Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 27 May 2015 [PDF]
• Six killed in US assassination drone strike in Afghanistan Press TV 27 May 2015 -- At least six people have been killed in the latest US drone strikes on Afghanistan's Nuristan and Kunar provinces.
• Afghanistan To Ukraine: 'The Enemies Of Our Enemies Are Our Friends' RFE/RL 27 May 2015 -- When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, fortified with tanks, helicopters, and 100,000 troops, empty-handed Afghan guerrilla fighters like Sayed Kassem Muzafari said they had to be innovative.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Media Availability with Secretary Carter Enroute to Singapore DoD 27 May 2015 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• Pentagon: Live Anthrax Accidentally Sent to Labs in US, S Korea VOA 27 May 2015 -- The Pentagon said Wednesday that a U.S. military laboratory in the state of Utah accidentally sent live anthrax spores to civilian commercial labs in nine states and a military lab in South Korea.
• Aviano F-16s take on Arctic Challenge 2015 AFNS 27 May 2015 -- At the invitation of the government of Sweden, More than 150 Airmen and 12 F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, arrived at Norbotten Wing here in support of Arctic Challenge Exercise 2015.
• Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work's Meeting with Tunisian Minister of Defense Farhat Horchani DoD 27 May 2015
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's meeting with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Voltaire Gazmin DoD 27 May 2015
• USS Lassen Conducts Multilateral Exercises with Allied Navies NNS 27 May 2015 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) and ships from the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) conducted separate one-day multilateral naval exercises with France and Turkey in the waters south of the Korean peninsula May 23 and 25.
• USS America Completes Deperming Evolution NNS 27 May 2015 -- The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) completed a magnetic treatment, known as deperming, at Naval Base Point Loma Magnetic Silencing Facility (MSF) May 21.
• Essex ARG, 15th MEU Arrive in 7th Fleet Area of Operations NNS 27 May 2015 -- More than 4,500 Sailors and Marines with the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) May 25, after departing San Diego May 11.
• Japan's Top Admiral Experiences Aircraft Carrier Operations at Sea NNS 27 May 2015 -- Adm. Tomohisa Takei, chief of staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), visited the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), May 22.
• UK and US military test Lightning II jets at sea UK MOD 27 May 2015 -- Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel are at sea onboard USS WASP for the latest F-35B Lightning II fast jet trials.
• NATO to Establish up to Eight Command Units in Eastern Europe Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- NATO will focus on enhancing its collective defense through the establishment of up to eight new command and control units in the eastern part of the alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told the press on Wednesday.
• Adapting to a changed security environment - Speech by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C. NATO 27 May 2015)
• Russia Can Build Mistral-Like Nuclear Ship Equipped With Air Defense System Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- Russia is capable of building its own equivalent of Mistral-class helicopter carrier equipped with nuclear power engines as Moscow is aware of the design of the French-made ship, deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma's Committee on Industry Vladimir Gutenev told RIA Novosti.
• Russia's Typhoon Armored Vehicles to Finish Operational Testing in 2015 Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- Russia's brand new Typhoon armored vehicles will undergo final operational service tests in 2015, the director of the department of digital design systems of OJSC KAMAZ told RIA Novosti.
• Not So Fast: Russian Official Reprimanded for 'Scrapping' Mistral Deal Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin reprimanded a military industrial official for his misleading statements that Russia has decided not to buy two Mistral-class helicopter carriers from France, the Russian Kommersant newspaper reported Wednesday.
• Over 100 warplanes engaged in Russia's snap combat readiness check - defense ministry TASS 27 May 2015 -- Over 100 Russian warplanes have made training flights as part of a snap combat readiness check of aviation and air defense troops in the Central Military District that kicked off on Monday, the Defense Ministry press office said on Wednesday.
• Ten ships of Russian Northern Fleet involved in Barents Sea military drills TASS 27 May 2015 -- Ten ships of the Russia's Northern Fleet, including the Admiral Ushakov destroyer, are involved in the Barents Sea maneuvers that were launched on Wednesday, fleet's spokesman Navy Captain 1st Rank Vadim Serga said.
• China justifies defensive military strategy People's Daily 27 May 2015 -- A Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Wednesday justified China's concern over Japanese military buildup, after Japan's chief cabinet secretary questioned the rationale of China's defensive military strategy.
• Russia says 'issues' must be settled before S-300 delivery to Iran Press TV 27 May 2015 -- Russia has raised a number of 'issues' obstructing the delivery of its S-300 surface-to-air missile (SAM) defense systems to Iran as agreed in 2007.
• Russia to Deliver S-300s to Iran After Solving Lawsuit Over Previous Deal Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- The new contract will be implemented as soon as all issues are resolved.
• Iranian Missiles Cover Entire Persian Gulf – IRGC Commander Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- Iran's domestically-made long-range coast-to-sea missiles can hit targets all across the Persian Gulf, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy announced on Tuesday.
• Russia's S-300 missile system to be supplied to Iran when lawsuit is settled - deputy FM TASS 27 May 2015 -- The contract for supplying air defense systems S-300 to Tehran will be effected when the issue of Iran's lawsuit has been settled, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on the Rossiya-24 round-the-clock news channel.
