Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 04 Mar 2015 [PDF]
• US May Send Troops to Support Iraq, Syrian Rebels Fight Islamic State Sputnik 04 Mar 2015 -- The United States may send special operations forces to help the Iraqi military and US-backed Syrian forces carry out offensive operations against the Islamic State (ISIL), US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey said on Wednesday.
• Coalition Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 04 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.
• Campbell: Taliban Face Overmatch Against Afghan Forces AFPS 04 Mar 2015 -- While Afghanistan remains a dangerous place with many challenges ahead, it's unlikely the Taliban have the ability to best Afghan forces on the battlefield or topple the government, the top U.S. general in the country said today.
• Afghan Refugees Flock Home Amid Claims Of Intimidation, Harassment RFE/RL 04 Mar 2015 -- Afghan refugees are again on the run - this time from the safe haven they sought in Pakistan. Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees have returned across the border in recent months, with many claiming to have been beaten by police, detained, and evicted from their homes in Pakistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• AF responds to National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force AFNS 04 Mar 2015 -- The Air Force responded to the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force's recommendations in a report to Congress March 4.
• 'Iron Horse' sets off for final flight AFNS 04 Mar 2015 -- The 23rd Wing sent the Air Force's oldest C-130 to the 'boneyard' at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, for its retirement March 3.
• Senior DoD Official Testifies on Budget, BRAC AFPS 04 Mar 2015 -- Forcing the Defense Department to adhere to caps from the 2011 Budget Control Act would resonate across the entire defense budget, a senior DoD official testified here yesterday before the House.
• Reforms Just as Important as Budget Increase, Dempsey Says AFPS 04 Mar 2015 -- Internal reforms are just as important to the Defense Department as an increase to its budget, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the House Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee today.
• Navy Secretary Explains Significance of Sea Power AFPS 04 Mar 2015 -- National security interests face heightened threats and demands as budget woes grow more challenging and complex, but the Navy and Marines Corps remain the best value to advance global security and presence, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus told a Senate panel today.
• Red Flag at 40: ISR, coalition integration at its best AFNS 04 Mar 2015 -- This year marks the 40th anniversary of Red Flag -- the United States Air Force's premiere air-to-air combat training exercise.
• Carter: 'Sad Math' of Sequestration Won't Resolve Fiscal Issues AFPS 04 Mar 2015 -- Sequestration isn't the law of the land because it makes sense, it's the law because of political gridlock, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Congress today.
• USS Hawaii Participates in ASWEX NNS 04 Mar 2015 -- The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Hawaii (SSN 776) participated in the 2015 Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise (ASWEX) with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) as part of their Western Pacific deployment Feb. 8-16.
• Hollande Statement On Halting NATO Enlargement Under Scrutiny RFE/RL 04 Mar 2015 -- A statement by French President Francois Hollande about temporarily halting NATO enlargement process is being reviewed in Montenegro and Georgia.
• NATO ships deploy to Black Sea for training NATO 04 Mar 2015 -- NATO ships assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) arrived in the Black Sea on Wednesday (4 March 2015) to train with ships from the Bulgarian, Romanian and Turkish Navies. This training will include simulated anti-air and anti-submarine warfare exercises, as well as simulated small boat attacks and basic ship handling manoeuvres.
• Six NATO Ships Begin Joint Black Sea Exercise - NATO Maritime Command Sputnik 04 Mar 2015 -- Six NATO warships, including Turkish, Bulgarian and Romanian vessels, have arrived to the Black Sea to start joint training exercises, according to NATO Maritime Command (MARCOM) press release issued on Wednesday.
• Russia to hold artillery drills at testing range in Armenia TASS 04 Mar 2015 -- Artillery units of the Russian military base in Armenia will conduct field exercises at the Alagyaz high-mountain training complex, the press service of the Southern Military District told TASS on Wednesday.
