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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Counter-ISIL Coalition Planning Conference Concludes AFPS 21 Nov 2014 -- A counter- Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant operational planning conference featuring military planners from 33 nations and hosted by U.S. Central Command Nov. 12 to 21 concluded today at MacDill Air Force Base here.
• Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria and Iraq AFPS 21 Nov 2014 -- U.S. and partner-nation military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq over the past several days, conducting seven airstrikes in Syria and 23 in Iraq.

Defense Policy / Programs

• AEGIS Baseline 9 Destroyer Scores Historic Flight Test Mission NNS 21 Nov 2014 -- Sailors aboard guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) in partnership with U.S. Pacific Command and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully executed Flight Test Standard Missile-25 (FTM-25), announced Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS), Nov. 20.
• SEWIP Block Upgrade Program Evaluated for LCS NNS 21 Nov 2014 -- The Navy is evaluating a scaled-down version of the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) system for potential incorporation on future Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), Naval Sea Systems Command announced, Nov. 20.
• Navy's First F-35C Lightning II Squadron Surpasses 1000 Flight Hours NNS 21 Nov 2014 -- The 'Grim Reapers' of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, the Navy's first F-35C Lightning II carrier variant squadron, reached a milestone in November 2014 by surpassing 1,000 mishap-free flight hours in the F-35C.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's meeting with Saudi Arabia's Minister of the National Guard Prince Mitib bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Qatar's Minister of State for Defense Affairs Maj. Gen. Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah DoD 21 Nov 2014
• VAW-121 Launches Squadron's First E-2D Advanced Hawkeye NNS 21 Nov 2014 -- Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, the 'Bluetails,' launched the squadron's first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye during a test flight from Naval Station Norfolk, Nov. 20.
• Cybercom Chief Details U.S. Cyber Threats, Trends AFPS 21 Nov 2014 -- Cyber threats are real, hurting the nation and its allies and partners, costing hundreds of billions, and potentially leading to a catastrophic failure if not addressed, Navy Adm. Michael S. Rogers told a House panel yesterday.
• USS Oscar Austin Deploys to 6th Fleet NNS 21 Nov 2014 -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79) departed Naval Station Norfolk Nov. 21 for a deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR).
• Secretary General stresses NATO's commitment to collective security in visit to Lithuania NATO 21 Nov 2014 -- The Alliance's Air Policing Mission over the three Baltic States was hailed as a concrete example of NATO solidarity in action by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a visit to the Karmelava Airspace Control Centre in Lithuania on Friday (21 November 2014). ''Collective defence is our core task,'' Mr Stoltenberg said, 'NATO stands with Lithuania – as we do with each and every Ally.''
• NATO will protect every Ally, Secretary General says in Latvia NATO 21 Nov 2014 -- Arriving in Riga on Thursday (20 November 2014), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasised that the Alliance will "protect and defend each and every Ally." The Secretary General said that commitment is clear to see: 'NATO aircraft are policing Baltic skies, NATO ships are patrolling the Baltic Sea, and NATO forces are starting an exercise in Europe every two days.'
• UK troops conduct joint exercise in Poland UK MOD 21 Nov 2014 -- Around 1,300 UK soldiers have been honing their skills in the largest armoured deployment to Eastern Europe for 6 years.
• U.S. Delivers Radar Systems to Ukraine AFPS 21 Nov 2014 -- The U.S. military delivered three lightweight, counter-mortar radar systems yesterday to Ukrainian armed forces, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters today.
• Russian satellite may be able to chase spacecraft: Observers Iran Press TV 21 Nov 2014 -- Russia has launched a satellite that may be capable of chasing down other orbiting spacecraft, following similar trials carried out by the United States and China this year, observers say.
• Litigation Possible if France Fails to Honor Warship Deal With Russia Sputnik 21 Nov 2014 -- Russia will not rule out legal action against France if it fails to honor its 2010 contract to deliver two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships for Russia, Russia's envoy to NATO, Alexander Grushko, said Friday.
• Russia Appoints Mistral Commander for Transfer of Warship From France Sputnik 21 Nov 2014 -- Russian Deputy Navy Commander Vice Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov has been appointed to take command of transferring the first Mistral-class helicopter carrier, the Vladivostok, from France to Russia, a military diplomatic source told RIA Novosti on Friday.
• China urges parties concerned to pave way for six-party talks People's Daily 21 Nov 2014 -- China urged all parties concerned to create conditions to revive six-party talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after the country pledged to resume them.
• South Korea stages live-fire military drill Iran Press TV 21 Nov 2014 -- The South Korean army has staged a live-fire military drill near the maritime border with the North amid growing tensions between the two neighboring countries.
