Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 08 May 2015 [PDF]
• Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 08 May 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 Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• ISIL training Taliban militants in Afghanistan's north Press TV 08 May 2015 -- Militants belonging to the ISIL Takfiri group, operating mainly in Iraq and Syria, are now said to be training Taliban militants in a northern province of Afghanistan.
• Seven killed in US drone strike in Afghanistan Press TV 08 May 2015 -- At least seven people have been killed in a US assassination drone strike in Afghanistan's eastern province of Kunar, near the country's border with Pakistan.
• Four killed in US drone strike in eastern Afghanistan Press TV 08 May 2015 -- At least four people have been killed in a fresh US drone attack on Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, police officials say.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD 08 May 2015-- The Navy will christen the future USNS Brunswick (JHSV 6) May 9 during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony in Mobile, Alabama.Navy to Christen Sixth Joint High Speed Vessel
• Jamaica Hosts Opening Ceremony for Continuing Promise 2015 NNS 08 May 2015 -- An opening ceremony was held at the National Indoor Sports Complex May 6 to commence the visit of the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) and its crew as part of Continuing Promise 2015 (CP-15).
• Oceanography Community Begins Cross-Detailing as Part of the IDC NNS 08 May 2015 -- Capt. Robert Witzleb, Deputy Oceanographer of the Navy, will step into unfamiliar territory when he assumes command of the Defense Intelligence Agency/Navy Component (DIA/NC) on May 27 as the oceanography officer below the rank of rear admiral to lead a non-oceanography command.
• IDC is Committed to Cross-Detailing NNS 08 May 2015 -- Cross-detailing may be new to Naval Oceanography, but it has been a practice of the Information Dominance Corps (IDC) since inception in 2009 in order to provide cross-discipline exposure to IDC officers and integration of the IDC.
• PAF marks milestone, integrates with Air Force AWACS crew AFNS 08 May 2015 -- For the first time in Philippine Air Force history, PAF air battle managers controlled aircraft while airborne by integrating with the U.S. Air Force's 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron as part of exercise Balikatan 2015.
• Navy to Hold Sundown Ceremony for SH-60B Sea Hawk Helicopter NNS 08 May 2015 -- Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing Pacific is scheduled to host a Sundown Ceremony for the SH-60B Sea Hawk helicopter at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, California, May 11 at 3:30 p.m.
• Blue Ridge Returns to Sea after Enriching Relations in Singapore NNS 08 May 2015 -- The U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) departed the Republic of Singapore, May 8, after strengthening multilateral partnerships through community service, military-to-military engagements and cultural exchanges.
• Hampton Visits Okinawa During Patrol NNS 08 May 2015 -- The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767) arrived at Fleet Activities Okinawa May 7, for a port visit during its deployment to the Western Pacific.
• USS Wayne E. Meyer Awarded Coveted Spokane Trophy NNS 08 May 2015 -- The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) assembled on the forecastle to receive the prestigious Spokane Trophy during a ceremony, May 7.
• DEPSECDEF Loads HVP on Test Range, Observes Repetitive Rate Electromagnetic Railgun's Commissioning Series NNS 08 May 2015 -- It was more than deja vu for the Marine as he loaded a hypervelocity projectile (HVP) into a gun at the Potomac River Test Range, April 30.
• Force Protection Level Boosted at DoD Facilities Nationwide AFPS 08 May 2015 -- The commander of U.S. Northern Command has elevated the force protection level for all Defense Department facilities in the continental United States, but not because of a specific threat, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said here today.
• US expands security at military bases amid ISIL terror threat Press TV 08 May 2015 -- The US Department of Defense has increased security at US military bases across the country as a precaution after the FBI warned that Americans with ties to the ISIL terrorist group could target troops or police officers.
• Pentagon Raises Security Level at All US Military Bases Due to ISIL Threat Sputnik 08 May 2015 -- While maintaining that the concerns are not tied to any 'specific threat,' the Pentagon has raised the security status of military bases across the country due to general unease about the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group.
• Khadr Release Puts New Spotlight on Gitmo VOA 08 May 2015 -- Canada's release of former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr has brought the controversial detention center at the U.S. Naval base in Cuba back into the spotlight.
• US Gen. warns Russia's Putin will attack if NATO not united Press TV 08 May 2015 -- The US Army's top commander in Europe warns that failure among NATO allies to make a robust show of their military capabilities would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin to take aggressive moves against the alliance.
• New Russian Kurganets-25 IFV Uses 'Playstation' Controller Sputnik 08 May 2015 -- The new Russian armored vehicle platform uses a device similar to a Playstation controller, the manufacturer's vice-president told Russian media.
• Serial production of Russia's new Kurganets combat vehicles may start in 2017 TASS 08 May 2015 -- Serial production of the mechanised infantry combat vehicles (MICV) on the Kurganets-25 medium tracked platform may be launched in 2017-2018, Vice President and co-owner of the vehicle developer - Tractor Plants concern Albert Bakov told TASS in an interview on Friday.
