Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 12 Mar 2015 [PDF]
• Coalition Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Iraq AFPS 12 Mar 2015 -- U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Georgian Infantry to Replace US Army Division in Afghanistan Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- Georgian soldiers were deployed to Afghanistan Thursday to replace a US army division in the international peacekeeping mission Resolute Support, the Georgian Defense Ministry said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Gen. Kelly in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 12 Mar 2015 -- Presenters: Commander, U.S. Southern Command, General John Kelly
• Northcom Chief Discusses Threats to Homeland AFPS 12 Mar 2015 -- The most dangerous threats to the U.S. homeland include transnational criminal networks, homegrown violent extremists and cyberattacks, Navy Adm. William E. Gortney told a Senate panel today.
• Southcom Chief Details Dangers of Sequestration AFPS 12 Mar 2015 -- The return of sequestration would "be a catastrophe" to U.S. Southern Command's operations, Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly, Southcom's commander, told a Senate panel here this morning.
• DoD Authorizes Global War on Terrorism Medals for Operation Freedom's Sentinel DoD 12 Mar 2015 -- The Department of Defense announced today that Operation Freedom's Sentinel is now a qualifying operation for award of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
• 15th MEU Marines, Essex ARG participate in PMINT USMC News 12 Mar 2015 -- U.S. Marines with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked aboard the Essex Amphibious Ready Group's three ships for Amphibious Squadron/Marine Expeditionary Unit Integration training, or PMINT, off the coast of San Diego Feb. 23 - March 8.
• Integrated Task Force infantry Marines kick off MCOTEA assessment USMC News 12 Mar 2015 -- After completing five months of training at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, with more than 20 live-fire exercises and one week of trial runs at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, the infantry Marines of the Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force officially began the Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity assessment, March 7, 2015.
• Advanced Hawkeye to Make Maiden Deployment on Theodore Roosevelt NNS 12 Mar 2015 -- Five E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125 will make their maiden deployment as part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71).
• Coastal Riverine Squadron 1 Detachment Deploys NNS 12 Mar 2015 -- Sailors assigned to Coastal Riverine Squadron (CRS) 1 deployed to Bahrain and Djibouti March 11.
• Yeoman Qualification Standards Updated NNS 12 Mar 2015 -- Navy administration subject matter experts gathered for five days within the Norfolk, Virginia, NATO Headquarters building to update the yeoman (YN) rating Personnel Qualification Standards March 2.
• Norfolk Naval Shipyard Performs USS Albany Rudder Repair NNS 12 Mar 2015 -- Norfolk Naval Shipyard's (NNSY) Inside Machine Shop successfully performed its first rudder repair since 1991, on the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Albany (SSN 753), which is currently undergoing an engineered overhaul.
• NATO Prepares for Challenges From East, South AFPS 12 Mar 2015 -- NATO commanders are putting in place the infrastructure that will allow the alliance to adapt to new threats, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the press yesterday at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium.
• NATO and Spain discuss Alliance's response to new security challenges NATO 12 Mar 2015 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked Spain for its many contributions to the Alliance during a visit to Madrid on Thursday (12 March 2015). He underscored that NATO is responding to threats both to the east and the south.
• Poland seeks advanced cruise missile for submarines Press TV 12 Mar 2015 -- Poland is planning to get advanced cruise missiles for its submarines, the country's defense minister has said, implying that the NATO member state is taking precautionary measures against a rising Russian threat.
• Poland Requests Tomahawk Missiles From the US Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Poland Tomasz Siemoniak has confirmed that his country has asked the US if it can buy Tomahawk cruise missiles for the three new submarines it is planning to add to its fleet, reports the Polish press.
• Russia launches military drills in south Press TV 12 Mar 2015 -- Russia has started major military exercises in the country's south amid tensions with the West over the ongoing crisis in neighboring Ukraine.
• Massive Rocket Artillery Drills Begin in Crimea, Abkhazia, South Ossetia Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- Russian army artillery personnel in the Southern Military District began scheduled drills using new Hosta and Tornado-G systems.
• Russian Reconnaissance Troops Get Advanced Drones Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- Sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have reportedly been put into service at the Russian Central Military District in Siberia.
• Russian Black Sea Fleet Warships in Artillery, Missile Drills Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- A tactical group of Russian Black Sea warships is holding military exercises targeting decoy "enemy" bombers and ships, Black Sea Fleet information support head Capt. 1st Class Vyacheslav Trukhachyov said Thursday.
• Large-scale artillery, Black Sea Fleet drills launched in Russia TASS 12 Mar 2015 -- Country-wide maneuvers of artillery, reconnaissance troops, armour units and the Black Sea Fleet were launched in Russian on Thursday.
• New Pacific Fleet Tug Boats Ready for Action Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- Tug boats which came into service at the end of last year are ready for the anticipated arrival of new nuclear submarines in Kamchatka this year.
