Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 15 Mar 2016 [PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook in the Pentagon Press Briefing Room DoD 15 Mar 2016 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook
• Counter-ISIL Strikes Continue in Syria, Iraq AFPS 15 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.
• Pentagon Says Top IS Commander Died From Air Strike Injuries RFE/RL 15 Mar 2016 -- Top Islamic State commander (IS) Umar al-Shishani, also known as 'Omar the Chechen,' died from injuries he received from a U.S. air strike, Pentagon officials confirmed on March 14.
• US: IS Commander 'Omar the Chechen' Has Died VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- The United States says that a top Islamic State commander known as Omar the Chechen has died from injuries he suffered a week ago when an American airstrike targeted him in Syria.
• Daesh commander alive with no injuries, report says Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- News of the death of a senior commander of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group in a US airstrike in Syria is rejected, a report says.
• 'Survival will be an achievement' for new Afghan Government, says UN envoy UN News 15 Mar 2016 -- The new Afghan Government, formed through a power-sharing agreement, must manage its difficult transition in 2016 by overcoming political, economic and security challenges, the top United Nations official in that country told the Security Council today, as the 15-nation body extended the UN mission there for another year.
• Afghan Leader Claims Successes Against Taliban, IS VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says his security forces' improved capabilities have enabled them to disperse Islamic State (IS) loyalists and deter the Taliban from threatening security, particularly in northern Afghanistan in the spring fighting season.
• Daesh militants fleeing Afghanistan province, says Ghani Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani says Daesh Takfiri militants are fleeing the areas under their control in the eastern Nangarhar Province following a massive military operation.
• Secretary General in Kabul stresses NATO commitment to Afghanistan, encourages further reforms NATO 15 Mar 2016 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reaffirmed the Alliance's strong and enduring commitment to Afghanistan in talks with Afghan President Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Dr. Abdullah Abdullah in Kabul on Tuesday (15 March 2016).
• Top US general proposes resuming strikes against Taliban Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- A senior American general has recommended the White House resume offensive airstrikes against the Taliban in Afghanistan, according to a report.
• Daesh killed over 600 Afghans in six months: Defense Ministry Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- Afghanistan says more than 600 civilians have been killed over the past six months at the hands of Daesh terrorists, who are trying to strengthen their foothold in the militancy-riddled country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Piecing the puzzle together, RPAs provide crucial combat air patrol capabilities AFNS 15 Mar 2016 -- Remotely piloted aircraft don't fly themselves as autonomous super machines. They also don't require only a single pilot and sensor operator to function.
• Sequestration Poses Biggest Threat to Readiness, Military Leaders Say AFPS 15 Mar 2016 -- The biggest challenge to the military's readiness is sequestration, military leaders said on Capitol Hill today.
• Transportation Command Chief Expresses Concern About Trends AFPS 15 Mar 2016 -- U.S. Transportation Command is serving on all seven continents and can respond when called upon, Transcom's commander told Congress today, but he noted some trends he said are causing him concern.
• Navy Submarines Arrive in Arctic for ICEX 2016 NNS 15 Mar 2016 -- Two Los Angeles-class submarines arrived at U.S. Navy Ice Camp Sargo, a temporary station on top of a floating ice sheet in the Arctic, March 14, as part of Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2016.
• USS Antietam, USS Mustin Named 'Battle E' Recipients of 2015 NNS 15 Mar 2016 -- USS Antietam (CG 54) and USS Mustin (DDG 89) were named as some of the recipients of the Battle Effectiveness (Battle 'E') Award for 2015.
• Leaders Attend Nuclear Deterrent Symposium NNS 15 Mar 2016 -- The 10th biannual Nuclear Deterrent Symposium was held at the Silverdale Beach Hotel Ballroom March 11, to discuss the future of U.S. strategic forces.
• Kentucky Departs for First Strategic Mission Since 2011 NNS 15 Mar 2016 -- Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Kentucky (SSBN 737) departed Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor March 13, for the boat's first strategic deterrent mission since 2011.
• U.S. works with Senegalese military, adds demining capability for West African nation USMC News 15 Mar 2016 -- U.S. Marines are in their fifth week working alongside Senegalese armed forces partners, mentoring and advising a demining course for the West African nation.
• NAS Whiting Field Reopens NOLF Summerdale NNS 15 Mar 2016 -- With a quick snip of the oversized, ceremonial scissors and a fluttering of red, white, and blue ribbon, Naval Air Station Whiting Field's Navy Outlying Landing Field Summerdale was officially reopened for business March 14.
• NATO AWACS increases Assurance Measures to Turkey NATO/SHAPE 15 Mar 2016 -- NATO Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) has been deployed to one of its Forward Operating Bases (FOB) at Konya, Turkey to enhance the recognised Air and Maritime picture as part of the Alliance's tailored assurance measures to its southern Ally.
