Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 28 Apr 2015 [PDF]
• Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 28 Apr 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.
• Update: air strikes in Iraq UK MOD 28 Apr 2015 -- British forces have continued to conduct air operations to assist the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIL.
• Afghanistan dispatches reinforcements to counter Taliban in Kunduz Press TV 28 Apr 2015 -- Afghan officials have sent reinforcements to the northern province of Kunduz, where Taliban is apparently gaining an upper hand, intensifying fears that the region may slip into the hands of the militants.
• Heavy Fighting Reported Around Northern Afghan City Of Kunduz RFE/RL 28 Apr 2015 -- Afghan authorities say security forces and Taliban insurgents engaged in heavy fighting around the city of Kunduz on April 27 amid a major militant offensive in the northern province.
• Afghan Troops Fight Taliban Advance Within City Of Kunduz RFE/RL 28 Apr 2015 -- Afghan security forces battled Taliban militants on the outskirts of Kunduz city on April 28 as the Taliban continued their push for territory in northern Afghanistan's Kunduz Province.
• Pentagon 'Lost' $1.3 Billion in Afghan Reconstruction Aid Sputnik 28 Apr 2015 -- The Pentagon cannot account for $1.3 billion that was shipped to military commanders in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2014 for critical reconstruction projects, an internal report released Thursday concludes.
• Air Force provides additional support in Nepal AFNS 28 Apr 2015 -- The Air Force continues its support of the disaster relief operations in Nepal with the arrival of a second C-17 Globemaster III in response to an earthquake that rocked the country April 25.
• USS Farragut Responds to Distress Call From Maersk Tigris AFPS 28 Apr 2015 -- U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain answered a distress call this morning issued by the Maersk Tigris container ship, after an Iranian Navy ship fired shots across its bridge and Iranian personnel boarded the commercial vessel, a Pentagon spokesman said today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• S.Korea assesses new U.S.-Japan defense cooperation guideline People's Daily 28 Apr 2015 -- South Korea on Tuesday assessed the new guideline for defense cooperation between the United States and Japan 'neither positively nor negatively' due to remaining concerns over military operation of Japanese forces in and around the Korean Peninsula.
• U.S., Japan unveil new defense guidelines People's Daily 28 Apr 2015 -- U.S. and Japan on Monday announced new guidelines for bilateral defense cooperation, allowing Japan's self defense forces to take on more ambitious global role that the Shinzo Abe administration has been seeking.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's Meeting with Japan Defense Minister Gen Nakatani DoD 28 Apr 2015
• Expeditionary Strike Group 7 Completes Fleet Synthetic Training-Joint Exercise NNS 28 Apr 2015 -- Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7 completed their annual Fleet Synthetic Training - Joint Exercise (FST-J) 15-72 aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) April 20-24.
• USS Michael Murphy Arrives in Hong Kong to Experience its Culture NNS 28 Apr 2015 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) arrived in Hong Kong, April 24, for a port visit during the ship's maiden deployment.
• ONR: Helping to Train the Future Canine Force NNS 28 Apr 2015 -- Canines have proven to be expert bomb detectors for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Officials with the Office of Naval Research's Expeditionary Canine Sciences program announced April 28 that they are taking a fresh look at how dogs are trained to identify different explosive devices.
• 45th SW successfully launches first Turkmenistan satellite AFNS 28 Apr 2015 -- For the second time in a 14-day span, the 45th Space Wing conducted a successful launch on the Eastern Range from Launch Complex 40 April 27.
• Air Force Will Defend, Boost Space Assets, General Says AFPS 28 Apr 2015 -- Space is absolutely vital to the American way of life and it is also vital to the protection of the nation, the commander of Air Force Space Command told the Defense Writers' Group here this morning.
• 1/24 Marines prepare for urban warfare at Arctic Eagle USMC News 28 Apr 2015 -- Marines with 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, participated in Exercise Arctic Eagle at Camp Grayling, Michigan, April 24-25, 2015.
• US and ROK Navies Strengthen Partnerships Through ASW Cooperation NNS 28 Apr 2015 -- Senior leaders from the U.S. and Republic of Korea navies met at the headquarters of the Republic of Korea Fleet April 27, for a series of staff talks on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) cooperation.
• Obama Administration Expands Cyber Defense Strategies VOA 28 Apr 2015 -- President Barack Obama pledged to put cyber issues at the core of his legislative agenda. He's sought to change how the public and private sectors share information about online threats and bolster some privacy protections for citizens while maintaining a robust NSA.
