• 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 04 Dec 2014 [PDF]
• Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby on Rescue Operation in Yemen DoD 04 Dec 2014 -- The United States attempted a rescue operation recently to free a number of hostages, including U.S. citizen Luke Somers, held in Yemen by Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
• Transcom Develops System to Transport Ebola Patients AFPS 04 Dec 2014 -- U.S. Transportation Command has developed a module-system capability to evacuate patients with infectious diseases such as Ebola or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Transcom's commander, Air Force Gen. Paul J. Selva, said here today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Secretary Hagel on the Department of Defense's Recent Progress in Addressing Sexual Assault in the Military in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 04 Dec 2014 -- Presenters: Presenters: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel; Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office Director Major General Jeffrey Snow; Dr. Nathan Galbreath, senior executive adviser, Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office
• Secretary Hagel Releases Progress Report to the President on Sexual Assault in the Military, Announces Four New Directives to Strengthen Department Response DoD 04 Dec 2014 -- Today, Secretary Hagel released a report on the Department of Defense's recent progress in addressing sexual assault in the military, and announced four directives to further strengthen the department's prevention and response program.
• DOD Announces Departure of Undersecretary Jessica Wright DoD 04 Dec 2014
• Statement on the Awarding of SBA Audit Contracts for the Military Services DoD 04 Dec 2014 -- The Department of Defense has awarded contracts to independent public accounting firms to conduct audits of current year appropriated funds, or what has been referred to as the schedule of budgetary activity (SBA) for all of the military services.
• USS Vicksburg Deploys to Support NATO NNS 04 Dec 2014 -- Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69) departed Naval Station Mayport Dec. 4 to relieve USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) later this month as the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 flagship and to support theater security cooperation efforts in Europe.
• Navy Achieves Audit Milestone NNS 04 Dec 2014 -- The Navy took its first big step toward achieving a congressional mandate, Dec. 4, when a contract was signed commencing its first financial statement audit on its Schedule of Budgetary Activity (SBA).
• Navy Issues First Overseas Water System Certificates to Operate NNS 04 Dec 2014 -- Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia (EURAFSWA), issued Certificates to Operate (CTO) to Naval Station Rota, Spain, Naval Support Activity Bahrain, and Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, after completing a water quality oversight review process, Nov. 26.
• Minot AFB successfully flies 40 out of 40 sorties during exercise AFNS 04 Dec 2014 -- Battling harsh winds and temperatures 20 degrees and below for several days, operations and maintenance Airmen joined together to successfully fly 40 out of 40 sorties during Prairie Warrior surge week here, Nov. 17-20.
• Demand for Transportation Command Assets Not Dropping AFPS 04 Dec 2014 -- "Demand signals" on the U.S. Transportation Command have not decreased with the change in mission in Afghanistan, Air Force Gen. Paul J. Selva told the Defense Writers' Group here today.
• Platinum Wolf 15 in Serbia Demonstrates Europe's Collective Security USMC News 04 Dec 2014 -- With the unpredictability of the global security environment, Partnership for Peace countries continue to build extensive relationships with U.S. and NATO forces; through standardization, integration and cooperation, these exercises improve combined-force capabilities and demonstrate a collective commitment to preserving European stability.
• Forest Light brings Japan forces, U.S. Marines together USMC News 04 Dec 2014 -- Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members and U.S. Marines came together in a ceremony Dec. 1 to open up exercise Forest Light 15-1 at the Oyanohara Training Area in Yamato, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan.
• Bang for the buck: 3/12 takes control for ARTP 14-3 USMC News 04 Dec 2014 -- Okinawa based Marines began preparing for artillery live-fire training with a command post exercise on mainland Japan's iconic Mount Fuji Oct. 30-31.
• USS Fort Worth Arrives in US 7th Fleet NNS 04 Dec 2014 -- Littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) arrived in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations Dec. 4, marking a key initial milestone in its 16-month rotational deployment in support of the Indo-Asia-Pacific rebalance.
