Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 11 Mar 2015 [PDF]
• Inherent Resolve Airstrikes Target ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 11 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.
• Kerry Calls for US War Powers to Fight IS VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on Congress to approve President Barack Obama's war powers request during testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Wednesday
• Force Authorization Suited to Anti-ISIL Campaign, Dempsey Says AFPS 11 Mar 2015 -- The draft authorization for the use of military force against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is suitable for the current campaign against the terrorist group, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this morning.
• Carter: Proposed Authorization Gives Flexibility to Fight ISIL AFPS 11 Mar 2015 -- President Barack Obama's proposed authorization to use military force against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is flexible enough to allow for the full range of military scenarios, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told a Senate panel this morning.
• Update: air strikes in Iraq UK MOD 11 Mar 2015 -- British forces have continued to conduct air operations to assist the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIL.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense Joint Press Conference by Secretary Carter and Secretary of Defence Fallon in the Pentagon Press Briefing Room DoD 11 Mar 2015 -- Presenters: Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon
• Carter: U.S., U.K. Maintain Strong Security Ties AFPS 11 Mar 2015 -- The security ties between the United States and the United Kingdom are enduring and exceptional, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today in a joint news conference with British Defense Secretary Michael C. Fallon.
• Airman helps strengthen bond between US, China AFNS 11 Mar 2015 -- An Airman assigned to the 15th Operations Support Squadron here, is tapping into a unique set of skills to support the U.S. Pacific Command's priority of strengthening its foreign partnerships.
• Yokota shares keys to resiliency with Japan allies AFNS 11 Mar 2015 -- Resiliency can be defined as the ability to withstand, adapt or recover from life's adversities.
• Army Chief: Readiness Degraded to Historically Low Levels AFPS 11 Mar 2015 -- Unrelenting budget constraints have degraded Army readiness and modernization to historically low levels, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno told a Senate panel here today.
• Searchers Seek 7 Marines, 4 Soldiers After Helicopter Accident AFPS 11 Mar 2015 -- Search and rescue teams are looking for seven Marines and four soldiers this morning after an accident near Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
• McHugh: America's Army Facing Sequestration 'Enemy' at Home AFPS 11 Mar 2015 -- Not only does the U.S. Army face rapid, unpredictable changes in the geopolitical landscape, but also the uncertainty of an adversary -- sequestration -- here at home, Army Secretary John M. McHugh said here today.
• Theodore Roosevelt Deploys for World Tour NNS 11 Mar 2015 -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) departed its homeport in Norfolk for an around-the-world deployment, March 11.
• USS Hawaii Returns to Pearl Harbor NNS 11 Mar 2015 -- Friends and families of the crew of USS Hawaii (SSN 776) gathered at the submarine piers to welcome back the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, returning March 10 to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after completing a deployment to the Western Pacific.
• Essex ARG, 15th MEU Complete PMINT NNS 11 Mar 2015 -- The Sailors and Marines of Commander, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 3 and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (15th MEU) returned to San Diego March 10, following a twelve day at-sea PHIBRON-MEU Integrated Training (PMINT) off the coast of Southern California.
• USS Frank Cable, a Mobile Repair Facility for the Fleet, Wraps up Maintenance Availability in Sasebo NNS 11 Mar 2015 -- The submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) finished repair support on multiple U.S. naval assets while in port Sasebo, Japan, March 11.
• US, South Korean air forces sharpen cyberspace defense AFNS 11 Mar 2015 -- Attacks, counter-attacks, bombs, rescues, evacuations and logistics are all elements of conflict. For the participants of Key Resolve 2015 (KR15), these actions and other important elements of combat come through a buzzing hard drive rather than from a physical foe.
• US Navy Deploys Drones Under Arctic Ice, Competes With Russia for Waterways Sputnik 11 Mar 2015 -- where the solid ice shelf meets the ocean – the frontier of the Arctic ice.
• US Bullies Vietnam to Stop Military Cooperation With Russia Sputnik 11 Mar 2015 -- While expanding NATO bases closer to Russian borders, the US government is trying to bully Vietnam into stopping its military cooperation with Russia in the Pacific.
• US Warns Europe About Growing Gap in NATO Defense Spending VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- Top U.S. officials are warning of the dangers of a growing gap between U.S. and European defense spending at a time of heightened tensions with Russia over Ukraine. The warnings come as U.S. tanks and warships are being deployed in Europe for ongoing NATO training operations.
• Secretary General discusses security challenges with top NATO military commanders NATO 11 Mar 2015 -- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg discussed security challenges with NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip Breedlove, and participated in a conference of senior military commanders during a visit to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe on Wednesday (11 March 2015). The Secretary General thanked the commanders for the remarkable work of Allied forces in the face of a highly complex and uncertain security environment. "Every day, they keep our nations safe," he said.
