Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Carter: Turkey should do more in fight against Daesh Press TV 20 Aug 2015 -- US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has called on Turkey to “do more” in fight against Daesh militants in Syria.
• Airstrikes Hit ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 20 Aug 2015 -- U.S. and coalition military forces have continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq.
• Pakistan Starts Ground Offensive in Militant Stronghold VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- Pakistan’s military says it has launched a long anticipated ground offensive in a remote valley near the Afghan border to flush out local and foreign militants holed up there.
• Afghan Vice President Dostum Vows To 'Clear' Northern Province Of Militants RFE/RL 20 Aug 2015 -- First Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum has vowed that Afghanistan's volatile northern Faryab Province will soon be fully "cleared" of Taliban and other militants, as he leads an ongoing security operation in the area.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense Press Briefing with Secretary Carter in the Pentagon Press Briefing Room DoD 20 Aug 2015
• Pentagon Chief: Russia Poses ‘Existential Threat’ to US VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- In language rarely heard since the end of the Cold War, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said that Russia again poses an “existential threat” to the United States and in many ways behaves like an antagonist.
• Secretary of the Navy Names Littoral Combat Ship DoD 20 Aug 2015
• Secretary of the Navy Names Littoral Combat Ship NNS 20 Aug 2015 -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Aug. 19 that the next Independence variant Littoral Combat Ship will be named USS Oakland (LCS 24).
• Is Lockheed Building a Stealthy New U-2 Spy Plane? Sputnik 20 Aug 2015 -- A stealth version of the U-2 would allow the US to more securely conduct surveillance operations during time of peace and war.
• Japanese forces jump from US aircraft for first time in Red Flag-Alaska history AFNS 20 Aug 2015 -- A C-130 Hercules assigned to the36th Airlift Squadron from Yokota Air Base, Japan, became the first U.S. aircraft to drop Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members onto U.S. soil, during Red Flag-Alaska Aug. 12.
• Continuing Promise 2015 Begins Ninth Mission Stop NNS 20 Aug 2015 -- Joint-military crew members and non-governmental organization (NGO) volunteers serving aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) kicked off Continuing Promise 2015 (CP-15) mission operations on Aug. 14.
• Russia, China launch ‘unprecedented’ joint naval drills Press TV 20 Aug 2015 -- Russian and Chinese navies have started their largest-ever joint military exercises in the Pacific with dozens of vessels and featuring anti-submarine operations.
• Philippine Navy Weaponizes Helicopters to Deploy on Frigates Sputnik 20 Aug 2015 -- The Philippine Navy is preparing to deploy weaponized versions of its AgustaWestland AW109 helicopter on board its Pilar-class frigates, the Navy's director of public affairs said Wednesday.
• U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing, August 20, 2015 US Dept. of State 20 Aug 2015

