Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF/OEF/OND Casualty Update 26 Jun 2014 [PDF]
• US Military Advisers: Iraq Assessments to Take Weeks VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- In the southern Iraqi city of Basra, hundreds of fresh recruits train, preparing to join the battle against Sunni militants who have been strengthening their grip on large swaths of the north and east.
• More U.S. Assessment Teams Arrive in Baghdad AFPS 26 Jun 2014 -- U.S. forces in Baghdad have opened a joint operations center in the city to assess the security situation in the wake of the rapid territorial gains made by Sunni militants, bringing the number of American service members there to about 500, Defense Department officials said today.
• Amid clashes between Afghan forces, Taliban, UN mission urges civilian protection in Helmand province UN News Centre 26 Jun 2014 -- Deeply concerned by the rising number of civilian casualties in ongoing military operations in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMA) today urged all parties to take precautions to ensure civilian protection.
• Karzai: 'Foreigners' Behind Taliban Offensive RFE/RL 26 Jun 2014 -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has accused 'foreign interests' of being behind a Taliban offensive in Helmand Province, while other Afghan officials are specifically blaming Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.e

Defense Policy / Programs

• Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby on Fiscal Year 2015 Overseas Contingency Operations Request DoD 26 Jun 2014 -- Secretary Hagel fully supports the president's overseas contingency operations (OCO) request for Fiscal Year 2015, which includes $58.6 billion for the Department of Defense and provides the department with the resources it needs to protect the broad range of U.S. national security interests.
• White House Asks Congress for $500M to Equip, Train Syrian Opposition VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- The White House is asking the U.S. Congress for $500 million to equip and train selected members of the armed moderate Syrian opposition.
• AF awards new combat rescue helicopter contract AFNS 26 Jun 2014 -- The Air Force awarded a $1.28 billion contract for the initial engineering and manufacturing development phase of the new combat rescue helicopter to Sikorsky Aircraft Company on June 26.
• 20th Annual CARAT Philippines 2014 Commences in Subic Bay NNS 26 Jun 2014 -- A U.S. Navy task group comprised of ships, aircraft, Sailors and Marines arrived in the Philippines to commence the 20th annual exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), June 26.
• George Washington Carrier Strike Group to Experience 'Lion City' Chronicle NNS 26 Jun 2014 -- The George Washington Carrier Strike Group (GWCSG) arrived in Singapore for a goodwill port visit, June 26.
• Naval War College Confers with Irregular Warfare Experts NNS 26 Jun 2014 -- More than 50 experts on irregular warfare joined together with the U.S. Naval War College's (NWC) Center for Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups (CIWAG) for their sixth annual symposium at NWC in Newport, Rhode Island, June 25-26.
• Force Improvement Program changing future of Global Strike AFNS 26 Jun 2014 -- The Air Force is making major improvements to how it supports and empowers the Airmen who perform the nuclear mission.
• South Carolina Guard Partners With Colombian Soldiers AFPS 26 Jun 2014 -- South Carolina National Guard soldiers teamed with members of the Colombian army to exchange knowledge on maintenance techniques in Colombia this month.
• USS Donald Cook Arrives in Durres, Albania NNS 26 Jun 2014 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) arrived in Durres, Albania, for a port visit, June 26.
• 45 units gather to support 30th Golden Coyote at Ellsworth AFB AFNS 26 Jun 2014 -- Ellsworth Air Force Base continued its history of providing vital assets and support during the South Dakota National Guard's, or SDNG, 30th Golden Coyote training exercise June 7 to 21.
• 7th Fleet Tests Innovative Missile Defense System NNS 26 Jun 2014 -- U.S. 7th Fleet and the Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC) tested how radar-absorbing, carbon-fiber clouds can prevent a missile from detecting and striking its target, June 21-25.
• USS Theodore Roosevelt Successfully Completes Inspection NNS 26 Jun 2014 -- After a year of preparations, the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) successfully completed a three-day Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) material inspection, June 26.
• "America and Europe - Defending Freedom Together" - Speech by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at the Global Leadership Awards dinner of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs NATO 26 Jun 2014 -- Thank you very much for that Ivo and thank you to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. I am deeply honoured by this award. I will treasure it. And I will also treat it as a source of inspiration. Because there is still a lot of work to do, by all of us, to defend, and to nurture, the most precious thing that we have - our freedom.
• Aerial surveillance key to NATO efforts AFNS 26 Jun 2014 -- The E-3A Component based here is an integrated, multinational, rapidly deployable asset to NATO providing airborne surveillance, command, control, and communication capabilities
• Russia in Continued Military Overhaul - Putin RIA Novosti 26 Jun 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday it was his government's priority to defend the nation against potential military threats, with the help of improved armed forces.
• Russian Military's High Professionalism Secured Peaceful Referendum in Crimea – Putin RIA Novosti 26 Jun 2014 -- Russian President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the Russian military's high moral and professional skills ensured a peaceful referendum in Crimea.
• Russian Navy to Receive Four New Minesweepers by 2019 – Defense Ministry RIA Novosti 26 Jun 2014 -- Russia's Navy is to receive four new minesweepers by 2019 under Project 12700, with the first to be put into service in late 2015, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.
• US Refusal to Host Russian Navigation Stations 'Political' - GLONASS Chief RIA Novosti 26 Jun 2014 -- The refusal by the US to set up transmitters for Russia's GLONASS system is more of a political than a technical move, GLONASS CEO Alexander Gurko said Thursday.
• US Analysts Debate Meaning of Frequent Military Changes in N. Korea VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- Frequent leadership changes within the North Korean military is causing some to question if the Kim Jong Un regime is still unstable.
• Command of Southwestern Front of KPA Releases Crucial Report KCNA 26 Jun 2014 -- The Command of the Southwestern Front of the Korean People's Army (KPA) releases the following crucial report on Thursday:
• Some European Countries Accused of Finding Fault with DPRK over Issue of Armistice Supervisory Mechanism KCNA 26 Jun 2014 -- Some countries toeing the U.S. line recently dared find fault with the DPRK over the issue of the long defunct Armistice supervisory mechanism.
• North Korea Test-Fires 3 Missiles Into Sea of Japan VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- South Korea says North Korea has test-fired three short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan.
• US Expert: North Korea Speeds Up Missile Launch Times VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- North Korea can fire long-range missiles significantly faster, following upgrades to its launch sites, a U.S. expert has observed.
• June 26, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 26 Jun 2014
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Josh Earnest en route Minneapolis, MN, 6/26/2014 The White House 26 Jun 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 26, 2014
• Sikorsky Awarded U.S. Air Force Contract to Develop New Combat Rescue Helicopter Sikorsky 26 Jun 2014 -- Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), has been awarded a U.S. Air Force contract to develop new combat search and rescue helicopters. Sikorsky will develop a derivative of the UH-60M BLACK HAWK model for the Air Force's rescue mission.