• Russian Defense Ministry may spend up to $4.7 billion on new weapons in 2015 TASS 12 Mar 2015 -- Russia's Defense Ministry may this year spend some 270-290 billion rubles ($4.4-4.7 billion) on research and design work to create promising weapons and hardware, Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said Thursday.
• Airborne troops in Russia's Tula region receive new Rakushka armored personnel carriers TASS 12 Mar 2015 -- The first batch of the new Rakushka armored personnel carriers and BMD-4M airborne carrier vehicles was delivered to the Tula Airborne unit, representative of the Russian Defense Ministry's press service Yevgeny Meshkov said Wednesday.
• Russia, Serbia to Carry Out Joint Air Force Drills Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- Military pilots from Russia and Serbia will conduct joint training exercises in September 2015, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.
• US Concerned About Russian Use of Vietnam Base VOA 12 Mar 2015 -- The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi said it is unaware of any response from the Vietnamese government to its request that it stop allowing Russia to use a base to refuel bombers that have conducted provocative flights around U.S. territory in the Pacific.
• Vietnam Military Blasts US for Interfering With Russian Refueling Flights Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- A senior Vietnamese military official told Sputnik that the US is interfering in Vietnam's internal affairs by demanding that the country puts a stop to Russian refueling plane landings at Cam Ranh airbase.
• Germany Again Warns Against Lethal Weaponry for Ukraine VOA 12 Mar 2015 -- Germany's top diplomat has warned against supplying Ukraine with lethal weaponry in its fight against pro-Russian separatists, saying such a move could trigger a 'dangerous, permanent escalation' of the crisis facing Kyiv and Moscow.
• A Bipartisan Cause In Washington: Arming Ukraine Against Russia RFE/RL 12 Mar 2015 -- Bipartisan consensus is often elusive in Washington's highly polarized political environment. But consensus appears to be snowballing among Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the U.S. capital on at least one issue: arming Ukraine.
• Ukraine Continues to Strengthen Its Army Despite Ceasefire - Poroshenko Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- Ukraine continues to build up its military potential while strictly observing the ceasefire regime in the contested south-eastern regions of the country, President Petro Poroshenko said Thursday.
• Ukrainian Forces Holding Military Drills Near Line of Contact Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- The Defense Ministry of the eastern Ukrainian self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic said Ukrainian forces have begun military exercises very close to the line of contact.
• China's Xi calls for closer civil-military integration to boost army combativeness People's Daily 12 Mar 2015 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called to strengthen China's national defense and the combativeness of its armed forces, by greater civil-military integration.
• Interview: New milestone set for military cooperation with China: S. Korean vice defense chief People's Daily 12 Mar 2015 -- South Korea is expected to return to China later this week another 68 more remains of Chinese soldiers in the 1950-53 Korean War, a fresh move that South Korean Vice Defense Minister Baek Seung-joo sees will serve as 'new milestone for military cooperation between the two countries.
• UK to Offer Eurofighters Should India Scrap Rafale Deal Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- The United Kingdom is ready to offer Eurofighter aircraft if India's long-disputed deal to acquire French Rafale jets falls through, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said Thursday.
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz en route Los Angeles, CA, 3/12/2015 The White House 12 Mar 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 12, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 12 March 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 12 Mar 2015
• Russia again lambasts US for accusations on Ukraine Press TV 12 Mar 2015 -- Russia has slammed the United States for making unfounded claims on Moscow's presence in east Ukraine, another sign of deepening war of words between the two countries over the armed conflict in Ukraine.
• In E. Ukraine, Civilian Deaths Push Men to Join Rebels VOA 12 Mar 2015 -- After months of fighting in eastern Ukraine, the presence of the Ukrainian military and the shelling of civilian neighborhoods seem to be pushing more men to join the rebellion.
• Just Because Russian Army Isn't There, Doesn't Mean US Won't See It Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- Russian Major General Igor Konashenkov said that Russia is no longer surprised with even the most incredible accusations from the US State Department and Pentagon over Russia's involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, which only pile up each time it stabilizes.
• As Islamic State retreats, aid workers uncover human toll IRIN 12 Mar 2015 -- A week after launching a major offensive to recapture the city of Tikrit, pro-government forces claim they are close to reclaiming large parts of territory held by militants from the group calling itself Islamic State (IS).
• Iraq army set to launch decisive Tikrit operation: Defense minister Press TV 12 Mar 2015 -- Iraq's defense minister says the Iraqi army and the volunteer forces are set to launch an imminent decisive battle to fully retake the city of Tikrit from ISIL terrorists.
• Iraqi Forces Push Into Tikrit, Cautious About Final Assault RFE/RL 12 Mar 2015 -- Iraqi government forces have advanced into Tikrit on several fronts, forcing the Islamic State (IS) extremist group to fall back to the center of the city.