• Russian intelligence ship returns from Western Atlantic voyage TASS 08 May 2015 -- Russia's intelligence-collection ship Viktor Leonov has returned from a long-distance Western Atlantic voyage to her Northern Fleet base, the fleet's spokesman Captain First Rank Vadim Serga told TASS on Friday.
• Some special features of Russia's new generation Armata combat platform disclosed TASS 08 May 2015 -- The new generation combat platform Armata is capable of carrying any special equipment and weapons, the deputy CEO of Uralvagonzavod in charge of special vehicles production, Vyacheslav Khalitov, has told TASS.
• DoD Release of the Report of Military and Security Developments in China DoD 08 May 2015 -- Department of Defense released the 'Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China'. This annual report informs Congress of the Department of Defense's assessment of military and security developments involving China.
• Pentagon: China Expands Island Building VOA 08 May 2015 -- China has started building artificial islands in the South China Sea at a greater rate than ever to boost its territorial claims in the area, a U.S. Defense Department senior official said Friday.
• 'China military plans seek to foil repeat of WWII defeats' Press TV 08 May 2015 -- Beijing aims to press ahead with its military buildup program in an attempt to prevent the repetition of the humiliating experiences of World War II, the media outlet of the Chinese army says.
• China, Russia boost ties with naval drill in Mediterranean Sea People's Daily 08 May 2015 -- Military observers believe the first joint naval drill of Chinese and Russian naval forces in the Mediterranean Sea suggests the two countries' determination to further strengthen their military ties amid potential international conflicts.
• Chinese combat ships arrive in Russia's Novorossiysk for first time TASS 08 May 2015 -- A group of Chinese combat ships has arrived for the first time at Russia's Novorossiysk naval base on an official visit, Russian Navy spokesman Captain First Rank Igor Dygalo said on Friday.
• Israeli Air Force Team Up With Greeks to Train Against S-300 Missile System Sputnik 08 May 2015 -- The Israeli Air Force carried out a joint training exercise in which it performed missions against the S-300 Surface to Air Missile system, which is due to be delivered to Iran from Russia.
• US Allocates $25Mln to Bolster Ukraine Army Sputnik 08 May 2015 -- According to Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, US have allocated close to $25 million to help fund the Ukrainian army.
• US weighs selling bunker-buster bombs to Saudi Arabia: Officials Press TV 08 May 2015 -- The United States is considering sophisticated weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, including bunker-buster bombs, that are currently offered only to Israel.
• DPRK slams U.S. for suspecting its satellite program People's Daily 08 May 2015 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Friday lashed out at the United Statesand other 'hostile forces' for suspecting ulterior motives behind Pyongyang's satellite program after a new satellite control and command center was completed for space research.
• May 8, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 08 May 2015
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz en route Watertown, SD, 5/8/2015 The White House 08 May 2015

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• 8 May 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 08 May 2015
• Armed Conflict More Lethal, Deaths from Global Violence Decrease VOA 08 May 2015 -- A report released Friday stemming from a small arms survey estimates 508,000 people have met a violent death every year from 2007 to 2012. Nevertheless authors of The Global Burden of Armed Violence 2015 note the number represents a small decrease in the number of global violent deaths reported in previous years.
• Saudi vows to escalate aggression on Yemen after retaliatory attacks Press TV 08 May 2015 -- Recent retaliatory attacks by Yemeni tribal fighters on Saudi Arabia's southern border area have infuriated Riyadh with a high-ranking commander overseeing the ongoing Saudi aggression warning of further attacks on Yemenis.
• Date Set for 'Pause' In Yemen Fighting VOA 08 May 2015 -- The United States and Saudi Arabia have announced a May 12 start date for a five-day humanitarian pause in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is waging an air campaign against advancing Houthi rebels.
• Iraq army, volunteers start Fallujah operation Press TV 08 May 2015 -- The Iraqi army and volunteer forces have started a major military operation against the ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the militant-besieged city of Fallujah in central Iraq, Press TV reports.
• Whatever happened to Kobani? IRIN 07 May 2015 -- Seven months ago, all eyes were on the Syrian town of Kobani as Islamic State militants and local Kurdish forces battled it out to the last fighter. An estimated 400,000 Kurds fled across the border into Turkey.
• Hezbollah rejects reports on Qalamoun casualties Press TV 08 May 2015 -- Lebanon's Islamic resistance movement Hezbollah has dismissed reports that dozens of its fighters have been killed in fighting against militants in a border area between Lebanon and Syria.
• Army clashes with ISIL terrorists leave 34 dead in Syria: Report Press TV 08 May 2015 -- Nearly 35 people have reportedly been killed in fierce clashes between Syrian government forces and ISIL Takfiri terrorists in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor over the past 24 hours.