• Russia Expects France to Make Final Decision on Mistral Ships by Year-End Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- Russia expects France to make its final decision on the Mistral ships deal known before the turn of the year, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Kozhin told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
• Russia Approves Program to Develop Military Robots Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- The Russian Defense Ministry has approved a complex program called 'Creating of Advanced Military Robotics for 2025', Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov told Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper in an interview.
• Russia to Stop Purchasing Foreign 'Ready-Made' Military Equipment: Official Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- Russia will stop purchasing foreign ready-made military equipment following the incident with Mistral helicopter carrier delivery, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Thursday.
• Russian MiG-29 Jet Fighter Crashes Outside Moscow, Both Pilots Survived Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- A Russian MiG-29 Fulcrum trainer jet has crashed outside Moscow and both pilots survived, a military source told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
• India 'Uniformly Happy' With Defense Equipment Supplied by Russia: Envoy Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- India is 'uniformly happy' with the defense equipment Russia has been supplying to the country, Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation P.S. Raghavan told Sputnik Thursday.
• Female PLA General taken into custody for alleged bribery People's Daily 04 Dec 2014 -- A female major general is under investigation by the procuratorial authorities of China's military forces days ago for suspicion of bribery, the Website Caixin.com reports.
• Remarks at the London Conference on Afghanistan by John Kerry, US Secretary of State US Dept. of State 04 Dec 2014
• Kerry Praises Good Start by New Afghan Government VOA 04 Dec 2014 -- The new leaders of Afghanistan met Thursday in London with senior officials from dozens of countries and pledged to implement reforms designed to reduce their country's reliance on foreign help.
• Afghan Leaders Outline Reform Plans At London Conference RFE/RL 04 Dec 2014 -- A international conference on Afghanistan is under way in London with a focus on security, corruption, and political reform.
• Remarks at OSCE Ministerial Plenary Session by John Kerry, US Secretary of State US Dept. of State 04 Dec 2014
• December 4, 2014 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 04 Dec 2014
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 12/4/2014 The White House 04 Dec 2014

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 04, 2014

Other Conflicts

• 4 December 2014 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 04 Dec 2014
• 19 Dead in Gunbattle in Chechen Capital VOA 04 Dec 2014 -- Russian officials say a gun battle with heavily armed Islamist militants in the Chechen capital, Grozny, has left at least 10 police officers dead and 28 others wounded.
• Dozens Killed, Wounded In Grozny Attack RFE/RL 04 Dec 2014 -- Russian authorities say at least 10 police and nine militants have been killed in hours of fighting in the capital of the restive North Caucasus republic of Chechnya.
• Chechnya violence kills 10 Russia troops, 9 militants Iran Press TV 04 Dec 2014 -- The death toll from a militant attack in the Chechen capital city of Grozny has risen to 19, including 10 police officers.
• 10 Militants Killed During Anti-Terrorist Operation in Chechnya Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- A total of ten militants were killed in a special counter-terrorism operation in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Chechnya on Thursday, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said.
• Six Militants Eliminated During Special Operation in Chechnya: Kadyrov Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- Six militants, blocked by Chechen police in the Press House in the center of Grozny, have been eliminated.
• Five Police Officers Die Conducting Special Operation in Chechnya Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- At least five policemen have died and several were injured in the course of a special operation against militants in the Chechen capital Grozny, a source in the Russian Republic's law enforcement told RIA Novosti Thursday.
• Ukraine Announces Dec. 9 Truce VOA 04 Dec 2014 -- Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has ordered a new cease-fire next week, as part of a push to end months of fighting with pro-Russian rebels near the Russian border.
• Poroshenko: Kiev to Introduce 'Silence Regime' in East Ukraine December 9 Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Thursday he had decided to introduce a 'silence regime' along the line separating the Kiev-led forces and pro-independence militia in the country's southeast on December 9.
• Kerry, Lavrov Trade Barbs on Ukraine VOA 04 Dec 2014 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov exchanged sharp comments on Ukraine at an international meeting in Basel, Switzerland.
• Kerry, Lavrov Expected To Discuss Ukraine Crisis RFE/RL 04 Dec 2014 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are scheduled to meet on December 4 with the crisis in Ukraine expected to be among the topics up for discussion.
