Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 10 Mar 2016 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 10 Mar 2016 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook
• Information From Captured ISIL Leader Enables Counter-Chemical Strikes AFPS 10 Mar 2016 -- The U.S.-led coalition battling the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has launched multiple airstrikes against the terrorist group's chemical weapons capabilities, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told reporters today.
• Captured IS Operative Provided US With Chemical Weapons Information VOA 10 Mar 2016 -- U.S. defense officials say a key Islamic State operative captured by American forces last month has been transferred to Iraqi custody, after providing the U.S.-led coalition with valuable information about the militant group's chemical weapons capabilities.
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 10 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.
• Official Says ISIL Contained, Taliban Fracturing in Afghanistan AFPS 10 Mar 2016 -- Fighters affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are contained to one district in Afghanistan and the Taliban is fracturing into separate groups, the deputy chief of staff for communication for NATO's Resolute Support Mission said today.
• Pakistan Arrests 14 Afghan Taliban Insurgents VOA 10 Mar 2016 -- Authorities in Pakistan say security forces have arrested 14 suspected militants linked to the Afghan Taliban in the southwestern city of Quetta.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on Secretary Carter's Approval of Women in Service Review Implementation Plans DoD 10 Mar 2016-- Three months after his historic decision to open all combat positions to women, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter today formally approved the final implementation plans prepared by the military services and U.S. Special Operations Command. This action allows them to carry out their plans to fully integrate women throughout the armed forces.
• DoD Gives Final Go-Ahead to Open All Military Jobs to Women AFPS 10 Mar 2016 -- After "exceptional work," the U.S. military is authorized to begin integrating women across all occupations and specialties "right away," according to a Defense Department statement released today.
• Obama, Seen as Reluctant Warrior, Addresses Limits of US Power VOA 10 Mar 2016 -- With less than a year left in his White House tenure, U.S. President Barack Obama says he has reached an overriding conclusion that the United States can be a force for good in world affairs, but by no means can it or should it try to control every uprising that does not threaten its national security.
• DTRA Program Helps Nations Tackle Biological Threats AFPS 10 Mar 2016 -- As part of the effort to upgrade global biosurveillance capabilities in the wake of recent pandemics, a mainly nuclear nonproliferation program created in the 1990s has evolved to address biological threats around the world.
• Southcom Commander Reports on Visits to Area of Responsibility AFPS 10 Mar 2016 -- In his first 60 days leading U.S. Southern Command, Navy Adm. Kurt W. Tidd has visited various nations in his area of responsibility to discuss stability, security and future cooperation with military leaders and other regional officials, the Southcom commander said today.
• US, Kuwait Armed Forces Bilateral Amphibious Exercise Concludes NNS 10 Mar 2016 -- The Kearsarge Amphibious Readiness Group (KSGARG) participated in Amphibious Landing Exercise 2016 (PHIBLEX-16) Feb. 14 to March 9.
• B-2s conduct deployment to Indo-Asia-Pacific AFNS 10 Mar 2016 -- Three B-2 Spirits deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, to the U.S. Pacific Command area of operations March 8.
• Airmen help Soldiers, South Korea military in joint training AFNS 10 Mar 2016 -- Osan Air Base was tested March 10, when South Korea and U.S. military branches banded together in a multi-service, multi-cultural, chemical detection and decontamination exercise scenario here during Beverly Midnight 16-01.
• USS Porter Conducts First SeaRAM Firing from DDG NNS 10 Mar 2016 -- Sailors of USS Porter (DDG 78), a guided-missile destroyer stationed in Rota, Spain, successfully completed a live-fire test from a SeaRAM missile system March 4.
• Kearsarge Earns Battle 'E' NNS 10 Mar 2016 -- The officers and crew of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) were awarded with the Battle Effectiveness (Battle 'E') award, March 3.
• Combat Logistics Regiment 35 Tours USNS Sacagawea Before Exercise Ssang Yong 16 NNS 10 Mar 2016 -- The commanding officer of Combat Logistics Regiment 35 (CLR-35) toured Military Sealift Command's (MSC) dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) March 8, prior to his organization's upcoming embark in support of exercise Ssang Yong 2016 (SY16).
