Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 10 Mar 2015 [PDF]
• Anti-ISIL Fighters Retake Key Terrain AFPS 10 Mar 2015 -- Forces opposing the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, supported by coalition airstrikes, seized key terrain late last week in northeastern Syria near Tal Hamis, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 10 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.
• 13 killed in separate Afghanistan bomb attacks Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- At least thirteen people have been killed and tens of others injured when a string of bomb explosions ripped through the northern and southern parts of war-wracked Afghanistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Russian Aggression Threatens European Security, Officials Say AFPS 10 Mar 2015 -- Russia is actively supporting violence in Ukraine, sending weapons and equipment to separatist forces and violating the "immediate and comprehensive cease-fire" called for in the Minsk agreement, officials told Congress today.
• NMCB-3 Packs to Perform NNS 10 Mar 2015 -- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 Seabees executed an embark exercise (EMBEX) at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, March 3-5.
• US, South Korean civil engineers work together during exercise AFNS 10 Mar 2015 -- In a nondescript room in the bottom of a random building, sits a group of men and women coordinating engineering requirements for military personnel.
• Altus Airmen assist Soldiers in mobile rocket joint exercise AFNS 10 Mar 2015 -- There's a lot of moving parts when Soldiers from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, are airlifted from Altus Air Force Base to fire their High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems in Colorado.
• Navy, Marine Corps Officials Warn of Sequestration's Impact AFPS 10 Mar 2015 -- The Navy and Marine Corps will be challenged to carry out their parts of the national defense strategy if billions of dollars in sequester-related budget cuts take effect Oct. 1, senior service officials told legislators on Capitol Hill today.
• 12th Marine Regiment maneuvers through Dragon Fire Exercise 15-2 USMC News 10 Mar 2015 -- Headquarters Battery, 12th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force traveled from Okinawa, Japan to PTA, Kona, Hawaii, for Dragon Fire Exercise 15-2. The exercise will take place March 3-13 to improve combat readiness and command and control capabilities.
• Navy Lays Keel for PCU Colorado NNS 10 Mar 2015 -- The U.S. Navy held a keel laying ceremony for the Virginia-class submarine Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Colorado (SSN 788) at General Dynamics Electric Boat, March 7.
• RQ-4B soars past 10,000 flying hours AFNS 10 Mar 2015 -- An RQ-4B Global Hawk embarked on an Operation Inherent Resolve mission March 7, which sent the aircraft soaring past the 10,000 flying-hour milestone at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.
• US Supreme Court rejects cases on Guantanamo detainees' mistreatment Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- The United States Supreme Court has refused to hear appeals about the torture of two inmates at the military-run Guantanamo Bay prison.
• US Tanks, Paratroopers to Arrive in Estonia for Military Drills This Week Sputnik 10 Mar 2015 -- The Siil 2015 military training will be held in Estonia from May 4 – 15. A total of 13,000 US and Estonian soldiers will take part in the drills.
• US Abrams Tanks to Be Deployed in Lithuania Sputnik 10 Mar 2015 -- Five American Abrams tanks and dozens of other vehicles will be deployed in Lithuania, the country's defense ministry confirmed on Monday.
• NATO Wraps Up Joint Naval Drill in the Black Sea Sputnik 10 Mar 2015 -- NATO naval ships held a joint exercise in the Black Sea as part of the alliance's collective security program in the region.
• Moscow Will Respond to NATO Military Buildup Near Russia's Border - Lavrov Sputnik 10 Mar 2015 -- Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that Moscow would respond to NATO military buildup near Russian border 'in an adequate way.'
• Russia suspends joint consultations on Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe TASS 10 Mar 2015 -- Russia has decided to suspend its participation in meetings of the joint consultative group on the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) from March 11, 2015, Anton Mazur, the head of the Russian delegation to Vienna talks on military security and arms control, said on Tuesday.
• Russia Completely Withdraws From Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty Sputnik 10 Mar 2015 -- Russia suspends its participation in the work of the Joint Consultative Group under the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.
• Russian defense minister inspects troops stationed in Crimea TASS 10 Mar 2015 -- Russian Defense Minister General Sergey Shoigu on Tuesday checked the progress of the works for the installation of infrastructure for military units and formations in Crimea and Sevastopol, the ministry press service reported.
• Russia's deputy PM: what NATO refers to as defense in reality is offensive TASS 10 Mar 2015 -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday he had witnessed the evolution of the concept of cyber defense while being Russia's ambassador to NATO: initially, NATO representatives spoke of cyber security, and starting from 2010 the term was transformed into cyber defense.
• US Still Considers Providing Lethal Weapons to Ukraine - Pentagon Sputnik 10 Mar 2015 -- The United States are still considering the option to provide lethal assistance to Ukraine, but there is no time frame of when they may reach a decision, US Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Brian McKeon said on Tuesday.
• Ukraine Military Gets Boost With UK Armored Vehicles Delivery Sputnik 10 Mar 2015 -- known as Saxons – came without weapons, which Ukraine plans to add before use by the army.
