Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 27 Feb 2015 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Rear Adm. Kirby in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 27 Feb 2015 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby
• Kirby: Iraqi Leaders, Troops Will be Force Against ISIL AFPS 27 Feb 2015 -- Any operation in Iraq against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 'is going to be and must be' an Iraqi-led and Iraqi-manned operation, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters today.
• Coalition Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 27 Feb 2015 -- U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• U.S. Added Speed, Scale to West Africa Ebola Fight AFPS 27 Feb 2015 -- Since Sept. 2014, when U.S. Army Africa leadership arrived in Liberia to help contain the historic outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa, the United States is transitioning its contributions to civilian and nongovernmental organizations there as the World Health Organization reports a drop in confirmed cases.
• 101st Airborne Departs Liberia After Successful Mission AFPS 27 Feb 2015 -- The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) cased its colors during a ceremony yesterday at the Barclay Training Center here, marking the end of Operation United Assistance for the Joint Forces Command - United Assistance, or JFC-UA.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Intelligence Chief Describes 'Pervasive Uncertainty' of Worldwide Threats AFPS 27 Feb 2015 -- "Unpredictable instability" is the new normal, the director of National Intelligence told the Senate Armed Services Committee here yesterday.
• McKeon: Budget Request Provides 'Robust' Nuclear Deterrent AFPS 27 Feb 2015 -- The president's proposed fiscal 2016 budget proposal contains funding to provide a "stable and robust" nuclear deterrent capability for the nation, Brian P. McKeon, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, told the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces here yesterday.
• AF leaders seek relief from sequestration-level funding AFNS 27 Feb 2015 -- Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III discussed the damaging effects of sequestration with members of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations' Defense Subcommittee Feb. 27.
• Welsh: Sequestration Harms Aging, Shrinking Air Force AFPS 27 Feb 2015 -- The capability gap separating the U.S. Air Force from others is narrowing and requires modernization to help the service maintain its asymmetric advantage, the service's chief of staff testified before the House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee here today.
• James: In-Demand Air Force Experiences Strain AFPS 27 Feb 2015 -- The Air Force is requesting $10 billion above what sequestration-level funding provides in order to support its global responsibilities, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James told members of the House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee here today.
• Navy Lays Keel on Future Littoral Combat Ship Omaha NNS 27 Feb 2015 -- Austal USA shipyard held a keel laying ceremony for the sixth Independence variant littoral combat ship, the future USS Omaha (LCS 12), Feb. 18.
• Future USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) Launches NNS 27 Feb 2015 -- The future USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), launched from the Austal USA shipyard Feb. 25, marking an important production milestone for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program.
• MCMRON-7 and JMSDF Focus on Combined Operations in Annual Mine Warfare Staff Talks NNS 27 Feb 2015 -- Commander, Amphibious Force U.S. 7th Fleet, Commander, Mine Countermeasures Squadron (MCMRON) 7, and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force Commander (JMSDF), Mine Warfare Force concluded a three day mine warfare staff conference at CTF 76 headquarters Feb. 25.
• Kauffman Saves Stranded Mariners NNS 27 Feb 2015 -- The guided-missile frigate USS Kauffman (FFG 59) rescued six stranded fishermen set adrift in the western Caribbean Sea when their ship experienced engine trouble on Feb. 21.
• Air Force places 18 A-10 aircraft into 'Backup Status' AFNS 27 Feb 2015 -- The Air Force, with congressional authorization, will convert 18 primary combat-coded A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft from active units and place them into Backup-Aircraft Inventory (BAI) status with the possibility to convert another 18 at a later date in fiscal year 2015.
• NAVFAC EXWC Tests New RO System for Littoral Combat Ships NNS 27 Feb 2015 -- The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC) completed tests on a prototype reverse osmosis (RO) system for the Navy's littoral combat ships (LCS) in February.
• Commander Task Force 51 Visits Essex ARG/MEU NNS 27 Feb 2015 -- Commander Task Force (CTF) 51 Marine Maj. Gen. Carl E. Mundy III visited the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) Feb. 25-26.
• US spycraft flying over South China Sea for 3 weeks Iran Press TV 27 Feb 2015 -- The United States says it has been flying its most advanced spy aircraft out of the Philippines to conduct surveillance mission over the South China Sea for three weeks.
• Secretary General visits NATO military headquarters in Naples NATO 27 Feb 2015 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked Allied personnel for their service and for their contribution to NATO operations and missions during his first visit to Allied Joint Force Command Headquarters in Naples on Friday (27 February 2015). "You are helping to keep our Alliance safe, and our world more secure," he said.