• Pentagon spy drones flown over US: Report Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- The US Defense Department has deployed drones several times to spy over American soil for non-military missions over the past decade, according to a new report.
• Secretary General: NATO-EU cooperation essential in a challenging world NATO 10 Mar 2016 -- Visiting the European Commission on Thursday (10 March 2016), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the vital importance of the relationship between NATO and the European Union. After meeting Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Mr. Stoltenberg welcomed the organisations' deepening ties, saying, "that is something we need more than ever, because we face a more challenging security environment."
• Sky is the Limit: China to Buy Russian Su-35 With Modernized Radar Systems Sputnik 10 Mar 2016 -- China will buy Russian Su-35 multi-role fighters equipped with modernized radar control system IRBIS-E, the head of the Russia's Ryazan State Instrument-Making Enterprise said Thursday.
• Key Resolve and Foal Eagle 16 Will Only Precipitate U.S. Final Ruin: KCNA Commentary KCNA 10 Mar 2016 -- The world's attention is riveted on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
• DPRK fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles into eastern waters People's Daily 10 Mar 2016 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern waters in an apparent show of force against joint annual war games between Seoul and Washington and new harsher sanctions against Pyongyang, Yonhap news agency reported Thursday.
• North Korea has miniaturized nukes: Kim People's Daily 10 Mar 2016 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country has successfully miniaturized a thermonuclear warhead, as Pyongyang continued to talk up its nuclear strike capabilities on Wednesday amid rising military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
• Pyongyang fires missiles amid Seoul-Washington war games Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- North Korea has fired short-range ballistic missiles into the sea in response to the ongoing war games between the United States and South Korea.
• Japan Condemns North Korea's Alleged Launch of Short-Range Missiles Sputnik 10 Mar 2016 -- Japan's Defense Ministry has condemned the alleged launch of two short-range missiles by North Korea, Japanese media report.
• North Korea Fires Two Ballistic Missiles Off Country's East Coast - Reports Sputnik 10 Mar 2016 -- Following the implementation of harsh new sanctions, North Korea has reportedly launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea for a second time, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
• Iran IRGC supplied with dozens of speed boats IRNA 10 Mar 2016 -- Scores of fast boats developed by Iran's Defense Ministry Marine Industries Organization, have been delivered to the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) naval force.
• Iran to build fast battleships cruising at 80 knots p/h: General Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- A senior Iranian commander says the Islamic Republic plans to start building high-speed battleships that can cruise at 80 knots (approximately 150 kilometers) per hour.
• US intelligence service closely monitors Iran's missile might: Hajizadeh IRNA 10 Mar 2016 -- Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said on Thursday that the US intelligence service is now closely monitoring Iran's missile program.
• Iran says missile test did not violate UN resolution People's Daily 10 Mar 2016 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said here Thursday that the country's recent missile launch does not violate a United Nations resolution.
• Enemies seek to sabotage missile program: IRGC Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- A senior military commander says Iran's enemies are trying to sabotage its missile defense program, stressing that the program will not stop under any circumstances.
• Missile tests no violation of JCPOA, UN Resolution: Iran Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- Iran says its latest launch of ballistic missiles does not violate the nuclear agreement it reached with the P5+1 group of countries and is not in contravention of a United Nations Security Council resolution.
• Iran Declares Missile Tests Comply With Nuclear Deals, UN Resolutions Sputnik 10 Mar 2016 -- Iran has officially notified all parties concerned that its missile tests do not run counter to nuclear agreements or UN resolutions, a military spokesman told Sputnik on Thursday.
• Tehran Insists Ballistic Missile Tests Don't Violate Iran Nuke Deal Sputnik 10 Mar 2016 -- Tehran's recent ballistic missile tests do not violate last summer's landmark nuclear deal reached with international mediators, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari said.
• Iran: Missile Tests Not Violation of Nuclear Deal VOA 10 Mar 2016 -- Iran said Thursday its ballistic missile program and the tests it conducted this week do not violate its commitments under a nuclear agreement reached last year with a group of six world powers.
