Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 03 Feb 2015 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Rear Adm. Kirby in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 03 Feb 2015 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby
• International Community United Against ISIL, Strikes Making Difference, Kirby Says AFPS 03 Feb 2015 -- The battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is not a U.S. war, it is a large international effort to defeat a crazed and barbaric ideology, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said here today.
• Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 03 Feb 2015 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria, using fighter aircraft to conduct five airstrikes, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Update: air strikes in Iraq UK MOD 03 Feb 2015 -- British forces have continued to conduct air operations to assist the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIL.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Worldwide Threat Scope, Complexity on the Rise AFPS 03 Feb 2015 -- Taken in aggregate, recent political, military, social and technological developments have created security challenges more diverse and complex than any the nation has ever experienced, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Vincent R. Stewart, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told Congress today.
• F-35 nears completion of all-weather testing AFNS 03 Feb 2015 -- For the past four months, an F-35 Lightning II has endured extreme weather temperatures to certify the fleet to deploy to any corner of the world.
• WPNSTA Yorktown Conducts Active-Shooter Exercise as part of Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2015 NNS 03 Feb 2015 -- Crisis response forces from Naval Weapons Station (WPNSTA) Yorktown teamed up with Newport News and York county police forces for an 'active shooter' exercise as part of the annual Solid Curtain - Citadel Shield 2015 (SC-CS15) exercise at WPNSTA Yorktown Feb. 2.
• Juniper Thunder strengthens AF, Army communications AFNS 03 Feb 2015 -- Airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and Soldiers from Rhine Ordnance Barracks, Germany, came together here to take part in a joint communications exercise and establish bilateral communications across the two branch's networks, Jan. 19.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's Call with Egyptian Minister of Defense General Sedki Sobhy DoD 03 Feb 2015
• US Needs A-10 Attack Planes Fleet to Fight IS Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- The United States should not decrease its fleet of A-10 attack planes amid rise of the Islamic State, Chair of the US Senate Armed Services Subcommittee, Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte said in a statement following the Department of Defense's 2016 Fiscal Year budget proposal.
• US Defense Budget Allocates Funds for NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- Four-and-half million US dollars could be allocated to a US Air Force sponsored Baltic air policing initiative with NATO partners as part of the $789 million for the European Reassurance Initiative, the US Defense Department announced Monday in its $585.3 billion defense budget proposal.
• Cope South 15 successfully ends AFNS 03 Feb 2015 -- U.S. and Bangladesh air force (BAF) personnel joined together for the closing ceremony of exercise Cope South 15 (CS15) here Jan. 29.
• Japanese forces train with 1st Recon to enhance amphibious capabilities USMC News 03 Feb 2015 -- Marines with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, taught basic maneuver techniques for the Combat Rubber Raiding Craft [CRRC] to members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force aboard Camp Pendleton on Jan. 28, 2015 during Exercise Iron Fist 2015.
• NATO Plans to Hold Military Exercises in Georgia in 2015 Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- NATO is planning to hold military drills in Georgia in 2015, a source in the Alliance said on Tuesday.
• New Russian Military Helicopter to Have Top Speed of 400 Kmph Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- Russia is going to build a new military helicopter that will be able to fly at a 'revolutionary' speed of 400 kilometers per hour, slightly below the official world record, a Russian source in the military tech industry told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
• Russian Military Receives Cutting-Edge Electronic Warfare Systems Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- Russian hi-tech company Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies (KRET) completed the 2014 Defense Procurement in advance and delivered up-to-date electronic warfare devices worth 17.1 billion rubles ($252 million) to the Defense Ministry, Igor Nasenkov, KRET deputy director, told journalists.
• Russian Air Force, Naval Aviation to Receive Over 200 New Aircrafts in 2015 Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- The Russian Air Force and Naval Aviation, the air branch of the Russian Navy, will receive 126 new military airplanes and 88 helicopters, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.
• Russian Army to Receive Sukhoi Su-35S Fighter Jet in 2015 Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- The Sukhoi Su-35S, Russia's new highly-maneuverable multirole fighter jet, is expected to enter service in 2015, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.
