• 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 19 Apr 2013 [PDF]
• Combined Force Detains Insurgents After Firefight AFPS 19 Apr 2013 -- A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained a senior Taliban leader and several other insurgents in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
• Task Force Works Toward Successful Transition in Afghanistan AFPS 19 Apr 2013 -- A new task force in Afghanistan is working to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities that will set the Afghan government and security forces up for future success.
• 15 US-led forces, 10 Afghan troops killed in Helmand: Taliban PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- The Taliban claim they have killed at least 15 foreign troops and 10 Afghan soldiers in the province of Helmand, in the country’s restive south.
• 13 local police forces killed in Taliban attack in east Afghanistan PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- Taliban militants have killed 13 Afghan policemen in a surprise attack on a security checkpoint in the country’s eastern province of Ghazni.
• Five Arrested In Afghanistan For Alleged Suicide-Bombing Plot RFE/RL 19 Apr 2013 -- Afghan authorities say they have arrested five Taliban-linked militants, including a woman, who were planning to launch suicide attacks against civilians later this month.
• Germany may keep forces in Afghanistan beyond 2014 PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- Germany has offered to keep nearly 800 of its troops in Afghanistan, following the planned withdrawal of US-led forces from the Asian country by the end of 2014.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Hagel’s First Middle East Trip to Seal Historic Arms Deal AFPS 19 Apr 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s first official trip to the Middle East will underscore U.S. security relationships there and finalize agreements on an unprecedented release of military capabilities.
• Background Briefing on Secretary Hagel's Trip to Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates from the Pentagon Briefing room DoD 19 Apr 2013 -- Presenter: Senior Department of Defense Officials
• Senate confirms Fanning as next Air Force under secretary AFNS 19 Apr 2013 -- Eric Fanning will be the next Air Force under secretary, according to a Senate confirmation vote April 18.
• USS Carl Vinson Prepares for Mid-Cycle Material Assessment NNS 19 Apr 2013 -- Aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) returned from an underway April 19, after a series of engineering drills and time spent preparing for a Mid-Cycle Material Assessment (MCMA).
• Nimitz Strike Group Departs for Western Pacific Deployment NNS 19 Apr 2013 -- The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 11 departed Naval Air Station North Island April 19 and will join up with San Diego-based guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) for a scheduled Western Pacific deployment.
• Navy Strike Fighter Squadron Command Master Chief Relieved NNS 19 Apr 2013 -- Commanding Officer, Strike Fighter Squadron Fourteen (VFA-14), Cmdr. Gavin Duff, has today relieved the squadron's Command Master Chief (CMC), Master Chief Petty Officer Jeff Harsh, of his duties as a result of the CMC's failure to meet expected performance standards.
• New US arms sales to Israel, Saudi Arabia and UAE PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- US military chief Chuck Hagel is to finalize weapons deals worth USD10 billion to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
• Services: Sequestration Will Affect Force Readiness AFPS 19 Apr 2013 -- The four branches of the military delivered another warning to Congress that a prolonged budget sequester will significantly affect military readiness.
• Guard Chief: Historic Assumptions Need Reconsideration AFPS 19 Apr 2013 -- Traditional assumptions about force structure deserve reconsideration in the current fiscal environment, the chief of the National Guard Bureau told a congressional panel April 17.
• Officials Brief Senators on Personnel Budget Issues AFPS 19 Apr 2013 -- Senior Defense Department officials outlined for a congressional panel this week what President Barack Obama’s fiscal year 2014 defense budget request means for personnel programs.
• Research, Engineering Team Adjusts to Fiscal Uncertainty AFPS 19 Apr 2013 -- Defense Department scientists and researchers will adjust to fiscal uncertainty by scrapping duplicative research and increasing prototyping, a senior Pentagon official told Congress.
• Navy to Christen Third Joint High Speed Vessel DoD 19 Apr 2013
• 6th Fleet Flag Ship Sailors Complete Maintenance NNS 19 Apr 2013 -- The U.S. 6th Fleet flag ship USS Mount Whitney completed a two-month maintenance period at San Giorgio del Porto shipyard, April 15.
• Massachusetts Air National Guard responded to marathon bombing AFNS 19 Apr 2013 -- Every year on Patriot's Day the 102nd Security Forces Squadron deploys a team of Airmen to line the route of the annual Boston Marathon.