• Secretary General discusses NATO-Skopje relations with Prime Minister Gruevski NATO 11 Mar 2015 -- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia¹ to NATO headquarters on Wednesday (11 March 2015) for talks on relations between the Alliance and Skopje. "We share a vision of Euro-Atlantic integration, and we are committed to supporting you on your path towards NATO membership," Mr. Stoltenberg said.
• NATO starts naval military drill in Black Sea Press TV 11 Mar 2015 -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has launched a multinational naval drill in the Black Sea near the Crimean Peninsula amid a standoff with Russia over Ukraine.
• NATO Fighter Jets Scramble to Intercept Russian Fuel Tanker Over Baltic Sea Sputnik 11 Mar 2015 -- Italian fighter jets protecting airspace over the Baltic states were deployed to intercept a Russian refueling aircraft over the Baltic Sea, Latvian National Armed Forces said via Twitter.
• NATO Allies and partners discuss Ukraine crisis NATO 11 Mar 2015 -- Ambassadors of NATO Allies and twenty-two partners met in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council on Wednesday (11 March 2015) for an exchange of views on the current situation in Ukraine. Chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the session was convened at the request of Ukraine.
• Russia has right to send nuclear arms to Crimea: Official Press TV 11 Mar 2015 -- A senior Russian official says his country reserves the right to deploy nuclear arms in the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which joined the Russian Federation last year.
• Moscow Has Right to Place Nuclear Weapons in Crimea Sputnik 11 Mar 2015 -- Moscow has the right to place nuclear weapons in Crimea, but is not currently planning to do so, the head of the Department for Nonproliferation and Control of Arms of the Russian Foreign Ministry Mikhail Ulyanov said Wednesday.
• Deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Crimea possible - Foreign Ministry TASS 11 Mar 2015 -- Russia can deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea as the peninsula is part of its territory, Mikhail Ulyanov, the head of the Foreign Ministry's non-proliferation department, said on Wednesday.
• Russia ready for talks on new Europe arms treaty: Official Press TV 11 Mar 2015 -- Russia has voiced its readiness for negotiations on a new deal to control conventional arms in Europe after Moscow announced an end to its activities under the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE).
• Russia Signals Readiness to Discuss New European Arms Deal Sputnik 11 Mar 2015 -- Russia has indicated its intent to discuss a new agreement on Europe's conventional arms, a day after Moscow abandoned the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.
• Ukrainian Foreign Ministry worried over Russia's suspension of CFE consultations TASS 11 Mar 2015 -- The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is concerned over Russia's decision to suspend participation in meetings of the Joint Consultative Group on the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's speaker Yevgeny Perebeinos told a news briefing on Wednesday.
• NATO disappointed with Russia's decision to suspend participation in CFE consultations TASS 11 Mar 2015 -- NATO is disappointed with Russia's decision to suspend participation in the Joint Consultative Group on the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.
• No prospects for creating analogue of CFE under current US administration – lawmaker TASS 11 Mar 2015 -- Russia's State Duma sees no prospects for creating an analogue of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) under the current US Administration, head of the Duma Committee on Defense Vladimir Komoedov told TASS on Wednesday.
• Russia's MiG-31 Interceptors to Stay in Service Until 2026 - Manufacturer Sputnik 11 Mar 2015 -- The Mykoyan MiG-31 Foxhound supersonic interceptor aircraft will stay in service with the Russian Air Force until 2026, the head of the MiG corporation said Wednesday.
• Russia Launches Simultaneous Military Drills in West, South, Far East Sputnik 11 Mar 2015 -- A series of military exercises with live firing were launched Wednesday in Russia's southern and western regions and in the Far East, the Defense Ministry said.
• Russian Tanks Destroy Tactical Airborne Landing in Pacific Island Exercise Sputnik 11 Mar 2015 -- The Russian army's tank units on Sakhalin Island practiced nuclear protection and repelled an airborne landing party in an exercise.
• Sukhoi Su-25SM attack aircraft tactical flight training begins in Russia's south TASS 11 Mar 2015 -- Tactical flight training exercises with live firing have been launched in Russia's Stavropol region, the press service of the Southern Military District reported on Wednesday.
• Tensions over intermediate nuclear force treaty high – Russian foreign ministry TASS 11 Mar 2015 -- The intermediate nuclear force (INF) Soviet-US treaty of 1987 that outlawed the intermediate and shorter range missiles is not falling apart yet, but tensions over it are soaring high, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's non-proliferation and arms control department, Mikhail Ulyanov, told a news conference on Wednesday.
• Reviewing obligations under START treaty not on agenda now - Russian Foreign Ministry TASS 11 Mar 2015 -- Russia is not considering reviewing its obligations under START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), Deputy Director of Russian Foreign Ministry's Department on Security Affairs and Disarmament Vladimir Leontyev said on Wednesday.