• US to Begin Delivering Global Hawks to Republic of Korea in 2018 Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- The United States will start delivering Global Hawk long-range unmanned aircrafts for the Republic of Korea's Air Force in 2018, according to the statement by the defense contractor Northrop Grumman released on Monday.
• Iran not to negotiate defense issues with foreigners ISNA 03 Feb 2015 -- Senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi reiterated that the country would not negotiate its defense issues with any foreign side.
• Iran's missile capability non-negotiable: Araqchi Iran Press TV 03 Feb 2015 -- A senior Iranian nuclear negotiator has rejected US claims that Tehran's defense capabilities would be part of future nuclear talks with the P5+1 countries, saying the country's missile capability is non-negotiable.
• Iraq cabinet adopts two bills to bolster national unity Iran Press TV 03 Feb 2015 -- The Iraqi cabinet has approved a draft law that calls for the formation of a national guard, in a move to strengthen unity among different political groups in the Arab country, which has been grappling with a deadly violence fueled by ISIL Takfiri militants.
• Iraqi Government Approves Bill On Creation Of National Guard RFE/RL 03 Feb 2015 -- Iraq's cabinet on February 3 approved a draft law on creating a National Guard, a move Sunni political leaders say is necessary for national reconciliation between Sunnis, Shi'a, and Kurds.
• Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for U.S. Bilateral Assistance to Jordan US Dept. of State 03 Feb 2015e
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 2/3/2015 The White House 03 Feb 2015
• February 3, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 03 Feb 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 03, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 3 February 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 03 Feb 2015
• Senior US Intelligence Official Says IS Global 'Footprint' Growing Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- Islamic State (IS) militant group is growing internationally beyond Syria and Iraq while the US-led coalition's airstrikes continue to help local forces dislodge the extremists, a senior US intelligence officer said Tuesday.
• UN chief, Security Council denounce 'appalling' murder of Jordanian pilot by ISIL UN News Centre 03 Feb 2015 -- For the second time in as many days, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Security Council have jointly condemned the brutal killing of a civilian by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) – this time deploring the group's murder of Jordanian Royal Air Force pilot Lt. Muath Al-Kasasbeh.
• Jordan Executes 2 Militants in Response to Pilot's Killing VOA 03 Feb 2015 -- Jordan executed two militants at dawn Wednesday in response to the Islamic State group killing one of its pilots.
• New Video Overshadows IS Obsession With Kobani, Possible Flaws VOA 03 Feb 2015 -- Photos and video of Jordanian Air Force pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh being burned alive at the hands of his Islamic State captors had U.S. officials searching for words, trying to describe another act of violence committed by a group that has continually found a way to shock the Western world.
• Jordan to Execute al-Qaeda Prisoners After ISIL Burns Pilot Taken Hostage Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- The Jordanian pilot, Muath al-Kasaesbeh, who was captured by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in December after his plane crashed on the terrorist-controlled territory in Syria, has reportedly been burned alive on Tuesday.
• IS Video Purports to Show Jordanian Pilot's Killing VOA 03 Feb 2015 -- New photos surfaced on social media on Tuesday that appear to show captured Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh being burned to death in a cage.
• Syrian Kurds push back ISIL terrorists around Kobani Iran Press TV 03 Feb 2015 -- Kurdish fighters have made major progress in their push to drive the ISIL Takfiri terrorists out of rural areas around the Syrian city of Kobani.
• Ukraine: Dangerous escalation in conflict proving catastrophic for civilians – Zeid UNOHCHR 03 Feb 2015 -- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein on Tuesday urged all sides to halt the dangerous escalation in the fighting in eastern Ukraine. He called on States and all those with influence in the region to take measures to ensure full compliance with the Minsk accords, which have a direct bearing on the human rights situation in the east of the country.
• E. Ukraine: 8 Killed in Fierce Fighting VOA 03 Feb 2015 -- Fresh fighting between Ukraine's military and pro-Russian separatists has killed at least eight civilians, officials in eastern Ukraine said Tuesday.
• Pro-Russia forces say shot down Ukrainian fighter jet Iran Press TV 03 Feb 2015 -- The leader of Ukraine's self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic says pro-Russia forces have downed a Ukrainian military aircraft.
