• 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 Jul 2014 [PDF]
• Abdullah condemns initial results of Afghanistan run-off Iran Press TV 08 Jul 2014 -- Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah has condemned the initial results of last month's run-off vote that put his rival Ashraf Ghani ahead of him.
• US warns against power grab in Afghanistan Iran Press TV 08 Jul 2014 -- US Secretary of State John Kerry says any action to seize power through means other than the legal channels in Afghanistan will lead to an end to the US financial and security support for the country.
• Abdullah Claims Victory In Contested Afghan Election RFE/RL 08 Jul 2014 -- Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah has claimed victory in the country's disputed presidential election and blamed fraud for putting him well behind rival Ashraf Ghani in preliminary results.
• Suicide attack amidst group of children draws condemnation from UN in Afghanistan UN News Centre 08 Jul 2014 -- The top United Nations official in Afghanistan today condemned a suicide bombing in the central province of Parwan which killed at least 10 children and injured six others, warning that such indiscriminate attacks could amount to international humanitarian law violations.
• Abdullah Declares Himself Winner in Afghan Election VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- A day after election authorities in Afghanistan declared that former finance minister Ashraf Ghani was far ahead in the preliminary results for the presidential runoff, his rival candidate Abdullah Abdullah rejected the outcome and declared himself the "rightful" winner.
• Presidential candidate Abdullah claims victory in Afghan election blaming fraud VoR 08 Jul 2014 -- Former Foreign Minister of Afghanistan and presidential candidate, Abdullah Abdullah claimed victory on Tuesday in Afghanistan's disputed election. He was blaming fraud for putting him behind his main election rival Ashraf Ghani in preliminary results.
• 'Number of displaced Pakistanis in N Waziristan reaches 800k' Iran Press TV 08 Jul 2014 -- Pakistan's Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) has announced that the number of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country's North Waziristan Agency has reached almost 800,000.

Defense Policy / Programs

• The 126th ARW refuels global strike mission AFNS 08 Jul 2014 -- The U.S. Strategic Command's Air Force Global Strike Command's mission relies on the Illinois Air National Guard's 126th Air Refueling Wing for execution.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Rear Adm. Kirby in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 08 Jul 2014 -- Presenter: Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby
• Vella Gulf Arrives In Burgas, Bulgaria NNS 08 Jul 2014 -- Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) arrived in Burgas, Bulgaria for a scheduled port visit July 8.
• US, China Strike Conciliatory Tone as Annual Talks Begin VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- Top Chinese and United States officials are emphasizing cooperation as they begin two days of annual talks in Beijing on Wednesday.
• Secretary General praises strong US leadership in talks with President Obama NATO 08 Jul 2014 -- NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen thanked President Barack Obama for his country's leadership within the Alliance and strong commitment to transatlantic security during talks with the United States president at the White House on Tuesday (8 July 2014) which focused on preparations for this September NATO Summit in Wales. "I am particularly grateful for the support the United States has provided in response to Russia's unacceptable actions in Ukraine," the Secretary General said.
• NATO Sets Record By Sending Nine Ships Into Black Sea RIA Novosti 08 Jul 2014 -- The group of NATO ships in the Black Sea has grown to nine vessels, setting a record for recent decades, a Russian military source told RIA Novosti Tuesday.
• Russian Navy Trains to Fight Assault as NATO Accumulates Ships in Black Sea RIA Novosti 08 Jul 2014 -- Russia's Black Sea Fleet has started training for fighting an amphibious assault in light of the high concentration of NATO ships in the area, a representative of the Russian Navy told journalists Tuesday.
• Russian Army to Participate in Frontier-2014 International Drills RIA Novosti 08 Jul 2014 -- Soldiers from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are to take part in the Frontier-2014 drills to be held in Chelyabinsk Region, spokesman for the Central Military District, Colonel Yaroslav Roshchupkin, said Tuesday.
