Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 02 Feb 2015 [PDF]
• US Senator Calls for Wider US Role in Campaign Against IS VOA 02 Feb 2015 -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said the only way to end the gruesome beheadings by the Islamic State group is by degrading and destroying the insurgency, which has captured large swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory.
• Military Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Syria and Iraq AFPS 02 Feb 2015 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria, using bomber, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft to conduct 10 airstrikes, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• US Drone Strike Kills 4 al-Qaida Rebels in Yemen VOA 02 Feb 2015 -- Yemeni tribal and security officials say a U.S. drone strike Monday killed at least four suspected al-Qaida insurgents, the third American drone attack in a week.
• Lead-in training increases Afghan capabilities AFNS 02 Feb 2015 -- Train, Advise, Assist Command – Air maintainers are providing lead-in training to Afghan air force airmen at the Kabul Air Wing in an effort to ensure they excel at the C-130 Hercules maintenance courses they will attend in the U.S.
• Partial Afghan Cabinet Starts Work VOA 02 Feb 2015 -- Eight ministers along with the head of Afghanistan's intelligence agency started work Monday, four months after Afghanistan completed its divisive electoral process and President Ashraf Ghani formed a unity government with Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD Releases Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Proposal DoD 02 Feb 2015-- President Barack Obama today sent Congress a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Department of Defense budget request of $585.3 billion in discretionary budget authority to fund both base budget programs and Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO).
• Department of Defense Briefing by Deputy Secretary Work and Adm. Winnefeld on the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 02 Feb 2015 -- Presenters: Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral James Winnefeld Jr.
• Defense Department Briefing by Under Secretary of Defense McCord and Lt. Gen. Ramsay on the President's Fiscal Year 2016 Defense Budget Proposal DoD 02 Feb 2015 -- Presenters: Under Secretary Of Defense (Comptroller) Mike McCord; Lt. Gen. Mark Ramsay, director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, Joint Staff (J8)
• Defense Swallows 15 Percent of Obama's Budget Plan VOA 02 Feb 2015 -- President Barack Obama's $4 trillion budget includes $585 billion to sustain his national security and defense strategies. That's nearly 15 percent of the overall budget, and a request of $25 billion more than last year's enacted defense budget.
• Work: FY 16 Budget Request Targets Modernization Efforts AFPS 02 Feb 2015 -- President Barack Obama's fiscal year 2016 budget request for the Defense Department is strategy-driven and resource-informed, and will meet the United States' 21st century national security needs, Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said today.
• No Room for More Risk in Defense Budget, Winnefeld Says AFPS 02 Feb 2015 -- While the president's Fiscal 2016 Budget Request funds the defense strategy, the department has been assuming risk since sequestration, and there is no more room in the budget for risk, Navy Adm. James Winnefeld said here today.
• Air Force presents FY 16 budget request AFNS 02 Feb 2015 -- The Air Force presented its fiscal year 2016 President's Budget request Feb. 2, following the Defense Department and sister services budget briefings.
• Department of the Navy Releases Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Proposal NNS 02 Feb 2015 -- The Department of the Navy released its proposed $161.0 billion budget Feb. 2 for fiscal year 2016.
• DoD Releases Military Intelligence Program Base Request for Fiscal Year 2016 DoD 02 Feb 2015 -- The Department of Defense released today the Military Intelligence Program (MIP) top line budget request for fiscal year 2016. The total, which includes both the base budget and Overseas Contingency Operations funding, is $17.9 billion.
• Budget Request Balances Today's Needs Against Tomorrow's Threats AFPS 02 Feb 2015 -- The president's fiscal year 2016 budget request of $534 billion protects America today, while positioning the U.S. military to face the threats of tomorrow, Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and Chief Financial Officer Mike McCord said.
• Obama Asks US for $168Mln to Counter Russia in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- US President Barack Obama requested nearly $170 million to respond to alleged Russian interference in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova in his 2016 budget proposal submitted on Monday.
• Briefing on President Obama's FY 2016 Budget Request US Dept. of State 02 Feb 2015 -- Special Briefing by Heather Higginbottom, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, and Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development
• Background Briefing: Senior State Department Officials On the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget US Dept. of State 02 Feb 2015
• Obama Seeks $50 Billion for Foreign Relations Budget VOA 02 Feb 2015 -- The Obama administration is seeking just over $50 billion to support diplomatic and aid efforts that would maintain America's global leadership and leverage, a senior U.S. State Department official said Monday.