• US violates NPT by training foreign pilots to use nuclear weapons - Russian diplomat TASS 11 Mar 2015 -- The United States violates provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by training pilots of its allied countries to use nuclear weapons, Mikhail Ulyanov, the head of the Foreign Ministry's non-proliferation department, said on Wednesday.
• Bosom Buddies: Britain Vows to Stand by US, NATO Despite Defence Cuts Sputnik 11 Mar 2015 -- British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said that the UK would remain committed to playing a leading role within NATO, together with the US, despite criticism from the United States that the UK is set to undershoot its defence spending target.
• UK submarine industry to benefit from £285m investment in successor programme UK MOD 11 Mar 2015 -- The UK's submarine industry will benefit from £285 million of investment to continue design work for the Royal Navy's next generation of nuclear deterrent submarines.
• China now No. 3 defense importer People's Daily 11 Mar 2015 -- The Chinese mainland was the world's third-largest defense importer in 2014, according to a report by global consultancy IHS.
• General: Make military more transparent People's Daily 11 Mar 2015 -- The military should be more open to the public by releasing appropriate navy and air force equipment information in a timely manner and setting regular military open days, a political adviser and senior officer suggested.
• Chinese Military Weighs In on Second Carrier Rumors Sputnik 11 Mar 2015 -- A Chinese Ministry of Defense publication slammed the idea of Chinese naval hegemony as rumors about the construction of a second aircraft carrier have leaked to Taiwanese and American websites.
• US to send drones, heavy armored Humvees to Ukraine Press TV 11 Mar 2015 -- The United States is planning to send more military equipment to Ukraine, including drones and heavy armored Humvees, according to American government officials.
• US Sending Drones and Armored Humvees to Ukraine Sputnik 11 Mar 2015 -- As the United States continues to mull Ukrainian requests for lethal aid, a US official has confirmed that the Pentagon will deliver a large fleet of unarmed drones and Humvees.
• Sweden Breaks Arms Agreement, Saudi Arabia Recalls Ambassador VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- Sweden has torn up a decades-old, multimillion-dollar arms agreement with Saudi Arabia in a diplomatic dispute sparked by Swedish criticism of Riyadh's human rights record. In response, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Sweden.
• Expert Doubts Estimate on N. Korean Nuclear Stockpile VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- A former high-level International Atomic Energy Agency official has expressed skepticism about a new report that North Korea could manufacture 100 nuclear weapons by 2020.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 11, 2015
• Domestic jet 'to make maiden flight later this year' People's Daily 11 Mar 2015 -- The COMACC919, China's homegrown passenger jet, will make its maiden test flight before the end of the year, according to a senior official, who said assembly of the first prototype is progressing well.

Other Conflicts

• 11 March 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 11 Mar 2015
• NATO urges full OSCE access to east Ukraine Press TV 11 Mar 2015 -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has called for the provision of full access to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in order to verify the arms withdrawal process in eastern Ukraine.
• News Analysis: The Plot To Seize Crimea RFE/RL 11 Mar 2015 -- In early 2014, the world was caught off guard by one event after another in a crisis that culminated with Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.
• NATO Leaders Say Russia 'Still In Ukraine' RFE/RL 11 Mar 2015 -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that 'Russia is still in Ukraine' and urged Moscow to withdraw all its forces and to end its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.
• Washington Expands Ukraine Sanctions 'Blacklist' Sputnik 11 Mar 2015 -- The US Department of the Treasury said Wednesday it has added 14 individuals and two entities to its list of individual sanction over Ukraine.
• To Fight IS, West Needs to Better Understand Foe VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- As the United States and its allies continue to battle Islamic State militants, analysts say Westerners are struggling to understand IS ideology and motivations.
• Peshmerga Fighters Take Key ISIL Ridgeline in Northern Iraq AFPS 11 Mar 2015 -- Peshmerga fighters, supported by Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve airstrikes, seized a key ridgeline west of Kirkuk in northern Iraq, task force officials reported today.
• Iraqi forces liberate Tikrit center from ISIL hold Press TV 11 Mar 2015 -- Iraqi armed forced, backed by volunteer and tribal fighters, have liberated central parts of the Iraqi city of Tikrit with major government buildings now retaken from ISIL Takfiri militants.
• 41 ISIL terrorists killed in an attack on Ramadi Press TV 11 Mar 2015 -- At least 41 ISIL terrorists have lost their lives and tens of others injured in an attack by Takfiri ISIL terrorists on the western Iraqi city of Ramadi, security sources say.
• Iraqi forces retake strategic town of al-Alam near Tikrit Press TV 11 Mar 2015 -- Iraqi security forces alongside Sunni and Shia fighters have driven Takfiri ISIL terrorists out of the town of al-Alam in northern Tikrit.