• Partnership Builds on Previous Exercises during Cutlass Express Planning NNS 19 Apr 2013 -- Sailors and civilian maritime professionals from Europe, Africa and the United States discussed objectives and activities for Exercise Cutlass Express 2013.
• Belgian Ship Assists Africa Partnership Station NNS 19 Apr 2013 -- Twenty Benin service members received course completion certificates April 19 after completing a boarding team operations course onboard the Belgian navy ship BNS Godetia.
• BSRF-13, Latvian land forces kick-off training USMC News 19 Apr 2013 -- Ninety-four U.S. Marines and sailors with Black Sea Rotational Force 13 marked the beginning of Exercise Summer Shield 10.
• BSRF-13 says goodbye to Georgia, heads to Romania USMC News 19 Apr 2013 -- Marines and sailors with Black Sea Rotational Force 13 closed Exercise Agile Spirit 13 with the Republic of Georgia’s 23rd Infantry Battalion.
• Coastal Riverine Squadron 3 Tested on Force Protection Skills NNS 19 Apr 2013 -- Sailors assigned to Coastal Riverine Group 1 Training and Evaluation Unit took to the waters of San Diego Bay April 4-12 to test the Coastal Riverine Squadron 3.
• MCSC trains Marines on new Close Quarters Battle Pistol USMC News 19 Apr 2013 -- The team, along with Marines from the Weapons Training Battalion at Quantico, participated in New Equipment Training, or NET, for the M45A1 Close Quarters Battle Pistol April 10.
• Army Releases March 2013 Suicide Information DoD 19 Apr 2013
• Russia Ratifies Central Asia Base Deals RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, ratified agreements with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan extending the presence of Russian military bases in those countries.
• Russian Troops in Abkhazia to Get Air-Conditioned APCs RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- Russian troops stationed at a military base in Abkhazia will receive up to 40 upgraded armored personnel carriers.
• Russian Aerobatics Teams to Take Part in Victory Day Parade RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- Russian aerobatic display teams the Swifts and the Russian Knights will join a host of military aircraft in the Victory Day parade on May 9 in Moscow.
• Monthly press conference by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen NATO 19 Apr 2013
• NATO Secretary General Details Asia Trip, Foreign Ministers’ Meeting AFPS 19 Apr 2013 -- NATO’s partnerships with Japan and South Korea are key to facing security challenges and ensuring stability in the region, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.
• Royal Marines push through the enemy on Joint Warrior UK MOD 19 Apr 2013 -- 200 Royal Marines commandos have attacked 4 'enemy' positions near Cape Wrath in Scotland as part of Exercise Joint Warrior.
• Philip Dunne visits new aircraft at RAF Northolt UK MOD 19 Apr 2013 -- The Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology paid a visit to RAF Northolt to see 2 new short-medium-range transport aircraft.
• Home for China's 1st aircraft carrier introduced CNA 19 Apr 2013 -- China's first aircraft carrier has been given a permanent base in the eastern port of Qingdao.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 19, 2013

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 19 April 2013 United Nations 19 Apr 2013
• N Korea not ready for all-out war with US-backed South: Seoul PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- South Korea has downplayed the North’s stepped-up war rhetoric.
• US rejects N Korea conditions for talks PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- The US Secretary of State John Kerry has rejected North Korea’s conditions for talks to resolve the ongoing tension on the Korean Peninsula.
• KCNA Commentary Decries U.S. Claim for Dialogue KCNA 19 Apr 2013 -- The U.S. is trying to give impression that it restrains military action and hopes for dialogue.
• US Plans to Expand Non-Lethal Aid to Syrian Rebels VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- U.S. officials say Washington plans to provide about $100 million in new aid to the Syrian opposition for non-lethal military equipment.
• Kerry Travels to Turkey for Syrian Opposition Meeting VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry travels to Turkey for a meeting of foreign ministers who back opposition groups fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
• US Troops in Jordan Will Only Add to Syrian Crisis - Russia RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- The deployment of US troops to Jordan will only make the Syrian crisis worse, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.
• US Poised for Prolonged Syrian Conflict VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- Analysts say the new U.S. forces the Pentagon is sending to Jordan signal a deepening U.S. involvement in the prolonged conflict in Syria.
• Syria shoots down balloon carrying US-made spying devices near Idlib PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- The Syrian army says it has shot down a balloon that carried US-made spying devices over the northwestern province of Idlib.
