Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 07 Mar 2016 [PDF]
• US to Offer Up Info on Drone Strikes VOA 07 Mar 2016 -- The United States is promising more transparency on the country's sometimes-controversial use of drones to strike at terrorist targets.
• White House To Report Death Tolls From Drones, Counterterrorism Strikes RFE/RL 07 Mar 2016 -- The Obama administration says it is preparing to release a report on how many people have been killed by U.S. drones and counterterrorism strikes outside of active war zones since 2009.
• Coalition Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 07 Mar 2016 -- 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.
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 07 Mar 2016 -- Daesh terrorists have again been struck hard by Royal Air Force aircraft over Syria and Iraq.
• 'US building two airbases in northern Syria's Kurdish region' Press TV 07 Mar 2016 -- The United States has almost completed the establishment of an airbase in Syria's Kurdish-held northern territory amid construction of a second base there, a new report says.
• Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on Airstrike in Somalia DoD 07 Mar 2016 -- On Saturday, March 5, the U.S. military, in self-defense and in defense of our African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) partners, conducted an airstrike in Somalia against Raso Camp, a training facility of al-Shabaab, which is a terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaeda.
• 150 Shabab militants killed in Somali drone attack: Pentagon Press TV 07 Mar 2016 -- More than 150 people have reportedly been killed in a US drone attack in Somalia over the weekend.
• US: Airstrike Kills 150 Al-Shabab in Somalia VOA 07 Mar 2016 -- The Pentagon says a U.S. airstrike in central Somalia has killed more than 150 Al-Shabab militants who were preparing for a large-scale attack.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Secretary James and Gen. Welsh on the current state of the Air Force in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 07 Mar 2016 -- Presenter: Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Mark A. Welsh III, and General Arnold W. Bunch, Jr.
• B-52s join French forces for close air support exercise AFNS 07 Mar 2016 -- U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortresses joined French aircraft and ground troops from a dozen nations to kick off a close air support exercise in the Mediterranean March 7.
• Comptroller Explains All-Inclusive DoD Needs AFPS 07 Mar 2016 -- The Defense Department's planning, programming and budgeting, or PPB, process covers not only today's wars, but planning for the future, and it's a daunting task, the DoD comptroller said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies here today.
• Defense Official: Programming Stitches Together Strategy, Capabilities AFPS 07 Mar 2016 -- The planning, programming and budgeting process for an organization the size of the Defense Department is not pretty, but it does work.
• USS Lassen Enters 4th Fleet Area of Operations NNS 07 Mar 2016 -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) arrived in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations to begin conducting counter illicit trafficking operations in support of Operation Martillo, March 2.
• Future USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) Completes Builder's Trials NNS 07 Mar 2016 -- The Navy's future amphibious transport dock, John P. Murtha (LPD 26) successfully completed Builder's Trials March 4.
• Secretary of Defense Visits Joint Base Lewis-McChord NNS 07 Mar 2016 -- Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) Ashton Carter spoke with U.S service members during a troop talk at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, March 4.
• Stennis Strike Group Wraps Up Routine Operations in the South China Sea NNS 07 Mar 2016 -- The John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG) has completed routine operations in the South China Sea, and transited into the Philippine Sea through the Luzon Strait.
• Raven B: Securing the perimeter from above AFNS 07 Mar 2016 -- Small, hand-held, unmanned, light weight and remotely operated drones describe one of the ways technology is used to ensure the safety of deployed personnel.
• 45th Space Wing successfully launches Falcon 9 SES-9 AFNS 07 Mar 2016 -- The 45th Space Wing supported the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of the SES-9 communications satellite March 4 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
• Strategy-Driven Processes Behind Budget Request, Official Says AFPS 07 Mar 2016 -- One of the most important processes in the Defense Department for getting military capabilities in the field hides behind an innocuous acronym -- the PPB.
• Capability, Risk Drive Shift in DoD Operational Energy Strategy AFPS 07 Mar 2016 -- The Defense Department's 2016 Operational Energy Strategy, the first issued since the inaugural report in 2011, shows how changes in the department and its operational environment demand a shift in approach to energy challenges, a senior defense leader said during a recent interview.