• Russia's Baltic Fleet Conducts Firing Drills Sputnik 27 Feb 2015 -- The large amphibious ship Korolev and the small-size missile ship Passat of the Russian Baltic Fleet successfully performed gun practice at sea in low visibility conditions, the press office of the Western Military District reported in a statement.
• Russia Will Continue Advanced Weapon Development Despite Economic Crisis Sputnik 27 Feb 2015 -- The economic difficulties that Russia is currently facing will not cause any reduction in the development of advanced weapons, the deputy chairman of the Russian Military-Industrial Commission said Friday.
• Soyuz-2.1a Rocket Takes Military Satellite to Designated Orbit Sputnik 27 Feb 2015 -- A Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket put a military satellite into its designated orbit Friday, a defense ministry spokesman, Col. Alexei Zolotukhin, told RIA Novosti.
• Ukraine's Not-So-Real Deal With UAE: Officials Deny Weapons Supplies Sputnik 27 Feb 2015 -- The military cooperation agreement between Abu Dhabi and Kiev does not envisage UAE weapon supplies to Ukraine, the UAE Assistant Foreign Minister for Security and Military Affairs said on Friday.
• BrahMos-M Weapons to Bolster India's Defense Capability Significantly Sputnik 27 Feb 2015 -- After Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed over the first BrahMos-A missile integrated Su-30MKI aircraft to the Indian Air Force, Indian and Russian designers concentrated on creating the supersonic mini-BrahMos (BrahMos-M) missiles, meant to boost the defense capability of India's Navy and Air Force.
• Press Briefing by the Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 2/27/15 The White House 27 Feb 2015
• February 27, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 27 Feb 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 27, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 27 February 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 27 Feb 2015
• Poroshenko: Heavy Weapons to Return to Front Lines if Truce Breached VOA 27 Feb 2015 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said his military is ready to return its heavy weapons to the front lines in eastern Ukraine, noting that Russian-backed rebels are still violating a cease-fire deal reached earlier this month.
• Fighting kills 3 Ukrainian forces in 24 hours Iran Press TV 27 Feb 2015 -- Three Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in fighting with pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours, a military spokesman says.
• OSCE Chief Urges All Conflict Sides to Continue Minsk Peace Deal Observance Sputnik 27 Feb 2015 -- OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić urged Friday all sides of the Ukrainian conflict to fulfill in good faith their obligations under the recent Minsk peace agreements.
• Donetsk Forces Pull Out Majority of Heavy Arms From Separation Line Sputnik 27 Feb 2015 -- Donbas forces have pulled out a total of 17 artillery units from the separation line with Kiev-led forces under the recent Minsk peace plan, the deputy commander of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) forces said Friday.
• Russia's 16th Humanitarian Convoy Delivers Aid to Donetsk, Luhansk Sputnik 27 Feb 2015 -- The 16th humanitarian convoy from the Russian Emergencies Ministry has delivered aid to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics on Friday, an official told RIA Novosti.
• Kurds mount offensive against ISIL, gain ground in northeast Syria Iran Press TV 27 Feb 2015 -- Kurdish fighters have advanced on a key town in northeastern Syria which is a stronghold of the ISIL Takfiri terrorists.
• Kurdish Fighters Seize Key Islamic State Stronghold VOA 27 Feb 2015 -- Kurdish fighters say they have 'liberated' a northeastern Syrian town that has been a key stronghold of Islamic State militants.
• Egyptians in Libya - to flee or to stay? IRIN 27 Feb 2015 -- The roundabouts in the Libyan capital of Tripoli have long been a place for Egyptians to find work. Every day, carpenters, builders, plumbers and decorators sit and wait, each man carrying the tools of his trade to make it easier for prospective employers.
• Beheadings prompt 25,000 Egyptians to leave Libya Iran Press TV 27 Feb 2015 -- Tens of thousands of Egyptians have returned home from neighboring Libya after a video emerged of beheadings by ISIL Takfiri terrorists.
• Al-Thini Calls for Naval Observer Force Off Libyan Coast VOA 27 Feb 2015 -- The head of Libya's internationally recognized Cabinet based in Tobruk, Abdallah al-Thini, says his government is calling on the international community to deploy a naval force off the Libyan coast to halt arms smuggling to Islamic militants.
• At UN-backed meeting, West African nations commit to ending statelessness UN News Centre 27 Feb 2015 -- Delegates representing fifteen West African nations have pledged to step up efforts towards eliminating statelessness in a move aimed at resolving the situation of hundreds of thousands of stateless people across the region, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.