• Russia begins month-long military drills in Urals Press TV 04 Mar 2015 -- Russia has launched month-long military drills in three regions of the Urals, involving 4,500 servicemen, as the country is boosting its defense capabilities amid NATO expansion in Eastern Europe.
• Russian Military Unveils Revolutionary Electronic Warfare System Sputnik 04 Mar 2015 -- Russia's new Richag-AV radar and sonar jamming system can be mounted on helicopters, ships and other military equipment to jam potential adversaries' weapons systems from distances of several hundred kilometers away; it has been hailed by developers as having no analogue anywhere in the world.
• Unannounced Test of Strategic Nuclear Weapons Readiness Starts in Russia Sputnik 04 Mar 2015 -- Russia's Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) have begun an unannounced test of its nuclear weapons near the central Russian city Yoshkar-Ola, the SMF's press center said Wednesday.
• Over 4,500 Russian Military Servicemen Begin Drills in Western Siberia Sputnik 04 Mar 2015 -- More than 4,500 Russian military personnel have begun exercises in three regions of the Urals, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
• Russian Bombers Interrupt Commercial Flights in Irish Airspace - Reports Sputnik 04 Mar 2015 -- Services of several commercial aircraft were interrupted due to proximity with two Russian bombers in Irish-controlled airspace, Irish Examiner newspaper reported.
• Russian Jets Penetrate NATO Ships' Air Defenses in Black Sea Sputnik 04 Mar 2015 -- Russia's newest Su-30 multirole fighter jets, together with Su-24 attack bombers have been using NATO ships' movements in the Black Sea to practice attack scenarios.
• China to raise defense budget by around 10 pct People's Daily 04 Mar 2015 -- China will raise its defense budget by around 10 percent this year, compared with last year's 12.2 percent, a spokeswoman for the annual session of the country's top legislature said Wednesday.
• China's defense budget growth rate drops to around 10 pct People's Daily 04 Mar 2015 -- China will raise its defense budget by around 10 percent this year, compared with last year's 12.2 percent, a spokeswoman for the annual session of the country's top legislature said Wednesday.
• Active release of military 'tigers' makes PLA more trustworthy People's Daily 04 Mar 2015 -- The Chinese military authority released a new list of 14 senior military officers at 17:00 on March 2, 2015 who had been investigated or convicted.
• China's defense spending to grow 10 percent in 2015: Official Press TV 04 Mar 2015 -- China's defense budget will grow to around USD 145 billion in 2015, registering a rise of about 10 percent in comparison with 2014.
• China to Boost Military Budget by 10 Percent VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- China's defense spending will increase by 10 percent this year, the latest double-digit increase for the world's largest standing military.
• Attrition Drives Afghan Security Force Levels to 3-Year Low - US Watchdog Sputnik 04 Mar 2015 -- Turnover continues to plague the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), driving troop strength to its lowest levels since 2011, just as the United States completes withdrawing its combat personnel, according to a US Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report.
• China denies Cuba-bound ship violated laws Press TV 04 Mar 2015 -- Beijing has rejected accusations by a Colombian prosecutor that one of China's freighters had been trafficking weapons, saying the cargo ship was carrying 'ordinary military supplies' to Cuba.
• March 4, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 04 Mar 2015
• Daily Press Briefing by the Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 03/04/15 The White House 04 Mar 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 04, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 4 March 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 04 Mar 2015
• UN health agency notes possible threat of polio spread in conflict-affected countries UN News 04 Mar 2015 -- An emergency meeting convened by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) noted today that Pakistan had become the 10th country to be 'infected' by polio and that "the possibility of international spread still remains a global threat worsened by the expansion of conflict-affected areas, particularly in the Middle East and Central Africa."
• Ukrainian Authorities Struggle to Secure a Divided Mariupol VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- Since last month's cease-fire went into effect, shelling around the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol has decreased, but it is thought pro-Russian separatists remain poised to attack. For the city's authorities, a major challenge is gaining the trust of residents, while at the same time rooting out informants who are passing sensitive information to the rebels.