• Cold Response 16: CAC Marines scout area for enemy USMC News 07 Mar 2016 -- Light Armored Reconnaissance Marines with Black Sea Rotational Force, Combined Arms Company, test their reconnaissance skills in a cold-weather environment during Exercise Cold Response 16 in central Norway, March 4, 2016.
• 2nd AA Bn., coalition forces storm a Fjord during Cold Response 16 USMC News 07 Mar 2016 -- As waves crashed against the shoreline, Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles took the beach and fought toward inland objectives in Namsos, Norway, March 3, 2016.
• U.S., South Korea Begin Annual Large-Scale Exercises AFPS 07 Mar 2016 -- U.S. and South Korean troops today began their annual Key Resolve and Foal Eagle exercises, which Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said are conducted to maintain South Korea's preparedness.
• S.Korea, U.S. kick off largest-ever war games after DPRK's nuke, rocket launch People's Daily 07 Mar 2016 -- South Koreaand the United Stateson Monday kicked off their largest-ever annual war games weeks after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear test and long-range rocket launch, Combined Forces Command (CFC) said in a statement.
• U.S. Imperialists and S. Korean Warmongers Start Key Resolve and Foal Eagle 16 KCNA 07 Mar 2016 -- Today the U.S. imperialists and south Korean puppet war-thirsty forces started their joint military exercises Key Resolve and Foal Eagle 16 across south Korea for provoking a nuclear war against the DPRK.
• South Korea, US launch military exercises amid North threats Press TV 07 Mar 2016 -- South Korea and the US have started large-scale military exercises amid a threat by North Korea to attack the two countries with nuclear weapons if they go ahead with the drills.
• China Alarmed as 305,000 US, S Korean Troops Launch Largest-Ever Drills Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- China is very concerned about the military drills between South Korea and the United States, believed to be the largest-ever joint exercises of the two countries amid increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula, according to China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei.
• S Korea-US Drills Focus on Training Plan to Launch Strikes on N Korea Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- The South Korean media reported Monday that joint military exercises with the US will have a special focus on developing the countries' ability to launch precision strikes on North Korea's top leadership.
• NATO Secretary General discusses instability on NATO's southern borders with Turkish Prime Minister NATO 07 Mar 2016 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu met on Monday (7 March 2016) to discuss the conflict and instability on NATO's southern borders. Mr. Stoltenberg thanked Turkey for its efforts to tackle the current refugee and migrant crisis and stressed that NATO stands in solidarity with Turkey.
• Turkish Prime Minister Urges More NATO Support Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called on Monday for increased NATO support for Turkey.
• Russian Land Force to Receive 1,400 Hardware Units in 2016 Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- The Russian Land Force will receive over 1,400 units of technical reconnaissance equipment, systems of reconnaissance, control and communication, which will increase the share of modern equipment up to 39 percent, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
• Invisible Warfare: Russia Touts Second-to-None Jamming Equipment Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- Russia's most advanced electronic warfare systems, Borisoglebsk-2 and Rtut-BM, add significantly to the country's defense capabilities, according to the Russian news network Zvezda.
• China's second aircraft carrier to be equipped with J-15, military expert says People's Daily 07 Mar 2016 -- China's domestically produced J-15 carrier-based fighter will be deployed on the country's second aircraft carrier, said military expert Yin Zhuo in a recent interview.
• Last But Not Least: China's 2nd Aircraft Carrier Will Be More Sophisticated Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- China is building a second aircraft carrier; its enhanced design will allow the vessel to carry more fighter jets as well as an early warning patrol aircraft, an anti-submarine warplane and several helicopters, according to a spokesman for the Chinese People's Liberation Army's Navy.
• DPRK National Defence Commission Warns of Military Counter-action for Preemptive Attack KCNA 07 Mar 2016 -- The National Defence Commission of the DPRK issued a statement on Monday in connection with the fact that the U.S. imperialists and south Korean puppet forces decided to kick off the largest-ever joint military exercises Key Resolve and Foal Eagle 16 today.