• ICC confirms acquittal of Congolese ex-rebel boss Iran Press TV 27 Feb 2015 -- The International Criminal Court (ICC) has for a second time acquitted Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, a former rebel commander in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• Filipino rebels kill 5 soldiers, injure 6 Iran Press TV 27 Feb 2015 -- Five Filipino soldiers have been killed and six others injured in an ambush by communist rebels in the northern Ilocos Sur Province of the East Asian state, army officials say.
• Yemen: closely monitoring 'critical situation,' UN rights office urges meaningful dialogue UN News Centre 27 Feb 2015 -- The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said today that it is closely monitoring the critical situation in Yemen where the political dialogue is faltering and urged a meaningful dialogue to avoid further instability.
• Clarity Over North Myanmar Fighting Lost in Fog of Conflict VOA 27 Feb 2015 -- Since early February, ongoing fighting in northern Myanmar near the Chinese border has forced as many as 100,000 people to flee. Myanmar's army is fighting ethnic Chinese rebels, led by 84-year-old outlaw leader Peng Jiasheng. But getting a clear picture of rebel motivations and developments on the ground remains difficult.
• Ban reiterates condemnation of Boko Haram attacks, urges efforts to combat terrorist threat UN News Centre 27 Feb 2015 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reiterated his strong condemnation of the continuing indiscriminate and horrific attacks by Boko Haram against civilian populations in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.
• African States Push to Keep Boko Haram Offline VOA 27 Feb 2015 -- Central African ministers in charge of telecommunications say they are working with Nigeria to block all video posted online by Boko Haram.
• UN: 1.5 Million People in Mali Need Aid VOA 27 Feb 2015 -- The United Nations is appealing for $377 million to provide humanitarian aid for more than 1.5 million people in Mali this year. The money will provide essential needs, such as food, shelter, hygiene, and education as well as advancing plans for early recovery from Mali's recent civil war.
• Mali: UN, partners launch humanitarian appeal as relief efforts continue UN News Centre 27 Feb 2015 -- The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has joined with partner agencies to launch a multy0million dollar appeal for urgent funding for aid operations in Mali amid the country's ongoing crisis, a spokesperson said today.
• US says China aggressively expanding into South China Sea Iran Press TV 27 Feb 2015 -- The US intelligence chief accuses China of expanding its outposts in the South China Sea in an "aggressive" effort to exert sovereignty.

News Reports

• Joint Statement By the Department of Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on the Declassification of Renewal of Collection Under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act US Dept. of Justice 27 Feb 2015 -- Early last year in a speech at the Department of Justice, President Obama announced a transition that would end the Section 215 bulk telephony metadata program as it previously existed, and that the government would establish a mechanism that preserves the capabilities we need without the government holding this bulk data.
• Russian Opposition Politician Boris Nemtsov Shot Dead In Moscow RFE/RL 27 Feb 2015 -- Boris Nemtsov, a prominent Russian opposition politician and former deputy prime minister, has been shot dead in Moscow.
• Russian Opposition Leader Murdered in Moscow VOA 27 Feb 2015 -- Major Russian opposition leader and former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov was shot dead Friday night in central Moscow.
• US Cuba Talks Open VOA 27 Feb 2015 -- The United States and Cuba opened a second round of talks Friday on restoring diplomatic relations more than 50 years after breaking off ties.'
• Fact Sheet: U.S.-Liberia Relationship US Dept. of State 27 Feb 2015
• US House Committee Votes on Further Sanctions Against North Korea Sputnik 27 Feb 2015 -- The US House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act that strengthens US sanctions against Pyongyang, Committee Chairman Ed Royce said in a statement on Friday.
• Iranian Cleric Says 'Final Steps' Being Taken In Nuclear Talks RFE/RL 27 Feb 2015 -- Tehran's provisional Friday Prayers leader says the 'final steps' are being taken in Iran's talks with six global powers aimed at reaching an agreement curbing Tehran's disputed nuclear program.
• Russian Finance Ministry Gives Gloomy 2015 Forecast RFE/RL 27 Feb 2015 -- Russia Finance Ministry officials have announced a series of measures that they say the country needs to take as they delivered sobering news about the state of Russia's economy.
• Belarus Reacts Harshly To Atambaev's Statement On Bakiev RFE/RL 27 Feb 2015 -- The Belarusian foreign ministry has reacted harshly to comments by Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev regarding his predecessor Kurmanbek Bakiev and his relatives.