• Binding material to save Osprey engines AFNS 02 Feb 2015 -- The 58th Special Operations Wing has a plan to mitigate aircraft engine damage that happens during training missions using a biodegradable binding material at practice landing zones.
• 1st Brigade Combat Team integrates new system Army News 02 Feb 2015 -- The dawn of a revolution in the way logistics and supplies are managed in the Army will begin with the 1st Brigade Combat Team (1BCT), 82nd Airborne Division.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Phone Call with France's Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian DoD 02 Feb 2015
• George H.W. Bush Conducts Training Exercises NNS 02 Feb 2015 -- The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) departed its homeport of Norfolk to conduct various training exercises in the Atlantic Ocean, Jan 31.
• Bonhomme Richard Completes Flight Deck Certification NNS 02 Feb 2015 -- The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) successfully completed flight deck certification, Jan. 29, with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) (Reinforced) 262, Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 231 and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 Det. 6.
• U.S. nuke-powered submarine visits S. Korea for annual drill People's Daily 02 Feb 2015 -- A nuclear-powered U.S. submarine visited South Korea for a joint annual military drill, a South Korean military official said on Monday.
• US nuclear-powered submarine in S Korea for joint drill Iran Press TV 02 Feb 2015 -- A nuclear-powered US submarine has arrived in South Korea to take part in an annual Seoul-Washington joint military exercise, a South Korean naval officer says.
• Prospects for NATO-Russia relations - Keynote address by NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow at the 2015 Leangkollen Conference, Oslo NATO 02 Feb 2015 -- "To the East, Russia has torn up the international rule book. It has returned to a strategy of power politics. It threatens not just Ukraine, but European and global security more generally. And it is pursuing this strategy even as the costs to its own prosperity and reputation grow."
• Deputy Secretary General: Russia's aggression is a game-changer in European security NATO 02 Feb 2015 -- The NATO Deputy Secretary General, Alexander Vershbow, giving a speech to the Nobel Institute in Oslo, on 2 February 2015, said "Russia's aggression against Ukraine is not an isolated incident, but a game-changer in European security. It reflects an evolving pattern of behavior that has been emerging for several years, despite our efforts to reach out to Russia and build a cooperative European security system with Russia."
• Russia Begins WMD Defense Drills in Armenia and Near Ukraine Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- Large-scale exercises of Russian radiation, chemical, and biological defense troops have started on seven firing ranges in Russia's Southern Military Region, as well as the Crimean Peninsula and Armenia, Russia's news agency RIA-Novosti reports.
• Russian Tu-95MC Bombers Flying Over Atlantic Are Unarmed Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- Russian military aircraft conducting flights over neutral waters are unarmed, a source in the Russian Defense Ministry told RIA Novosti on Monday.
• Massive Air Defense Exercises Begin in Siberia, Baltic Sea Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- The Russian Baltic Fleet's air defense force repelled an airstrike using S-300 air defense systems, the Western Military District's press service announced.
• Abe Seeks to Deploy Japan's Military Abroad for Self-Defense Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- Japan does not need to impose geographical limits on the deployment of its military in order to defend the country's allies, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday.
• Leaked Reports on China Building Second Aircraft Carrier Taken Off Websites Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- News that China is building its second aircraft carrier, which appeared on the internet over the weekend, have been carefully removed.
• Navy Commander: Iran holds most advanced marine equipment ISNA 02 Feb 2015 -- Iranian Navy Commander Habibollah Sayyari said the country's marine supplies in northern Indian Ocean are similar equipment belong to mighty countries.
• Russian Night Hunters join fight against ISIL in Iraq Iran Press TV 02 Feb 2015 -- A consignment of four Russian Mil Mi-28NE Night Hunter helicopters has been delivered to Iraq for deployment in the war-wrecked country's battle against the ISIL Takfiri terrorists.
• Iraq Receives Second Shipment of Russian Mi-28NE Attack Helicopters Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- The Iraqi Army Air Corps has received a second shipment of two Russian Mi-28NE 'Night Hunter' attack helicopters, Iraq's Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday.
• Iran, Iraq ink MoU on border ISNA 02 Feb 2015 -- Iran and Iraq signed a border Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost border cooperation and protection.