• UN says death toll from conflict in east Ukraine exceeds 5,350 Iran Press TV 03 Feb 2015 -- The United Nations has expressed concern over civilian casualties in eastern Ukraine, announcing that the death toll from conflict in the region has exceeded 5,350.
• UN Says Ukraine Death Toll Above 5,350 After Sharp Escalation RFE/RL 03 Feb 2015 -- A senior UN official says the death toll in the conflict in eastern Ukraine has reached at least 5,358 and urged all sides to halt a potentially 'catastrophic' escalation in fighting between government forces and Russian-backed separatists.
• Merkel Calls For Peaceful Solution to Ukraine Crisis, Rules Out Lethal Aid Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed Tuesday that Germany will not provide weapons to Ukraine and will pursue a peaceful solution to the military conflict.
• Donetsk Authorities Claim NATO Ammunition Found in Ukraine Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) forces has found ammunition used exclusively in NATO countries that the Ukrainian Army is not usually equipped with, Deputy Donetsk Militia Commander Eduard Basurin said Tuesday.
• US Reportedly Considering Supplies of Javelin Antitank Missiles to Ukraine Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- The US government is considering providing Kiev with Javelin anti-tank missiles, ammunition and small arms to support its fight against independence supporters in eastern Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing US officials.
• Donetsk Military Claims Downed Ukrainian Plane, Helicopter Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- The Ukrainian military has lost a helicopter and an airplane in the country's eastern region of Donetsk, the Donetsk News Agency quoted a commander of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic's (DPR) Defense Ministry as saying Tuesday.
• UN rights chief warns escalation in Ukraine fighting 'catastrophic' for country's civilians UN News Centre 03 Feb 2015 -- The ongoing conflict in Ukraine is proving "catastrophic" for the country's civilians amid escalating violence, indiscriminate shelling, and harsh winter conditions which have made life increasingly precarious for millions of civilians, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, warned today.
• Chadian ground troops enter Nigeria to fight Boko Haram Iran Press TV 03 Feb 2015 -- Chadian ground troops have stepped on Nigerian soil for the first time to assist the Abuja government in its battle against the Takfiri Boko Haram militants.
• Security Council strongly condemns Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon UN News Centre 03 Feb 2015 -- The United Nations Security Council today condemned in the strongest terms the continued escalation of attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram terrorists, pointing to an attack on 1 February in Borno State, Nigeria and to increasing attacks in the Lake Chad Basin region, including, on 29 and 30 January, against Chadian forces deployed in Cameroon near the town of Fotokol, which killed four Chadian soldiers and injured 12 others.
• Chadian Troops Enter Nigeria to Battle Boko Haram VOA 03 Feb 2015 -- Hundreds of Chadian ground troops entered northeastern Nigeria Tuesday as part of a growing regional offensive against Boko Haram insurgents.
• Netanyahu to UN: Drop War Crimes Inquiry VOA 03 Feb 2015 -- A day after the resignation of the head of a United Nations investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyanhu on Tuesday called for scrapping the probe.
• UN Court Dismisses Serbian, Croatian Genocide Claims RFE/RL 03 Feb 2015 -- The UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that Serbia and Croatia did not commit acts of genocide during the Croatian war of secession from Yugoslavia.
• International Court of Justice dismisses genocide claims by Croatia and Serbia UN News Centre 03 Feb 2015 -- The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the main judicial body of the United Nations, today rejected claims made by Croatia and Serbia accusing each other of committing genocide during the Balkan wars of the 1990s, a decision that is "without appeal" and binding.
• 'Power-sharing formula' vital to sustain peace in South Sudan, UN chief urges political rivals UN News Centre 03 Feb 2015 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his former Vice-President, Riek Machar to put the interests of their people ahead of their own in order for peace to flourish in the war-torn country.
• Global collaboration critical as humanitarian crises grow, says top UN relief official UN News Centre 03 Feb 2015 -- International stakeholders will increasingly need to collaborate as they face down rising levels of humanitarian strife around the globe, Valerie Amos, the United Nations humanitarian chief, said today.
