Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 12 May 2015 [PDF]
• Afghan troops retake district from Taliban militants People's Daily 12 May 2015 -- Afghan security forces launched a major offensive on Tuesday and retook the control of a remote western district from Taliban militants, said the Interior Ministry.
• Afghan troops liberate district from militants Press TV 12 May 2015 -- Afghan security forces have managed to liberate a remote district from the grip of Taliban militants as Kabul struggles to counter the surge in the militancy plaguing the country.
• Premier Sharif vows joint Pakistan-Afghanistan action against Taliban Press TV 12 May 2015 -- Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has vowed to reinforce cooperation between his country and Afghanistan in the battle against the Taliban militants.
• Pakistan's PM Voices Unprecedented Support for Afghanistan VOA 12 May 2015 -- During a one-day visit to Kabul, Pakistan's prime minister made what some are calling his strongest remarks ever in support of peace in Afghanistan. And his military seemed to reiterate the message.
• Marine Helicopter Goes Missing During Nepal Relief Mission AFPS 12 May 2015 -- A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Huey helicopter with six Marines and two Nepalese service members aboard was declared missing today near Charikot, Nepal, Joint Task Force 505 officials reported.
• DoD Continues Humanitarian Efforts in Nepal Following Aftershock AFPS 12 May 2015 -- Despite the magnitude-7.3 earthquake aftershock today, the Defense Department continues to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster response to the people of Nepal, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told Pentagon reporters.
• USAID, Pacom Assist Earthquake Relief in Nepal AFPS 12 May 2015 -- As Nepal grapples with the impact of the magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck April 25, the U.S. Agency for International Development is working with multiple organizations -- including U.S. Pacific Command -- and nations from around the world to bring relief.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Fort Worth Completes South China Sea Patrol NNS 12 May 2015 -- Littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) arrived here to resupply May 13 after a weeklong routine patrol in international waters and airspace of the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands.
• Navy Strike Fighter Crashes in Gulf - Crew Members OK NNS 12 May 2015 -- A U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 211 crashed at 1:30 p.m. (GMT), today, shortly after launching from the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) operating in the Arabian Gulf.
• USS Pittsburgh Returns From Deployment NNS 12 May 2015 -- The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Pittsburgh (SSN 720) returned from a six-month deployment to its homeport at U.S. Naval Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut, May 12.
• 10th Pacific Partnership Mission Prepares to Renew Regional Ties NNS 12 May 2015 -- PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - The U.S. Pacific Fleet will join international forces in the 10th Pacific Partnership mission, scheduled to begin in early June. This annual maritime operation will help improve disaster response preparedness while enhancing relationships among all participants.
• USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group and 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit Deploy NNS 12 May 2015 -- More than 4,500 Sailors and Marines from the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) departed San Diego for a deployment in support of the Navy's maritime strategy, May 11.
• George Washington Completes Countermeasure Wash-Down System Testing NNS 12 May 2015 -- The Engineering, Weapons and Air departments aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) conducted testing of critical firefighting systems, May 11-12.
• NATO Holds Aerial Drill in Czech Republic Sputnik 12 May 2015 -- Fighter pilots from Hungary and Sweden flew Gripen jets to the Čáslav air base in the Czech Republic ahead of a multinational drill slated to run until May 24, Czech radio reported Monday.
• RAF Typhoons intercept Russian aircraft near Estonia UK MOD 12 May 2015 -- RAF Typhoon jets operating as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission have intercepted Russian military aircraft near Baltic airspace.
• Over 20 Ships Participate in Caspian Flotilla Anti-Submarine Drills Sputnik 12 May 2015 -- Russian servicemen practiced repelling a terror attack by an underwater subversive group and responding to bomb threats.
• Crimea, Rostov Region Aviation Units Receive New Fighters, Bombers Sputnik 12 May 2015 -- Five new models of aviation equipment, including Su-34 multi-role fighter bombers and modernized Su-27P fighters, have been received by aviation units of the Southern Military District located in the Rostov Region and the Republic of Crimea.
• Putin prioritizes task to keep pace of Armed Forces modernization TASS 12 May 2015 -- A priority task for Russia is to keep pace of its Armed Forces modernization, President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting on the development of the defense sector on Tuesday.
• Russia to develop tracked modular robot for combat, Arctic expeditions TASS 12 May 2015 -- The United Instrument-Making Corporation integrated into Russia's state hi-tech firm Rostec is developing a universal tracked modular robotized platform for combat, fire-extinguishing operations and Arctic expeditions, a Russian defense official said on Tuesday.