• Iraqi Forces Advance In Tikrit RFE/RL 11 Mar 2015 -- Iraqi security officials say government forces have retaken parts of Tikrit as they battle the Islamic State (IS) extremist group to retake the city.
• On visit to Syria, senior UN official appeals for more support for humanitarian work UN News 11 Mar 2015 -- Wrapping up a three-day visit to Syria, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations agency mandated to assist Palestinian refugees across the Middle East requested more support for work being carried out across the country, stressing that in Yarmouk "safe, uninterrupted, substantial humanitarian distributions must become the norm."
• IS Forces Bear Down on Kurdish Units in Northeastern Syria VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- Fighters from the Kurdish People's Protection Units have been holding out against an Islamic State militant onslaught on villages across northeastern Syria. A major offensive began Tuesday, with IS fighters bent on regaining momentum after a series of territorial losses.
• US Efforts to Arm Syrian Rebels Suffer Setbacks VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- U.S. efforts to provide weapons to moderate rebels in Syria are suffering setbacks as al-Qaida-linked militants force the collapse of mainstream insurgent groups fighting the Syrian military. Analysts say the developments underscore the risks of a new Pentagon program to train and equip moderate rebels.
• UN-Backed Report Details 'Ruinous' Effects of Syrian War VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- A new United Nations-backed report details the economic and societal devastation of the four-year war in Syria, where the violence of a multiparty civil conflict has become further inflamed by a multinational battle against Islamic State militants.
• At Libya talks, UN envoy stresses commitment to continued dialogue, positive outcome UN News 11 Mar 2015 -- Several Libyan political parties and personalities concluded a two-day meeting today in Algiers, during which United Nations envoy Bernardino León reiterated the resolve of the world body to continue the dialogue until it reaches positive outcomes.
• China urges ASEAN secretary-general to stay neutral on South China Sea issue People's Daily 11 Mar 2015 -- China on Wednesday refuted ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh's recent accusation that China had complicated the situation in the South China Sea, saying the comments departed from the neutral role that the ASEAN Secretariat should play.
• Nigeria's President: Boko Haram Trained with Islamic State VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says fighters from insurgent group Boko Haram have traveled to the Middle East for training with Islamic State militants.
• Nigeria seizes 36 towns from Boko Haram: Official Press TV 11 Mar 2015 -- Nigeria has recaptured 36 towns from Boko Haram since the start of a military operation by regional West African countries against the Takfiri group, an official says.
• Security Council delegation assesses progress in Central African Republic UN News 11 Mar 2015 -- A delegation from the United Nations Security Council is in the Central African Republic today to assess the progress made in stabilizing the country as well as the first months of operation of the UN peacekeeping operation set up last year.

News Reports

• Nemtsov Slaying Suspect Reportedly Retracts Confession; May Have Been Tortured RFE/RL 11 Mar 2015 -- A chief suspect in the killing of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov has reportedly retracted his confession, suggesting it was made under duress, and a rights activist said there are signs he was tortured.
• Fallout Seen Worldwide From Republicans' Letter to Iran VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- The fallout from the open letter sent by 47 Republican senators to Iran's leaders reverberated worldwide Wednesday from Washington to Tehran.
• Plan to export medics 'threatens Uganda's epidemic response' IRIN 11 Mar 2015 -- Uganda's ability to respond to major epidemics will be undermined if plans to send 263 doctors, nurses and midwives to the Caribbean are carried out, civil society activists have warned.
• IS recruits Xinjiang residents People's Daily 11 Mar 2015 -- A top official from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region confirmed for the first time on Tuesday that Xinjiang residents have joined the radical group Islamic State.
• Two UN agencies combine expertise in new partnership to reach zero Ebola cases UN News 11 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) today announced they are combining their expertise in public health and logistics in a new partnership to bring the Ebola outbreak down to zero in West Africa.
• India Struggles to Contain Worst Swine Flu Outbreak Since 2009 VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- India is struggling to contain a wave of swine flu. The death toll has surpassed 1,500 since the infection took hold in mid-December.
• Myanmar Criticized Over Violent Crackdown on Protesters VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- Western officials are criticizing Myanmar authorities after police there beat student protesters with batons to break up a march demanding that the government scrap an education reform law.
• Kazakhstan's Nazarbaev Says Will Seek New Term RFE/RL 11 Mar 2015 -- Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev says he will run for reelection in a snap poll set for April 26.
• Is China Quietly Continuing Its Massive Economic Stimulus? VOA 11 Mar 2015 -- Over the past year Chinese officials have embraced lower economic growth forecasts, saying they are winding down the huge government spending that fueled the country's rapid economic growth in recent decades.