Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Casualty Update 05 Aug 2015 [PDF]
• US Strikes IS Fighters in Syria From Turkey VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- The Pentagon says U.S. forces in Turkey have carried out their first strike against Islamic State fighters in Syria.
• Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL Positions, Equipment AFPS 05 Aug 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.
• Army Announces Upcoming Iraq, Afghanistan Rotations AFPS 05 Aug 2015 -- Army officials have announced upcoming Iraq and Afghanistan rotations slated for August and September, Pentagon spokesman Navy. Capt. Jeff Davis said in a briefing today.
• Afghan civilian casualties hit record high: UN mission Press TV 05 Aug 2015 -- The number of civilian casualties in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan has reached a record high in the first half of this year, the United Nations says.
• Death toll from US drone strikes in eastern Afghanistan jumps to 75 Press TV 05 Aug 2015 -- Death toll from a series of strikes carried out by US drones in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar has climbed to more than six dozen, Press TV reports.
• Afghan Security Forces Lose 4,000 Troops Monthly to Casualties, Attrition Sputnik 05 Aug 2015 -- Thousands of Afghan security forces are killed, wounded or desert each month contributing to a high attrition rate, US Forces-Afghanistan Commander General John Campbell said during a panel discussion at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC.
• Civilians continue to bear brunt of Afghan conflict, new UN report reveals UN News 05 Aug 2015 -- Civilians continued to bear the brunt of the Afghan conflict in the first half of 2015, the United Nations reported today, noting that casualties are projected to equal or exceed the record high numbers documented last year.
• UN: Afghan Civilian Deaths to Equal, Exceed Record VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- Civilian casualties of the armed conflict in Afghanistan this year are projected to equal or exceed the country's deadliest year on record, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) announced Wednesday in Kabul.
• Colorado AF reservists fighting California fires from the sky AFNS 05 Aug 2015 -- Two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped aircraft arrived here from the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, Aug. 3, to assist in fighting the Rocky Fire northwest of Sacramento, California, the same day.

Defense Policy / Programs

• TAC-Ps control skies over Guam for joint training AFNS 05 Aug 2015 -- Several thousand feet above ground, Air Force pilots see the bird's-eye view of the battlefield; every road, building and vehicle is laid out for them.
• AF funds development of high-performance munitions technology AFNS 05 Aug 2015 -- Critical Air Force missions take place both day and night in locations around the globe. In some cases, the use of high-performance munitions is critical to mission success.
• Richardson Confirmed as Next CNO NNS 05 Aug 2015 -- Adm. John M. Richardson, director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, was confirmed by the Senate as the 31st Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) August 05, 2015.
• US Navy: Iranian Frigate Approaches Ship, Points Weapons VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- An Iranian frigate approached a coalition auxiliary ship in the Gulf of Aden late last month and pointed its weapons at the vessel and a U.S. Navy helicopter, a U.S. military official said Wednesday.
• Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work and Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall Visit to Defense Innovation Unit Experimental DoD 05 Aug 2015
• U.S. Marines show Philippine forces 'the ropes' USMC News 05 Aug 2015 -- Staring from the top of the tower, they experience an irrepressible surge of adrenaline. The surge becomes a cold rush as they grab the rope, spin 180 degrees, and slide toward the ground 40 feet below. Bracing for impact, they hit the deck and sprint out of the way before the next man lands.
• CLR-25 prepares for ship-to-land offloading exercise USMC News 05 Aug 2015 -- Combat Logistics Regiment 25 will participate in the upcoming Maritime Preposition Forces Exercise at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Jacksonville, Florida, Aug. 10-21, 2015.
• NATO Says 8 Aircraft 'Currently Sufficient' to Protect Baltic Airspace Sputnik 05 Aug 2015 -- NATO estimates that reducing its air patrols over the Baltic states in half would be appropriate for the current level of threat, a NATO official told Sputnik on Tuesday.
• US Army Going the Distance to Reassure Allies in Eastern Europe VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- Amid increased Russian aggression in Ukraine, the U.S. Army needed a fresh way to reassure its eastern European allies.
• Russia Concerns Driving Neighbors to NATO VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- As Poland's President Andrzej Duda is sworn in to office Thursday, a growing chorus of voices in eastern Europe is supporting his view to have permanent troops from NATO to warn off threats from Russia.
• Moscow believes problem of Mistral ships fully settled, says Kremlin TASS 05 Aug 2015 -- Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Francois Hollande of France have taken a joint decision to sever the agreement on construction and supplies to the Russian Navy of two amphibious helicopter carriers of the Mistral class that was signed in June 2011, the Kremlin press service said.
• Done Deal: Putin, Hollande Reach Agreement Over Mistral Cancellation Sputnik 05 Aug 2015 -- Moscow considers the issue of Mistral contract to be fully settled, according to the Kremlin's statement.
• Group of Russian Black Sea Fleet ships enters Mediterranean TASS 05 Aug 2015 -- A group of warships of Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF) led by the Moskva missile cruiser has passed the Strait of Gibraltar and cast anchor at the Spanish port of Ceuta, BSF spokesman Captain 1st Rank Vyacheslav Trukhachev said on Wednesday.
• Use of Russian troops in Syria is out of question - Kremlin spokesman TASS 05 Aug 2015 -- The use of Russian troops in the Syrian conflict has never been even discussed, [Syrian President Bashar] Assad has never asked for that, Russian president's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
• Russia Will Reuse Mistral Communication Systems on Other Vessels Sputnik 05 Aug 2015 -- Russia-produced communication systems, installed on the Mistral-class helicopter carriers that France refused to deliver, could be used on other Russian Navy vessels instead, a military-technical source told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.
• Russia-China joint military drills to help counter new threats, challenges - FM TASS 05 Aug 2015 -- Joint military exercises carried out by Russia and China will help to confront new international threats and challenges, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Channel News Asia on Wednesday.
• US military buildup in Asia is disproportionally huge - Lavrov TASS 05 Aug 2015 -- Attempts of the United States to create powerful military infrastructure in Asia are unfounded, as Washington is strongly exaggerating the scope of threats existing in the region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Channel News Asia television.
• Russia backs China over US military buildup in Asia Press TV 05 Aug 2015 -- Russia has sided with China in the wake of the rising threat of the "disproportionally huge" US military buildup in Asia.
• Turkey appoints new army chief amid military campaign Press TV 05 Aug 2015 -- Turkey has chosen a new army chief amid the country's military offensive against the purported positions of the ISIL terror group as well as militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
• Defence Secretary pays tribute to British military helping secure Afghanistan's future UK MOD 05 Aug 2015 -- Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has thanked UK troops working towards a more peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan while in Kabul yesterday
• UK makes counter explosives training offer to Pakistan UK MOD 05 Aug 2015 -- Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has today offered Pakistan a new, enhanced three-year package of counter improvised explosive device (C-IED) support.
• Nicaragua May Purchase Russian T-72 Tanks Sputnik 05 Aug 2015 -- Juan Ernesto Vasquez Araya, the Nicaraguan ambassador to Russia, said that Nicaragua wants to purchase Russian-made T-72 tanks instead of T-55 tanks that are currently used by Nicaraguan army.
• August 5, 2015 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 05 Aug 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 05, 2015