• Philippines, Japan Hold Naval Drills in South China Sea VOA 12 May 2015 -- The Philippines and Japan, which each have bitter maritime disputes with China, have conducted their first ever bilateral naval exercises.
• China wary of Japan military bills People's Daily 12 May 2015 -- China has urged Japan to respect Asian security concerns and not to threaten China's sovereignty, after Japan's ruling coalition gave formal approval on Monday to bills that will expand the scope of operations by its Self-Defense Forces.
• Experts: North Korea's Submarine Missile 'Emerging Threat' VOA 12 May 2015 -- U.S. experts say North Korea is still a long way from possessing an operational ballistic missile submarine despite the North's claim that it has successfully test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine.
• Ukrainian Parliament Passes Bill to Allow Foreigners to Serve in Military Sputnik 12 May 2015 -- The Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday passed in the first reading a law that would allow foreigners to serve in its armed forces.
• Iran Army Ground Force to stage massive drill ISNA 12 May 2015 -- A senior Iranian commander said the country's Army Ground Force plans to stage massive exercise in Isfahan province, central Iran, mid May.
• Iranian Army to stage missile drill in May: Commander Press TV 12 May 2015 -- A senior Iranian commander says the Army's Ground Forces will stage a major missile exercise in the central province of Isfahan in late May.
• Summit, Minus Saudi King, To Focus on Security VOA 12 May 2015 -- U.S. President Barack Obama's goal at this week's summit of Gulf Cooperation Council nations near Washington is to improve the way the militaries of the region coordinate with each other in the face of threats like Iran and the Islamic State militant group.
• US to Announce Integration of Gulf Council Ballistic Defense Architecture Sputnik 12 May 2015 -- The United States and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states will announce plans to integrate ballistic defense capabilities after the US-GCC summit meeting at Camp David on Thursday, National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes stated during a press call.
• INTERVIEW: UN official cites 'growing impatience' by States for nuclear disarmament UN News 12 May 2015 -- Nuclear disarmament, as envisioned in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), has simply not occurred, according to senior United Nations official Angela Kane, who cites a "growing impatience" by the non-nuclear-weapon States for the nuclear-weapon States to disarm.
• May 12, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 12 May 2015
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 5/12/2015 The White House 12 May 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 12, 2015
• Russian Helicopters to Build New Commercial High-Speed Vehicle Sputnik 12 May 2015 -- Russia will reportedly spend some 7 billion rubles ($140 million) to build a new high-speed helicopter.

Other Conflicts

• 12 May 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 12 May 2015
• Yemen Cease-fire to Begin Late Tuesday VOA 12 May 2015 -- Saudi-led airstrikes pounded the rebel-held Yemeni capital Sana'a Tuesday as the new U.N. envoy to Yemen arrived hours before a five-day truce was set to begin between Gulf Arab nations and the Iran-allied Houthi militia.
• Saudi warplanes kill over 100 Yemenis ahead of 'truce' Press TV 12 May 2015 -- Over a hundred people have been killed and more than 300 others injured in a series of new Saudi airstrikes on the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, and the southern city of Ta'izz hours before a temporary halt to the attacks is scheduled to take effect.
• Ahead of humanitarian pause, Yemen sees 'deadliest' week of fighting - UN UN News 12 May 2015 -- Nearly 200 civilians have died in Yemen in the past week, as the country has seen its deadliest period of fighting since violence broke out on 26 March this year, according to figures released today by the United Nations human rights office.
• Nemtsov Report Says More Than 200 Russian Soldiers Killed In Ukraine War RFE/RL 12 May 2015 -- More than 200 Russian military personnel have been killed in fighting in eastern Ukraine, according to a report based on research begun by slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.
• Blast kills Iraqi Kurdish commander near Kirkuk Press TV 12 May 2015 -- A commander of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces has been killed in a roadside bomb attack south of the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.
• In Geneva, UN envoy continues Syria consultations with national and regional stakeholders UN News 12 May 2015 -- The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is continuing his meetings in Geneva aimed at bringing a political solution to the ongoing crisis in the Middle Eastern country, a spokesperson for the Organization confirmed today.
• Army makes gains across Syria, recaptures key points in Qalamoun Press TV 12 May 2015 -- The Syrian army has carried out a series of military operations against terrorists' strongholds in different parts of the Arab country, including the mountainous Qalamoun region near the border with Lebanon.
• China Calls Philippines' Occupation of Disputed Island 'Futile and Illegal' Sputnik 12 May 2015 -- One day after a Philippines general reaffirmed his country's claim on a disputed island in the South China Sea, vowing to defend it from foreign aggression, China dismissed the occupation as 'futile and illegal.'