• Ukrainian president ousts security service commander VoR 08 Jul 2014 -- Ukrainian President Petr Poroshenko has signed decrees of ousting General Vasily Krutov from the posts of first deputy head of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) and head of the SBU anti-terrorist centre. Respective papers have been posted on the Ukrainian president's web site.
• China, Greece vow to intensify military ties People's Daily 08 Jul 2014 -- China and Greece on Monday pledged to enhance cooperation between the two countries' armed forces.
• UK leads fight against drugs with £18 million seizure UK MOD 08 Jul 2014 -- More than 6,000 kilos of cannabis resin have been seized thanks to a British-led task force.
• US, China Split Over More Active Japanese Military VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew are in Beijing for talks with their Chinese counterparts on economic and military issues. Washington and Beijing disagree over Japan's military taking a more active role in conflicts outside its borders.
• India's military forces successfully tests BrahMos missile VoR 08 Jul 2014 -- India's military forces have successfully tested the updated version of a supersonic cruise missile BrahMos, developed jointly with Russia. 'During the test, an updated steering system, uniting several navigation satellites, was used, along with new software, developed by Indian scientists and enterprises, which resulted in high hit precision of surface targets,' BrahMos Aerospace said in the statement.
• July 8, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 08 Jul 2014
• Daily Briefing by the Press Secretary, 07/08/2014 The White House 08 Jul 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 08, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 8 July 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 Jul 2014
• No Iranian Regulars on Ground in Iraq, Pentagon Spokesman Says AFPS 08 Jul 2014 -- There are no indications that Iran has regular military forces on the ground inside Iraq, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said today during a Pentagon news conference.
• US Senator Blasts Obama's Handling of Iraq Crisis VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- A top Republican lawmaker says the Obama administration has 'no strategy' to combat radical Sunni militants in Iraq and Syria. John McCain was one of several senators who spoke after a closed-door briefing by top U.S. officials on Capitol Hill.
• ISIL terrorists kill 50 tribal gunmen in Iraq Iran Press TV 08 Jul 2014 -- ISIL Takfiri terrorists have killed at least 50 Iraqi tribal gunmen and injured several others in a village near the northern city of Beiji.
• Baghdad goes on alert against ISIL Iran Press TV 08 Jul 2014 -- The Iraqi military is reportedly building fortifications near the capital, Baghdad, to repel potential attacks by ISIL Takfiri terrorists.
• Iraq Parliament to Meet on Sunday VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- Iraq's new parliament will hold its next session July 13, the acting speaker said on Tuesday, after a five-week delay announced on Monday was criticized by local lawmakers and the United States.
• Ukraine Government Calls on Rebels to Disarm VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- The Ukrainian government says there will be no cease-fire talks with pro-Russian separatists in the east until the rebels completely lay down their arms.
• Lavrov criticizes Kiev's demands regarding south-eastern self-defense forces VoR 08 Jul 2014 -- Russian Foreign Minister on Tuesday criticized Kiev's demands that militiamen in Ukraine's south-eastern regions capitulate. 'We see everything thanks to correspondents who work risking their lives, and (we see) how solemn words of (Ukrainian) President Poroshenko that the Ukrainian army was ordered not to shell cities, settlements and residential quarters, not to bomb civilians, reflect reality,' Russian diplomat Sergei Lavrov said. 'What is happening is totally different,' he said.
• Ukrainian army forced back from Lugansk - LPR head VoR 08 Jul 2014 -- Leader of the self-declared Lugansk People's Republic Valery Bolotov said the republic's militia has forced Ukrainian troops back from Lugansk. 'The armed forces of the Lugansk People's Republic have forced Ukrainian troops to retreat. The frontline moved in our favor on individual stretches. We remain in control of Izvarino and this stretch of the border,' Bolotov said at a press conference on Tuesday.