• Iran Missile Launches Prompt Sanctions Push in US Congress VOA 10 Mar 2016 -- The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told VOA that Iran's missile launches are sparking stronger resolve in Congress to renew and boost U.S. sanctions on Tehran.
• US, Israel getting closer to new military aid deal despite tensions Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- The United States has signaled that it is moving toward a new military assistance deal with Israel, even as ties between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remain tense.
• Final maneuver of North Thunder Exercise include hypotheses showing combat capabilities of various joint forces SPA 10 Mar 2016 -- The maneuver also included a hypothesis of an air campaign, during which the warplanes of the joint forces targeted air defense rocket launchers, early warning radars, communication centers and the runway of the enemy forcese
• Turkey Approves Billions in New Defense Projects Sputnik 10 Mar 2016 -- Amid escalating tensions, the Turkish government has approved nearly $6 billion in defense programs, largely aimed at increasing Ankara's own military production capabilities.
• £175 million military communications investment creates new jobs UK MOD 10 Mar 2016 -- Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has announced a new contract to provide enhanced communications kit to the UK Armed Forces.
• Indonesia - AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) DSCA 10 Mar 2016 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Indonesia for AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), equipment, training, and logistics support. The estimated cost is $95 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on March 9, 2016.
• March 10, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 10 Mar 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 11, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 10 March 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 10 Mar 2016
• UN chief presents Security Council with special measures to curb sexual exploitation UN News 10 Mar 2016 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today presented to the Security Council special measures aimed at ending impunity, helping and supporting victims, and strengthening accountability as part of a more effective collective response to sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations personnel.
• UN Chief Pushes to Curb Peacekeeper Sexual Abuse VOA 10 Mar 2016 -- United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that "decisive and bold action" is required to end sexual abuse and exploitation by U.N. peacekeepers.
• Commentary: Muddling the waters in South China Sea doomed to fail People's Daily 10 Mar 2016 -- People's Daily published a commentary 'Muddling the waters in South China Sea doomed to fail' on March 10. The article reiterates China's position on the South China Sea and criticizes the US' intention to 'militarize' the area, echoing Foreign Minister Wang Yi's remarks during a news conference on March 8.
• China warns Japan over territorial dispute Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- Beijing has accused Tokyo of interfering in disputes over the South China Sea after the Philippines said it would lease five planes from Japan to help patrol the contested waters.
• Syrian army recaptures villages, areas in Aleppo Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- Syrian army soldiers have cleared several villages and areas of Takfiri Daesh terrorists in the northern province of Aleppo, a military source says.
• ISIL top commander 'not dead' after US strike in Syria Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- Despite US defense officials' assessments that Omar al-Shishani, a high-ranking commander of the Takfiri Daesh group in Syria, "likely died" in a US airstrike, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the militant has survived the attack.
• Syrian Monitor: US Strike Did Not Kill Islamic State Commander VOA 10 Mar 2016 -- A group that monitors violence in Syria says an Islamic State militant described as the group's military commander was seriously injured, but not killed, in an airstrike last week.
• Syrian Army Destroys Daesh Tunnel Depot, Restores Security in Aleppo Sputnik 10 Mar 2016 -- Syrian army units active in the northern city of Aleppo found and destroyed a tunnel used by terrorists as an arms depot, Iran's Fars news agency reported on Wednesday.
• UN Medical Team Enters Yalda District of Damascus for 1st Time in 5 Months Sputnik 10 Mar 2016 -- UNRWA has provided health care in the Yalda district of Damascus, Syria for the first time since September 2015.
• Iraqi troops advance against Daesh in Anbar Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- Iraqi forces have liberated an area from the grips of the Daesh terrorist group in the western province of Anbar, evacuating thousands of civilians, a security spokesman says.
• Independent Kurdistan: 'We Expect Russia to Support Our Referendum' Sputnik 10 Mar 2016 -- Member of the Politburo of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) of the Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq, Ali Avni, spoke to Sputnik in an exclusive interview about the Kurds' plans to hold a referendum for the creation of an independent Kurdistan.