Other Conflicts

• 5 August 2015 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 05 Aug 2015
• UN allocates $70 million from emergency fund to assist millions uprooted by crises UN News 05 Aug 2015 -- The United Nations humanitarian chief today allocated $70 million to help provide a lifeline to millions of men, women and children forced from their homes by violence and instability.
• Beijing: Reclamation Works in South China Sea Has Stopped Sputnik 05 Aug 2015 -- The Chinese government says that it has halted its controversial island reclamation projects in the South China Sea.
• China: South China Sea Project Has Stopped VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- China's foreign minister says his country has stopped its controversial land reclamation project in the South China Sea.
• South China Sea Disputes Loom as ASEAN Holds Forum VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the maritime dispute in the South China Sea is among the issues he discussed with China's foreign minister, on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Nations) regional forum in Malaysia.
• 16 al-Qaeda, pro-Hadi militants slain in southern Yemen Press TV 05 Aug 2015 -- More than a dozen al-Qaeda-linked terrorists and militants loyal to fugitive former Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi have been killed in a powerful blast in the country's strategic southern province of Aden.
• Yemen air defense downs Saudi Apache copter: Local media Press TV 05 Aug 2015 -- An Apache helicopter gunship operated by Saudi military forces has been downed by the Yemeni air defense forces in western Yemen, local media say.
• Syria, Hezbollah retake new positions west of Zabadani Press TV 05 Aug 2015 -- Syrian troops and fighters of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah have made fresh gains in their battle against militants in the southwestern city of Zabadani.
• Syria army retakes several areas in Hama from terrorists Press TV 05 Aug 2015 -- Syrian government forces have managed to retake control of several areas in Syria's western province of Hama, Press TV reports.
• Syria's Oil Industry Largely Destroyed VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- Syria's oil industry, like most of its industries, is in a state of collapse. And even recent gains, according to analysts, won't come close to bringing it back.
• Nigerian Army Disables Boko Haram Explosives VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- A spokesman for the Nigerian military says it has cleared the strategic road of Gwoza-Yamteke in Borno state of land mines planted by Boko Haram militants.
• Suspected Boko Haram Takfiris kill 9 in raids on Cameroon villages Press TV 05 Aug 2015 -- Suspected Boko Haram Takfiri militants have attacked two villages in the northern part of Cameroon, killing at least nine people and kidnapping dozens of others.
• Two soldiers killed, 10 injured in Kashmir militant attack Press TV 05 Aug 2015 -- At least two Indian paramilitary soldiers have lost their lives and another ten sustained injuries in a surprise attack on a convoy of paramilitary troops in Indian-administered Kashmir.
• Central Asian Neighbors Seek Calm After Border Violence RFE/RL 05 Aug 2015 -- Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have deployed troops and dispatched officials to a volatile frontier region where two days of violence highlighted combustive tensions in the borderlands of ex-Soviet Central Asia.
• Security in Central African Republic improves, but situation remains fragile - UN envoy UN News 05 Aug 2015 -- Political progress combined with the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers in nearly 40 localities have contributed to the improvement of the overall security situation in Central African Republic (CAR), which nonetheless remains precarious, the top United Nations envoy in the country told the Security Council today.
• Amnesty: Civilians Targeted in S.Kordofan Conflict VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- Amnesty International has released a new report describing – what it called -- four years of unrelenting attacks against civilians in Sudan's South Kordofan State. The civilian casualties result from four years of conflict between the Khartoum government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army-North.

