• 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 16 Apr 2014 [PDF]
• MARFORRES in Afghanistan USMC News 16 Apr 2014 -- With media coverage on Operation Enduring Freedom waning, budget discussions about ending funding to the war in Afghanistan, and focus turning away from the Middle East, U.S. forces are slowly being forgotten in the American conscious. But the fact remains that service members are still hard at work, working with and training Afghan troops and police on how to gain territory from insurgents, and maintain stability in their regions.
• Analysts Warn of Regional Proxy Conflict in Afghanistan VOA 16 Apr 2014 -- With the political situation in Afghanistan in flux and international forces due to leave the country by the end of the year, the debate in neighboring Pakistan is focusing on prospects for increased cooperation among Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
• Pakistani Taliban End Ceasefire VOA 16 Apr 2014 -- Islamist militants in Pakistan, referred to as the Pakistani Taliban, have formally ended a 40-day cease-fire that they called to engage in peace talks with the government. The move has raised fears of renewed suicide bombings and terrorist attacks in the country.
• U.S. Ship Responds to Scene of Korean Ship Sinking AFPS 16 Apr 2014 -- The U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard is responding to the scene after the passenger ship Sewol sank near the island of Jindo off South Korea's southwestern coast.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Obama to Reassure Asian Allies VOA 16 Apr 2014 -- President Barack Obama begins a weeklong trip to Asia next Tuesday, in a bid to reassure allies in the region. Obama will travel to Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines.
• Keel Laid for Future USS Gabrielle Giffords NNS 16 Apr 2014 -- The Navy and Austal USA held a keel laying ceremony for the future USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), the Navy's 10th littoral combat ship (LCS), in Mobile, Ala., April 16.
• Hue City to Return to Mayport Following Fire NNS 16 Apr 2014 -- U.S. Fleet Forces announced late Monday that USS Hue City (CG 66) would return to her homeport of Mayport, Fla. following a fire that occurred April 14.
• Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on the Republic of Korea National Assembly's Ratification of a New Special Measures Agreement DoD 16 Apr 2014
• Joint Statement of the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue DoD 16 Apr 2014 -- The Department of Defense and Republic of Korea (ROK) Ministry of National Defense held the 5th Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) on April 15-16 in Washington, D.C.
• B-1B Lancer software upgrade will ensure future warfighting capabilities AFNS 16 Apr 2014 -- In order to keep the B-1B Lancer's capabilities ready to operate now and well into the fast-paced integrated battlefield of the future, the 419th Flight Test Squadron began testing Sustainment Block 16A software upgrades here April 1.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Meeting with Chilean Minister of National Defense Jorge Burgos Varela DoD 16 Apr 2014
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Call with United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan DoD 16 Apr 2014
• Exercise Obangame Express 2014 Commences NNS 16 Apr 2014 -- Naval forces from the United States, Europe, South America and Africa commenced the multinational maritime exercise Obangame Express, April 16.
• PCU North Dakota Commissioning Postponed NNS 16 Apr 2014 -- PCU North Dakota (SSN 784) commissioning will be postponed, the Navy announced, April 16.
• 3rd Fleet and TTGP Host RIMPAC Staff Exercise NNS 16 Apr 2014 -- Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet (C3F) and Tactical Training Group Pacific (TTGP) held a Staff Exercise (STAFFEX) for senior leadership staffs at Naval Base Point Loma April 14-16 in preparation for Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2014.
• NATO Strengthens Military Presence On Eastern Borders RFE/RL 16 Apr 2014 -- NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the alliance is strengthening its military presence on its eastern borders in response to the crisis in Ukraine.
• NATO to Boost Military Presence in Baltic, Mediterranean RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- NATO will intensify air patrols over Eastern Europe and dispatch extra ships to the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas due to the crisis in Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said after a meeting of alliance ambassadors in Brussels.
• Moscow Dismisses Russia's Alleged Threats to Invade Ukraine, Europe as Nonsense RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- Statements that Russia allegedly threatens Ukraine and Europe with a military invasion are "nonsense," Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov told Rossiya24 TV channel Wednesday.
• Russia to Boost Manpower on New Space Center Construction Site RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- Russia will significantly boost the number of workers involved in the construction of its new Far Eastern Vostochny space launch center, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said at a meeting Wednesday.
• Royal Navy tests remote-controlled minehunter UK MOD 16 Apr 2014 -- A remote-controlled boat that can search for, hunt and destroy mines is being tested by a specialist Royal Navy unit.
• F-35 Lightning II jet to make maiden British flight UK MOD 16 Apr 2014 -- The combat aircraft will fly in Britain for the first time this summer at 2 airshows.