• Activists: Syrian Official Assassinated VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- Syrian opposition activists reported that a government official has been killed at a Damascus restaurant, the latest assassination in the country's ongoing unrest.
• Arming Syria militants complicated question for Israel: Netanyahu PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to rule out the possibility of arming foreign-backed militants fighting against the Syrian government.
• Syria: Joint UN-Arab League Envoy urges Security Council to act on ‘most serious crisis’ UN News Centre 19 Apr 2013 -- Joint Special Representative of the UN and the League of Arab States on the Syrian crisis, Lakhdar Brahimi, reiterated his calls for the UNSC to act.
• UN Envoy to Syria Denies Resignation Rumors RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- The UN and Arab League Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi on Friday denied media reports that he was about to quit his job.
• Lakhdar Brahimi could cut official ties with Arab League: Russia PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- Russia says reports that UN-Arab League Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi intends to cut ties with the Arab League are understandable.
• UN senior officials urge political focus in Mali efforts, while aid agencies flag budget gaps UN News Centre 19 Apr 2013 -- The top United Nations political official reiterated the importance of the political process in Mali.
• Darfur: UN condemns deadly attack on peacekeepers protecting civilians in Muhajeria UN News Centre 19 Apr 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban and the African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur are calling on authorities in Sudan to find attackers.
• Nine killed, dozens injured in attacks targeting Iraqi mosques PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- At least eight people have been killed and dozens more injured in two separate attacks targeting mosques north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
• Al-Sweady Inquiry told Iraqi teen ‘tortured and hanged’ by UK troops PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- Al-Sweady Inquiry has heard that a teenage victim had been abused and hanged by UK troops.
• UN rights chief condemns multiple executions in Iraq as ‘obscene’ UN News Centre 19 Apr 2013 -- The United Nations human rights chief condemned the rampant use of the death penalty by the Iraqi Government.
• 20 Dead as S. Sudan Security Forces, Rustlers Clash VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- At least 20 people have been killed and nine others injured in clashes between cattle rustlers and security forces in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria state, officials said Thursday.
• Man Charged Over Nigeria Christmas Church Bombing VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- Nigerian authorities charged a man with masterminding a 2011 Christmas Day bomb attack on a Catholic church in the capital that killed dozens.
• China says Japan provokes, escalates tensions over disputed islands PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- China has accused Japan of heightening tensions in the East China Sea by its increased use of fighter jets to patrol disputed chain of islands.
• Tel Aviv says two Gaza rockets hit southern Israel PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- The Tel Aviv regime says two rockets fired from the blockaded Gaza Strip have hit southern Israel.
• Chechnya: A History of Conflict VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- Chechnya, one of several small majority Muslim republics in Russia's North Caucasus, has been the scene of two bloody conflicts between separatist rebels and the Russian government during the past two decades.
• Agreement Between Kosovo and Serbia in the EU-facilitated Dialogue US Dept. of State 19 Apr 2013
• NATO Secretary General welcomes Belgrade-Pristina Agreement on Normalisation NATO 19 Apr 2013
• Ban welcomes ‘landmark’ agreement between Serbia and Kosovo negotiators UN News Centre 19 Apr 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban welcomed a “landmark” agreement between leaders of Serbia and Kosovo.
• EU Brokers Kosovo Deal, Opens Door to Serbia Accession VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- Serbia agreed to cede its last remaining foothold in the country's former province of Kosovo.
• Ashton Says Serbia, Kosovo Reach Deal RFE/RL 19 Apr 2013 -- EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia have concluded with an agreement initialed by both sides.
• Rios Montt's Lawyers Walk Out of Guatemala Genocide Trial VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- A session in the genocide trial of former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt ended abruptly, as his lawyers tried to suspend proceedings over a legal technicality and stormed out.

News Reports

• Secretary Kerry Remarks on the Release of the Human Rights Report US Dept. of State 19 Apr 2013
• 2012 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices US Dept. of State 19 Apr 2013
• U.S. Issues Country Reports On Human Rights Practices RFE/RL 19 Apr 2013 -- The U.S. State Department has released its "Country Reports On Human Rights Practices" for 2012.
• No deal reached with IAEA for new talks: Iran PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- Iran has rejected reports about an agreement reached by Tehran and the the International Atomic Energy Agency for a new round of talks.
• Iran principlist parties name nominees for presidency PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- Two Iranian principlist parties have nominated their prospective candidates for the forthcoming presidential election in June.