• Obama Maintains Hope for Two-State Solution to Israeli-Palestinian Conflict VOA 12 May 2015 -- President Barack Obama said he has not given up hope for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but noted that simmering tensions in the region and 'serious questions' about overall commitment have stifled progress.
• Thousands Flee Escalating Conflict in S. Sudan's Unity State VOA 12 May 2015 -- The U.N. human rights office says civilians are bearing the brunt of renewed fighting this month in South Sudan's strategic, oil-rich Unity State. The agency says thousands of people have been fleeing to escape attacks by government and opposition forces.
• UN voices deep concern as deadly violence flares up across South Sudan UN News 12 May 2015 -- A deadly outburst of violence between residents of a United Nations protection-of-civilians (PoC) site in the South Sudanese capital of Juba has prompted the Organization's strong condemnation and triggered wider concern over the safety of internally displaced persons (IDPs) throughout the country.
• Commander Airs Doubts About CAR Disarmament Pact VOA 12 May 2015 -- The military commander of one of the groups that signed a disarmament pact in the Central African Republic this week says he has several reservations about the agreement.
• Boko Haram attacks spark education crisis in Cameroon IRIN 12 May 2015 -- Tens of thousands of children in northern Cameroon, including many refugees from neighbouring Nigeria, are out of school because of cross-border attacks by Boko Haram.
• International community must be proactive in helping Libya restore peace - ICC Prosecutor UN News 12 May 2015 -- With the security situation in Libya quickly deteriorating, the international community must be more proactive in exploring solutions in order to tangibly help the North African nation restore stability and strengthen accountability, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) told the United Nations Security Council today.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina must take 'fresh chance' it has been given, Security Council told UN News 12 May 2015 -- As Bosnia and Herzegovina readies to mark the 20th anniversary of the end of the bloodiest conflict in Europe since the Second World War, it must seize the opportunity to "finally say farewell to the politics of the past" and decisively commit to a new way of doing politics that puts the interests of citizens firmly in first place, the United Nations Security Council heard today.

News Reports

• US, Russia Talk Cooperation, but No Breakthroughs VOA 12 May 2015 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in their first meeting since the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea and support for rebels fighting in east Ukraine sparked the worst tensions with the West since the Cold War. But, the tone of Tuesday's meeting was conciliatory.
• Kerry Meets With Putin, Lavrov in Russia VOA 12 May 2015 -- U.S. Secretary of State John met with Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday in the resort city of Sochi, in Kerry's first visit to Russia since relations soured over sharp disagreements on Ukraine and Syria.
• Iran says received all installments of frozen money ISNA 12 May 2015 -- Iran said it has received all installment of its frozen assets based on an interim deal it signed with the G5+1 group of countries over Tehran's nuclear program in November 2013.
• Iranian Legislators Urgently Try To Stop Nuclear Talks RFE/RL 12 May 2015 -- Iranian lawmakers have signed and proposed a bill that, if passed by parliament, would stop nuclear talks with the United States until Washington stops issuing threats tied to the outcome of the negotiations.
• White House: Seymour Hersh's bin Laden story is fallacious Press TV 12 May 2015 -- The White House has rejected an article by investigative journalist Seymour Hersh that says the US misled the world by staging the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound.
• WikiLeaks Expose German Government's Role in NSA Surveillance Sputnik 12 May 2015 -- New documents released on Tuesday by WikiLeaks provide evidence that the German Government was actively involved in assisting the US National Security Agency in mass surveillance on German companies and citizens, which the state had previously denied.
• Burundi President Rejects Election Delay VOA 12 May 2015 -- Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza has rejected an appeal from the European Union and the United States to delay the June 26 presidential election. Nkurunziza reportedly told the BBC that postponing the vote would worsen the situation.
• Turkey's Economic Woes at Center of Election Campaign VOA 12 May 2015 -- Turkey received disappointing economic news Tuesday with an unexpected rise in the country's current account deficit, caused by a severe fall in exports.
• UN health agency draws lessons from Ebola to prepare roadmap for future epidemics UN News 12 May 2015 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) today concluded a meeting on Ebola research and development to look at lessons learned from the outbreak and develop a roadmap for future epidemics so that "we can be better prepared, faster, and more effective" in the next global health emergency.
• Failure of Progress Mission Caused by Separation Glitch, Fuel Leaks Sputnik 12 May 2015 -- An improper separation of the Progress M-27M space freighter from a carrier rocket following leaks in fuel tanks on the booster caused the failure of the Progress cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in April, Russia's space agency Roscosmos said Tuesday.