• Defence in Scotland UK MOD 16 Apr 2014 -- Armed Forces Minister has said 'UK defence is better together' during a visit to Royal Air Force air defence headquarters in Scotland.
• April 16, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 16 Apr 2014
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney en route Pittsburgh, PA, 4/16/2014 The White House 16 Apr 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 16, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 16 April 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 16 Apr 2014
• Vehicles hit by Jordan air strikes not Syria army's - Syrian official VoR 16 Apr 2014 -- Vehicles hit by Jordanian air strikes on the border on Wednesday did not belong to the Syrian army, Syrian state media said, citing a military source. 'No military or armored vehicles belonging to the Syrian army moved towards the Jordanian border, and so what was targeted by the Jordanian air force does not belong to the Syrian army,' state television said in a breaking news alert.
• Jordan says it destroyed armoured vehicles possibly crossing from Syria VoR 16 Apr 2014 -- Jordanian air force fighter jets destroyed a number of armoured vehicles on Wednesday as they tried to cross into the kingdom from neighbouring Syria, the army said. 'Royal air force jets fighters today destroyed a number of vehicles that attempted to cross into Jordan from Syria,' the army said in a brief statement, without elaborating.
• UN and partners seek emergency funds to aid civilians fleeing Central African Republic UN News Centre 16 Apr 2014 -- United Nations humanitarian agencies and their partners today launched a joint appeal to donors to fund emergency operations in support of the growing number of people who have been fleeing the conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR) since last December.
• DRC Concerned with C. A. R Continued Violence VOA 16 Apr 2014 -- Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) information minister has expressed concern that the conflict in neighboring Central African Republic (C.A.R) could threaten security of the entire region.
• UN Seeks Millions to Help CAR Refugees VOA 16 Apr 2014 -- Fifteen United Nations and private humanitarian agencies are appealing for $274 million to fund emergency aid for people fleeing violence in the Central African Republic. Nearly 200,000 people have fled the C.A.R. since December, but the U.N. says it expects that number to grow to more than 360,000 by the end of the year.
• Rwandan genocide: Security Council told failure of political will led to ‘cascade of human tragedy’ UN News Centre 16 Apr 2014 -- The Security Council today marked the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide by calling on all countries to recommit to prevent and fight such serious crimes, as a senior United Nations official warned that many of today’s conflicts reveal that protection of populations from atrocities remains “lagging and elusive.”
• South Sudan: number of civilians protected at UN peacekeeping bases is ‘swelling’ UN News Centre 16 Apr 2014 -- Spiraling violence has forced an increasing number of civilians in South Sudan’s oil-rich Unity state are seeking refuge with the United Nations peacekeeping mission, it was confirmed today.
• Fighting Intensifies in Northern Burma VOA 16 Apr 2014 -- Fighting has intensified in northern Burma as government troops continue a weeklong offensive against ethnic Kachin rebels.
• Nigeria's President Calls Special Meeting to Address Violence VOA 16 Apr 2014 -- Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has summoned his National Security Council to a Thursday meeting in Abuja, after suspected militants carried out a string of deadly attacks and abducted more than 100 school girls.
• Fears in Cameroon of Boko Haram recruitment IRIN 16 Apr 2014 -- Nigeria's extremist Islamist group Boko Haram are believed to be actively recruiting fighters across the border in Cameroon's Far North Region, according to residents and local government officials.

News Reports

• Yarema: Sloviansk, Kramatorsk terrorized by saboteurs from Russia's 45th Airborne Troops Regiment Ukrinform 16 Apr 2014 -- Masked saboteurs of the Russian 45th Airborne Troops Regiment are operating in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaliy Yarema told reporters on Tuesday.
• Remarks by Ambassador Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at a Security Council Session on Ukraine, April 16, 2014 U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations 16 Apr 2014
• UN Official: Situation in E.Ukraine Risks Destabilizing Entire Country VOA 16 Apr 2014 -- A senior U.N. human rights official warned Wednesday that if the situation in eastern Ukraine is not quickly addressed, it “risks seriously destabilizing” the entire country.
• Kyiv Suffers Setback in East Ukraine VOA 16 Apr 2014 -- Ukrainian authorities in Kyiv suffered a serious setback Wedensday in their efforts to restore order in the troubled east of the country when pro-Russian separatists seized several Ukrainian army armored vehicles, hoisting Russia flags on them.
• Ukraine Envoy Defiant but Hopeful About Outcome of Talks VOA 16 Apr 2014 -- A Ukrainian envoy says he is hopeful four-way Ukraine talks in Geneva Thursday will deter further Russian military aggression in his country. But he warns Ukraine will do whatever it takes to protect its territory if diplomatic efforts fail to resolve this standoff.
