikiLeaks Makes Leaked US Documents Searchable VOA 08 Apr 2013 -- The whistleblowing website WikiLeaks has launched a new database containing 1.7 million documents from the U.S. State Department that were declassified, but were difficult for the public to access.
• WikiLeaks Publishes 1.7 mln 'Kissinger Cables' RIA Novosti 08 Apr 2013 -- Whistleblowing website WikiLeaks has published online a huge new batch of 1.7 million classified US records, including diplomatic and intelligence reports from the years 1973 to 1976, the website reported on Monday.
• Top court orders Pakistan's Musharraf to appear for treason allegations Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- Pakistan's Supreme Court has ordered the country's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to appear before judges over treason allegations.
• EU Welcomes Kiev Pardon For Tymoshenko Allies RIA Novosti 08 Apr 2013 -- European Union officials have welcomed the pardoning of Ukraine's former Interior Minister Yury Lutsenko and former Environmental Protection Minister Georgy Filipchuk, and called on Kiev to address more cases of what it sees as selective justice.
• WHO: No Proof of Bird Flu Transmission to Humans in China VOA 08 Apr 2013 -- The World Health Organization's top representative in China said there are no signs that a new bird flu virus that has already left seven dead here is being transmitted between people and adddes there is no reason for panic.
• Asia braces for spill-over of new bird flu strain IRIN 08 Apr 2013 -- Officials throughout Asia are implementing measures to protect themselves from a new strain of bird flu - H7N9 - that has so far infected 21 people in China, killing six.
• Over 20 Infected with New Strain of Bird Flu in China RIA Novosti 08 Apr 2013 -- Three more people in China were reported to be infected with a lesser known strain of bird flu, H7N9, bringing the total number of avian influenza cases to 21 since late March, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.
• US favors killing terror suspects abroad over their capture and prosecution Iran Press TV 08 Apr 2013 -- The Obama administration prefers to kill suspected terrorists using assassination drones rather than capturing and trying them in court despite its claims to the contrary, a US daily states.
• Bin Laden Son-in-Law Back in Court VOA 08 Apr 2013 -- A federal court hearing was held in New York for alleged terrorist Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, Osama Bin Laden’s son-in-law. His trial date may be pushed well into the future because of federal budget problems.