Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 25 Mar 2015 [PDF]
• Inherent Resolve Airstrikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 25 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.
• Counter-ISIL Coalition Provides Air Support in Battle for Tikrit US Dept. of State 25 Mar 2015 -- At the request of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the Coalition today launched airstrikes in and around Tikrit in support of Iraqi Security Forces ground operations.
• US conducting airstrikes to help Iraqi forces retake Tikrit: Pentagon Press TV 25 Mar 2015 -- The United States has launched airstrikes to support Iraqi forces fighting to recapture the city of Tikrit from the ISIL terrorist group, the US military has confirmed.
• Coalition Forces Begin Operations in Tikrit AFPS 25 Mar 2015 -- U.S. and coalition military forces have begun operations in support of Iraqi security forces in Tikrit after a request from the Iraqi government, officials from Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve announced this afternoon.
• Ghani Thanks Americans For Sacrifice, Warns About Islamic State RFE/RL 25 Mar 2015 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has thanked the United States for its involvement in what has become the longest foreign war in U.S. history.
• Ghani: Afghanistan Owes 'Profound Debt' to US VOA 25 Mar 2015 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told U.S. lawmakers that his country owed a 'profound debt' to the United States and the more than 2,300 U.S. troops who died to 'advance the cause of freedom.'

Defense Policy / Programs

• SASC Chairman John McCain Sends Letter on UCLASS Program Senator McCain 25 Mar 2015 -- U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, yesterday sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter concerning the U.S. Navy's Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance-Strike (UCLASS) program. Senator McCain called on Secretary Carter to ensure the Navy's first unmanned combat aircraft is capable of performing a broad range of missions in contested environments as part of the carrier air wing, including precision strike as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
• US Unmanned Aircraft Must Be Fully Capable for Long-Term Missions - McCain Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- The US Navy's first unmanned carrier-launched aircraft should have intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as precision strike capabilities for long-term missions, US Senator John McCain said in a letter to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Wednesday.
• Army Charges Bergdahl With Desertion AFPS 25 Mar 2015 -- U.S. Army Forces Command has thoroughly reviewed the Army investigation surrounding Sgt. Robert Bowdrie Bergdahl's 2009 disappearance in Afghanistan and formally charged him today under the Uniform Code of Military Justice with "Desertion with Intent to Shirk Important or Hazardous Duty" and "Misbehavior Before The Enemy by Endangering the Safety of a Command, Unit or Place," and has referred the case to an Article 32 preliminary hearing, command officials announced today in a news release.
• Future Readiness Requires Investment, Officials Say AFPS 25 Mar 2015 -- The vice chiefs of staff for the Army, Navy and Air Force and the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps told Congress today that the return of sequestration-level budgets will seriously damage national security.
• Surgeons General: Sequestration Could Have Lasting Impact AFPS 25 Mar 2015 -- The services' three surgeons general told a Senate defense subcommittee today that military medical excellence must be maintained for readiness, and a return to sequestration would have a lasting impact.
• Navy Warfare Center Division Conducts Production Acceptance Test of Tomahawk Missile NNS 25 Mar 2015 -- The Navy's Tactical Tomahawk missile underwent a successful production acceptance test March 19 using functional ground test (FGT) capability at Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division's (NSWC IHEODTD) Large Rocket Motor Test Facility in Indian Head, Maryland.
• F-35 Aircraft Costs Drop, Report Shows AFPS 25 Mar 2015 -- A recent account of F-35 Lightning II aircraft program costs shows decreases, the Air Force's F-35 program executive officer told reporters in a media roundtable yesterday.
• In Tokyo, Dempsey Reinforces U.S.-Japan Alliance AFPS 25 Mar 2015 -- The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today underscored the importance of the U.S.-Japanese alliance as he met here with Japan's senior military and political leaders.
• BHR ARG and 31st MEU Complete AIT and CERTEX NNS 25 Mar 2015 -- Both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps share the same core values; honor, courage and commitment. On board the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), one might say the Sailors and the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Marines used these guiding principles to complete the mission during amphibious integration training (AIT) and certification exercises (CERTEX), March 16-23.