• South Korea Runs Live-Fire Exercise Despite Pyongyang Warnings: Reports Sputnik 21 Nov 2014 -- South Korea carried out a live-fire military exercise near the disputed Yellow Sea border despite warnings from the North, Yonhap news agency reported Friday, citing a defense ministry official in Seoul.
• Tensions Build on Korean Peninsula Amid Military Drills VOA 21 Nov 2014 -- It has been another tense week on the Korean peninsula as North Korea threatened to again test nuclear weapons while the United States and South Korean forces held joint military exercises.
• November 21, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 21 Nov 2014
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz The White House 21 Nov 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for November 21, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 21 November 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 21 Nov 2014
• As challenges mount for displaced in eastern Ukraine, UN agency ramps up food voucher plan UN News Centre 21 Nov 2014 -- Key steps have been taken recently to deliver food vouchers to some 10,000 internally displaced people in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reported today, while underscoring that ensuring access to food in the country's crisis-gripped eastern region remains a "priority concern."
• Kiev accuses Moscow of shelling Ukrainian territory Iran Press TV 21 Nov 2014 -- Ukraine has accused Russia of shelling Ukrainian territory from across the border amid continuing tensions between Kiev and Moscow.
• New Ukraine Coalition Agreed, Sets NATO As Priority RFE/RL 21 Nov 2014 -- Ukraine's newly agreed five-party ruling coalition has reportedly set the country's membership of NATO as its major goal.
• 'Do What You Agreed To Do,' Biden Tells Putin In Kyiv, Amid Maidan Events RFE/RL 21 Nov 2014 -- Speaking in Kyiv, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said that 'it is unacceptable in the 21st century for countries to attempt to redraw borders by force in Europe or intervene militarily because they don't like a decision their neighbors have made.'
• US to Work with Allies to Impose Additional Costs on Russia Over Ukraine: Sputnik 21 Nov 2014 -- The United States would work with its European and G-7 partners to increase the costs to Russia if it continues to violate Ukraine's sovereignty, the White House press release reported US Vice President Joe Biden as saying.
• Biden Denounces Putin's Actions in Ukraine VOA 21 Nov 2014 -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Friday condemned Russian behavior in Ukraine as 'unacceptable' and urged it to abide by a September peace deal by adhering to a cease-fire and removing military forces from the country.
• ISIL born out of wrong anti-Syria approaches: Assad Iran Press TV 21 Nov 2014 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says Takfiri ISIL group was born out of wrong policies adopted by anti-Syria elements.
• 'Time is growing short,' UN warns as it boosts delivery of winter kits to displaced in Iraq UN News Centre 21 Nov 2014 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is stepping up its efforts in Iraq to deliver winter aid to people displaced by this year's conflict including Thursday with the landing in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region the first in a series of flights carrying supplies aimed at mitigating the impact of the harsh months ahead.
• China pledges more dialogue on regional disputes Iran Press TV 21 Nov 2014 -- Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan says Beijing wants to improve dialogue to manage territorial disputes with the country's neighbors over islands and waters in the South China Sea.
• Pakistan slams fresh Indian shelling in disputed Kashmir Iran Press TV 21 Nov 2014 -- Pakistan has strongly condemned the recent killing of one of its soldiers by Indian forces near the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border that divides Kashmir between Pakistan and India.
• Boko Haram Attacks Northeastern Nigerian Village, Killing 45 VOA 21 Nov 2014 -- At least 45 villagers were killed this week after suspected Boko Haram militants attacked a village in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state.
• Nigerian House Fails To Reauthorize State of Emergency VOA 21 Nov 2014 -- The Nigerian House of Representatives has rejected President Goodluck Jonathan's request to extend the state of emergency in three northeastern states, where the army has been battling the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.
• Sectarian Violence Spreads to Southeastern C.A.R. VOA 21 Nov 2014 -- Violence has broken out between Christians and Muslims in the southeast of the Central African Republic, a part of the country that had not previously experienced sectarian conflict. Aid workers report that the Ugandan army, stationed in the area to fight Ugandan rebels, has been helping to protect civilians at risk from this new threat.
• Sectarian clashes displace thousands in south-eastern Central African Republic, UN warns UN News Centre 21 Nov 2014 -- An upsurge in violent attacks this week between communities in a town near the Central African Republic's border with South Sudan has left at least 10 people injured and thousands more displaced, marking the first major inter-community incident in the region since the country's crisis began in 2012, the United Nations humanitarian relief office said today.