• Pakistan’s Former Military Ruler Arrested VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf was arrested in connection with his unconstitutional dismissal of top judges while he was president.
• Pakistani Ex-President Musharraf Taken Into Police Custody RFE/RL 19 Apr 2013 -- Police have taken former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf into custody at their Islamabad headquarters.
• Former Pakistani President Put Under House Arrest RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- The Islamabad High Court has ordered Pakistan’s former president Pervez Musharraf, 69, to be placed under house arrest.
• Pakistan’s Pervez Musharraf arrested, police confirm PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharaf has been arrested following a court order.
• Deadly Rocket Attack Targets Pakistani Election Rally RFE/RL 19 Apr 2013 -- A rocket attack close to a Pakistani election rally has killed at least one person and wounded 14 others in South Waziristan.
• Maduro sworn in as Venezuelan president PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- Nicolas Maduro has been sworn in as Venezuela’s new president, succeeding the country’s late leader Hugo Chavez who died of cancer in March.
• Man Rushes Stage During Maduro Inauguration Speech in Venezuela VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- An intruder Friday rushed the stage where Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was making his inauguration speech in Caracas.
• Venezuela's Electoral Council to Audit Electronic Votes VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- Election authority announced it would conduct an audit of the electronic votes not reviewed since the election.
• Venezuela’s electoral council to audit 46 percent of votes PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- Venezuela’s electoral council has announced its decision to audit 46 percent of the votes cast during the country’s Sunday presidential election.
• Statement by the President The WHite House 19 Apr 2013
• Police Capture Alive Boston Bombing Suspect VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- Police have captured alive the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings after an intense day-long search of the Boston area.
• Experts Caution Against Rushing to Conclusions in Boston Bombings VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- Analysts caution not to jump to conclusions about the Boston bombings.
• Boston Police in Massive Search for Marathon Bombing Suspect VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- Thousands of police officers are searching in and around the northeastern U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, for a suspect in Monday's Boston Marathon bombings.
• Suspect Manhunt Puts Boston on Lockdown VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- Police in Massachusetts are conducting a massive manhunt for one of the suspects in Monday's Boston Marathon bombings.
• Chechen Brothers Suspected in Boston Bombings Grew up as Refugees VOA 19 Apr 2013 -- Russian TV reported Friday that two ethnic Chechen brothers are suspects in terrorist bombings.
• Profile Of Tsarnaev Brothers RFE/RL 19 Apr 2013 -- The young men identified as suspects in this week's Boston Marathon bombing are brothers of ethnic Chechen origin with roots in Central Asia.
• Kadyrov Denies Chechen Links of Boston Blast Suspects RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Friday that the two suspects in the deadly bombing of this week’s Boston Marathon had no links to Russia’s republic of Chechnya.
• Boston Bomb Suspects From Near Chechnya RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- The two suspects in the deadly bombing of this week’s Boston Marathon hailed from a Russian region near Chechnya.
• Boston in Grips of Manhunt for Surviving Bomb Suspect RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- The city of Boston remained on lockdown as police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation mounted a massive manhunt for 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
• Massive Manhunt For Second Boston Bombing Suspect; Brother Killed In Initial Firefight RFE/RL 19 Apr 2013 -- A massive manhunt continues for 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings.
• Boston locked down as police search for 2nd bombing suspect PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- The US city of Boston has been locked down as a massive manhunt for the second Boston Marathon bombing suspect, identified as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, continues.
• Officer killed in shooting on MIT campus near Boston PressTV 19 Apr 2013 -- A police officer has been killed on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology near the US city of Boston.
• Police Officer, Suspect Shot Dead in Boston - Reports RIA Novosti 19 Apr 2013 -- A police officer and a man who may have been involved in a deadly bombing at this week's Boston Marathon have both been shot dead in separate incidents in and around the still tense city.
• FBI Releases Images Of Two Boston Suspects RFE/RL 19 Apr 2013 -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released photographs and videos of two men investigators suspect of possible involvement in the deadly Boston Marathon bombings.
• Massachusetts Air National Guard responded to marathon bombing AFNS 19 Apr 2013 -- Every year on Patriot's Day the 102nd Security Forces Squadron deploys a team of Airmen to line the route of the annual Boston Marathon.
• Secretary Kerry Remarks With Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade After Their Meeting US Dept. of State 19 Apr 2013