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Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 21 May 2015 [PDF]
• Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 21 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 Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• DoD Likely Lessened Nepal Quake's Effects, Official Says AFPS 21 May 2015 -- Defense Department efforts in Nepal to mitigate future disaster impact likely lessened the scale of the humanitarian disaster following the Himalayan mountain nation's recent earthquakes, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for stability and humanitarian affairs said on Capitol Hill yesterday.
• JTF 505 MV-22B Ospreys depart Nepal USMC News 21 May 2015 -- Joint Task Force 505 MV-22B Ospreys deployed in support of Operation Sahayogi Haat departed Nepal, May 21. The Osprey's are no longer required as the government of Nepal and the international aid community have increased their capacity to continue the necessary delivery of aid to those in need.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Readout of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's Meeting with Tunisian President Caid Essebsi DoD 21 May 2015
• Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work's remarks at Aerospace Industries Association Board of Governors meeting DoD 21 May 2015 -- Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work spoke at the Aerospace Industries Association's 70th Annual Spring Board of Governors & Membership Meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia, today.
• USS Freedom (LCS 1) Completes Rough Water Trials NNS 21 May 2015 -- The littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) completed Seakeeping and Structural Loads Trials, commonly referred to as Rough Water Trials (RWT) in late March the Navy reported May 21.
• USS Michael Murphy Returns Home After Successful Seven-Month Deployment NNS 21 May 2015 -- After a successful seven-month deployment, the guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) returned May 21 to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH).
• Air Force releases Strategic Master Plan AFNS 21 May 2015 -- The Air Force officially released the Strategic Master Plan (SMP) May 21, which is the latest in a series of strategic documents designed to guide the organizing, training and equipping of the force over the coming decades.
• 'Historic' Audit of Marines Was Faked, Pentagon Still Can't Audit Itself Sputnik 21 May 2015 -- Last year, the US Marine Corps became the first military branch to pass a financial audit in the 20 years since such audits were required by law – and it did so because the Pentagon signed off on flawed records, an investigation by Reuters found.
• Readout of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Christine Wormuth's Meeting with Greek Minister of Defense Panos Kammenos DoD 21 May 2015
• Exercise Predator Walk kicks off as U.S. Marines depart Robertson Barracks USMC News 21 May 2015 -- U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Marine Rotational Force – Darwin, departed in support of Exercise Predator Walk, May 20 from Robertson Barracks, Palmerston, Northern Territory, Australia.
• U.S. Marines wrap up exercise in Jordan USMC News 21 May 2015 -- Around 500 U.S. Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit completed Exercise Eager Lion 2015, which began May 5 and culminated with a multilateral combined-arms live-fire event May 18, 2015, in Jordan.
• U.S. Marines fuel partnership with spanish forces thousands of feet in the air USMC News 21 May 2015 -- U.S. Marine and Spanish Navy pilots tested their ability to support each other during aerial-refueling operations off the coast of Spain May 15.
• USS Milius Provides Theater Security in 7th Fleet NNS 21 May 2015 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) entered the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operation (AOO), May 17 after approximately six months of maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operation in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
• USS Shiloh Strengthens Relations with Japan during Shimoda's Black Ship Festival NNS 21 May 2015 -- The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) visited Shimoda, to participate in the city's 76th annual Black Ship Festival, May 14-17.
• Navy Space-Based Orbital Debris Sensor Receives U.S. Patent NNS 21 May 2015 -- Small orbital debris objects can threaten vital space-based assets. The Navy's patented compact debris detection device can detect debris in near real-time and provide essential trajectory data for future use.
• Obama Designates Tunisia as Major Non-NATO Ally VOA 21 May 2015 -- President Barack Obama on Thursday designated Tunisia as a major non-NATO ally of the United States, praising its democratic reforms in the aftermath of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.