• Kiev Begins Second Stage of Withdrawing Heavy Arms in East Ukraine Sputnik 04 Mar 2015 -- The Ukrainian military has begun its second stage of withdrawing heavy artillery from the frontlines in the country's east, Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said Wednesday.
• Explainer: Iran's Role In Iraq's Fight Against Islamic State RFE/RL 04 Mar 2015 -- The Iraqi government has launched an offensive against Islamic State militants (IS) in the northern city of Tikrit, but Iran appears to be leading the charge.
• Iraq liberates 97 regions, districts in Salahuddin Province Press TV 04 Mar 2015 -- Iraqi forces have managed to liberate 97 regions and districts from ISIL Takfiri militants in their ongoing operation in Salahuddin province.
• ISIL Executes 11 Commanders for Fleeing Battlefield Amid Iraqi Army Advance Sputnik 04 Mar 2015 -- Islamic State (ISIL) militants executed 11 commanders who fled the Iraqi city of Tikrit after government forces launched a major offensive, Lebanon's Al Mayadeen TV channel reported Wednesday.
• Iraq Presses Offensive Against IS to Reclaim Tikrit VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- Human Rights Watch is urging Iraqi forces and pro-government fighters to protect civilians as they press an offensive against the Islamic State group to reclaim the strategic city of Tikrit.
• Militants Stubbornly Resist Tikrit Offensive VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- Jihadi militants are employing guerrilla tactics -- everything from planting improvised explosives to hit-and-run attacks -- in an effort to impede Iraqi forces in their efforts to retake Tikrit.
• Syrian Army Repels Terror Attack on Syrian Air Force Intel HQ in Aleppo Sputnik 04 Mar 2015 -- At least 34 of people have been reported killed following a rebel attack on the Syrian Air Force Intelligence Headquarters in Aleppo, northwest Syria.
• Libya crisis 'festering,' UN envoy warns, urgeing decisive action to build national unity UN News 04 Mar 2015 -- The overall situation in Libya is "deteriorating rapidly" amid a growing terrorist threat and continuing violence, the United Nations envoy to the country warned the Security Council today, as he urged national stakeholders to move firmly in defining the country's future.
• Xi stresses cross-Strait peaceful development, urges vigilance against Taiwan independence People's Daily 04 Mar 2015 -- Chinese President Xi Jinpingon Wednesday stressed the peaceful development of the cross-Strait ties, urging high vigilance against the Taiwan independence.
• Kokang rebels urge China mediation to end clashes with Myanmar soldiers Press TV 04 Mar 2015 -- Myanmar's ethnic Kokang rebels have called on China to mediate in peace negotiations with the government after weeks of deadly clashes.
• South Sudan: UN chief urges all sides to 'show leadership' in quest for peace UN News 04 Mar 2015 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged South Sudanese political rivals President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar to resolve their differences and move towards a lasting peace ahead of an impending mediation deadline.
• S. Sudan's Warring Sides Criticize UN Sanction Threat VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- South Sudan's warring sides are criticizing Tuesday's U.N. resolution that paves the way for sanctions should the sides fail to reach a comprehensive peace deal by a Thursday deadline. The last-ditch talks in Addis Ababa aimed at ending 15 months of violence in the world's youngest country.
• After Six Years, Little Change for Niger Delta's Former Militants VOA 04 Mar 2015
• Chad's President: Boko Haram Leader Must Surrender VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- The president of Chad says his forces know the location of Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the Nigerian insurgent group Boko Haram, and is calling on him to surrender or be killed.
• UN envoy meets President of Yemen amid progress on route to negotiations UN News 04 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations Special Adviser on Yemen, Jamal Benomar, met with the country's President, Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi, in Aden today, according to an announcement made by the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.
• Lebanon: UN envoy meets with Minister to discuss country's security UN News 04 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Sigrid Kaag, met today with the country's Defence Minister, Samir Moqbel, in Beirut to discuss the security situation, with a particular focus on Lebanon's eastern border.