• Pakistan test-fires nuclear-capable cruise missile Iran Press TV 02 Feb 2015 -- Pakistan has successfully test-fired a new indigenous nuclear-capable air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) with a range of 350 kilometers (nearly 220 miles).
• Azerbaijan Launches Military Exercises Amid Tensions With Armenia RFE/RL 02 Feb 2015 -- Azerbaijan has launched military maneuvers in the midst of escalating tensions with neighboring Armenia.
• Estonia to Hold Joint Military Exercises With US, Dutch Soldiers on Monday Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- A two-week joint military drill will be held in Estonia starting from Monday and will see the participation of American and Dutch soldiers, a statement released on the official website of Estonian Defense Forces says.
• China Supplies Air Defense Systems, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to Uzbekistan Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- China has supplied its new generation medium- to long-range HQ-9 air defense systems to Uzbekistan, according to the country's news website 12news.
• Press Briefing by Senior Administration Officials on the President's FY2016 Budget The White House 02 Feb 2015
• February 2, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 02 Feb 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 02, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 2 February 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 02 Feb 2015
• Providing Arms to Ukraine Complies With Minsk Agreement, State Dept. Claims Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- Providing the Ukrainian army with lethal aid would not violate the Minsk agreement, however, a decision on it has not yet been made by the White House, spokesperson for the US Department of State Jen Psaki said during the press briefing on Monday.
• E. Ukraine Rebel Chief Calls for Broad Mobilization VOA 02 Feb 2015 -- A pro-Russian separatist leader in eastern Ukraine has announced a 'general mobilization' with the aim of bolstering separatist armed forces to as many as 100,000 fighters.
• 100,000 pro-Russia forces to join fight in east Ukraine Iran Press TV 02 Feb 2015 -- The leader of the pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine has announced that their side is to be reinforced by 100,000 more fighters by spring.
• 1,000s of Ukrainians flee eastern city of Debaltseve amid fighting Iran Press TV 02 Feb 2015 -- Thousands of Ukrainians have fled the city of Debaltseve in the eastern region of Donetsk, as Ukrainian government troops are fighting with pro-Russia forces to keep control of the key transport hub.
• Ukraine Rebel Leader Vows To Mobilize 100,000 Men RFE/RL 02 Feb 2015 -- A pro-Russian separatist leader in eastern Ukraine has announced plans to mobilize 100,000 fighters against Ukrainian government forces amid intensified battles following the collapse of peace talks.
• Explainer: As Ukraine Conflict Intensifies, So Does Debate On Providing Lethal Military Aid RFE/RL 02 Feb 2015 -- As the crisis in eastern Ukraine shows no sign of deescalating in the wake of a cease-fire agreement reached in September 2014, pressure is growing for Western countries to provide lethal military assistance to Ukraine and to ramp up their provision of nonlethal aid.
• White House Reassessing Lethal Aid to Ukraine Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- The White House is assessing its policies regarding providing lethal and other military assistance to the government in Ukraine, a White House National Security Spokesperson told Sputnik on Monday, following the release of recommendations by a team of former top US officials calling for US government provisions of lethal and additional nonlethal aid to Kiev.
• Kiev Using Compulsory Mobilization, Donetsk Recruiting Volunteers Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- The planned mobilization by the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic's (DPR) should be considered a 'recruitment of volunteers,' DPR leader Alexander Zakharchenko said Monday.
• Donetsk Plans to Conscript 100,000 in General Mobilization Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- The self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) plans to hold a general mobilization in 10 days to recruit up to 100,000 people, DPR leader Alexander Zakharchenko said Monday.
• Donetsk Insists Kiev Envoy to Contact Group Must Have Official Mandate Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- Kiev's envoy to the Contact Group talks on Ukraine reconciliation must have an official mandate and have the authority to sign documents on behalf of the Ukrainian government, a representative of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic at the talks said Monday.
• Fresh blockade at Palestinian camp in Syria IRIN 02 Feb 2015 -- Conditions for Palestinian refugees in a camp near Damascus have worsened significantly in recent weeks, with fresh restrictions on relief supplies compounding shortages of food, clean water and decent healthcare, according to residents.
• Has Syria really beaten polio? IRIN 02 Feb 2015 -- The World Health Organization has announced that Syria has seen no new cases of polio in the past year, but some health experts question the quality of the surveillance that led to this conclusion.
