• 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 15 Jan 2014 [PDF]
• SCO Won't Take Over From NATO in Afghanistan – Envoy RIA Novosti 15 Jan 2014 -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has no plans to replace NATO as a guarantor of security in Afghanistan following the planned withdrawal of the military alliance's contingent from the war-torn country this year, Russia's envoy to the SCO said Wednesday.
• Afghan forces foil attack on US-run Bagram air base Iran Press TV 15 Jan 2014 -- Afghan security forces have foiled a potentially devastating attack on Bagram air base, the largest military base for US troops in Afghanistan.
• Karzai slams US for civilian killings in NE Afghanistan Iran Press TV 15 Jan 2014 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has strongly condemned a US airstrike, which has killed at least eight civilians in the troubled northeastern Afghanistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Senate Intelligence Committee Releases Declassified Bipartisan Report on Benghazi Terrorist Attacks United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 15 Jan 2014 -- The Senate Intelligence Committee today issued a declassified report on the September 11-12, 2012, terrorist attacks against U.S. personnel at the Temporary Mission Facility and CIA Annex in Benghazi, Libya. The committee found the attacks were preventable, based on extensive intelligence reporting on the terrorist activity in Libya—to include prior threats and attacks against Western targets—and given the known security shortfalls at the U.S. Mission.
• 34 ICBM Launch Officers Implicated in Cheating Probe AFPS 15 Jan 2014 -- Thirty-four intercontinental ballistic missile launch officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., have been implicated in cheating on the ICBM launch officer proficiency test, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said today.
• Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby on ICBM Allegations DoD 15 Jan 2014
• Department of Defense Press Briefing on the Status of Air Force Investigations into Allegations of Illegal Drug Possession from the Pentagon DoD 15 Jan 2014 -- Presenters: Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark A. Welsh III
• Budget Uncertainty Challenges Readiness, Official Says AFPS 15 Jan 2014 -- The Defense Department continues to face persisting challenges due to budget uncertainties under sequestration, the Pentagon's acquisitions chief said here today.
• USS Halyburton Deploys NNS 15 Jan 2014 -- Guided-missile frigate USS Halyburton (FFG 40), departed Naval Station Mayport Jan. 15 on a five-month deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet Area of Responsibility.
• Readout of Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Christine Fox's Meeting with the Director General of Israel's Ministry of Defense Dan Harel DoD 15 Jan 2014
• SECNAV, CNO Affirm Importance of Surface Navy, Sailors at SNA NNS 15 Jan 2014 -- Naval leaders, government officials and members of private industry gathered to discuss the surface navy's future at the 26th Annual Surface Navy Association (SNA) Symposium in Crystal City, Va., Jan. 14. This year's theme is Surface Warfare--Warfighting First.
• USS Bainbridge Completes Mission NNS 15 Jan 2014 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) returned to her homeport here Jan. 14 following a six-month deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.
• US Navy to replace nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Japan Iran Press TV 15 Jan 2014 -- The US Navy has announced that it would deploy the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to Japan in the summer of 2015 to replace USS George Washington.
• US and South Korean Officials Meet to Improve Bilateral Deterrent Strategies DoD 15 Jan 2014 -- Senior U.S. and South Korean officials are concluding a nuclear and weapons of mass destruction threats exercise at U.S. Pacific Command Jan. 14-15.
• Last Army Reserve Cavalry unit prepares for upcoming training mission Army News 15 Jan 2014 -- Stetsons and spurs are the signature items of the U.S. Calvary. They no longer mount and ride horses, but instead take to the ground and sky in vehicles that make them an essential force multiplier. The Troopers of the 2-398th Cavalry Regiment have another signature item of distinction; they are the last Cavalry unit in the U.S. Army Reserve.
• 413th CSB hosts Pacific disaster training exercise Army News 15 Jan 2014 -- Enhancing war fighter capabilities through contracting and financial management was the mission statement for this year's disaster training exercise hosted by the 413th Contracting Support Brigade, Nov. 17-22 at the Hawaii Army National Guard Training Facility.