• Self-defense forces destroy military jet, seven armored vehicles of Ukrainian army in Lugansk airport VoR 08 Jul 2014 -- The press service of the Lugansk People's Republic has reported the destruction of an Ilyushin Il-76 heavy military-transportation aircraft and seven armored personnel carriers of Ukrainian law enforcers near the Lugansk airport.
• Self-defense forces take all serviceable weapons out of Slavyansk VoR 08 Jul 2014 -- The chief of staff of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) self-defense forces that defended Slavyansk announced that all serviceable weapons had been taken out of the city. He said to Interfax that he was personally responsible for this.
• Lugansk self-defense forces take control of Grad multiple launch rocket system VoR 08 Jul 2014 -- People's militia in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lugansk have managed to seize one of the three Grad multiple rocket launcher systems used to pound the city on Monday, eyewitnesses say, noting that these are early reports. The launcher 'only slightly damaged', was moved to a city neighborhood and 'militiamen are painting over Ukrainian military marking,' an Itar-Tass source has said. There have been no comments from the people's militia headquarters as of yet.
• Kiev refuses to hold talks with opposition: Defense Minister Iran Press TV 08 Jul 2014 -- Ukraine's Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey says Kiev will not hold talks with pro-Russian forces in the east unless they "irrevocably lay down their arms."
• Independence Forces Say Ukrainian Army Seizes Town in Northern Donbas RIA Novosti 08 Jul 2014 -- The Ukrainian Army has taken over the town of Konstantinovka in northern Donetsk Region, representatives of the People's Republic of Donetsk told RIA Novosti Tuesday.
• Kiev Says Ceasefire in East Ukraine Possible if Independence Supporters Lay Down Weapons RIA Novosti 08 Jul 2014 -- Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Heletei on Tuesday said there will be no unilateral ceasefire from the army and negotiations will be held only after independence supporters lay down their weapons.
• Syrian refugee mothers in 'spiral of hardship', UN reports UN News Centre 08 Jul 2014 -- One in four of all Syrian refugee families in Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan are headed by women who, on their own, are struggling to make ends meet and take care of their increasingly traumatized families, the United Nations today reported, calling for more resources to aid these single mothers.
• Israel Strikes Dozens of Gaza Targets in Heavy Fighting VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- In the heaviest fighting in the Gaza Strip in nearly two years, Israel launched dozens of air raids Tuesday as it edged closer to a ground invasion to halt incoming Palestinian rocket attacks.
• Israeli Defense Forces launch operation 'Protective Edge' against Hamas VoR 08 Jul 2014 -- The IDF announced military operation against Hamas after Monday Palestinian extremists in the Gaza Strip fired dozens of rockets into Israeli territory. This is stated in a press release of the army. 'The IDF launched Operation 'Protective Edge' in the Gaza Strip against Hamas in order to stop terror against Israeli citizens, they face every day,' said in a statement, reports Itar-Tass.
• Fresh Israeli airstrikes kill 14, injure 80 in Gaza Iran Press TV 08 Jul 2014 -- At least 14 Palestinians, including two children, have been killed and 80 others injured in a fresh spate of air attacks by the Israeli regime on the besieged Gaza Strip.
• Israel Announces Launch of Offensive Against Gaza Strip Militants RIA Novosti 08 Jul 2014 -- The Israeli Army announced Tuesday the launch of a large-scale operation against Gaza Strip militants in response to continued shelling from the Palestinian side.
• Israel Strikes Dozens of Gaza Targets VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- Israel launched dozens of air raids on the Gaza Strip Tuesday as it edged closer to a ground invasion to halt Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel.
• UN envoy warns of daunting challenges to West Africa, Boko Haram threat to Nigeria UN News Centre 08 Jul 2014 -- While countries in West Africa are trying to promote development and consolidate democracy, they continue to face daunting challenges such as transnational organized crime and growing terrorist activities, the top United Nations official in the region told the Security Council today, while also warning of the increasing threat the Boko Haram crisis poses to Nigeria.