• NATO Response Force Doubles, Claims Threats to Europe from East and South Sputnik 28 Apr 2015 -- On a visit to Lisbon ahead of the Trident Juncture military exercises to be held in Portugal later this year, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announces the NATO Response Force will more than double.
• Australia - Hobart Class Destroyer Sustainment DSCA 28 Apr 2015 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia for Hobart Class Destroyer Sustainment and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $275 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Australia - F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler Aircraft Sustainment DSCA 28 Apr 2015 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler Aircraft Sustainment and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $1.5 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Russian Army: Contract Soldiers Outnumber Conscripts First Time in History Sputnik 28 Apr 2015 -- Professional soldiers now outnumber their conscript counterparts in the Russian Army, for the first time in Russian history, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Russian media on Tuesday.
• Russia to Display New Military Equipment in Victory Day Parade Sputnik 28 Apr 2015 -- A range of advanced military equipment, including tanks, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled guns and anti-tank missile systems, will roll through Moscow's Red Square to commemorate Victory Day on May 9.
• Russian Su-33 Fighter Jets Hold Drills Over Barents Sea Sputnik 28 Apr 2015 -- Russian fighter pilots have held tactical training exercises using air-to-air missiles over the Barents Sea, the head of Russian Defense Ministry's Northern Fleet's press service said Tuesday.
• Baltic Fleet ASW ships drill actions against enemy submarine TASS 28 Apr 2015 -- Two small antisubmarine warfare (ASW) ships of Russia's Baltic Fleet - the Aleksin and Kalmykia boats have destroyed a submarine of an imaginary enemy during naval combat drills, fleet's spokesman Captain Second Rank Vladimir Matveyev said on Tuesday.
• Only one Borei-class sub to join Russia's Pacific Fleet this year - source TASS 28 Apr 2015 -- Two strategic nuclear-powered submarines of project 955 Borei, The Alexander Nevsky and The Vladimir Monomakh, will join the Pacific Fleet in 2015 and 2016 respectively, a source at the fleet's headquarters has told the media.
• About 100 new Armata tanks to be supplied to Russian army in next few years TASS 28 Apr 2015 -- About 100 most advanced tanks on the Armata platform will be delivered to the Russia army for testing in the next several years, Oleg Bochkarev, a deputy chairman of the board of the Russian Defense Industry Commission, said on Monday.
• Russia to Create World's First Rocket Engine Manufacturing Holding Sputnik 28 Apr 2015 -- Russia is set to create world's first rocket and missile engine manufacturing holding, which will bring together Russian manufacturers of engines for rockets and missiles.
• Putin: Russia's nuclear arsenal reduced to minimum level TASS 28 Apr 2015 -- Russia consistently observes all the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and plans to continue work in this direction, says an address of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the participants of the NPT Review Conference on Tuesday.
• Russia, China to Close Joint Helicopter Construction Deal in May Sputnik 28 Apr 2015 -- Russia and China plan on signing a final agreement in May after "dotting all the i's" in the joint construction of a series of helicopters, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Tuesday.
• China, Russia agree on joint helicopter project details - deputy PM TASS 28 Apr 2015 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow in May this year may result in the final agreement on all issues and the signing of documents on the creation of a joint Russian-Chinese helicopter, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday. He attended a meeting of the bilateral Commission for the preparation of regular meetings of the government heads. The Chinese delegation is headed by Vice Premier of the State Council Wang Yang.
• Russia hopes for early signing of protocol to Central Asian nuke-free zone treaty TASS 28 Apr 2015 -- Russia has ratified a protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear Free Zone in Central Asia and it hopes that the document will be signed soon, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's department for nonproliferation and armaments control, Mikhail Ulyanov, said here on Monday.
• Finland fires warning shots at suspected submarine in Baltic Press TV 28 Apr 2015 -- Finland says its navy has fired warning shots at a suspected foreign submarine within the country's territorial waters, off the coast of Helsinki.
• Finland's Navy Fires Warning Charges Near Suspected Submarine RFE/RL 28 Apr 2015 -- Finland says its navy fired small underwater depth charges on April 28 as a warning against a suspected submarine in waters near Helsinki.