• Army aviation has 'unique capabilities' for civil support, consequence management Army News 15 Jan 2014 -- From responding to wildfires and floods in the western United States to an earthquake on the other side of the globe, Army aviation has been an important part of response missions to save lives and help those in affected communities, said a National Guard official.
• Army Reserve Sustainment Command provides contracting, logistics support Army News 15 Jan 2014 -- As the United States military prepares to transition out of Afghanistan, it is crucial to have a good understanding of the challenges such a mission holds. Military units such as the Army Reserve Sustainment Command understand the magnitude of it and can support acquisition and logistics operations successfully.
• Taming sustainment costs key to keeping Army aviation aloft Army News 15 Jan 2014 -- Sustainment costs are eating away at Army aviation and new approaches are needed to rein the costs in, said Maj. Gen. Lynn A. Collyar.
• Deputy Secretary General discusses NATO missile defence, cooperation in visit to Israel NATO 15 Jan 2014 -- NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow stressed that the Alliance's Ballistic Missile Defence system poses no threat to Russia during a keynote speech at a conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday (15 January 2014). "NATO's missile system is not directed against a single country," the Deputy Secretary General said, adding that cooperation with Russia on missile defence would improve security for both NATO and Russia.
• NATO Secretary General says Alliance open to further cooperation with Azerbaijan NATO 15 Jan 2014 -- NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday (15 January 2014) that the Alliance looked forward to strengthen its cooperation with his country and thanked him for his nation's support to NATO operations. "We are determined to reinvigorate our political dialogue including on strategic issues, such as energy security and counter terrorism," the Secretary General said.
• China, Australia hold 16th defense consultation People's Daily 15 Jan 2014 -- China and Australia held their 16th Strategic Defense Consultation in Canberra, capital of Australia, on the afternoon of January 13, 2014.
• 15th Chinese naval escort taskforce visits Sri Lanka People's Daily 15 Jan 2014 -- The amphibious dock landing ship 'Jinggangshan' and the guided missile frigate 'Hengshui' of the 15th escort taskforce of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLAN) (hereinafter referred to as the 15th taskforce) arrived at the Trincomalee port in eastern Sri Lanka on January 13, 2014, to start a three-day-long goodwill visit to Sri Lanka.
• China confirms new hypersonic missile delivery vehicle test Voice of Russia 15 Jan 2014 -- China has flight-tested a hypersonic missile carrier in a move that was scientific in nature and not targeted at any country, the Defense Ministry said on Monday.
• Ceremony to mark upgrading of weapons on IDF jets CNA 15 Jan 2014 -- A ceremony is set for Tuesday at an air base in the southern city of Tainan to mark the completion of the first batch of upgraded indigenous defense fighter (IDF) jets and the installation of a new weapon system, the Air Force said Wednesday.
• CPRK Warns U.S., S. Korean Authorities to Stop Projected Joint Military Exercises KCNA 15 Jan 2014 -- The spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) issued the following statement Wednesday:
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney Aboard AF1 en route Raleigh, NC, 1/15/2014 The White House 15 Jan 2014
• January 15, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 15 Jan 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for January 15, 2014
• Foreign Investors Wrecked Russian Defense Companies – Official RIA Novosti 15 Jan 2014 -- Foreign investors deliberately bankrupted defense firms in the 1990s and Russia must act to prevent a recurrence, the head of Russia's Investigative Committee said.

Other Conflicts

• 15 January 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Jan 2014
• World must heed early warning signs to prevent genocide, UN is told UN News Centre 15 Jan 2014 -- Twenty years after the Rwanda genocide, where "the consequences of failing to heed the warning signs were monumentally horrifying," the world must respond early to the risk of mass atrocities amid mounting religious and ethnic polarization and demonization, a United Nations special event warned today.