• Putin Assails West, Hails Crimea As 'Sacred' Russian Land In Address RFE/RL 04 Dec 2014 -- President Vladimir Putin accused the West of trying to destroy Russia, drawing a parallel with Hitler's invasion, and said Moscow will never bend to the will of foreigners, talking tough in an annual address after a year of conflict and crisis that has severely strained ties with the United States and Europe.
• Putin: Moscow Will Not Bow to Western Pressure Over Situation in Ukraine Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- Moscow is not going to bow thoughtlessly to Western pressure over the situation in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.
• US-led coalition airstrikes in Syria illegal: Syria president Iran Press TV 04 Dec 2014 -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has described as "an illegal intervention" the US-led aerial bombarding campaign purported to be against Takfiri ISIL militants in his country.
• ISIL militants attack Syrian airbase in Deir al-Zor Iran Press TV 04 Dec 2014 -- Militants from the Takfiri ISIL group have launched an attack on a Syrian military airbase in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor.
• Activists: Islamic State Militants Attack Syrian Air Base VOA 04 Dec 2014 -- Syrian activists say Islamic State fighters have launched an attack on a key air base in eastern Syria.
• Separate car bomb attacks claim 18 lives in Baghdad Iran Press TV 04 Dec 2014 -- At least eighteen people have been killed in two separate car bomb attacks targeting a group of restaurants and an outdoor market in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
• Amid fresh violence in Libya, UN mission urges all parties to give dialogue chance to succeed UN News Centre 04 Dec 2014 -- Strongly condemning the spiralling violence in Libya, including a recent round of air raids in the western part of the country, the United Nations Support Mission (UNSMIL) today noted with deep concern the "disastrous impact" the attacks have on civilians and infrastructure, and warned that the violence is also endangering the political process.
• Libya Launches Airstrikes on Islamist Targets Near Tripoli Airport Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- Libya launched a bombing campaign against armed extremist groups in the vicinity of Tripoli International Airport, Libyan Air Force Chief of Staff Saqr Geroushi told Sputnik Thursday.
• Senior UN relief official describes "bleak" situation in South Sudan after a year of conflict UN News Centre 04 Dec 2014 -- A year of conflict has "devastated" South Sudan, the United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Kyung-wha Kang, said at UN Headquarters today, as she briefed journalists on her recent visit to that crisis-torn country and to Ethiopia.
• Darfur: UN peacekeeping chief warns Security Council of region's ongoing insecurity, violence UN News Centre 04 Dec 2014 -- The situation in Darfur remains precarious amid intermittent clashes, inter-communal violence, and a dire humanitarian crisis, the top United Nations peacekeeping official said today, as he delivered a sobering assessment of the region's security and stability to the UN Security Council.
• UN Official: Access in Darfur Vital to Rape Investigation VOA 04 Dec 2014 -- A senior U.N. official said Thursday that further investigation was required into an allegation of mass rape in Sudan's north Darfur region last month.
• Kenya: UN says uptick in violence linked to rising inter-communal tensions UN News Centre 04 Dec 2014 -- Spiking inter-communal tensions in Kenya have sparked outbursts of violence across the nation, leaving hundreds of people dead in their wake, the United Nations humanitarian relief office reported today.
• Information Minister: DRC Dispatches Delegation to Aid M23 Repatriation VOA 04 Dec 2014 -- The Democratic Republic of Congo's Information minister says the administration has dispatched two delegations led by cabinet ministers to Uganda and Rwanda to help repatriate about 1,500 former members of the M23 rebel group.
• Suspected Boko Haram militants attack Nigerian town Iran Press TV 04 Dec 2014 -- Suspected Boko Haram militants have launched an attack on a town in Nigeria's volatile northeastern part.
• Lebanon army pledges to defeat Takfiri militants Iran Press TV 04 Dec 2014 -- The Lebanese army has vowed to defeat Takfiri terrorists, saying it expects a war of "attrition" with the militants sneaking into Lebanon from neighboring Syria.