• Poroshenko Requests Parliament to Allow Foreign Troops to Train in Ukraine Sputnik 10 Mar 2015 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has requested the country's parliament to consider allowing foreign troops into the country to participate in international military exercises in 2015, the parliament's website announced Tuesday.
• Hammond: Russia greatest threat to UK security Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- British foreign secretary has described Russia as the "greatest threat" to UK national security.
• Iran's Damavand destroyer to help Caspian Sea security: Cmdr. Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says the country's domestically-made destroyer, Damavand, will help promote security in the Caspian Sea, Press TV reports.
• Iran can detect any spy plane: Cmdr. Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- A senior Iranian commander says the country is capable of reconnoitering any spy aircraft flying far away from its borders, adding that Iran's Air Defense Force will safeguard the Islamic Republic's territorial integrity.
• March 10, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 10 Mar 2015
• Press Gaggle by Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz En Route Atlanta, Georgia The White House 10 Mar 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 11, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 10 March 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 10 Mar 2015
• US Envoy: Eastern Ukraine, Crimea Under 'Reign of Terror' VOA 10 Mar 2015 -- A top U.S. diplomat for Europe says citizens in large parts of war-torn eastern Ukraine and Crimea are living under 'a reign of terror' spawned by a new influx of Russian military hardware.
• Poroshenko Upbeat On Truce RFE/RL 10 Mar 2015 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has given a generally upbeat assessment of a three-week-old cease-fire in the east of the country.
• Nuland blasts Russian 'reign of terror' in eastern Ukraine Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- The top US diplomat for Europe has accused Russia of unleashing "unspeakable violence and pillage" in eastern Ukraine which she said is living under "a reign of terror."
• EU provoking confrontations with Russia: Lavrov Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- The Russian Foreign Minister has leveled strident criticism at European Council President Donald Tusk and European diplomats for aggravating tensions between Moscow and the 28-member European Union (EU) over Ukraine crisis.
• Ukraine says 9 troops injured in clashes in east Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- Fresh clashes in eastern Ukraine have left nine troops wounded over the past 24 hours, a fresh sign that the fighting in the war-ravaged region has yet to completely die down.
• Putin Says Crimeans Were Surveyed Before Annexation Vote RFE/RL 10 Mar 2015 -- President Vladimir Putin says Russia quietly conducted an opinion survey to gauge Crimeans' appetite for annexation shortly before the March 2014 referendum on the issue.
• Ukraine Says Rebels Violating Cease-Fire RFE/RL 10 Mar 2015 -- Ukrainian officials say Russian-backed separatists have violated a cease-fire by shelling government positions in eastern Ukraine, including attacks near the southeastern port of Mariupol.
• Nuland Claims 400-500 Russian Soldiers Killed in Eastern Ukraine Sputnik 10 Mar 2015 -- Hundreds of Russian soldiers were killed during the crisis in eastern Ukraine, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland said during a testimony before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday.
• Ukraine: UN aid agency concerned by 'dire' conditions facing civilians affected by conflict UN News 10 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations refugee agency said today that it is "extremely concerned" about the worsening humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine, particularly in areas controlled by anti-government forces, with the civilian population in those areas now lacking access to benefits and services previously provided by the central authorities.
• Hungary considers sending soldiers to Iraq to fight ISIL Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- Hungary has announced plans to dispatch soldiers to Iraq to join the US-led military coalition's so-called battle against the ISIL Takfiri terrorists.
• Iraqi army, volunteer forces enter Tikrit from multiple directions Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- Iraqi security troops, backed by Shia, Sunni volunteers and tribal forces, have reportedly entered the strategic city of Tikrit from multiple directions, reports say.
• Iraqi Forces Advance Toward Tikrit VOA 10 Mar 2015 -- Iraqi forces have retaken a town near Tikrit, as they advance in the second week of fighting for the Islamic State-held city. A coalition of troops and Shi'ite militia members drove IS fighters out of al-Alam on Tuesday.
• UN puts on hold Libyan request for arms delivery: Diplomats Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations has delayed the approval of a Libyan request for the purchase of weapons to fight ISIL Takfiri militants, diplomats say.
• New UN-backed report reflects 'crushing' impact of conflict in Syria on its people UN News 10 Mar 2015 -- Four years of armed conflict, economic disintegration and social fragmentation in Syria have hollowed out its population by 15 percent, forced some 10 million people to flee their homes and reduced life expectancy by two decades – from nearly 76 years of age to 56 – according to a United Nations-backed report released today on the "catastrophic" impact of the conflict.
• Escape of Scores of IS Prisoners Reported in Syria VOA 10 Mar 2015 -- More than 70 prisoners, including recently captured Kurdish fighters, broke out of an Islamic State jail Tuesday in which they were being held northeast of Aleppo, Syria, local political activists say.
• Reconciliation efforts must occur within Syria: Minister Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- A Syrian minister says any effort aimed at reconciling the conflicting sides in Syria should be carried out within the country, stressing that any action taken to that end outside of Syria will be "fruitless," Press TV reports.