• NATO Chiefs of Defence discuss the Readiness Action Plan, Ukraine and the way ahead for missions and operations NATO 21 May 2015 -- During the two-day Military Committee meeting, the 28 Allied Chiefs of Defence exchanged views on the current and future security challenges facing the Alliance, and provided clear and decisive military advice to North Atlantic Council ahead of the NATO Defence Ministers meeting next month.
• Three Soyuz-2 Launch Pads to Be Built at Plesetsk Space Center by 2019 Sputnik 21 May 2015 -- Three separate launch pads for Soyuz-2 rockets will be built at the Plesetsk space center in northwestern Russia after its renovation is over by 2019, a defense ministry spokesman said Thursday.
• Russia Expects Notice on Launch of KA-226T Helicopter Production in India Sputnik 21 May 2015 -- Russia is expecting formal notification from India on its decision to launch production of light Kamov Ka-226T (NATO reporting name Hoodlum) multirole helicopters.
• Russia Has Technology to Build Equivalent of Mistral Helicopter Carrier Sputnik 21 May 2015 -- Russia possesses the necessary technology to build helicopter carriers similar to the French-made Mistral-class ships, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Kozhin said.
• Russian-Chinese naval exercise in Mediterranean ends TASS 21 May 2015 -- The Russian-Chinese naval manoeuvres Joint Sea 2015 in the Mediterranean have ended, and the exercise closing ceremony is held at the headquarters of the drills' joint command, Russian Navy spokesman Captain 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said on Thursday. The Russian and Chinese commanders of the drills - Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Vice Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov and his Chinese counterpart - Du Jingchen, deputy commander of the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, hold the event.
• PLA Air Force flies over Miyako Strait for training People's Daily 21 May 2015 -- Aircraft from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force flew over the Miyako Strait for the first time Thursday during training in the western Pacific, a military spokesman said.
• China air force in west Pacific drill People's Daily 21 May 2015 -- Aircraft of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force flew over the Miyako Strait for the first time Thursday for training in western Pacific, a military spokesperson said.
• Ukraine Will Not Take Part in Creation of New Russian-Chinese Helicopter Sputnik 21 May 2015 -- Ukrainian company Motor Sich will not participate in the creation of a Russian-Chinese helicopter, Yuri Tereschenko, head of Ukraine's State Export Control, said.
• Ukraine parliament scraps 5 military agreements with Russia Press TV 21 May 2015 -- The Ukrainian parliament has terminated a series of intergovernmental agreements on military cooperation with Russia, amid growing tensions between the two sides.
• Kiev Scraps Military Cooperation, Secret Info Security Treaties With Russia Sputnik 21 May 2015 -- The Verkhovna Rada denounced agreements on military cooperation, the mutual security of secret information, cooperation in military reconnaissance and the organization of military logistics with Russia.
• Ambassador calls Russia India's primary military partner TASS 21 May 2015 -- India is interested in the development of military and technical cooperation with Russia, especially with regard to air force, Indian Ambassador to Russia Pundi Srinivasan Raghavan told reporters in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk on Thursday.
• Army ground forces launch major wargames IRNA 21 May 2015 -- Ground forces of Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran initiated major warmages across the country on Thursday.
• U.S. To Deliver Antitank Weapons As Criticism Of Iraq Strategy Grows RFE/RL 21 May 2015 -- The United States will deliver 1,000 antitank weapons to Iraq in June to combat Islamic State suicide bombings like those that helped the group seize Ramadi, a senior U.S. State Department official said May 20.
• Iraq to Build National Guard-Style Force to Fight ISIL - US State Dep't Sputnik 21 May 2015 -- Iraqi authorities are planning to build a national guard-style force to fight against the Islamic State, a senior US State Department official said.
• Seoul Divided on Proposed THAAD Introduction Sputnik 21 May 2015 -- Washington's desire to deploy its advanced missile defense system in South Korea remains a serious cause of concern in Seoul and also in China and Russia, media reported on Thursday.