• Iraqi Forces, Militias Tighten Hold on IS-held Tikrit VOA 12 Mar 2015 -- Iraqi forces and militiamen are tightening their grip on Tikrit in an attempt to wrest the city from Islamic State militants.
• Southcom Commander Discusses Recruit Movement to Syria AFPS 12 Mar 2015 -- The movement and tracking of recruits traveling from the Caribbean region to Syria to fight alongside Islamic extremists is concerning, Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly, commander of U.S. Southern Command, said today.
• UN has failed Syria: NGOs IRIN 12 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations Security Council has "failed" the Syrian people, according to some of the world's largest NGOs.
• UN chief stresses collective responsibility to resolve Syria conflict, end nightmare for millions UN News 12 Mar 2015 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed the need to bring to an end the conflict in Syria, which has been raging for four years, while United Nations humanitarian agencies urged greater support to help the millions of people caught up in a "nightmare of suffering."
• Aid Groups: UN Has Failed to Protect Syrian Civilians VOA 12 Mar 2015 -- Two U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions adopted last year have failed to improve the humanitarian situation in Syria, better protect its civilians from violence or forge any progress toward a political resolution to the country's crisis, according to a report from international aid agencies released Thursday.
• S Korean Officials in Hot Water Over Plans to Forcefully Unify With North Sputnik 12 Mar 2015 -- South Korean officials have been in damage control over the past several days following revelations by a senior official earlier this week that a 'non-consensual' scenario on unification with North Korea was among the contingencies the Committee for Unification was looking at.
• VOA Exclusive: Nigeria Brings South African, Foreign Mercenaries Into Boko Haram Fight VOA 12 Mar 2015 -- South African and other foreign soldiers in Nigeria are fighting against Boko Haram, engaging in ground combat and flying combat air sorties, Nigerian soldiers told VOA Thursday.
• Sources: US Drone Strike Kills Somali Militant Commander VOA 12 Mar 2015 -- VOA sources in Somalia are reporting that an apparent U.S. drone strike has killed a top official of the militant group al-Shabab.
• New al-Shabab attack kills five in central Somalia Press TV 12 Mar 2015 -- At least five people have been killed after al-Shabab terrorists carried out an offensive on a high-security zone in the central Somali town of Baidoa, security sources say.
• Colombia's Inspector General slams president decision to halt pounding FARC positions Press TV 12 Mar 2015 -- A high-ranking official in Colombia has sharply denounced President Juan Manuel Santos' decision to suspend aerial attacks on the positions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
• UN Mission Chief Calls for 'Pact' With DRC Government VOA 12 Mar 2015 -- The head of the U.N. mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spoken publicly of disagreements and 'tense' relations between the United nations and the DRC government. The U.N. mission, known as MONUSCO, is currently sidelined in operations against the Rwandan rebel FDLR.

News Reports

• Leader warns of trickery in Iran nuclear talks Press TV 12 Mar 2015 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has urged the Iranian negotiators in the nuclear talks with the P5+1 group of world powers to exercise vigilance over the subterfuge of the other side.
• Iran's Ayatollah Slams Republican Senators' Letter VOA 12 Mar 2015 -- Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, criticized an open letter sent by 47 U.S. Republican Senators to Tehran about the ongoing negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, saying the move showed 'disintegration' in U.S. politics.
• Analysis: Senators' Letter to Tehran Could Impact Nuclear Talks VOA 12 Mar 2015 -- An open letter sent by 47 U.S. Republican senators to Tehran about the ongoing negotiations on Iran's nuclear program could impact the talks, experts say.
• US leak investigation stalls over fears of revealing US-Israel anti-Iran operation Press TV 12 Mar 2015 -- An investigation into a top US military general accused of leaking sensitive information has been halted over fears it could confirm a joint US-Israeli covert operation against Iran's nuclear program, according to US officials.
• 'UK spies snooping on communications data in bulk' Press TV 12 Mar 2015 -- British lawmakers have, for the first time, acknowledged that the country's spy agencies are snooping on private communication data in bulk.
• The Sick Man Of Moscow RFE/RL 12 Mar 2015 -- Vladimir Putin may well be seriously ill, or worse. (...) Whether Putin is sick, or 'is feeling fine,' as his spokesman Dmitry Peskov insists, the system he presides over is far from healthy. Even if Putin the man is in top form, the 'collective Putin,' Russia's informal ruling circle, is showing signs of deep distress.
• Activist Barred From Visiting Nemtsov Slaying Suspects After Torture Claim RFE/RL 12 Mar 2015 -- A Russian human rights activist has been questioned by investigators after he said there were signs a suspect in opposition politician Boris Nemtsov's killing was tortured.
• Turkey Uses Special Powers to Halt Metal Workers Strike VOA 12 Mar 2015 -- After just two days of a nationwide strike by Turkey's Metal Workers Union, the government invoked emergency powers to postpone the strike for 60 days, claiming national security was threatened.