• Aden separatists are responsible for waging war in Yemen: Dep FM IRNA 10 Mar 2015 -- Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Sana'a is the official and historical capital of Yemen and those who are trying to ignite civil war from Aden are responsible for the consequences.
• In South Sudan town devastated by conflict, UN official condemns forced child conscription UN News 10 Mar 2015 -- Individuals responsible for the recruitment of child soldiers in South Sudan must be held accountable for violating international law, the top United Nations official in the country declared today during a visit to the devastated frontline town of Malakal.
• Nigeria Muslims Face Stigma Over Presumed Boko Haram Links VOA 10 Mar 2015 -- Nigerian Muslims who fled to Cameroon to escape Boko Haram say they are being shunned as suspected sympathizers of the insurgent group. And the suspicions are not only from Cameroonians but Nigerian Christians who do not trust them and refuse to live with them in refugee camps.
• Can a Boko Haram-IS Merger Work? VOA 10 Mar 2015 -- Boko Haram's pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) militant group on Saturday followed weeks of hints and signs the group was moving in that direction.
• Deploring ongoing violence, UN rights expert urges Malian parties to work together towards lasting peace UN News 10 Mar 2015 -- Condemning the "reprehensible" attacks on civilians and United Nations peacekeepers and facilities in Mali, UN independent expert Suliman Baldo today expressed deep concern that massive violations of the most basic rights continue to plague populations in areas affected by fighting.
• 'Historic opportunity' at hand for reconciliation, cooperation in Sri Lanka, says UN political chief UN News 10 Mar 2015 -- Following elections, a historic opportunity has now presented itself for Sri Lanka to set up a domestic process that is credible, accountable and up to par with international norms and standards for the benefit of the country's people, with the help of the wider international community, the United Nations political chief said today.

News Reports

• Cuba Blasts US Over Venezuela Sanctions VOA 10 Mar 2015 -- New U.S. sanctions on Venezuela drew fire Tuesday from Cuba, in the first public clash between the U.S. and Cuba since the two nations announced in December they would begin talks on restoring diplomatic ties.
• US-Venezuela Tensions Rise Over Sanctions VOA 10 Mar 2015 -- Tensions between the United States and Venezuela intensified Tuesday over new U.S. sanctions, with the move also drawing fire from Venezuela's Latin American allies.
• U.S. Senate Democrats Concerned Letter Could Hurt Iran Bill RFE/RL 10 Mar 2015 -- Democratic Party backers of a bipartisan bill requiring congressional review of a potential deal to limit Iran's nuclear program are concerned that a Republican letter to Iran could hurt the measure.
• Obama slams Republicans' letter on Iran IRNA 10 Mar 2015 -- The US President Barack Obama showed a harsh response to the letter by 47 Republican senators on a probable nuclear deal between Iran and the 5+1.
• Zarif: US senators' letter lacks legal value ISNA 10 Mar 2015 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said US senators' letter lacks legal value and is a propaganda.
• Sen. Cotton says GOP letter to Iran has more support in Congress Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- Sen. Tom Cotton, author of a much-criticized letter to Iran's leaders, says the letter has more support in the US Congress than the 46 Republican senators who have co-signed it.
• Letter War Breaks Out Between U.S. Senators, Iranian Leaders RFE/RL 10 Mar 2015 -- With the stroke of a pen, a war of words oozing with condescension has erupted between Iran's foreign minister and a group of U.S. senators.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Schools US Senators in American, Int'l Law Sputnik 10 Mar 2015 -- Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, rejected a recent letter sent by US Republican senators, saying that it seems like the authors of the letter do not understand international law.
• US Congressional Letter to Iran Stirs Controversy VOA 10 Mar 2015 -- Vice President Joe Biden and a group of Democrats have accused 47 Republican senators Tuesday of undermining the president in international efforts to negotiate an agreement with Iran to curb its nuclear program.
• New lawsuit challenges mass surveillance by NSA Press TV 10 Mar 2015 -- The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a major new lawsuit on behalf of a broad group of organizations who are challenging the US government's mass surveillance programs.
• UK Foreign Secretary Calls for More Spying Powers Sputnik 10 Mar 2015 -- UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has called for its intelligence agencies MI5, MI6 and GCHQ to be given new powers to combat terrorist threats and military action, while flatly denying they failed to prevent a known suspect - Jihadi John - from joining Islamic State.
• Pakistan Lifts Moratorium On Executions RFE/RL 10 Mar 2015 -- Pakistan has lifted its moratorium on the death penalty in all cases, months after resuming executions of terrorism convicts.
• China Warns Xinjiang Extremists Fighting for IS, Returning Home VOA 10 Mar 2015 -- The top Communist Party leader in China's remote and restive region of Xinjiang said he believes religious extremists have left the country to join Islamic State militants overseas, and then returned home.
• Move Over, Geneva, Minsk Is The World's New Diplomatic Capital RFE/RL 10 Mar 2015 -- Now, the capital of Belarus has become the latest city whose claim to fame may remain forever tied to a much-discussed act of diplomacy: the Minsk I and Minsk II cease-fire agreements aimed at bringing peace to eastern Ukraine.