• UN official urges African countries to 'stop turning blind eye' to suspected human rights violators UN News Centre 15 Jan 2014 -- The United Nations human rights chief today urged African leaders attending a high-level meeting in Angola on the strife-torn Great Lakes Region to ensure that persons suspected of serious human rights violations do not continue to jump borders to escape justice.
• CAR begins search for new interim leader Iran Press TV 15 Jan 2014 -- The Central African Republic (CAR) has begun the process of choosing a new interim leader following last week's resignation of President Michel Djotodia amid months of sectarian violence.
• African Union calls for more troops sent to CAR Iran Press TV 15 Jan 2014 -- The African Union (AU) has called on the countries in the Great Lakes region to strengthen a peacekeeping mission in the violence-plagued Central African Republic (CAR) to stabilize the situation in the country.
• UN chief strongly condemns South Sudan, rebel forces for stealing humanitarian aid UN News Centre 15 Jan 2014 -- As the conflict escalates in South Sudan, where fighting has now driven more than 400,000 people from their homes and left twice as many in dire need of aid, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned anti- and pro-Government forces for stealing food and vehicles used by the humanitarian community, reiterating that the United Nations will continue to actively protect civilians applying strict impartiality.
• S. Sudan Forces, Rebels Clash in Upper Nile VOA 15 Jan 2014 -- South Sudan's military is battling rebels in the northern Upper Nile state region on Wednesday, amid international concerns that unrest in the world's newest country could spiral into a full-fledged civil war.
• UN Chief 'Alarmed' by Rising Deaths in South Sudan VOA 15 Jan 2014 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expressing alarm at the rising number of people being killed or forced from their homes by the fighting in South Sudan.
• Refugee arrivals in Uganda raise humanitarian, security concerns IRIN 15 Jan 2014 -- Weeks of conflict in South Sudan have left thousands of people dead and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. Thousands of the displaced have been arriving in northern Uganda, where their situation is dire and has elicited security concerns.
• Beijing urges cross-strait cooperation on Diaoyutais issue CNA 15 Jan 2014 -- A Chinese official on Wednesday called on Taipei to join hands with Beijing against Japan on the territorial dispute over the Diaoyutai Islands.
• Syria: UN agency determined to reach besieged Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus UN News Centre 15 Jan 2014 -- "Bursts of gunfire, including machine gun fire, erupted close to the trucks and UNRWA vehicles," the United Nations agency assisting Palestine refugees said today, recalling how its staff attempted to get to a camp in the suburb of Yarmouk where both Palestinians and displaced Syrians are believed to be starving to death.
• Syria army mop-up operations continue across country Iran Press TV 15 Jan 2014 -- The Syrian army is pushing ahead with its mop-up operations to clear foreign-sponsored militants fighting against the government from different areas across the country.
• More Than $1 Billion Pledged At Syria Donors Conference RFE/RL 15 Jan 2014 -- Donors have so far pledged more than $1 billion for UN humanitarian efforts in Syria at an international donors conference in Kuwait.
• Top UN officials appeal for critical funds to assist millions affected by Syria conflict UN News Centre 15 Jan 2014 -- Top United Nations officials at a major donors' conference today appealed for urgent funds to assist millions of people inside Syria and in neighbouring countries who have been affected by the conflict that has raged for nearly three years.
• Donors to Increase Humanitarian Aid for Syria VOA 15 Jan 2014 -- International donors met in Kuwait City Wednesday to make pledges of new funding to address the humanitarian needs of Syria's civil war.
• Iraq Bombings Kill At Least 73 RFE/RL 15 Jan 2014 -- A spate of bombings and shootings across Iraq has killed at least 73 people on one of the bloodiest days in the country in months.
• Iraq unrest toll up to 73 dead, 128 wounded, PM seeks world's support Voice of Russia 15 Jan 2014 -- A wave of violence in Iraq, including car bombs, suicide attacks and shootings, killed at least 73 people and wounded 128 on Wednesday, security and medical officials said, as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki warned that militants were trying to set up an 'evil statelet'.