• US plans massive air raids in Libya: Report Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- The US is weighing military options, including air raids, in Libya which is engulfed in violence since Muammar Gaddafi was ousted after NATO airstrikes, the New York Times reports.
• South Sudan troops deliberately suffocated 60: Amnesty Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- Amnesty International has accused South Sudanese army troops of committing a war crime by deliberately suffocating dozens of people stuffed into baking hot shipping container last year.
• Obama: Ukraine 'Vulnerable' To Russian 'Military Domination' No Matter What U.S. Does RFE/RL 10 Mar 2016 -- President Barack Obama said in remarks published on March 10 that Ukraine 'is going to be vulnerable to military domination by Russia no matter what' the United States does.

News Reports

• Missile firing prompts UN chief to call on DPR Korea to stop 'destabilising acts' UN News 10 Mar 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "remains gravely concerned" by the situation on the Korean Peninsula following today's missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), his spokesman said.
• DPRK to liquidate all S. Korean assets, nullifies all inter-Korean economic cooperation People's Daily 10 Mar 2016 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) declared a plan on Thursday to liquidate all of South Korean assets in the DPRK, while nullifying all inter-Korean economic cooperation projects in response to Seoul's unilateral sanctions against Pyongyang.
• S.Korea slams DPRK's moves to liquidate assets, nullify inter-Korean projects People's Daily 10 Mar 2016 -- South Korea on Thursday denounced the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for its moves to liquidate South Korean assets and nullify all of inter-Korean economic cooperation projects.
• Following missile launch, Ban calls on Iran not to increase tensions through 'hasty actions' UN News 10 Mar 2016 -- Following yesterday's ballistic missile launch conducted by Iran, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the Government "to act with moderation, caution and the good sense not to increase tensions through any hasty actions."
• Daesh registration forms identify 22k militants: Report Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- A batch of leaked documents from Takfiri Daesh terrorist group shows the militant group has recruited some 22,000 militants from 51 countries.
• Disillusioned Daesh Recruit Leaks 22,000 Jihadist Names to Media Sputnik 10 Mar 2016 -- A memory stick containing tens of thousands of documents, including 22,000 names and contact details of Daesh militants has been handed to western media in what's been described as an unprecedented haul of information on the terrorist group.
• Thousands of Stolen 'IS Files' Could Unmask Terrorists VOA 10 Mar 2016 -- Counter-terrorism experts in Germany and other countries are studying tens of thousands of data files allegedly stolen from the Islamic State group. They are said to contain detailed personal information about terrorist recruits.
• UN: cooperation among judges vital to counter-terrorism efforts, human rights protection UN News 10 Mar 2016 -- Formal cooperation among judges is essential in bringing individuals charged with terrorism-related crimes to justice and ensuring that the rule of law is upheld throughout the process, according to officials at a United Nations event that for the first time brought together Supreme Court justices to discuss how terrorism cases are handled in their respective countries.
• UN meeting told of disaster if Mosul dam collapses Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- A meeting has been held at the United Nations to discuss the possible collapse of Iraq's largest dam, with officials calling for prompt action to prevent a disaster.
• Party nominates Suu Kyi's ex-driver for Myanmar president Press TV 10 Mar 2016 -- The party of Myanmar's democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has nominated her former driver and close friend for president.
• Aung San Suu Kyi's Party Chooses Myanmar's Next President VOA 10 Mar 2016 -- Longtime Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday apologized to her supporters for not becoming the country's next president, who is likely instead to be one of her closest confidantes, an unelected retired bureaucrat.
• Aung San Suu Kyi 'Apologizes' for Not Becoming President VOA 10 Mar 2016 -- Longtime Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has released a letter to her supporters apologizing for not becoming the country's next president.
• India Launches Satellite to Join Indian Regional Navigational System Sputnik 10 Mar 2016 -- India successfully launched into orbit the IRNSS-1F satellite, the sixth one to join the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS), the Indian Space Research Organization said in a statement on Thursday.