• DPRK warns of preemptive nuclear strikes at US, South Korea People's Daily 07 Mar 2016 -- South Korea and the United States on Monday kicked off their largest-ever annual war games, weeks after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear test and long-range rocket launch, Combined Forces Command (CFC) said in a statement.
• North Korea Threatens Pre-emptive Nuclear Strike VOA 07 Mar 2016 -- North Korea has threatened a pre-emptive nuclear strike as U.S. and South Korean forces began their largest joint exercises ever conducted.
• Defense ministry apologizes for furor over search case CNA 07 Mar 2016 -- The Ministry of National Defense issued a public apology Monday over the controversy caused by military police's visit to a civilian's home in connection with an alleged online sale of classified government documents.
• Civilian's house was not searched: Military Police Command CNA 07 Mar 2016 -- No actual search action was carried out by military police at the home of a civilian who was suspected of selling classified government documents online, a general at the Military Police Command (MPC) said Monday.
• Military police's move to recover documents inappropriate: premier CNA 07 Mar 2016 -- The military police's efforts to obtain old government documents that were being advertised for sale online -- that have sparked accusations of an illegal search -- were inappropriate, Premier Simon Chang (張善政) said Monday.
• Brigadier Al-Asiri: 20 Arab and Islamic Countries Are Participating in North Thunder Drill SPA 07 Mar 2016 -- Spokesman of Coalition Forces, Advisor at Defense Minister's Office, Brigadier Ahmed bin Hassan Al-Asiri said that North Thunder military drill is currently held in Hafr-el-Batin in northern Saudi Arabia; where 20 Arab and Islamic countries are participating in order to ensure the readiness of their armed forces.
• Ajax vehicle brings Merthyr Tydfil factory back to life UK MOD 07 Mar 2016 -- A disused forklift truck factory in Wales has been officially opened as a specialist engineering hub for the British Army's next generation of armoured vehicles.
• Azerbaijan Air Force Flies Into Turkey For Week Long Joint Excercies Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- Azerbaijan's Air Force servicemen arrived in the central Turkish city of Konya for participation in the annual planned exercises, according to local media.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 3/7/2016 The White House 07 Mar 2016
• March 7, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 07 Mar 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 07, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 7 March 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Mar 2016
• Ban calls for more female police in UN peace operations to combat violence against women UN News 07 Mar 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on Member States to contribute more female police, especially French-speaking women, to serve in UN peace operations.
• China expanding land area of another South China Sea islet CNA 07 Mar 2016 -- China is carrying out a landfill project to increase the size of Qilianyu in the Paracel (Xisha) Islands and then build a bridge linking it to the PRC-occupied Woody (Yongxing) Island, a Hong Kong media reported Monday.
• DynCorp mercenaries to replace Blackwater in Yemen Press TV 07 Mar 2016 -- The first batch of mercenaries from the private US military firm DynCorp has arrived in the Yemeni city of Aden to replace paid militants from another American company.
• Germany's Tornado Jets Made Some 150 Flights as Part of Syria Operation Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- Germany's Tornado reconnaissance jets made about 150 flights in Syria as a part of the counter-terrorist operation in the country
• Turkey shelling Syria Kurdish fighters in Aleppo: YPG Press TV 07 Mar 2016 -- A Syrian Kurdish official says Turkey has fired artillery shells at Kurdish fighters in Syria's northern province of Aleppo.
• Iran, Russia urge diplomacy to settle Syria crisis Press TV 07 Mar 2016 -- Senior Iranian and Russian diplomats have once again reaffirmed the importance of settling the five-year-old crisis in Syria through political approaches.
• Biden rules out military solution for Syria Press TV 07 Mar 2016 -- US Vice President Joe Biden has ruled out a military solution to end the years-long conflict in Syria, urging all parties involved to focus on a political settlement.
• Saudi-backed Syria opposition group 'to attend peace talks' Press TV 07 Mar 2016 -- A Saudi-backed Syrian opposition group says it will take part in the upcoming round of UN-brokered peace talks for Syria in Geneva.