• Syrian army makes fresh gains against militants Iran Press TV 02 Feb 2015 -- Syrian army forces have continued their military operations against foreign-backed militants to flush them out of parts of al-Meraiyie in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor.
• Iraq army, volunteers retake control of strategic road Iran Press TV 02 Feb 2015 -- The Iraqi army, backed by volunteer forces, has retaken control of the strategic road connecting the holy city of Samarra to a neighboring district following fierce clashes with ISIL Takfiri terrorists.
• At least 1,375 people killed by violence in January, says UN Iraq Mission UN News Centre 02 Feb 2015 -- Violence in Iraq killed a total of at least 1,375 people last month, according to figures released today by the United Nations Mission (UNAMI) in the country, with the majority of those killed civilians.
• South Sudan President, Rebel Chief Sign Power-Sharing Pact VOA 02 Feb 2015 -- South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar signed an agreement in Addis Ababa in the early hours of Monday, pledging to set up a transitional, power-sharing government by July 9, the country's fourth anniversary of independence.
• South Sudan peace: Deal? What deal? IRIN 02 Feb 2015 -- Expectations were low after more than a year of catastrophic conflict in South Sudan and many failed peace deals, but even so, some analysts and activists say they are disappointed at how little this weekend's talks achieved.
• South Sudan President and Rebel Leader Strike Peace Deal, End to Civil War Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, and rebel commander Riek Machar have signed a ceasefire agreement at talks in Ethiopia aimed at stopping the civil war which broke out in December 2013, AFP reports.
• Downed UN helicopter crew returns safely to South Sudan after emergency landing UN News Centre 02 Feb 2015 -- The crew of a United Nations-operated helicopter that was downed by gunfire in South Sudan have been returned safely to a World Food Programme (WFP) office, according to a press statement released by the agency today.
• Uganda: Body of LRA Commander Possibly Found VOA 02 Feb 2015 -- The Ugandan army said Monday it may have found the body of a Lord's Resistance Army commander wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

News Reports

• Iran's National Fajr Satellite transmits data to stations on earth Iran Press TV 02 Feb 2015 -- Iran's domestically-made National Fajr (Dawn) Satellite, which was launched earlier on Monday, has transmitted data to its stations on earth, an Iranian official says.
• Iran sends 4th satellite to space IRNA 02 Feb 2015 -- Iran launched its fourth satellite into orbit on Monday to celebrate the auspicious occasion of the victory anniversary of the Islamic revolution in the country in 1979.
• Iran successfully places domestically-made Fajr satellite into orbit Iran Press TV 02 Feb 2015 -- Iran has successfully placed into orbit the domestically-made Fajr (Dawn) satellite with President Hassan Rouhani issuing the order for its launch.
• Iran Successfully Launches Satellite Into Space, First Since 2012 Sputnik 02 Feb 2015 -- Iran has launched its Fajr (Dawn) observation satellite, using a Safir-2 rocket, the country's Fars news agency reported, its first launch since 2012 and declared that it has safely entered orbit. The launch marks the 35th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution and comes one day ahead of the country's Space Technology Day.
• Ebola Vaccines Trial Begins in Liberia VOA 02 Feb 2015 -- A large-scale trial of two potential Ebola vaccines has begun in Liberia as part of a global effort to prevent a repeat of the epidemic that has killed nearly 9,000 people in West Africa.
• Dy FM: Nuclear negotiations nearing sensitive stage IRNA 02 Feb 2015 -- A top member of Iranian nuclear negotiation team said Monday that the talks have approached a sensitive stage, adding that negotiations will gather pace in upcoming days.
• Nigerian President Escapes Blast by Minutes VOA 02 Feb 2015 -- A bomb exploded outside a stadium in northern Nigeria on Monday, just minutes after President Goodluck Jonathan left a campaign rally at the site.
• Maduro accuses Joe Biden of 'bloody coup' in Venezuela RT 02 Feb 2015 -- The US is behind the attempted coup in Venezuela - that is the accusation President Nicolas Maduro has leveled amid widespread protests back home. And it's none other than Vice-president Joe Biden who's behind the entire operation, Maduro alleges.
• Egypt Sentences 183 Brotherhood Members to Death VOA 02 Feb 2015 -- An Egyptian court sentenced to death 183 members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood Monday on charges of killing at least 15 police officers in at attack after the 2013 ouster of former President Mohammed Morsi.