• DESRON 15, JMSDF Flex Their Combat Capability during Multi-Sail 2015 NNS 25 Mar 2015 -- Personnel and ships from Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and U.S. Navy Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) from Japan led by Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 kicked off Multi-Sail 2015, March 22, in Guam.
• New Nuclear Sub's Funding to Start on Time Despite Media Reports - US Navy Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- Procurement funding for the US next-generation strategic nuclear submarine will start in 2017 as expected, despite earlier media reports claiming the funds have not been found yet, a US Navy spokeswoman told Sputnik on Wednesday.
• Latvia to Introduce Military Training for Students in Fear of Russia Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- The country's Ministry of Defense is considering introducing the first voluntary and soon to be compulsory military training for young people.
• Lithuania Awaits Territorial Claims From Moscow, Prepares for War Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- Vilnius has serious fears of a 'Russian invasion' and is preparing for war, the Austrian newspaper "Kurier" reported. Lithuanian schools are distributing brochures with instructions on how to behave in the event of a bombing.
• US Sends Troops, Tanks for Drills in Eastern Europe Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- US forces are taking part in a series of joint exercises in Eastern Europe in what Pentagon describes as a sign of free movement within NATO and Washington's commitment to its East European allies.
• NATO to Train 30,000 Troops in South Europe in Autumn 2015 - Commander Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will conduct training of some 30,000 military personnel in Spain, Italy and Portugal this fall, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Gen. Jean-Paul Palomeros said on Wednesday.
• US, NATO start military drills in eastern Europe - Pentagon TASS 25 Mar 2015 -- US started military drills codenamed Atlantic Resolve in Bulgaria and Romania, Pentagon spokesman Army Colonel Steve Warren said on Tuesday.
• Russia's military drills not connected to NATO's increased activity - Putin's spokesman TASS 24 Mar 2015 -- The issue of the Ukrainian conflict was not discussed at Tuesday's meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
• Russian Military to Get 100 Brand New Su-34 Frontline Bombers Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- Over 100 Su-34 strike fighters will be produced to replace Su-24 jets, said Vladimir Mikhaylov, former commander-in-chief of the Russian Air Force.
• Live Fire Drills With S-300 Missile Systems, Fighters to Start in Siberia Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- Live fire military exercises with S-300 missile systems, jet fighters and support aircraft are planned to take place in April in Russia's Buryatia in southern Siberia, the Ministry of Defense's Eastern Military District's press service said Wednesday.
• Russian Marines Kick Off Live Fire Drills in Crimea Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- Up to 500 Russian marines from the Black Sea Fleet are holding live fire exercises at a military paratrooper field in Crimea, the Defense Ministry's Southern Military District's press service said Wednesday.
• Poroshenko Signs Law Increasing Armed Forces Up to 250,000 Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- President Petro Poroshenko has signed a law aimed at increasing the size of Ukraine's military forces up to 250 thousand people.
• US to Send Weapons to Kiev if Minsk Agreements Fail - Psaki Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- The weapons the United States would provide would be defensive and not offensive, Psaki stressed in an interview with Dozhd television channel.
• US hands over 10 armored Humvees to Ukraine Press TV 25 Mar 2015 -- The United States has handed over the first batch of its heavily armored vehicles to Ukraine, two days after lawmakers passed a resolution urging the White House to provide Kiev with lethal arms.
• 10 US Military Humvees Arrive in Ukraine Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- A US Air Force plane with 10 US military Humvees on board landed in Ukraine, with President Petro Poroshenko personally supervising the delivery of the high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles.
• Japanese Navy Gets Biggest Warship Since WWII Era Aircraft Carriers Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- The Maritime Self Defense Force in Japan made a little bit of history Wednesday by taking delivery of the largest Japanese warship since World War II.
• Indian Navy Aircraft Crashes Into Sea Leaving Two Missing Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- One survivor was rescued, and a large-scale search and rescue operation was underway to locate two more officers.
• S.Korea conducts naval training exercise to mark Cheonan sinking incident People's Daily 25 Mar 2015 -- The South Korean military on Wednesday conducted naval training exercises to mark the fifth anniversary of the Cheonan sinking in March 2010.