• Rights Group: Assad Carried Out More Chlorine Attacks VOA 08 May 2015 -- A Syrian human rights group is accusing President Bashar al-Assad's government of carrying out fresh attacks using toxic chlorine gas.
• Conflict in Ukraine leaves 1,675 servicemen dead: president People's Daily 08 May 2015 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenkosaid here Friday that a total of 1,675 Ukrainian servicemen were killed during the bloody conflict in eastern regions, which has raged since April 2014.
• Taliban claims deadly Pakistan chopper crash Press TV 08 May 2015 -- The Taliban militant group has claimed responsibility for a helicopter crash in northern Pakistan in which several envoys were killed, saying that they had targeted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
• Two Diplomats, Five Others, Killed In Pakistani Helicopter Crash RFE/RL 08 May 2015 -- At least seven people, including two ambassadors, were killed when a Pakistani military helicopter crashed in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region on May 8.
• Command of KPA in Southwestern Sector of Front Issues Emergency Special Warning KCNA 08 May 2015 -- The warmongers of the south Korean puppet military have recently reached the height in their provocative hysteria in the hotspot waters of the West Sea of Korea.
• North Korea vows response to South 'incursions' Press TV 08 May 2015 -- North Korea has warned its southern neighbor that it would give a strong response to any incursion into its territorial waters, days after Seoul's naval forces reportedly violated a disputed Yellow Sea border.
• Pyongyang Warns of 'Targeted Strikes' Against South Korea's Navy Sputnik 08 May 2015 -- North Korea threatened to launch 'unannounced targeted strikes' on South Korean naval vessels that allegedly violated the two Koreas' disputed Yellow Sea border.
• UN troops prepare offensive against east Congo rebels Press TV 08 May 2015 -- The United Nations says preparations are underway for an offensive against the rebels in the troubled eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
• Vietnam Seen Reclaiming Land on Hotly Disputed Islands in South China Sea People's Daily 08 May 2015 -- Pictures released by a Washington-based research organization show land reclamation at two sites in the South China Sea, where several countries have staked territorial claims.
• Unemployment rate for Palestine refugees reaches 44 per cent in Gaza Strip, UN agency says UN News 08 May 2015 -- More than 27,000 applicants applied for some 200 teaching jobs for the coming academic year in the Gaza Strip, where unemployment has now reached nearly 44 per cent, making it one of the world's most unstable economies, the United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees across the Middle East said today.
• Somalia remains one of the largest, most complex emergencies, says country's UN relief coordinator UN News 08 May 2015 -- In New York to update Member States and partners on the humanitarian and development situation in Somalia, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia said the "multi-faceted" challenge presented by Somalia is different to that posed in other countries.

News Reports

• Britain's Conservatives Win Majority VOA 08 May 2015 -- British Prime Minister David Cameron won another five-year term as his party surged to an outright majority of seats in parliament in Thursday's election, far more than opinion polls had predicted.
• US, Europe Mark 70th Anniversary of VE Day VOA 08 May 2015 -- The U.S. and Europe marked Friday the 70th anniversary of what is known as Victory in Europe Day, or VE Day - the day in 1945 when Nazi troops laid down their arms, ending World War II on the continent.
• With U.S. In Putin's Doghouse, Russia Promotes China As Key WWII Ally RFE/RL 08 May 2015 -- An indelible image from World War II shows U.S. and Soviet soldiers shaking hands at the Elbe River two weeks before the Nazi surrender -- the most powerful Allies meeting at Europe's heart after closing in on Germany from opposite sides.
• Ebola's silver lining: Guineans learn to have faith in hospitals IRIN 08 May 2015 -- Until Ebola, the main hospital in Gueckedou was often deserted. Now, on a Saturday afternoon, the place is bustling. Doctors and nurses move efficiently from patient to patient. Families sit on straw mats beside the beds of their loved ones, talking quietly as they wait.
• Over 50,000 Flee Burundi Amid Pre-Election Violence – UN People's Daily 08 May 2015 -- Over the last weeks more than 50,000 Burundians have fled to neighboring Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to a spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
• Unrest in Burundi sends thousands fleeing, threatening years of refugee gains - UN agency UN News 08 May 2015 -- The eruption of pre-election violence in Burundi last month has seen over 50,000 people flee to neighbouring countries and threatens to undo some of the most promising developments in recent refugee history in Africa, the United Nations body tasked with protecting displaced people said in Geneva today.
• Nepal: UN agency stresses urgent funding needs to get food to earthquake victims UN News 08 May 2015 -- Two weeks after a devastating earthquake hit Nepal¸ the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that "severe logistical challenges" are getting in the way of aid reaching hundreds of thousands of survivors in some of the country's hardest-hit areas.