Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 03 Mar 2015 [PDF]
• Military Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria and Iraq AFPS 03 Mar 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.
• Striking the heart of the enemy AFNS 03 Mar 2015 -- Since November 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has suffered the loss of at least a dozen senior leaders due to coalition airstrikes. Airmen in the Strike Aircraft Maintenance Unit are doing their part to remind the world that arguably no one performs these missions better than the F-15E Strike Eagle.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Military Satellite Explodes, Sending Chunks of Debris Into Orbit Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- After detecting what has been described as a "sudden spike in temperature," a 20-year-old weather satellite used by the US military exploded, sending dozens of chunks of debris hurtling into Earth's orbit.
• Fire Aboard USS Gunston Hall NNS 03 Mar 2015 -- Sailors aboard USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) and the Portsmouth, Virginia, Fire and Rescue Department responded to a fire aboard the amphibious dock landing ship at approximately 2 p.m. while the ship was undergoing a maintenance availability at NASSCO/Earl Industries shipyard in Portsmouth, Va.
• Carter: Nation 'Would be Less Secure' Under Sequestration AFPS 03 Mar 2015 -- Sequestration threatens military readiness, the size of warfighting forces, the capabilities of air and naval fleets, and ultimately the lives of the nation's men and women in uniform, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told a Senate panel today.
• Sequestration Endangers Defense Strategy, Dempsey Says AFPS 03 Mar 2015 -- While the U.S. military remains strong, sequestration endangers the mission of protecting America and its interests, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told the Senate today.
• Harriers Land Aboard America NNS 03 Mar 2015 -- The flight deck was quiet - unusual for what typically goes on there. Then, without much warning, there it was. An AV-8B Harrier was hovering in the near distance waiting to make its mark into the history books of the Navy's newest amphibious assault ship.
• Officials Outline Policy, Posture in Middle East AFPS 03 Mar 2015 -- Defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorist organization and preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon are the top two issues that must be addressed in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, the undersecretary of defense for policy told Congress today.
• U.S. Marines, Georgian soldiers complete training USMC News 03 Mar 2015 -- Georgian soldiers and U.S. Marines completed their Mission Rehearsal Exercise with a final mission in a simulated Afghan village, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels, Germany, Feb. 26. The MRE concluded at the Salaam Bazar, which Georgians called "Operation Mgheli".
• Royal Australian Air Force Aircrew Complete Basic Training in Growler NNS 03 Mar 2015 -- Five Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircrew personnel graduated from basic training at Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129, the U.S. Navy's EA-18G Growler Fleet Replacement Squadron, during a ceremony Feb. 27 at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island.
• US, Australian, Indonesian Navies Commemorate WWII Battle of Sunda Strait Aboard USS Sampson NNS 03 Mar 2015 -- Senior officials from the United States, Australia and Indonesia paid their respects to the crews of USS Houston (CA 30) and HMAS Perth (D 29) during a wreath laying ceremony March 1, commemorating the 73rd anniversary of the Word War II Battle of Sunda Strait.
• Secretary General and Slovak President discuss keeping NATO strong in a challenging world NATO 03 Mar 2015 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Slovak President Andrej Kiska to NATO on Tuesday (3 March 2015) for talks on current security challenges.
• Russia to boost naval capabilities in 2015 Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- Russia's navy chief says Moscow plans to boost the country's naval capabilities by expanding its naval fleet with 50 ships this year.
• Russian Army Liberates Town Using Drones, Mi-28 Night Hunters in Exercise Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- A motorized infantry brigade stationed in Chechnya has begun exercises in which a town captured by illegal armed formations is liberated with the help of drones and close air support.
• Major Artillery Drills Begin in Russian Far East - Defense Ministry Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- More than 2,500 artillerymen are currently taking part in a major military exercise in Russia's Far East, the Eastern Military District press service said in a statement Tuesday.
• Missile Forces Drills From Baltic Fleet Kick Off in Russia's Kaliningrad Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- Joint Missile Forces from the Baltic Fleet have begun in Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad, the Defense Ministry's Western Military Region for the Baltic Fleet's press service said Tuesday.
• Second Mistral Built for Russia Begins Sea Trials in March Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- The Sevastopol, the second Mistral-class helicopter carrier built for Russia, is slated to begin sea trials in March, according to a representative of the French shipbuilding industry.