• Israel seeks 50 percent increase in US military assistance: Report Press TV 27 May 2015 -- Israel is seeking a large increase in annual military assistance from the United States and has begun preliminary talks with the Obama administration on a 10-year financial package that would provide up to $45 billion.
• Denmark, Sweden Seek to Boost Military Cooperation Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- The two northern countries seek to boost military cooperation regarding 'the events in Ukraine and Russian flights in the Baltic Sea region', according to the Danish Defense Ministry.
• Estonian PM Seeks Bigger US Military Presence in the Country Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- During a meeting with a delegation of visiting US Senators on Tuesday, Estonia's Prime Minister Taavi Roivas said he wanted the United States to augment its military presence in the Baltic country to one infantry battalion.
• Norwegian Air Force Lauds Nordic Cooperation Amid Arctic Challenge Drills Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- As the multinational Arctic Challenge Exercise 2015 (ACE 2015) is currently underway, a Norwegian Air Force spokesperson praised the cooperation between Nordic countries, in a comment to Sputnik on Wednesday.
• US, South Korean Navies Conduct Exercises With France, Turkey Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- The navies of the United States and South Korea have participated in trilateral exercises with French and Turkish counterparts to increase maritime interoperability, Republic of Korea Fleet Headquarters Cmdr. Jong-Sik Lee said in a joint statement with the US Navy on Wednesday.
• India, Russia to conduct joint naval maneuvers off Indian coast TASS 27 May 2015 -- The Russian-Indian joint naval exercise Indra Navy-2015 will be conducted in India's territorial waters, and the first conference on the maneuvers' planning will be held in early June, spokesman for Russia's Eastern Military District Alexander Gordeyev said on Wednesday.
• May 27, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 27 May 2015
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz en route Miami, Florida The White House 27 May 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 27, 2015
• Russia's Ka-52, Mi-28 Attack Helicopters Can Compete With US Apache Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- The Russian helicopter-manufacturing industry can successfully compete with foreign rivals, including the United States, Andrei Shibitov, Deputy Director of Russian Helicopter Holding, claimed.

Other Conflicts

• 27 May 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 27 May 2015
• Saudi war machine kills 79 in fresh attacks on Yemen Press TV 27 May 2015 -- Fresh attacks by Saudi Arabian warplanes in two provinces in Yemen have killed at least 79 people and injured more than 100 others.
• Yemeni rockets target Saudi military bases Press TV 27 May 2015 -- The Yemeni army, backed by fighters from Popular Committees, has targeted Saudi military bases near the border between the two countries.
• Some 8.6 million people in urgent need of medical help in Yemen, says UN agency UN News 27 May 2015 -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today warned that the "unnecessary loss of innocent lives cannot go on" and spotlighted the increasingly dire medical situation in Yemen, where it says the health and lives of millions of people are at risk, and health facilities, staff and patients are under attack in widespread violations of international humanitarian law.
• Changing Under Pressure, IS 'Potent' as Ever VOA 27 May 2015 -- Nearly 10 months since the first U.S. airstrikes rained down on Islamic State (IS) targets in Iraq, the terror group has been subject to a persistent, if not relentless, assault on multiple fronts. Yet the campaign to degrade and ultimately destroy the self-declared caliphate appears to have done little to deter the militants from spreading terror throughout the Middle East and beyond.
• Multiple ISIL bomb attacks kill 17 Iraqi soldiers Press TV 27 May 2015 -- A wave of bomb attacks carried out by the ISIL Takfiri terrorists in Iraq's western province of Anbar have left 17 soldiers dead amid the ongoing battle to liberate the provincial capital, Ramadi.
• Iraqi army, allied forces capture 100s of ISIL militants in Anbar Press TV 27 May 2015 -- Iraqi army troops and allied forces have captured hundreds of ISIL militants in the western province of Anbar.
• Suicide Bombings Kill Pro-Iraq Forces in Anbar VOA 27 May 2015 -- Suicide bombings killed at least 17 Iraqi soldiers in Anbar province overnight, as pro-government forces in Iraq continue their newly launched campaign to disrupt the Islamic State group in the area.
• Islamic State left 'booby-trapped corpses' in Kobani IRIN 27 May 2015 -- A new report confirms gruesome allegations that militants from the so-called Islamic State (IS) systematically booby-trapped dead bodies before abandoning the Syrian town of Kobani in January.
• Hezbollah forces press ahead with operation against ISIL in Qalamoun Press TV 27 May 2015 -- The ISIL Takfiri terrorists operating on the Lebanese-Syrian border are dealt yet another major blow as forces of Lebanon's resistance movement, Hezbollah, advance in the mountainous region of Qalamoun.
• Syria Kurds liberate 14 Assyrian Christian villages Press TV 27 May 2015 -- Kurdish forces in Syria have managed to take control of 14 Assyrian Christian villages that had been held by the Takfiri ISIL terrorists since February.
• Biden: US Stands With Ukraine to Fight Russian Aggression VOA 27 May 2015 -- The United States will stand by Ukraine to fight Russian aggression, which has become a prominent consideration for European security, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday.