• Afghan President Selects Defense Minister VOA 21 May 2015 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Thursday announced his long-awaited nominee for the post of defense minister as Taliban insurgents have expanded their spring offensive to a wide area of the country.
• Israel, India to jointly develop missile system Press TV 21 May 2015 -- Israel and India are concluding a multi-million-dollar deal for the joint development of a medium-range surface-to-air missile system.
• May 21, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 21 May 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 21, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 21 May 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 21 May 2015
• Fresh Saudi air raids leave 14 people dead in Yemen Press TV 21 May 2015 -- At least 14 people have been killed in fresh airstrikes carried out by Saudi Arabia in two provinces of Yemen.
• Saudi jets launch new airstrikes on Yemen Press TV 21 May 2015 -- Several people have been killed or injured in Yemen as Saudi military aircraft conducted a fresh round of attacks against several areas across the impoverished country.
• Iranian Ship Carrying Aid for Yemen Docks in Djibouti Sputnik 21 May 2015 -- The Iran Shahed ship docked at the Djibouti port and is waiting for UN and ICRC staff to inspect it. After being inspected the vessel will head to the Yemeni port of Al-Hodeidah for unloading.
• 40,000 Iraqis flee ISIL brutalities in Ramadi Press TV 21 May 2015 -- Tens of thousands of Iraqis have fled Ramadi, the capital of the western Anbar province, since some of its parts were seized by the ISIL terrorist group over the weekend.
• Islamic State Takes Palmyra, Gains Control of Syria-Iraq Border VOA 21 May 2015 -- Observers say Islamic State has captured the last Syrian-controlled border crossing between Syria and Iraq.
• Is Palmyra's Fall Strategic Loss for Syria? VOA 21 May 2015 -- The swift takeover of Palmyra—after only days of fighting—may have been a huge military victory for the Islamic State group but it may have also been, in part, a calculated strategic loss for the Syrian government.
• IS Poised to Seize Huge Syrian Arms Depot VOA 21 May 2015 -- Islamic State fighters are poised to seize one of the largest arms depots in Syria after taking control of the city of Palmyra, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site that experts fear the extremists may loot and destroy as they have done with major archaeological sites in neighboring Iraq.
• Fresh violence claims 21 lives in two Libyan cities Press TV 21 May 2015 -- More than 20 people have reportedly been killed and dozens of others wounded in a fresh wave of violence in the Libyan cities of Benghazi and Misrata.
• UN agency brings relief supplies to people displaced by conflict in western Libya UN News 21 May 2015 -- Ten trucks carrying vital relief supplies have crossed the border between Tunisia and Libya, as the United Nations hunger relief agency said today that it has resumed providing assistance in support of displaced people affected by the ongoing conflict in Libya.
• China dispatches third peacekeeping troops to Mali People's Daily 21 May 2015 -- A third group of peacekeepers left here for a United Nations mission in Mali on Thursday, replacing the second batch, stationed there since September.
• Ukraine Fears Summer Offensive Despite Diplomatic Initiatives VOA 21 May 2015 -- Concerns are growing that a shaky, three-month-old cease-fire in Ukraine between government forces and Russian-backed rebels could in the coming weeks break down completely into all-out fighting and block the path for implementing an agreed upon peace deal.
• Red Cross concerned over scale of Boko Haram crisis Press TV 21 May 2015 -- The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) has voiced concern over the severe humanitarian crisis caused by the Boko Haram terror group in Nigeria, stressing the need for extra funding to support the victims.
• US spy aircraft defies Chinese warnings, swoops over disputed islands Press TV 21 May 2015 -- The US military has carried out its threat to fly over disputed islands in the South China Sea, defying multiple warnings by China's navy for the surveillance aircraft to leave the area.
• Report: China Warns US Spy Plane VOA 21 May 2015 -- China's navy is reported to have issued eight warning messages to a U.S. military surveillance plane that passed over a group of man-made islands Beijing is using to secure its sweeping territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea.