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 20, 2015

Other Conflicts

• Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, 20 August 2015 United Nations 20 Aug 2015
• Experts Predict N. Korea Will Escalate Provocations VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been rising rapidly since North Korea’s alleged landmine attacks this month, which seriously maimed two South Korean soldiers near the demilitarized zone.
• North, South Korea Exchange Fire VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire along the countries' western border, Seoul officials said, in the latest flareup of cross-border violence.
• S. Korea's military fires back scores of shells against DPRK People's Daily 20 Aug 2015 -- South Korea's military on Thursday fired back scores of shells toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which had earlier launched a shell toward the south side in the western border.
• DPRK warns military action if S.Korea continues frontline broadcasts People's Daily 20 Aug 2015 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) warned of a military action unless South Koreastops propaganda broadcasts in border areas within 48 hours.
• South Korea fires shells over North's rocket attack Press TV 20 Aug 2015 -- The South Korean government says its military has fired shells into North Korea in response to an earlier rocket attack from the North.
• Israel warplanes bomb Syria’s Quneitra: Israeli media Press TV 20 Aug 2015 -- Tel Aviv’s warplanes have bombed an area in Syria’s southwestern province of Quneitra after the regime’s military claimed four rockets fired from the Syrian soil hit northern Israel.
• HRW Urges Syria Arms Embargo VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- A prominent human rights group is calling for the United Nations Security Council to impose a weapons embargo on the Syrian government following airstrikes last week that killed dozens of civilians near Damascus.
• Extremists Harness Yemen Chaos, Coalition Pushes North VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- There may never be a winner in Yemen’s war, but some groups are already benefiting from the chaos, according to analysts.
• Yemenis fire ballistic missile on Saudi military base Press TV 20 Aug 2015 -- The Yemeni army, backed by popular committees loyal to Ansarullah fighters, has fired a ballistic missile at a Saudi military base in the southwestern Jizan region.
• Cameroon Navy Hunts Boko Haram in Lake Chad VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- Cameroon has mobilized about 500 men from its navy to Lake Chad to stop growing threats from the Boko Haram terrorist group.
• Kenya's Proposed Military Legislation Faces Opposition VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- With terrorism a rising concern in Kenya, lawmakers are considering new legislation that would allow soldiers to deploy in civilian areas to keep order.
• Pakistan Consults Kashmiri Separatists Before Peace Talks, Irking India RFE/RL 20 Aug 2015 -- Pakistan has invited separatists from India's disputed Kashmir region for a meeting in a move that risks further straining efforts to restart a peace dialogue between the two nuclear-armed nations.

News Reports

• IAEA Director 'Disturbed' By Report On Iranian Nuclear Inspections RFE/RL 20 Aug 2015 -- The head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says he is "disturbed" by a report suggesting his organization has given responsibility for nuclear inspections to Iran.
• IAEA Chief: Claim of Iran Nuclear Self-Inspections 'Misrepresentation' VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- The head of the IAEA on Thursday downplayed a media report that the U.N. nuclear oversight agency will allow Iran to carry out its own nuclear inspections as part of a multilateral accord reached last month in Vienna.
• Reported Nuclear Side Deal Allows Iran to Do Self-Inspections VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- A draft of a side agreement to the Iranian nuclear agreement between the U.N. atomic watchdog agency and Tehran will allow Iran to use its own inspectors to investigate the secretive Parchin nuclear site, the Associated Press reported.
• IAEA chief hails Iran roadmap as technically sound Press TV 20 Aug 2015 -- The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says the agency's recent nuclear agreement with Iran to verify the peaceful nature of Tehran's nuclear program is technically sound.
• Russia to deliver new fuel to Bushehr plant Press TV 20 Aug 2015 -- TVEL, a subsidiary of Russia’s state-run nuclear energy company Rosatom, says it will deliver fresh nuclear fuel to Iran’s Bushehr power plant by the end of this month.
• Wall Street Journal Denies Iranian Charges That Reporter Spied RFE/RL 20 Aug 2015 -- The Wall Street Journal denied Iranian state media accusations that one of the newspaper's senior reporters spied and conspired against Iran's government.
• S. Korean President to Attend Beijing WWII Celebration VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- A senior official in Seoul Thursday announced that South Korean President Park Geun-hye will travel to Beijing for celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
• Urgent Need for Political Dialogue in Burundi US Dept. of State 20 Aug 2015
• UN chief urges Burundian President to ‘pursue path of inclusivity and reconciliation’ UN News 20 Aug 2015 -- Noting the inauguration today of Pierre Nkurunziza for his third term as President of Burundi, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged him to “pursue a path of inclusivity and reconciliation,” and reiterated his call on all Burundian stakeholders to undertake a broad and transparent political dialogue.
• Burundi Holds Surprise Early Inauguration VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- Burundi's president, Pierre Nkurunziza, was sworn in for a third term Thursday, six days ahead of schedule.
• Tsipras Resigns, Paving Way for Snap Greek Election VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- With a new bailout in hand, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras abruptly resigned Thursday, calling for a snap election on September 20, just seven months after taking office.
• Officials: Extreme Cyanide Levels in Waters Near China Blast VOA 20 Aug 2015 -- Cyanide levels more than 350 times the acceptable limit have been found in waters close to the site of recent deadly explosions in the Chinese port city of Tianjin.