• Rebels Retain Control of Rich Mine in Central African Republic VOA 21 Nov 2014 -- From the edge of the crater, an armed man barks his orders in broken Sango. Fifty meters down, at the bottom of the giant man-made pit, the miners look up at their new boss.
• Middle East: UN-backed reconstruction efforts set to kick-off in Gaza next week UN News Centre 21 Nov 2014 -- The next phase in reconstruction efforts for war-ravaged Gaza is slated to begin as early as next week following an updated "understanding" between Israeli and Palestinian stakeholders, the United Nations special envoy in the region has announced.
• KPA Southwestern Front Command Issues Warning to S. Korean Military KCNA 21 Nov 2014 -- The southwestern front command of the Korean People's Army (KPA) released a report Friday as regards the fact that the south Korean puppet military warmongers are getting evermore pronounced in confrontation and provocation moves against the DPRK though four years have passed after the Yonphyong Island shelling incident.
• Rodong Sinmun Urges Removal of Source of War on Korean Peninsula KCNA 21 Nov 2014 -- It is the unshakable will of the DPRK army and people to root out the source of war on the Korean Peninsula, says Rodong Sinmun in an article Friday.
• South Sudan: UN relief official urges respect for ceasefire, scaling up of aid operations UN News Centre 21 Nov 2014 -- Concluding a three-day mission to South Sudan, a senior United Nations relief official has called on all parties to the conflict there to respect their ceasefire commitments, while urging the international community to continue providing support to enable humanitarians to scale up and expand critical aid operations.

News Reports

• Iran Talks Progress Behind the Scenes VOA 21 Nov 2014 -- Talks on the future of Iran's nuclear program and international sanctions against the country continued in Vienna Friday, amid indications of behind-the-scenes developments that officials will not specify.
• Najafi asks IAEA to present authentic documents for claims IRNA 21 Nov 2014 -- UN nuclear watchdog has presented no authentic document for its claims on Iranian nuclear program and the international body expected to do so, Iran's Permanent Ambassador to IAEA Reza Najafi said here Thursday.
• Elements of agreement available in Iran talks: Russia Iran Press TV 21 Nov 2014 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says "all the elements of an agreement" are available in the nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 and the two sides should now work toward building the agreement.
• Obama Faces Tough Crowd At Home On Iran Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 21 Nov 2014 -- With the deadline for an agreement on Iran's nuclear program looming, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama is under increased pressure to bring home a deal that is acceptable to a skeptical Congress.
• Kerry Remains In Vienna At Nuclear Talks RFE/RL 21 Nov 2014 -- the closest thing Iran has to an ally in the six-nation group that also includes the United States, Britain, France, China, and Germany -- said all the elements of an agreement were on the table and called for compromise.
• China Foreign Ministry Urges US to Stop Accusing Beijing of Cyber Attacks Sputnik 21 Nov 2014 -- China's Foreign Ministry urged the United States Friday to stop accusing Beijing of cyberattacks.
• Ebola: Ban hopeful of outbreak's end by mid-2015; UN to set up response office in Mali UN News Centre 21 Nov 2014 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that by continuing to scale up the global fight against Ebola, there is hope the outbreak could be contained by mid-2015, but he emphasized that results to date are still uneven, and announced that the Organization's top health officials will head to Mali, where the situation is still a cause of 'deep concern."
• WHO Declares End to Ebola Outbreak in DRC VOA 21 Nov 2014 -- The World Health Organization has declared an end to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Russia Nuclear Decommisioning Program Extended to 2030: Official Sputnik 21 Nov 2014 -- Representative of Rostechnadzor, the agency with Russia's nuclear safety among its responsibilities, stated that several dozens of nuclear legacy objects have been already decommissioned and more than 100 objects should be prepared for decommissioning.
• South Korea eying 11 nuclear plants by 2024 Iran Press TV 21 Nov 2014 -- South Korea plans to build up to 11 nuclear power plants by 2024 amid public distrust and catastrophic regional precedent.
• China launches new disaster monitoring satellite People's Daily 21 Nov 2014 -- A satellite for natural disaster monitoring was successfully launched into orbit at 2:37 p.m. Friday, China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center announced.
• Burkina Faso: UN chief urges continued dialogue as transitional Government takes power UN News Centre 21 Nov 2014 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reiterated his call for all Burkinabé stakeholders to ensure Burkina Faso's seamless transition to democracy amid an ongoing constitutional crisis in the West African country, a United Nations spokesperson has confirmed.
• Syria Cooperating on Destruction of Chemical Weapons: OPCW Coordinator Sputnik 21 Nov 2014 -- Syria is working with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on the elimination of chemical weapons.