News Reports

• Remarks by the President on the Iran Nuclear Deal The White House 05 Aug 2015
• Obama Defends Iran Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 05 Aug 2015 -- U.S. President Barack Obama has continued to defend the nuclear deal reached on July 14 between Iran and six worth powers, calling it 'the strongest nonproliferation agreement ever negotiated.'
• Head of UN watchdog discusses Iranian nuclear issues with US lawmakers UN News 05 Aug 2015 -- The head of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) met with United States lawmakers today in Washington, D.C. to discuss the important role the Agency can play in monitoring and verifying nuclear activities in Iran.
• Obama to Iran Deal Critics: Choose Diplomacy Over War VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- He stood at the same university where more than 50 years ago, then-President John F. Kennedy used a commencement address to first call for nuclear disarmament and a nuclear test ban treaty with the Soviet Union.
• Iran nuclear deal: Why Empire blinked first RT 05 Aug 2015
• S. Korea's ex-first lady arrives in Pyongyang for 4-day visit amid cross-border tensions People's Daily 05 Aug 2015 -- The widow of late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung arrived in Pyongyang on Wednesday afternoon for her four-day visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK) amid remaining cross-border tensions.
• Former South Korean First Lady Visits Pyongyang VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- The widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung is making a rare visit to North Korea to help improve chronically strained relations between the two longtime foes.
• Fugitive Ex-Kremlin 'Cashier': Putin 'Did Not Want To Be President' RFE/RL 05 Aug 2015 -- When a group of Kremlin insiders searched for a successor to the erratic Russian President Boris Yeltsin in 1999, they settled on a little-known bureaucrat named Vladimir Putin, who took power the following year and rules the country with an autocratic fist to this day.
• McFaul: Russian Enmity Toward U.S. Fueled by Own Weakness RFE/RL 05 Aug 2015 -- Russia, and the Kremlin in particular, has an unhealthy and misguided obsession with U.S. power and intentions, and this means badly strained relations between Washington and Moscow won't improve anytime soon, former U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul told RFE/RL in an interview.
• For Fifth Day, Iraqis Demonstrate Against Power Cuts, Poor Services RFE/RL 05 Aug 2015 -- Iraqis complaining about corruption and poor services, epitomized by power cuts during a heatwave, took to the streets on August 4 for a fifth day of protests.
• India to Build New Nuclear Fuel Production Complex Sputnik 05 Aug 2015 -- Indian government is planning to set up new nuclear fuel complex in the country, according to an official from the Department of Atomic Energy, Jitendra Singh.
• Terror Warnings Making Tourists Avoid Mideast VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- Since an Islamic extremist gunned down holiday-makers in June in Tunisia, Western governments have been issuing warnings urging their nationals to exercise heightened caution when traveling to North Africa and the Middle East or better still, to stay away altogether.
• Myanmar: UN food agency delivers aid to 82,000 people in flooded areas UN News 05 Aug 2015 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today announced that it has delivered aid to 82,000 people in the most flood-affected parts of western Myanmar, and is now working to reach 200,000 people.
• AU Calls for Restraint in Burundi After 3rd Attack VOA 05 Aug 2015 -- The African Union has called for restraint in Burundi following the murder of a leading member of the ruling CNDD-FDD party in the capital, Bujumbura.