Other Conflicts

• 26 June 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 26 Jun 2014
• Kerry Discusses Security Challenges with Middle Eastern Officials VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting with representatives of Middle Eastern and Gulf states to discuss security challenges in the wake of a quick advance of an Islamist insurgency. A radical group that calls itself the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has taken control of large swaths of northern Iraq and threatens to capture Iraq's capital, Baghdad.
• Background Briefing: Readout of Secretary Kerry's Meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal, Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, and Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh US Dept. of State 26 Jun 2014
• In message to Maputo conference, Ban calls for accelerating efforts towards mine-free world UN News Centre 26 Jun 2014 -- Reiterating the commitment of the United Nations to ridding the world of anti-personnel landmines, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for accelerating efforts towards achieving this goal and strengthening adherence to the global treaty dealing with the issue.
• Iraqi forces recapture gas field town in Diyala Iran Press TV 26 Jun 2014 -- Iraqi forces have reportedly regained control of a strategic town which is home to a number of gas fields in the eastern province of Diyala as the army continues its battle against Takfiri terrorists.
• Iran to dispatch weapons to Iraq upon request: Official Iran Press TV 26 Jun 2014 -- A high-ranking Iranian official says the Islamic Republic will dispatch munitions and military hardware to Iraq to help it battle the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants.
• ISIL militants well-funded: UN envoy for Iraq Iran Press TV 26 Jun 2014 -- Militants from the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) are "well-funded," a United Nations (UN) representative for Iraq says.
• Iraqi army gains ground in fight against ISIL: Reports Iran Press TV 26 Jun 2014 -- The Iraqi army has gained ground in its fight against terrorists from the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), latest reports show.
• Iraq Confirms Syrian Air Strikes Against Militants RFE/RL 26 Jun 2014 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has told the BBC he supports a Syrian air strike on Islamist militants at a border crossing between Syria and Iraq.
• Syria, Iran Join Fight Against Iraq's Militants VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- Top Western diplomats are focusing on the crisis in Iraq and pressing their calls for the country to unite in the face of a surge by Sunni Islamist militants, as Syria and Iran join the fight.
• Thousands Flee Eastern Ukraine as End of Cease-Fire Looms VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- Witnesses say thousands of Ukrainians fleeing violence in eastern Ukraine lined up late Thursday at a Russian border crossing in cars packed with personal belongings to cross into Russia.
• Interview: Ukraine FM Says Russia Has No Prospects in Crimea VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- Questioning the viability of long-term political and economic goals Russia has set for itself in Crimea, Ukraine's new foreign minister says that Moscow has no chance of implementing them on the annexed peninsula.
• Ukraine President Calls on Russia to Show Commitment to Peace VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called on Russia Thursday to support his peace plan for eastern Ukraine with "actions, not words,' accusing Moscow of 'aggression.'
• Donetsk, Lugansk alliance parliament ratifies Union of People's Republics' constitution VoR 26 Jun 2014 -- The Parliament of the alliance of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics unanimously ratified a constitutional act proclaiming the creation of the Union of People's Republics (UPR). Earlier the constitution had been ratified by the respective parliaments of both republics.
• 10,000 Ukrainian citizens ask for refugee status, temporary asylum in Russia VoR 26 Jun 2014 -- Around 10,000 Ukrainian citizens asked for refugee status or temporary asylum in Russia, deputy head of the Federal Migration Service's department in Moscow Marina Kapustina said in a public advisory council on Thursday. 'More than 9,600 Ukrainian citizens asked for refugee status or temporary asylum,' she said.
• Pro-Russians agree to further peace talks Iran Press TV 26 Jun 2014 -- Pro-Russia protesters in eastern Ukraine have said they agree to take part in another round of peace talks with Kiev.