• Syria Ceasefire Regime Violated Eight Times in Past 24 Hours Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- During the past 24 hours, the cessation of hostilities in Syria was violated eight times (two times in Hama province, three times in Aleppo, three times in Idlib), according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
• Now 35 Syrian Armed Groups Agree to Ceasefire - Reconciliation Center Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- The total number of illegal armed groups that have declared their commitment to the implementation and adoption of the terms of the cessation of hostilities in Syria reached 35, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
• Russia Sends List of Syrian Settlements Requiring Humanitarian Aid to UN Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- The Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria has prepared a list of conflict-torn settlements requiring humanitarian aid and appealed to the United Nations, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.
• Russian Jets Only Bombing Terrorists' Positions in Syria – Russian MoD Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- Russian bombers are currently only targeting positions held by Daesh and al Nusra Front terrorists, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.
• Russia Delivers 620 Tons of Humanitarian Aid to Syria - Russian MoD Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- The Russian Federation has delivered hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid to several of Syria's most conflict-ravaged provinces, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
• Syria: water restored in Aleppo after a 48-day shutdown, UNICEF reports UN News 07 Mar 2016 -- A facility that provides drinking water to more than two million people in and around the Syrian city of Aleppo has resumed its operations over the weekend, following a 48-day deliberate shutdown, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported.
• Syrian Opposition Ready to Attend Geneva Peace Talks VOA 07 Mar 2016 -- The main Syrian opposition group signaled Monday it intends to take part in renewed U.N.-led peace talks set to begin later this week.
• 25 killed in militant raid in Tunisia Press TV 07 Mar 2016 -- At least 25 people, including four civilians, have been killed in Tunisia in an exchange of gunfire between security personnel and unidentified gunmen near the Libyan border.
• 53 Dead in Extremist Attack Near Tunisia-Libya Border VOA 07 Mar 2016 -- Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi says his country is at war with 'barbarians,' following an attack by suspected militants that left at least 53 people dead near the Libyan border.
• Taliban claims attack on court compound in NW Pakistan Press TV 07 Mar 2016 -- A faction of the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for a recent deadly bombing which killed at least 15 people and injured over two dozen others in the country's troubled northwest.
• Taliban Suicide Bomber Kills 13 in Pakistan VOA 07 Mar 2016 -- A Taliban suicide bomber has blown himself up outside a local court compound in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 13 people and wounding at least 36 more.
• Ukraine: Hard Choices in a Forgotten War VOA 07 Mar 2016 -- Two years into Ukraine's war, many of the people caught in the midst of it see the conflict as frozen and forgotten by the rest of the world. With diplomatic efforts thus far failing, many see either an escalation or the relinquishing of territory as the only alternatives to ending the war.
• Rights Group Calls for AU Court on South Sudan Rights Violations VOA 07 Mar 2016 -- Human Rights Watch is calling for the African Union to establish a court to try the most serious cases of abuses in South Sudan where it says both the army and rebels have committed serious violations.
• Philippine Rebels Warn of Rising Islamic State Influence VOA 07 Mar 2016 -- The leader of the main Muslim rebel group fighting for autonomy in the southern Philippines warns the Islamic State could soon gain the upper hand in establishing a foothold in the region.

News Reports

• IAEA confirms Iran nuclear program non-deviation IRNA 07 Mar 2016 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the non-deviation of Iran's nuclear program of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.
• IAEA Board of Governors meets with focus on Iran IRNA 07 Mar 2016 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors is meeting in Vienna with focus on Iran nuclear issue.
• No sign of diversion of Iran nuclear material: IAEA Press TV 07 Mar 2016 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has once again reaffirmed the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, saying the body has no indications of a diversion of nuclear material toward non-civilian purposes.
• UN atomic energy chief prioritizes verification, monitoring in Iran for 2016 UN News 07 Mar 2016 -- Noting that 2016 will be an important year for nuclear security, the head of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today presented the Agency's plan for the year, which includes verification and monitoring work in Iran among its top priorities.