• Countries to join maritime security exercise in Indonesia People's Daily 25 Mar 2015 -- Seventeen countries are to take part in maritime joint exercise in Yogyakarta of Indonesia from March 30 to April 1, Indonesian officer said here on Wednesday.
• Argentina Slams UK for Using Falklands As Pretext to Boost Defense Budget Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- The Argentina Foreign Ministry has criticized the UK over plans to boost its military presence in the Falkland Islands, accusing Britain of using the disputed archipelago as a pretext to bolster defense spending ahead of a May 7 general election.
• March 25, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 25 Mar 2015
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 3/25/2015 The White House 25 Mar 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 25, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 25 March 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 25 Mar 2015
• Amid growing crises, UN officials urge protection for war's youngest victims UN News 25 Mar 2015 -- The international community must act "collectively and expeditiously" to thwart the growing number of children affected by armed conflicts, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared today, as the Security Council met to discuss the myriad horrors faced by children caught up in wars worldwide.
• Saudi Arabia launches military operations in support of legitimate Yemeni government Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia 25 Mar 2015 -- Saudi Arabia has launched military operations in Yemen, as part of a coalition of over ten countries in response to a direct request from the legitimate government of Yemen, Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir announced at a press conference at the embassy in Washington this evening.
• Saudi Arabia Launches Airstrikes in Yemen VOA 25 Mar 2015 -- Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states launched airstrikes Wednesday against Shi'ite Houthi rebels in Yemen in response to a request from internationally backed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
• Saudis announce onset of military intervention in Yemen Press TV 25 Mar 2015 -- Saudi Arabia has begun launching airstrikes in Yemen where the Ansarullah fighters have acquired power, says the monarchy's ambassador to the United States.
• Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on the Situation in Yemen The White House 25 Mar 2015
• Forces Loyal to Yemen's Ex-President Capture Airport in Aden VOA 25 Mar 2015 -- Yemeni officials say forces loyal to the country's ousted president have captured the international airport in the city of Aden, hours after Yemen's current president fled his residence in that city.
• Unknown plane fires 3 rockets at Hadi's palace in Aden Press TV 25 Mar 2015 -- An unknown warplane has targeted the residence of Yemen's fugitive President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in the southern city of Aden, a presidential security official said.
• Houthis enter Yemen's Aden Press TV 25 Mar 2015 -- Houthis have entered the Yemeni city of Aden from where resigned President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi has just fled.
• Ansarullah fighters seize key airbase in south Yemen Press TV 25 Mar 2015 -- Ansarullah revolutionaries of the Houthi movement have seized a key military airbase in the southern province of Lahij.
• UN: Iraqis Suffer Shocking Atrocities at Hands of IS Group VOA 25 Mar 2015 -- The United Nations accuses the so-called Islamic State (IS) of committing shockingly widespread and extremely severe human rights violations against the people of Iraq.
• Turkey shells Syrian artillery units near border: Turkish military Press TV 25 Mar 2015 -- Turkey has fired shells at Syrian artillery units positioned near the border between the two countries, the Turkish military says.
• ISIL Takfiris kill 5 Libya Dawn fighters Press TV 25 Mar 2015 -- ISIL Takfiri terrorists have killed five Libya Dawn fighters near the coastal city of Sirte in Libya.
• 30 militants killed in Pakistani army airstrikes Press TV 25 Mar 2015 -- At least thirty pro-Taliban militants have been killed when Pakistani air force military aircraft carried out operations in a troubled northwestern tribal region near the border with Afghanistan.
• Reports: Boko Haram Kidnaps Hundreds in NE Nigeria VOA 25 Mar 2015 -- Officials in Nigeria say Boko Haram militants have kidnapped hundreds of people, including many children, from a town on the border with Niger.
• Agencies overwhelmed as Mindanao conflict flares again IRIN 25 Mar 2015 -- Humanitarian agencies are struggling to cope with a growing number of people displaced by fighting in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao.

News Reports

• Panel Conducts Review of FBI Since 9/11 Commission Report FBI 25 Mar 2015 A congressionally mandated panel charged with reviewing the FBI's implementation of recommendations contained in the 9/11 Commission Report in 2004 today issued its findings.