• Finland 'Bombs' Mysterious Underwater Object Near Capital Sputnik 28 Apr 2015 -- Finland's navy has bombed a mysterious object near its capital months after nearby Sweden accused Russia of operating a submarine in its waters, later found to be a Swedish vessel.
• Iran's air defense not relying on S-300 missile system: Cmdr. ISNA 28 Apr 2015 -- Commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili reiterated that the country's air defense does not rely on S-300 missile system.
• Global tide of nuclear abolition has ebbed causing tensions among nations, Ban warns UN News 28 Apr 2015 -- Achieving a world free of nuclear weapons is "one of the most crucial debates of our time," United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, emphasizing that the international tide of nuclear abolition – so strong in 2010 – has ebbed and mounting tensions between nuclear-armed States have produced a return to Cold War mind sets.
• April 28, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 28 Apr 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 28, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 28 April 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 28 Apr 2015
• Yemen: UN warns of impact to relief efforts amid ongoing fighting across country UN News 28 Apr 2015 -- The continuing violence in Yemen has heavily impacted the country's healthcare facilities and services further aggravating an already precarious humanitarian situation, the United Nations relief arm has warned.
• Number of people displaced by Yemen crisis exceeds 300,000: UN Press TV 28 Apr 2015 -- The number of people displaced by violence across Yemen has exceeded 300,000, a United Nations agency has said, as an ongoing aggression by Saudi Arabia keeps inflicting heavy losses on the impoverished country.
• Saudi warplanes strike Sana'a International Airport Press TV 28 Apr 2015 -- Saudi military aircraft have pounded fresh areas in Yemen as Riyadh pushes ahead with its deadly military campaign against the neighboring Arab nation.
• China defends construction on islands and reefs in South China Sea People's Daily 28 Apr 2015 -- China has defended building work on islands and reefs in the South China Sea as 'reasonable and fair'. This comes after the Philippines called on other ASEAN countries to unite in urging China to halt reclamation of land in the South China Sea.
• Ban 'deeply concerned' over uptick in attacks against peacekeepers in Darfur UN News 28 Apr 2015 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced deep concern about the recent spate of attacks on United Nations peacekeepers serving in Darfur as well as the "limited cooperation" provided by the Government of Sudan in addressing the incidents, a spokesperson for the Organization has confirmed.
• UN refugee agency assists hundreds of Libyans rescued at sea as Europe responds to migration crisis UN News 28 Apr 2015 -- The heads of United Nations agencies with a stake in the current crisis in the Mediterranean Sea have pledged to working closely with the European Union (EU) following its decision "to mobilize all efforts at its disposal to prevent further loss of life at sea and to tackle the root causes of the human emergency."
• Poroshenko Warns Of War Threat As Truce Violations Continue RFE/RL 28 Apr 2015 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says the threat of war is 'hanging over' the country as cease-fire violations continue in eastern Ukraine.
• Mali: senior UN official urges parties to 'immediately cease hostilities' UN News 28 Apr 2015 -- Amid an upsurge in violence in Mali, the top United Nations official there today warned parties about the serious consequences their actions could have on the country's peace process.
• UN peacekeeping chief wraps up trip to Central African Republic as Mission reaches full strength UN News 28 Apr 2015 -- The United Nations peacekeeping chief finished a four-day trip to the Central African Republic today, his visit to the country coinciding with the UN stabilization Mission there achieving full operational capability for the first time.
• Top UN official in South Sudan urges release of remaining child soldiers UN News 28 Apr 2015 -- The United Nations Special Representative for South Sudan, Ellen Margrethe Løj, travelled to Pibor town in the eastern part of the country, where she met some of the recently released child soldiers and urged the release of the remaining children still being held by a militia group in the region.
• Security Council extends UN Western Sahara mission through April 2016 UN News 28 Apr 2015 -- The Security Council today extended for another year the mandate of the United Nations mission tasked with monitoring the ceasefire in Western Sahara, known by the acronym MINURSO.
• Nigerian Military Claims to Rescue Nearly 300 Women, Girls VOA 28 Apr 2015 -- Nigeria on Tuesday said it has rescued nearly 300 girls and women from a Boko Haram stronghold in the country's northeast, but it remained unclear if any were among the missing schoolgirls the Islamist group kidnapped last year from the town of Chibok. Two military spokesmen have differed over the possibility of the rescued girls being from Chibok.