News Reports

• NSA Spies on People With Internet and Fake Rocks VOA 15 Jan 2014 -- As President Barack Obama prepares to unveil reforms to the U.S. National Security Agency's intelligence gathering programs, there is renewed attention on how the NSA actually hacks into computers.
• US Intelligence Reforms Debated Ahead of Obama Speech VOA 15 Jan 2014 -- U.S. intelligence reforms to be unveiled by President Barack Obama will be informed, at least in part, by a panel of legal scholars and spy experts that submitted recommendations to the White House for overhauling the National Security Agency.
• Latest Revelations on NSA Likely to Change Little in US Cyber Spying VOA 15 Jan 2014 -- U.S. officials are reacting cautiously to revelations published in The New York Times that the National Security Agency has found a way to spy on computers even when they are not connected to the Internet. Report says software was implanted into 100,000 computers worldwide.
• Reports: NSA Can Access Computers Not Connected to Internet VOA 15 Jan 2014 -- According to news reports, the U.S. government's electronic spy agency has developed technology to penetrate targeted computers, even if they are not connected to the Internet.
• US Phone Companies Fight Possible Changes In Data Collection VOA 15 Jan 2014 -- President Barack Obama is expected to announce Friday that he will modify the way U.S. intelligence agencies collect information. The president is said to be backing away from a proposal to have the National Security Agency transfer its vast records of phone calls to telecommunications companies.
• US Spy Program Penetrated Russian Military Networks – Report RIA Novosti 15 Jan 2014 -- The United States has infiltrated Russian military networks under a program that uses radio frequencies to spy on computers not connected to the Internet, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
• NSA implanted software on thousands of computers to spy on Russia, Mexico, other US allies Voice of Russia 15 Jan 2014 -- The US intelligence agency has covertly installed software on nearly 100,000 computers worldwide, allowing it to spy on them, and recruit them for possible cyber attacks, a news report said late Tuesday.
• NSA uses radio waves to spy on offline computers - report Voice of Russia 15 Jan 2014 -- The National Security Agency is using secret wireless technology that allows it to access and alter data on computers, even when they are not connected to the Internet, according to a New York Times report.
• Araqchi: $1.5b worth of Irans blocked assets to be released by early Feb IRNA 15 Jan 2014 -- Senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said that dlrs 1.5 billion worth of Iranian frozen assets will be released by early February 2014.
• Iran not to back off from nuclear right: Rouhani Iran Press TV 15 Jan 2014 -- The Iranian president says the Islamic Republic will not retreat one iota from its right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
• Lebanon wary as Hague trial begins IRIN 15 Jan 2014 -- These are worrying times for Lebanon; in late December a bomb exploded in the capital, Beirut, killing a former finance minister as well as at least four others. Days later, on 2 January, a car bomb in a southern suburb of the city killed five.
• Final day of constitution referendum underway in Egypt Iran Press TV 15 Jan 2014 -- The second and final day of voting on Egypt's new constitution is underway as anti-government protesters hold rallies in the capital, Cairo.
• Officials Push for High Turnout on Final Day of Egypt Referendum VOA 15 Jan 2014 -- Egyptian officials are pushing for a high turnout on the final day of a two-day constitutional referendum, in a bid to demonstrate popular support for the interim government. Unofficial tallies of early turnout, according to several Arab satellite channels, were around 50 percent of eligible voters in Egypt's two largest cities and less elsewhere.
• Maritime Piracy Drops Dramatically VOA 15 Jan 2014 -- Piracy off the coast of Somalia dramatically dropped in the last two years, according to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau (IMB).
• Chinese Lunar Landing Prompts Debate About Moon Exploitation VOA 15 Jan 2014 -- Last month, China successfully landed an unmanned probe on the Moon. The mission renewed a debate about the potential exploitation of the Moon's resources and who exactly owns the Earth's only natural satellite.
• Mexico vigilante groups refuse to lay down arms Iran Press TV 15 Jan 2014 -- Mexican federal forces and vigilante groups have failed to strike a deal on disarming amid a deadly showdown in Mexico's western Michoacan state.