• The FBI Releases Final Report of the 9/11 Review Commission FBI 25 Mar 2015 -- Today, the FBI released The FBI: Protecting the Homeland in the 21st Century, the final report of the 9/11 Review Commission. This congressionally mandated review focused on the FBI's implementation of the recommendations proposed by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the 9/11 Commission).
• Report Cites 'Significant Gap' in FBI's Intelligence Goals, Practices VOA 25 Mar 2015 -- Citing a 'significant gap' in the Federal Bureau of Investigation's intelligence goals and actual practices, a new report contends the bureau should beef up its ranks of analysts and linguists and better integrate analysis and criminal investigations to improve national security.
• Background Briefing on Travel to Switzerland US Dept. of State 25 Mar 2015
• If nuclear talks fail, sanctions against Iran won't hold, Kerry says Press TV 25 Mar 2015 -- Secretary of State John Kerry has defended US policy to continue nuclear negotiations with Iran, saying if Washington will walk away from the talks, the sanctions against the Islamic Republic will not hold.
• Predicting outcome of nuclear talks difficult: Official IRNA 25 Mar 2015 -- Senior member of Iranian nuclear negotiating team Majid Takht-e Ravanchi on Wednesday said that it is difficult to predict the outcome of the next round of nuclear talks due to begin in the Swiss city of Lausanne later in the day.
• Velayati: Nuclear talks moving forward within framework drawn by Supreme Leader IRNA 25 Mar 2015 -- Head of strategic research center of Expediency Council Ali Akbar Velayati said that the Iranian nuclear negotiating team is pushing forward talks with P5+1 within the framework drawn by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
• Iran Reacts To Snap Nuclear Inspections Call RFE/RL 25 Mar 2015 -- An Iranian official has reacted to comments by the head of the UN nuclear agency demanding snap inspections of Iran's nuclear sites.
• Iran on Nuclear Talks: 'The Ball is on the Other Side' Sputnik 25 Mar 2015 -- Tehran is optimistic about the progress of talks with P5+1 international mediators on Iranian nuclear program and expects the West to assume a realistic approach to the proposed comprehensive nuclear agreement, a senior Iranian diplomat said Wednesday.
• News Analysis: Ukraine Risks 'Feudalization' As Conflict With Oligarchs Boils Over RFE/RL 25 Mar 2015 -- The unfolding conflict between Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskiy is a symptomatic and dangerous moment in Ukraine's post-Soviet history. And the danger has not passed simply because Kolomoyskiy stepped down as governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
• Powerful Ukrainian Governor Kolomoyskiy Resigns RFE/RL 25 Mar 2015 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree dismissing powerful tycoon Ihor Kolomoyskiy as governor of Dnipropetrovsk, a region near separatist-held territory in the southeast.
• China, U.S. work to clear legal hurdles People's Daily 25 Mar 2015 -- China will strengthen cooperation with the United States on major legal cases aimed at repatriating corrupt Chinese officials hiding there as well as confiscating their ill-gotten assets, a senior official of the Supreme People's Procuratorate said.
• EU Criticizes Azerbaijan, Notes Ukraine's Challenges RFE/RL 25 Mar 2015 -- The European Commission has approved its 2014 European Neighborhood reports, highlighting progress and shortcomings made last year in the countries to the east and south of the European Union - several of them on Russia's fringes.
• Palestinians Push for Expanded Role in Israeli Politics VOA 25 Mar 2015 -- The unprecedented success of Arab-Israeli political parties in this month's Israeli election is seen as possibly ushering in a new era of expanded civic engagement for Palestinian citizens of Israel.
• New Israeli Government Faces Same Challenges VOA 25 Mar 2015 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been designated to form the next government following the victory of his Likud party at the polls last week.
• Lowest weekly total of Ebola cases in 2015 reported, UN health agency says UN News 25 Mar 2015 -- The first case of Ebola in three weeks was found in Liberia, prompting heightened vigilance, while the United Nations health agency noted some improvements in Guinea, where the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Guinean Scouts held campfire sensitization sessions as part of its efforts to overcome community resistance to health interventions.