• South Sudanese Army Claims Capture of Rebel Stronghold VOA 21 May 2015 -- The South Sudanese army claimed Wednesday to have captured the key rebel-held town of Leer in oil-rich Unity State.

News Reports

• Many fleeing Burundi have no wish to return IRIN 21 May 2015 -- If you ask a Burundian refugee who has recently arrived in Tanzania when they plan to return home, there's a good chance that the answer will be, "I don't." Now a cholera outbreak on the border has made the journey all the more dangerous.
• 80,000 Hezbollah missiles ready to target Israel IRNA 21 May 2015 -- Top Military Aide to Iran's Supreme Leader Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said that 80,000 missiles belonging to the Hezbollah of Lebanon are ready to be fired at Haifa and Tel-Aviv in the Occupied Lands.
• President assures protection of national security after nuclear deal IRNA 21 May 2015 -- President Hassan Rouhani assured on Thursday that Iran will protect national security, military and technology secrets in the aftermath of the nuclear deal.
• Harf: No access, no final agreement IRNA 21 May 2015 -- Acting spokeswoman for the United States Department of State Marie Harf said on Wednesday there would be no final nuclear agreement if Iran denied access to its nuclear scientists and military sites.
• US Lawmakers Scramble to Avoid Lapse in Domestic Surveillance VOA 21 May 2015 -- U.S. lawmakers of both parties and in both houses say they are unsure how Congress will deal with the federal government’s expiring authorization for domestic surveillance in the fight against terrorism.
• CIA Destroyed Torture Tapes Over Fear of Worldwide Backlash Sputnik 21 May 2015 -- When it first came to light that the CIA had destroyed videos of its 'enhanced interrogation' sessions, it was justified as a way to protect undercover officers. But a new PBS documentary reveals that the tapes were destroyed because the public would never condone the gruesome acts they recorded.
• US court rules to keep classified 'torture' documents secret Press TV 21 May 2015 -- A court has blocked an effort by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to force the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to release secret records about its torture program.
• Turks, German charged in Berlin over spying for Turkey Press TV 21 May 2015 -- Federal prosecutors in Germany have charged two Turks and a German with spying on critics of the Turkish government.
• Afghan Unity Government Split On Intelligence-Sharing Deal RFE/RL 21 May 2015 -- Cracks in Afghanistan's unity government are appearing following the signing of a controversial intelligence deal with neighbor and archrival Pakistan.
• Bin Laden Documents Show Split With Iraq Affiliate, Contact With Son In Iran RFE/RL 21 May 2015 -- Among the treasure trove of documents released by U.S. authorities May 20 detailing terrorist leader Osama bin Laden's life and aspirations are some morsels throwing further light on his rift with Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Iraq.
• China's nuclear power capacity to reach 30 mln kilowatts by year end People's Daily 21 May 2015 -- China will have 30 million kilowatts (KW) of nuclear power capacity by the end of 2015, said Xu Yuming, deputy director of the China Nuclear Energy Association on Thursday.
• China aims to be first to land on 'dark side' of moon People's Daily 21 May 2015 -- China is planning to land its Chang'e-4 probe on the moon's 'dark side', which has never before been explored, Wu Weiren, the chief engineer for China's Lunar Exploration Program told Chinese Central Television.
• Merkel: Ukraine Crisis Makes EU Eastern Partnership 'More Important' RFE/RL 21 May 2015 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the crisis in Ukraine makes the European Union's partnership with six eastern countries 'more important than ever.'
• Kyrgyzstan Joins Eurasian Economic Union Accession RFE/RL 21 May 2015 -- Kyrgyzstan's president has signed a law ratifying treaties on his country's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EES), the final step required by his country to join Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Armenia in the trade grouping.
• Change To Summit Text Could Buoy EU Partners Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine RFE/RL 21 May 2015 -- A last-minute amendment to a draft text by EU members and six of their eastern neighbors gathering for a summit in Riga could spell good news for Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.