• Russia, Egypt to Hold Joint Naval Drills in the Mediterranean in 2015 Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- Russia and Egypt agreed on Tuesday to conduct joint naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea and anti-terrorism drills in 2015, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
• Safety incidents soar at UK nuke base Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- A new report has revealed that the number of "nuclear safety events" at UK's Naval Base Clyde, where Britain's Trident nuclear submarines are based, has soared in recent years.
• Italy to Send Weaponry, Instructors to Iraq to Fight ISIL Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- Italy will continue to support Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan in its fight against Islamic State (ISIL) militant groups by providing them with weaponry and sending instructors, the country's Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Tuesday.
• Australia's Prime Minister Pledges 300 More Troops to Iraq Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said his country will send an additional 300 soldiers to Iraq to help train local forces.
• Iran holds new strategic weapons, says Cmdr. ISNA 03 Mar 2015 -- Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy Ali Fadavi said the US cannot ignore the power of the new underwater-to-surface missile of the IRGC.
• US cannot ignore IRGC's weapons capabilities: Iran cmdr. Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- A commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the United States cannot hide its concern about the growing military capabilities of the Iranian elite force.
• Military launches blitz against corruption People's Daily 03 Mar 2015 -- The release of a list of names of generals who have been investigated or convicted recently hints at what is to come from the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) countercorruption drive in 2015.
• China Voice: Catching 14 military 'tigers' People's Daily 03 Mar 2015 -- Moments after questions on whether China's ongoing countercorruption campaign would snatch 'bigger tigers' were aired by China's state broadcaster, the Chinese military authority released Monday a list of 14 generals that had been investigated or convicted recently.
• Chinese army investigates more generals People's Daily 03 Mar 2015 -- The Chinese military authority on Monday released a list of 14 generals who have been investigated or convicted in the recent days.
• N. Korea: Joint Drills Could Spark War VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- North Korea's foreign minister says the U.S.-South Korean military drills that began this week are 'unprecedentedly provocative' and could set off a war on the Korean peninsula.
• UK Donates $5 Million to Syrian Civil Defence Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- The UK Government is to supply Syria with more than $5 million of civil defence equipment, including personal protective gear such as helmets and goggles, stretchers, medicines and medical supplies, radios, firefighting equipment and 4x4 vehicles.
• Kiev must modernize army before joining NATO: FM Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- The Ukrainian foreign minister says Kiev needs to modernize its military and carry out reforms to meet higher standards before it takes steps towards joining NATO.
• Watchdog Reports Afghan Army Lost 20,000 Personnel in 2014 Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- The Afghan Army lost more than 20,000 fighters in 2014 mostly due to desertion, discharge and combat deaths, a report provided to The New York Times by an American government watchdog agency revealed Tuesday.
• March 3, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 03 Mar 2015
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 3/3/2015 The White House 03 Mar 2015
• Background Briefing on Secretary Kerry's Travel to Saudi Arabia US Dept. of State 03 Mar 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 03, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 3 March 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 03 Mar 2015
• Kiev says OSCE to monitor ceasefire in east Ukraine Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- Kiev says the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has agreed to send observers to monitor the truce in Ukraine's eastern areas still witnessing clashes between pro-Russians and government troops.
• Ukraine foreign minister says in doubt about Minsk truce Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- Ukraine says it doubts that the European-brokered truce with pro-Russia forces will hold long, pointing to the lack of trust between Kiev and Moscow.
• OSCE confirms pullback of heavy weapons by pro-Russians in Ukraine Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- Pro-Russia forces in eastern Ukraine are withdrawing their heavy weapons from the frontline in the area in compliance with a peace deal signed last month, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has confirmed.
• Donetsk, Luhansk Agree to Permanent OSCE Monitoring at Ten Hotspots Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- The self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (DPR and LPR) have agreed to a proposal by Kiev to organize permanent OSCE monitoring at ten hotspots along the line of contact, a spokesman for the Kiev negotiator said Tuesday.
• Iraqi Parliament Asks Iranian General to Coordinate Joint Assault on ISIL Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- Since June 2014 Iraqi forces tried to retake Tikrit five times, failing each time. However, for this operation the Iraqi government assembled a formidable force of 20,000 troops, made up of regular army units, Shiite militias and Sunni tribesmen. But perhaps the worst news for IS terrorists is that the Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps will be taking part in the offensive led by Quds Force Commander General Qassem Soleimani.
• Iraqi Shia fighters kill ten ISIL terrorists in west Iraq Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- Volunteer Iraqi Shia fighters have engaged the ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the western province of Anbar, killing nearly a dozen of the militants.