News Reports

• Russian Activist Vows to Publish Nemtsov's Ukraine Findings VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- Russian opposition activists say they will publish documents gathered by opposition leader Boris Nemtsov before his February 27 murder that purport to show Russia's direct military role in Ukraine.
• Putin Tells Police To Avert 'Shame' Of Political Killings RFE/RL 04 Mar 2015 -- President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia must rid itself of 'shame and tragedies' like opposition politician Boris Nemtsov's slaying, and told police they must solve political killings.
• Background Briefing on Secretary Kerry's Meetings on the Iran Nuclear Negotiations US Dept. of State 04 Mar 2015
• Iran will not accept excessive demands: Afkham IRNA 04 Mar 2015 -- Iran will not accept excessive demands in negotations over its peaceful nuclear program, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said in a weekly press conference on Wednesday.
• Iran only to accept single-stage deal: Afkham IRNA 04 Mar 2015 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokeswomen Marzieh Afkham said on Wednesday that Iran would not accept a two-stage nuclear agreement with the world powers.
• West must choose between N-deal or continued Iran sanctions: Zarif Press TV 04 Mar 2015 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has told Press TV that the West, especially the United States, must choose between reaching a nuclear deal with Iran or continuation of sanctions, as these two cannot go hand in hand.
• Iran, U.S. Cite Progess, Tough Challenges In Nuclear Talks RFE/RL 04 Mar 2015 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif have wrapped up three days of talks over Iran's nuclear program, as a deadline for a framework deal looms.
• US, Iran Cite Progress as Nuclear Talks End VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says negotiators in the Iran nuclear talks have "made some progress" from where they were but "there are still significant gaps and important choices that need to be made."
• Ebola: Liberia's long road to recovery IRIN 04 Mar 2015 -- Liberia has lifted nationwide curfews and reopened its land borders with key trading partners Sierra Leone and Guinea, but a full recovery from the economic impact of the Ebola outbreak will take time, experts say.
• Defense Admits Suspect's Guilt in Boston Marathon Bombing VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- The defense lawyer for suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told the jury at his trial Wednesday that he helped carry out the deadly 2013 attack, but contended that Tsarnaev's older brother was the mastermind behind the plot.
• Pakistani Convicted in Al-Qaida Plot to Bomb NY Subway VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- A jury in New York City on Wednesday convicted a Pakistani member of al-Qaida of being part of a plot to attack the city's subway system, a shopping mall in Manchester, England, and a newspaper office in Copenhagen.
• China Seeks to Calm Tech Firm Fears Over Anti-Terrorism Law VOA 04 Mar 2015 -- China has responded to criticisms raised by U.S. President Barack Obama about regulations that could impact high-tech firms. The spokeswoman for China's top legislative body says that companies doing business here have nothing to fear from a new anti-terror law that is under review.
• Court in Bangladesh upholds arrest warrant for former prime minister Press TV 04 Mar 2015 -- A court in Bangladesh has upheld the arrest warrant for the country's opposition leader and former prime minister, Khaleda Zia, in graft cases.
• CPPCC work report stresses anti-graft People's Daily 04 Mar 2015 -- The chairman of China's top political advisory body on Tuesday called for unwavering efforts to crack down on corruption, with analysts believing that the remarks send a positive signal of more active participation in the nation's sweeping anti-graft campaign.
• 39 national lawmakers dismissed in two years: spokeswoman People's Daily 04 Mar 2015 -- A total of 39 members of China's national legislature were stripped of the lawmaker status in the past two years, a spokesperson for the legislature said here Wednesday.
• China Focus: Top political advisory body to discuss reform People's Daily 04 Mar 2015 -- Unfazed by downward pressure on economy, China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng pledged Tuesday further efforts to help advance reforms at the start of the most important two weeks on China's political calendar this year.