• EU Accused of Ignoring Human Rights in Turkey VOA 07 Mar 2016 -- The leader of Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party has accused the European Union of ignoring the deteriorating human rights situation in the country in a bid to secure a migrant deal with Ankara.
• Turkey Presses EU At Summit To Curb Migrant Flow RFE/RL 07 Mar 2016 -- Turkey is pressing EU leaders for a number of concessions, including a doubling of funding from the bloc, in exchange for deeper cooperation to curb the flow of migrants to Europe, according to diplomats being quoted as intense negotiations continue in Brussels.
• Turkish Prime Minister Disagrees With EU on Media Freedom, Kurdish Issue Sputnik 07 Mar 2016 -- European Parliament (EP) President Martin Schulz said that Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu disagreed with the European point of view on media issue.
• Turkey Asks EU for Additional $3B to Help Stem Migrant Flow VOA 07 Mar 2016 -- Ankara wants the European Union to double the aid it is is giving to Turkey to deal with the migrant crisis, the European Parliament's president said Monday.
• In Senegal, Presidential Term Limits Spark Hot Debate VOA 07 Mar 2016 -- Senegal's President Macky Sall has come under attack ahead of the constitutional referendum set for March 20. The proposed changes would limit a president to two five-year terms. But Sall has stirred controversy as saying the limit would not apply to his current term, which runs until 2019.
• S.Korea's spy agency to hold emergency meeting over DPRK's cyber terror threats People's Daily 07 Mar 2016 -- South Korea's spy agency will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to go over the preparations of government agencies against potential cyber terror threats from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Yonhap news agency reported Monday.
• S.Korean president urges efforts at additional sanctions on DPRK People's Daily 07 Mar 2016 -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday instructed senior presidential secretaries to make efforts at further sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and closely cooperate to enforce new UN Security Council resolution.
• S.Korea warns of stern retaliation against DPRK provocations People's Daily 07 Mar 2016 -- South Korea's defense ministry on Monday warned of 'stern and merciless' retaliation against any provocations from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) amid the joint annual war games between Seoul and Washington.
• Provokers Will Have to Pay High Price: CPRK Spokesman KCNA 07 Mar 2016 -- A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) released the following statement Monday:
• History of Campaigns in DPRK KCNA 07 Mar 2016 -- The vigorous 70-day campaign now goes on in the DPRK with the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea approaching.
• Spirit of Self-development Prevails in DPRK KCNA 07 Mar 2016 -- The spirit of self-development is fully displayed at every worksites of the DPRK in the 70-day campaign.
• DPRK: Officials Strive to Raise Output of Electricity KCNA 07 Mar 2016 -- All officials of the Ministry of Electric Power Industry in the DPRK have turned out in a work to raise the output of electricity to the maximum.
• DPRK Capable of Burying U.S., Empire of Evils: Rodong Sinmun KCNA 07 Mar 2016 -- The great Paektusan nation is making a dynamic advance to reduce all evils to ashes, awakening our planet which has been under long pressure of injustice with the deafening gun-roar of Songun, says Rodong Sinmun Monday in an article.
• Review of Rodong Sinmun KCNA 07 Mar 2016 -- The following are major news items and articles in Rodong Sinmun Monday:
• China reaffirms its supportive stance for the non-public sector People's Daily 07 Mar 2016 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's remarks on adherence to China's basic economic system indicate that China will not change its stance of providing support to the non-public economy, said a commentary published by People's Daily.
• China's Beijing-Taipei high-speed rail plan unilateral: minister CNA 07 Mar 2016 -- China's proposal to construct a high-speed rail line between Beijing and Taipei as a national project is a unilateral idea that has not been mentioned to Taiwan, Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Jian-yu (陳建宇) said Monday.
• Undersea tunnel across the Taiwan Straits technologically ready: NPC deputy People's Daily 07 Mar 2016 -- Zhang Zhaomin, Director of FTA of Pingtan county in Fujian province and deputy to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), told media in Beijing that the undersea tunnel project of Beijing-Taipei Expressway is technologically ready to proceed. The realization of the project depends on the decision of Taiwan.