• Israel's demolitions of Palestinian homes undermine 'already fragile situation' - UN UN News Centre 04 Dec 2014 -- The "punitive demolition" of Palestinian homes by Israeli authorities is a violation of the most basic human rights and risks destabilizing an already delicate security situation in the contested region, a senior United Nations relief official today said today as he implored Israel to halt the destructive practice.

News Reports

• Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly President of Russia 04 Dec 2014 -- Vladimir Putin made his Annual Address to the Federal Assembly. As is tradition, the Address took place at the Kremlin's St George Hall before an audience of more than 1,000 people.
• Putin slams Western sanctions as ineffective Iran Press TV 04 Dec 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says the Western sanctions against Russia will not undermine the country, nor will they alter Moscow's policies.
• Putin Says Corruption in the Defense Sector Equals to Financing Terrorism Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- The misappropriation of or stealing budget funds in the arms export sphere should be handled on the same level as if financing terrorism, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.
• Putin Says Anti-Russia Sanctions US Reaction to Russia's Growing Influence Sputnik 04 Dec 2014 -- Western sanctions are aimed at curbing Russia's growing influence in the world and are not in fact related to the crisis in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his annual address to the Federal Assembly Thursday.
• Putin to Legislators: West Wants to Weaken Russia VOA 04 Dec 2014 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin lashed out Thursday at the United States and its European allies, saying Western sanctions for Russia's annexation of Crimea were just an excuse to weaken the country.
• Moscow, Minsk Spar Over Bans On Belarusian Imports RFE/RL 04 Dec 2014 -- Belarusian and Russian officials are meeting in Moscow amid a growing feud over Moscow's banning of many food imports from Belarus.
• China Voice: New foreign policy address features Chinese vision People's Daily 04 Dec 2014 -- How can China, the world's second largest economy, ensure it will not follow in the footsteps of those big powers that sought hegemony once they grew strong?
• China repeats opposition to foreign interference in HK affairs People's Daily 04 Dec 2014 -- China repeated its opposition to foreign interference in Hong Kong affairs on Thursday, saying a stable and prosperous Hong Kong is in the interests of all sides.
• Hong Kong protest leaders surrender People's Daily 04 Dec 2014 -- Three Occupy Central movement founders and dozens of other participants in the two-month protests turned themselves in on Wednesday, even as some student protesters continued their hunger strike.
• Al-Qaida in Yemen Threatens to Kill American Hostage VOA 04 Dec 2014 -- Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has threatened to kill an American hostage unless the U.S. government meets unspecified demands within three days.
• Yemen: Security Council condemns deadly bombing at Iranian Ambassador's residence UN News Centre 04 Dec 2014 -- The United Nations Security Council has condemned yesterday's bomb attack at the residence of the Iranian Ambassador to Yemen which killed several people.
• Cooler box-equipped motorbikes donated to UN will speed up Ebola testing process in West Africa UN News Centre 04 Dec 2014 -- Four hundred motorbikes equipped with cooler boxes will help speed up deliveries of blood samples to laboratories from remote areas of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and reduce the waiting time for Ebola test results, thanks to a donation today from Germany to the United Nations.
• UN political chief urges revamped approach to boosting development in Afghanistan UN News Centre 04 Dec 2014 -- Despite lingering instability and economic fragility, Afghanistan sits at an historic crossroads from which it can fully transition to a "strong, independent, and forward-looking" nation, the top United Nations political official said today in London.
• Pakistan Pushes Back Against IS Supporters VOA 04 Dec 2014 -- Pakistan on Thursday confirmed that police have arrested several individuals from major cities for their alleged links to Daish, the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group or IS. The revelation comes amid reports the extremist outfit, operating in Syria and Iraq, is seeking to extend its influence in a region plagued by Islamic militancy.
• Araqchi: Path paved for a nuclear agreement IRNA 04 Dec 2014 -- Senior member of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team Abbas Araqchi said the ground is prepared, to a considerable degree, for attaining an understanding in the nuclear talks.
• Venezuela Opposition Leader Denies Assassination Plot Involvement VOA 04 Dec 2014 -- Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, says charges she was involved in a plot to kill Venezuela's president are an attempt to silence her and critics of the government.