• Ukrainian President Calls On Russia To Support Peace 'With Deeds' RFE/RL 26 Jun 2014 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has called on Russia to support his peace plan 'with deeds, not words.'
• Ukraine's Luhansk, Donetsk Republics Ratify Union of People's Republics Constitution RIA Novosti 26 Jun 2014 -- The parliament of the union of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics ratified a constitutional act that proclaims the creation of the Union of the People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk during its first session on Thursday.
• Armored Vehicles Approaching Eastern Ukraine's Luhansk RIA Novosti 26 Jun 2014 -- A column of Ukrainian armored military vehicles has arrived near the eastern village of Zheltoe, approximately 20 kilometers from the city of Luhansk, the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic's Defense Ministry Press Secretary Alexei Toporov told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
• Humanitarian needs outpacing response amid ongoing obstacles to aid delivery in Syria - UN UN News Centre 26 Jun 2014 -- Four months after the Security Council adopted a resolution demanding unimpeded access to people in need of assistance in Syria, relief agencies continue to face obstacles to aid delivery while the needs continue to grow and are now outpacing response efforts, the United Nations humanitarian chief reported today.
• Libya: UN envoy hopes parliamentary polls will lead to greater political stability UN News Centre 25 Jun 2014 -- The United Nations envoy in Libya today commended the authorities on the organization of the parliamentary elections and urged all citizens to take part in the polls, which he hoped will pave the way for greater stability in the country.
• Violence, low turnout mar Libya parliamentary vote Iran Press TV 26 Jun 2014 -- Violence and a low turnout have overshadowed Libya's parliamentary elections, which people hope could end months of political chaos and growing unrest in the country.
• Cameroon Continues Boko Haram Crackdown VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- Cameroon's military has killed 10 suspected Boko Haram members along its northern border with Nigeria and arrested 50 Nigerian businessmen in Cameroon for allegedly collaborating with the militants. Cameroon's crackdown is gaining intensity as Boko Haram has intensified its attacks in its native Nigeria.
• No Clear Route Emerges in Vietnam Sea Spat With China VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- As Vietnam mops up after anti-China riots last month with insurance payouts and tax refunds to affected businesses, there is still no solution in sight for the ongoing territorial face-off in the South China Sea.

News Reports

• Explainer: What EU Accords Mean For Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova RFE/RL 26 Jun 2014 -- Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova will take a step closer to the EU when they sign key accords in Brussels on June 27. Here are five things to know about what's at stake.
• WHO: Ebola Sub-regional Crisis VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- The World Health Organization says drastic action is needed to control the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. The WHO is ramping-up its response by deploying 150 experts to the region. As of June 23, there have been 635 confirmed Ebola cases and 399 deaths.
• Fighting Ebola and its myths IRIN 26 Jun 2014 -- A months-long battle to bring West Africa's Ebola outbreak under control has stretched medical teams to the limit, while mistrust in some communities has impaired prevention work and raised questions about the delivery of health warnings.
• Notorious UK spymaster to step down Iran Press TV 26 Jun 2014 -- The head of Britain's MI6 spymaster John Sawers is to step down in November after five years in the job.
• UNODC: Asia Seeing Increased Amphetamine Trafficking VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released the 2014 World Drug Report on global drug trafficking Thursday to mark International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
• Global drug use stable, but nearly 200,000 drug-related deaths still recorded – UN report UN News Centre 26 Jun 2014 -- Global drug use has stabilized, but some 200,000 people are still victims of drug-related deaths, according to the latest World Drug Report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
• Jordanian Court Acquits Cleric on Conspiracy Charge VOA 26 Jun 2014 -- A Jordanian court on Thursday acquitted al-Qaida-linked Muslim cleric Abu Qatada, who was extradited from Britain last year, of charges of plotting an attack on the American school in the capital, Amman.