• Opening up? Sri Lanka's new government confronts legacy of war IRIN 03 Feb 2015 -- Sri Lanka's new government says it will address outstanding concerns relating to the civil war that ended in May 2009, including allegations of human rights abuses, missing persons and political prisoners. The new administration, which came to power last month, appears to be willing to tackle sensitive issues that were effectively taboo under the previous administration. But activists warn only swift, decisive, action can reverse the legacy of pre-existing draconian measures.
• What's behind the kidnappings in CAR? IRIN 03 Feb 2015 -- A spate of kidnappings in the Central African Republic illustrates the continuing levels of insecurity and instability in the country as it strives to turn the page on almost two years of extreme political violence.

News Reports

• Foreign intervention destabilizes states: Lavrov Iran Press TV 03 Feb 2015 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says foreign intervention in the internal affairs of independent countries not only destabilizes entire countries but also incites conflicts in international relations.
• U.S. Lawmakers Seek Clarity On White House Russia Policy Review RFE/RL 03 Feb 2015 -- U.S. lawmakers are pushing for details on an ongoing White House review of its policy toward Russia amid escalating violence between Ukrainian forces and pro-Moscow rebels that Western leaders accuse the Kremlin of backing.
• Russian Lawmakers Take Aim At Germany RFE/RL 03 Feb 2015 -- A Russian lawmaker is calling for Germany to pay trillions of euros in reparations for World War II.
• Iran Drafts Law To Resume Nuclear Activities In Response To Sanctions RFE/RL 03 Feb 2015 -- Iran's parliament voted on February 3 to speed up discussions of a motion that asks the government to resume all its nuclear activities if fresh sanctions are passed by the United States.
• Zarif: Nuclear agreement accessible if dual goals are attained IRNA 03 Feb 2015 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said a nuclear agreement is accessible if the two issues of complete lifting of sanctions and Iranˈs nuclear activities being peaceful is included in the final document.
• North Korea Rules Out Dialogue With 'Gangster-Like' US VOA 03 Feb 2015 -- North Korea is dismissing the possibility of renewing talks with the United States, which it said is trying to overthrow the communist government in Pyongyang.
• US Opening with Cuba Defended on Capitol Hill VOA 03 Feb 2015 -- The Obama administration has defended its diplomatic opening with Cuba before U.S. lawmakers who are deeply divided on the issue. It remains unclear whether the new, Republican-led Congress will assist or hinder the president's initiative to normalize relations with Havana.
• Statement by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco: Update on Implementation of Signals Intelligence Reform and Issuance of PPD-28 The White House 03 Feb 2015 -- "Today, the Director of National Intelligence is releasing a report that highlights substantial progress and reflects an ongoing commitment to greater transparency. This report details, among other things, the Intelligence Community's progress in implementing PPD-28, reforms regarding the collection of bulk telephony metadata records under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act, the collection of intelligence under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and the use of national security letters. "
• Obama puts limited controls on NSA spying Iran Press TV 03 Feb 2015 -- The US administration has put limited controls on the National Security Agency's collection of data on Americans and foreigners, a move that comes a year after President Barack Obama vowed to reform the controversial NSA spying regime.
• US to Require Removal of Private Data Serving No Intelligence Purposes Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- The US government will announce on Tuesday new rules that require security agencies to delete 'incidentally collected' private data of US and foreign individuals that have no intelligence purposes, The New York Times reported.
• OPCW Confirms Syria Destroyed Chemical Weapon Production Facility Sputnik 03 Feb 2015 -- The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed on Tuesday that Syria destroyed the first of 12 chemical weapon production facilities in the country.
• Ebola: UN health agency says large-scale vaccine trials under way in Liberia UN News Centre 03 Feb 2015 -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that the Ebola vaccine trials now under way in Liberia would start soon in Guinea and Sierra Leone, the two other most-affected countries in West Africa.
• WHO says avian influenza A(H7N9) virus outbreak reported in Canada IRNA 03 Feb 2015 -- The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that Canada notified of one laboratory-confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A(H7N9) virus.