• Official: Nigeria 'Moving Closer' to Finding Girls VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- After several arrests and reported victories against Boko Haram militants, the Nigerian military says it is 'moving closer'' to rescuing the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in April. But critics are skeptical, saying the government is under enormous pressure to demonstrate action and that military might alone will not end the insurgency.
• Somali President 'Safe' After al-Shabab Attack on Palace VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- Somali officials say the country's president and prime minister are safe following an attack by militant group al-Shabab on the presidential palace in Mogadishu.
• Al-Shabab Attacks Somali Presidential Palace VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- Islamist militants have attacked Somalia's presidential palace, their second major attack on the compound this year.
• Uganda forces kill 75 gunmen near DR Congo border Iran Press TV 08 Jul 2014 -- At least 75 armed men have been killed in four days of clashes with army troops in west of Uganda near its border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the army said.
• Escalating violence in Central African Republic threatens aid delivery – UN agency UN News Centre 08 Jul 2014 -- Warning about the deteriorating situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said today that the violence there was threatening humanitarian assistance and creating major difficulties for relief workers in the field.
• On independence anniversary, Ban calls for end to 'man-made crisis' in South Sudan UN News Centre 08 Jul 2014 -- On the occasion of the third anniversary of South Sudan's independence, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on the country's leaders to live up to the expectations of their people, lay down their arms and return immediately to negotiations to end the ongoing crisis.

News Reports

• Ukraine's Gas Arrears Reach $5.3 Billion - Gazprom RIA Novosti 08 Jul 2014 -- Ukraine's debt for Russian gas deliveries for June 1-16 is $838 million and its overall arrears have hit $5.3 billion, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said Tuesday.
• Iran needs 190.000 enrichment SWUs for N. plant annual fuel ISNA 08 Jul 2014 -- Iran needs 190.000 enrichment Separative Work Units (SWUs) to meet Bushehr nuclear power plant's annual fuel, said Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi.
• Iran Supreme Leader Says Tehran Needs 190,000 Centrifuges for Nuclear Program RIA Novosti 08 Jul 2014 -- Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran's nuclear program requires 190,000 centrifuges to be realized, AFP reported Tuesday.
• Greenwald: There is second NSA leaker after Snowden Iran Press TV 08 Jul 2014 -- American journalist Glenn Greenwald suggests that another leaker is providing the US National Security Agency's documents to the media.
• CIA Involved in US Spy Operation Against Germany RIA Novosti 08 Jul 2014 -- The alleged US spy operation in Germany that sparkled a scandal last week was conducted with the participation of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Reuters reported Tuesday citing anonymous sources in the American government.
• Launch of Russian Meteor-3M Has Geopolitical Significance – Ministry RIA Novosti 08 Jul 2014 -- The launch of a Meteor-3M meteorological satellite scheduled for Tuesday evening from the Baikonur Cosmodrome has geopolitical significance for Russia and will allow it to reduce dependence on foreign satellites, Minister of the Russian Natural Resources and Ecology Sergey Donskoy said.
• Lithuania President Warns of Growing 'Russian Chauvinism' VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- In Lithuania, July is the season of song festivals but the country's newly re-elected president, Dalia Grybauskaite, sees little harmony with her massive neighbor to the east: Russia.
• Russia Follows 'Different Strategy' As Serbia Courts EU RFE/RL 08 Jul 2014 -- When it comes to European integration in its neighborhood, Russia has a clear double standard.
• Kim Jong Un Visits Kumsusan Palace of Sun KCNA 08 Jul 2014 -- Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA), visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun at 00:00 on Tuesday on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the demise of President Kim Il Sung.
• Indonesians to Vote in Close Presidential Race VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- Voters in Indonesia, the world's third largest democracy, head to the polls July 9 to choose a new president in a race described as one of the tightest in recent history.
• West Africa Ebola Outbreak Claims More Than 500 VOA 08 Jul 2014 -- The death toll from the West African Ebola outbreak has climbed to 518.