• Iraqi forces recapture northern town of Hamrin from ISIL Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- Iraqi forces backed by volunteer fighters have managed to recapture the northern town of Hamrin in Iraq's Salahuddin Province.
• Iraq Advances on Booby-Trapped Road to Tikrit VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- An Iraqi coalition is battling its way toward Tikrit for a third day, facing Islamic State snipers and roadside bombs as it flanks the extremist group's strategic stronghold north of Baghdad.
• Libya air force foils militant attack on oil port Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- Anti-aircraft fire by Libyan air force has repelled an attack by the warplanes belonging to militants against a major oil export terminal in the North African country.
• Amid 'diminishing window of opportunity,' Libyan peace talks set to resume UN News Centre 03 Mar 2015 -- A new round of United Nations-facilitated talks aimed at resolving Libya's political crisis will kick-off later this week as stakeholders from the North African country prepare to gather in Morocco, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has announced.
• Libya's Pick for Army Chief Could Derail Peace Talks VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- Libya's internationally-recognized parliament - one of two competing for power - has agreed to return to U.N.-sponsored peace talks. But the decision to appoint a renegade anti-Islamist general as the commander-in-chief of its forces is likely to deepen divisions in the conflict-wracked country.
• Security Council approves system to impose targeted sanctions in South Sudan UN News 03 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution today creating a system by which it would to impose sanctions on those blocking peace in South Sudan, the 15-member body's latest step towards ending a conflict that has killed thousands in the world's newest country.
• Explanation of Vote at the Adoption of Resolution 2206 on South Sudan U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations 03 Mar 2015
• UN Sets Up Sanctions Regime for S. Sudan VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- The U.N. Security Council has taken the first step toward sanctioning spoilers to the peace process in South Sudan. In a unanimous vote, the 15-nation council decided Tuesday to establish the legal framework required for sanctioning individuals and entities.
• South Sudan Government Not Pleased with UN Resolution VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- Hours before a deadline to once again reach a peace deal that would end 15 months of violence in Africa's newest country, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar are meeting in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. To step up pressure on both parties, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution Tuesday to possibly impose sanctions if a deal is not reached by Thursday.
• South Sudan general summoned over child soldiers recruitment Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- South Sudan's army has summoned for questioning the leader of an allied militia accused of abducting hundreds of boys from school and forcing them into becoming child soldiers.
• South Sudan rebels urge Kiir to make more concessions Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- Rebel forces in South Sudan have warned that the ongoing peace talks with the Juba government may collapse should President Salva Kiir fail to make concessions on certain issues.
• UN agency supports Government project bringing rights, services to South Sudanese people living in Sudan UN News Centre 03 Mar 2015 -- Under a United Nations-backed initiative, South Sudanese people living in Sudan are being registered by the Government of Sudan and issued identity cards that give them the right to work and access to basic services.
• Houthis reject Hadi's call for peace talks in Saudi Arabia Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- The Yemeni Houthi movement has rejected President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi's call for United Nations-brokered national reconciliation talks to be moved to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Press TV reports.
• Boko Haram Driven Out of Nigerian Town VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- Chadian forces in the northeastern Nigerian town of Dikwa say they have recaptured the town from Boko Haram militants.
• Nigerian refugee crisis continues as Boko Haram fighting spills across region UN News Centre 03 Mar 2015 -- The exodus of Nigerians fleeing violence in the country's north-eastern regions continues amid an influx of sixteen thousand refugees into neighbouring Cameroon, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported.
• Over 30,000 Nigerians Flee From Boko Haram to Cameroon, Chad - UN Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- Some 30,000 civilians fled from Nigeria to neighboring Cameroon and Chad as the fighting between the Nigerian government and the terrorist group Boko Haram intensified over the weekend, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Tuesday.
• India, Pakistan Agree to Ensure Peace Along Border Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- The Foreign Secretary of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry agreed to ensure peace along the border during the meeting in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Tuesday.
• Cambodian Tribunal Charges 2 New Khmer Rouge Suspects VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- Cambodia's U.N.-backed Khmer Rouge tribunal has formally charged two more suspects with crimes against humanity, a development that comes days after Prime Minister Hun Sen warned against such a move.
• Top UN political official urges Sri Lanka to seize 'historic moment' for reconciliation UN News 03 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations will stand with the people and leaders of Sri Lanka as the country forges ahead along the path to reconciliation, the Organization's top political official said today, as he voiced encouragement at the Government's ongoing commitment to promote accountability and human rights following the nation's three decade-long civil war.