News Reports

• Iran Seizes Cargo Ship in Strait of Hormuz VOA 28 Apr 2015 -- Iranian forces have seized a cargo ship traveling under the flag of the Pacific island nation of the Marshall Islands. The Pentagon says the ship remains off the coast of Iran as the U.S. military monitors the situation.
• Iran Releases Marshall Islands-Flagged Cargo Ship Sputnik 28 Apr 2015 -- The Iranian authorities have released a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship seized earlier on Tuesday, no crew members were detained, according to Al Arabiya television.
• Iranian forces board ship in Persian Gulf: Pentagon Press TV 28 Apr 2015 -- Iranian forces have boarded a ship carrying Marshall Islands flag in Persian Gulf, the US Defense Ministry says.
• Iran detains US ship on legal complaint: IRGC IRNA 28 Apr 2015 -- An informed source with the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed a US cargo ship navigating under the Marshall Islands flag in the Persian Gulf was detained and escorted to Bandar Abbas port.
• Iran expects P5+1 members to be bound to their obligations: Zarif IRNA 28 Apr 2015 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran expects P5+1 members to be bound to their obligations.
• US has to build confidence to reach agreement: Zarif IRNA 28 Apr 2015 -- To reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement, the United States has to take practical and confidence-building measures, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.
• Zarif, Amano stress resolution of Iran's nuclear issue IRNA 28 Apr 2015 -- Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano stressed resolution of remaining issues in talks between Iran and the Group 5+1.
• Iranian FM underscores IAEA role in final nuclear deal ISNA 28 Apr 2015 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can play a more active role to facilitate the conclusion of a comprehensive nuclear deal between Tehran and the G5+1 group.
• Remarks Announcing the Release of the 2015 QDDR Report US Dept. of State 28 Apr 2015 -- Remarks by John Kerry, US Secretary of State
• Briefing on the 2015 QDDR Report US Dept. of State 28 Apr 2015
• Riga Summit Likely To Disappoint Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine RFE/RL 28 Apr 2015 -- The latest draft of the Eastern Partnership declaration prepared for the bloc's Riga summit next month contains little good news for EU hopefuls Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, and highlights the shrinking ambitions of the European Union in its eastern neighborhood.
• Massive UN Relief Effort Underway in Nepal VOA 28 Apr 2015 -- A massive United Nations emergency relief operation is underway to provide lifesaving assistance to millions of victims of Nepal's devastating earthquake. The U.N. says the search and rescue phase of the operation is winding down and moving toward the recovery phase.
• UN allocates $15 million in emergency funds for Nepal earthquake response UN News 28 Apr 2015 -- In response to severe devastation caused by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and many strong aftershocks that have hit Nepal since 25 April, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator today released $15 million through the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to enable humanitarian aid organizations to rapidly scale up operations and provide immediate assistance to people in desperate need.
• Burundi: Ban condemns election-related violence after President nominated as candidate UN News 28 Apr 2015 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has today condemned the outbreak of violence in Burundi following the nomination of President Pierre Nkurunziza as the presidential candidate of the country's ruling party, and appealed to all Burundians to "safeguard the hard won gains" made in peace and democracy.
• UN Chief Sends Envoy to Burundi as Protests Continue VOA 28 Apr 2015 -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is sending a special envoy to Burundi, where the president's decision to run for a third term has sparked three days of sometimes violent street protests.
• Turkmenistan's First Telecommunications Satellite Put Into Orbit RFE/RL 28 Apr 2015 -- Turkmenistan's first telecommunications satellite has been put into orbit.
• EU Calls for More Reforms in Ukraine VOA 28 Apr 2015 -- Ukraine's military reported Tuesday pro-Russia separatist rebels fired rockets on a government-held town in eastern Ukraine, in what appeared to be the latest violation of a shaky ceasefire. The news came just hours after the Ukrainian government and the European Union held their first formal summit in almost a year.
• Decision Time for Progress Cargo Vessel Before Complete Radio Contact Lost Sputnik 28 Apr 2015 -- A decision on the different variants of the Progress cargo vessel docking with the International Space Station (ISS) needs to be made by late Tuesday afternoon before the vessel loses complete contact by Russian radio systems, a source in the space rocket industry told RIA Novosti.
• Rival Organizations Blamed for Economic Stagnation VOA 28 Apr 2015 -- Central African ministers in charge of economic integration have drawn up a program to eventually merge the regions two economic blocks - the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), and the Economic Community of Central African states (ECCAS).