• 60 Ukrainian servicemen side with protesters in Slavyansk VoR 16 Apr 2014 -- About 60 Ukrainian servicemen from the crews of armored combat vehicles sent to the town of Kramatorsk as part of a military operation to quell federalization protests in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday sided with protesters. The servicemen took down Ukrainian flags and headed to nearby Slavyansk.
• Ukraine needs well-balanced Constitution to preserve unity - Lavrov VoR 16 Apr 2014 -- Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sergei Lavrov, believes that the large-scale internal political crisis in Ukraine clearly showed deep-rooted discrepancies between the South-East and the West of the country as regards the choice of the vector of further development.
• Armored Vehicles Showing Russian Flag Appear In Eastern Ukraine RFE/RL 16 Apr 2014 -- Armored vehicles bearing the Russian flag were seen driving in eastern Ukraine on April 16, as separatists stormed the city administration building in the main city of Donetsk.
• Putin Says Ukraine 'On Verge Of Civil War' RFE/RL 16 Apr 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Ukraine is 'on the verge of civil war.'
• Horlivka Dispatch: Uneasy Calm Following Takeover RFE/RL 16 Apr 2014 -- An uneasy calm reigns in Horlivka, hours after gun-toting separatists stormed a local city-administration building. But the apparent calm belies a deep rift between locals supporting the takeover of Horlivka, the latest city in eastern Ukraine to fall under the control of pro-Russian militants, and those loyal to authorities in Kyiv.
• Interview: 'We May Already Be Past The Point Of No Return' RFE/RL 16 Apr 2014 -- Ivan Lozowy, a Kyiv-based political analyst, traveled to the eastern Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Luhansk this week. He talks to RFE/RL's Daisy Sindelar about Kyiv's failure to confront the separatist crisis and the role of the Donbas oligarchs in stirring up the unrest.
• Six Ukrainian Army Vehicles Join Pro-Federalist Protesters in Kramatorsk RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- Six armored transport vehicles sent to the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk are currenty controlled by pro-federalist activists, he Ukrainian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
• Russia's Position on Ukraine Sound, Consistent – Moscow RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- Russia's stand on Ukraine is sound and consistent but runs into the 'concrete wall' of Western censorship, Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.
• 50 Ukrainian Soldiers Join Federalists in Slaviansk RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- Fifty Ukrainian soldiers sent to the eastern town of Kramatorsk for military operations against pro-federalization protesters have defected to the side of the demonstrators, local self-defense activists told RIA Novosti Wednesday.
• Ukrainian Official Claims Armored Vehicle Desertions Were Guerrilla Tactic RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- Reports of Ukrainian armored vehicles hoisting Russian flags were a guerilla tactic to penetrate the federalist-held region, a member of the Batkyvshchina (Fatherland) Party claimed Wednesday.
• Ukrainian Parliament Supports Military Operation in East – Kiev Official RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has signed off on the security operation to stabilize the situation in the country's eastern regions, First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaliy Yarema told RIA Novosti Wednesday.
• Three More Armored Transport Vehicles Join Federalists in Eastern Ukraine RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- The personnel of three more armored transport vehicles sent to the eastern Ukrainian cities of Slaviansk and Kramatorsk have switched sides and joined the pro-federalist activists there, a RIA Novosti correspondent said Wednesday.
• Moscow Slams French Claims of Russian Role in Ukraine Standoff RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized France Wednesday for attempting to blame Moscow for the crisis in eastern Ukraine, while urging Paris to fulfill its commitment under an earlier reconciliation deal.
• Over 50 Ukrainian Armored Vehicles Rolling Toward Donetsk - Activists RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- Pro-federalization activists in Ukraine's southeastern city of Donetsk say more than 50 military armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Army have been spotted in the region and are now closing on the city.
• Russia's Plans for Four-Party Talks on Ukraine Still on Agenda – Lavrov RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- Russia's participation in the four-party talks on the Ukrainian crisis in Geneva remains on the agenda, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.
• Doorstep statement by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen following the meeting of the North Atlantic Council NATO 16 Apr 2014
• Russia to Submit Claim for Okhotsk Sea Shelf by Year-End RIA Novosti 16 Apr 2014 -- Russia plans to finalize its official claim for a large swath of the continental shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk and hand it over to the United Nations by the end of the year, Russian Natural Resources Minister Sergei Donskoi said Wednesday.
• Rouhani: Iran, Sextet able to reach agreement in 6 months ISNA 16 Apr 2014 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani reiterated that the country and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany can reach a final agreement in six month.
• Saudi Intelligence Chief Replaced 16 Apr 2014 -- Saudi Arabia's intelligence chief, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, has stepped down from his post. His resignation came at "his own request," according to Saudi state media. The 65 year old prince is being replaced by his deputy, General Youssef al Idrissi.