News Reports

• PM Netanyahu's Speech in Congress Israel - Prime Minister's Office 03 Mar 2015
• Netanyahu's US Speech Draws Mixed Response in Israel VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's warning to the U.S. Congress that a nuclear deal with Iran would threaten Israeli and world security has elicited a mixed reaction at home.
• Obama: Nothing New in Netanyahu Speech VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- President Barack Obama was critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech Tuesday before the U.S. Congress, saying the Israeli leader offered no new alternatives on dealing with Iran and its nuclear ambitions.
• Kerry Seeks to Ease Gulf Concerns About Iran Nuclear Deal VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is traveling Wednesday to Saudi Arabia, where he will try to assure Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members that an Iran nuclear deal would not lead to regional instability.
• Netanyahu to US: Don't negotiate 'bad deal' with Iran Iran Press TV 03 Mar 2015 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the United States not to negotiate "a very bad deal" with Iran over its nuclear energy program.
• Netanyahu Warns U.S. Over Iran RFE/RL 03 Mar 2015 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in an address to the U.S. Congress that Iran is a threat to the region and the world, and that a potential nuclear deal with the regime would not stop it from getting a nuclear weapon.
• Israeli PM: Iran Nuclear Talks Are 'Very Bad Deal' VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said negotiations underway between the United States and Iran would "guarantee" that Tehran would get nuclear weapons, a threat not only to the Middle East but to the world.
• Zarif: Iran not to yield to greedy demands IRNA 03 Mar 2015 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran will not yield to the greedy demands of the parties involved in the talks over its peaceful nuclear program.
• Kerry, Zarif Continue Nuclear Talks VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif are meeting for a second day in Switzerland to discuss the status of Tehran's nuclear program.
• Obama Urges Iran to Freeze Nuclear Program for Ten Years Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- Iran should bring its nuclear program to a verifiable halt for at least ten years, US President Barack Obama said during an interview with Reuters.
• Obama Defends Iran Nuclear Talks Ahead Of Netanyahu Speech RFE/RL 03 Mar 2015 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has said Iran should agree to at least a decade-long freeze on its nuclear activity for a landmark deal to be reached.
• Russia Opposition Leader Laid to Rest VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- Thousands of mourners paid respects to Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, the fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin gunned down late last week just steps from the Kremlin.
• Russian Opposition Leader Nemtsov Laid To Rest In Moscow RFE/RL 03 Mar 2015 -- Slain Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov has been laid to rest following an emotional farewell ceremony attended by thousands of mourners.
• EU Commission Ponders Neighborhood Policy, Closer Ties With Russia RFE/RL 03 Mar 2015 -- The European Commission is questioning whether to drop its European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) and appears open to the possibility of closer cooperation with Russia.
• Ukrainian President Sets Up Commission to Amend Constitution Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree to set up a commission to amend the country's constitution, his press service said Tuesday.
• Former CIA Director Petraeus Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- a criminal information, a plea agreement and a statement of facts – were filed today in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina's Charlotte Division in the case of United States v. David Howell Petraeus. The criminal information charges the defendant with one count of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material…. The plea agreement and corresponding statement of facts, both signed by the defendant, indicate that he will plead guilty to the one-count criminal Information.'
• US Metadata Collection Expiration Will Increase Security Risk - Intelligence Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- Failure to renew the telephone metadata collection program, referred to as Section 215, would deprive the US intelligence community of a tool to thwart threats to national security, US Director of National Intelligence (NDI) James Clapper said at the Council on Foreign Relations.
• North Korea Ends Ebola-Related Travel Restrictions Sputnik 03 Mar 2015 -- Pyongyang has announced the lifting of Ebola-related travel and tourism restrictions which have been in force since last October.
• Cyber War Rages Between Iran, US VOA 03 Mar 2015 -- A newly published report indicates Iran and the United States have increased their cyber attacks on each other, even as their top diplomats are working toward an agreement to guarantee Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon and to free Iran from international sanctions. The development is part of a growing global trend.
• Ebola: UN tells Brussels meeting world must 'stay on course' to get to, remain at zero cases UN News 03 Mar 2015 -- Representatives of United Nations organizations engaged in the response against Ebola today pledged their support to the worst-affected West African countries in "each stage of this journey; the drive to zero, the early recovery, the medium and longer term development."