• US Lawmakers: Russia Incinerating Dead Troops in Ukraine VOA 27 May 2015 -- Two U.S. lawmakers say Russia is using mobile crematoriums to hide its military involvement in eastern Ukraine.
• Another day of deadly clashes in eastern Ukraine Press TV 27 May 2015 -- At least seven people, including civilians, have been killed in fresh clashes between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russia forces in the country's volatile east over the past 24 hours.
• Carter Urges Peaceful Resolution of South China Sea Disputes AFPS 27 May 2015 -- The United States will continue to remain the principal security power in the Pacific region for decades to come, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in Hawaii today.
• China denies enhancing maritime strength by construction on Nansha Islands People's Daily 27 May 2015 -- China on Wednesday reiterated its construction activities on the Nansha islands and reefs are lawful, reasonable and justified, refuting accusations of enhancing its maritime strength by doing so.
• Is China undermining freedom of navigation in South China Sea? People's Daily 27 May 2015 -- It seems absurd two lighthouses in the South China Sea could evoke worry about the situation in the waters. But that is how it happened, days after the United States made close reconnaissance in the region.
• China plans more construction on South China Sea islands People's Daily 27 May 2015 -- China will continue building on the islands and reefs in the South China Sea to serve vessels passing through the waters, a foreign ministry representative said on Tuesday.
• US accuses China of fueling tensions in South China Sea Press TV 27 May 2015 -- The United States has accused China once again of stoking tensions in the Asia-Pacific region with the construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea, defending its flights over the region.
• Beijing Protests US Surveillance of South China Sea Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- China complained on Monday about what it called a "provocative flight" by a US reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea and urged Washington to right the wrong and remain "rational".
• Middle East Quartet representative Tony Blair is stepping down, UN and partners announce UN News 27 May 2015 -- The diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East peace process today announced that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair plans to step aside as the group's Representative and expressed its "deep appreciation" for his "remarkable service" and commitment to advancing peace and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians.
• Dialogues needed to tackle violence against women, 'accountability deficit' in Sudan - UN expert UN News 27 May 2015 -- More open and constructive dialogues should be held among Sudanese stakeholders as a top priority to address 'the silence and the denials' of crimes against women, a United Nations human rights expert concluded after her recent mission to the country.

News Reports

• S.Korea, U.S., Japan discuss ways of returning DPRK to nuke dialogue People's Daily 27 May 2015 -- Top negotiators of South Korea, the United Statesand Japan, who represent each of their countries in the six-party talks to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, have discussed ways of returning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the dialogue table for its nuclear program.
• US to Seek China's Help in Pressuring North Korea on Nukes VOA 27 May 2015 -- High ranking diplomatic envoys from the U.S., South Korea, and Japan met in Seoul Wednesday to discuss how to respond to North Korea's continued efforts to develop its nuclear program. U.S. allies in the region want to increase pressure on Pyongyang but also maintain support from China and Russia to make Korea a nuclear free peninsula.
• Questions Surround June 30 Deadline for Iran Nuclear Deal VOA 27 May 2015 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet on Saturday to discuss the ongoing Iran nuclear negotiations.
• Iran Challenging Regional Balance of Power VOA 27 May 2015 -- Fallujah, Mosul, Tikrit, Ramadi: One by one, key Iraqi cities fell to Islamic State militants as Iraqi security forces failed to hold their ground. In their place, Iranian-sponsored Iraqi Shi'ite militias, who once battled U.S. soldiers, have emerged as among the strongest ground forces capable of pushing back the extremists.
• Velayati: Negotiating team in line with Leader's guidelines IRNA 27 May 2015 -- Iranian negotiating team continues talks in line with Supreme Leader's guidelines to achieve success, Advisor to the Supreme Leader for International Affairs Ali-Akbar Velayati said on Wednesday.
• Leader: Solving nuclear issue easy if all rely on domestic resources IRNA 27 May 2015 -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei urged the nation to trust the belief that reliance on domestic resources will facilitate solving the nuclear issue.
• Ex-administration's claims against Zarif dismissed Press TV 27 May 2015 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry has criticized the former administration for accusing incumbent Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif of disseminating false reports on Tehran's nuclear program.
• Merkel deceived German public on US espionage pact: Report Press TV 27 May 2015 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel deceived her people about an inclination by the United States to sign a no-spy agreement with Germany, according to a new report.
• Rumblings Of Dissent In Russia's West RFE/RL 27 May 2015 -- Kaliningrad has a history of being something of a harbinger. Back in February 2010, a protest against a new transportation tax in the region quickly mushroomed into a massive antigovernment rally that drew 10,000 people from across the political spectrum.
• NASA Begins Major Reconfiguration of International Space Station Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- NASA plans to relocate a storage module from one node to another in what would be the largest change to the configuration of the International Space Station (ISS) as the agency prepares the ISS for the arrival of commercial spacecraft.
• ICC Upholds Ruling on Trial of Former Ivorian First Lady VOA 27 May 2015 -- Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court have called on Ivory Coast to hand over former first lady Simone Gbagbo, upholding an earlier ruling that she stand trial in The Hague.