• Maritime Commander visits NATO ships in Aegean Sea NATO 15 Mar 2016 -- Commander, Allied Maritime Command (COM MARCOM), Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone visited FGS BONN, the flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) on March 10 as the ship continued its activities in the Aegean Sea.
• Can't Touch This! Russian Armata Tanks to Get New Active Protection System Sputnik 15 Mar 2016 -- Russian armored units based on the Armata Universal Combat Platform will get new upgraded active protection systems by the end of the year.
• North Korea's Nuclear Warhead Test Coming Soon People's Daily 15 Mar 2016 -- North Korean top leader Kim Jong Un has said his country will conduct a nuclear warhead explosion test and a test-fire of ballistic rockets able to carry nuclear warheads 'in a short time.'
• North Korea leader orders nuclear warhead test, missile launches Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly ordered the country's military to prepare to conduct a nuclear warhead explosion test and multiple ballistic missile launches "in a short time."
• North Korea Announces Creation of Nuclear Warheads' Heatproof Casing Sputnik 15 Mar 2016 -- After successfully ground test of the heat resistant casing for the nuclear warheads, North Korea has more chances to launch its ballistic missiles into the atmosphere again, the national Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported Tuesday.
• North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Announces Nuclear Warhead Test Imminent Sputnik 15 Mar 2016 -- Latest hostile measure comes after weeks of growing tensions between North Korea and the US-South Korea following Pyongyang's recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests.
• North Korea Warns of Long Range Nuclear Missile Test Soon VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Tuesday says his country will conduct tests of nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles 'in a short time,' continuing a pattern of loud defiance of the international community.
• India Signs $5.5Bln-Worth of Military Procurement Deals in Six Months Sputnik 15 Mar 2016 -- Indian defense ministry signed 28 contracts - 18 with Indian companies and 10 with firms from Russia, the United States, Sweden and Israel - totaling to approximately $5.5 billion, according to official statement.
• Second commissioned C28A corvette made by China enters Algerian Navy People's Daily 15 Mar 2016 -- The second C28A corvette made by China's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Group, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, officially began use in the Algerian Navy on March 10.
• March 15, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 15 Mar 2016
• Remarks With Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze US Dept. of State 15 Mar 2016 -- Remarks by John Kerry, Secretary of State
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 3/15/16 The White House 15 Mar 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 15, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 15 March 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Mar 2016
• What Is Genocide? VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday passed a bipartisan resolution declaring that systemic violence committed by the Islamic State group against Christians, Yazidis, Kurds and other ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria constitutes genocide.
• 107 killed in Saudi raid in Yemen's Hajjah Province Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- Saudi warplanes have pounded a crowded marketplace in the town of Mostaba in Yemen's Hajjah Province, leaving about 107 people dead.
• Syria withdrawal: Which of Russia's forces are being pulled out? Russia Beyond the Headlines 15 Mar 2016 -- Russia is withdrawing more than half of its fighters and bombers from Syria, while leaving its missile defense systems and naval fleet in the Mediterranean. Despite the pullout, the Russian armed forces will continue to strike positions Moscow says are held by ISIS militants.
• What Motivated Moscow's Announced Syria Withdrawal? VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- In announcing a partial draw down of Russian forces from Syria this week, President Vladimir Putin insisted that Russia's nearly 6-month military campaign had largely achieved its goals.
• Syria: opposition raises issue of detainees, aid access as UN-mediated talks continue UN News 15 Mar 2016 -- On a day that began with a minute of silence in honour of those that have lost their lives during the five-year conflict in Syria, the United Nations envoy mediating peace talks among the Syrian parties gave a progress report, saying that opposition representatives raised the issue of detainees today, as well as humanitarian aid to Daraya and other sites of heavy fighting.
• Putin orders withdrawal of Russian air forces deployed in Syria People's Daily 15 Mar 2016 -- The Russian air forces deployed in Syria would start withdrawal from March 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday.
• Syria victorious in mini-world war: Iran official Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- The Syrian people have so far been triumphant in the "mini-world war" waged by foreign parties in their country, a senior adviser to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, says.
• Syria forces backed by Russian airstrikes advance toward Palmyra Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- Syrian forces backed by Russian airstrikes have made major gains to the west of the central city of Palmyra, which is held by the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, a report says.
• Russia military withdrawal from Syria positive sign: Zarif Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has hailed as a "positive sign" Russia's decision to begin withdrawing its troops from conflict-stricken Syria, where a ceasefire extends into a third week.
• Syria denies Russia troops withdrawal linked to disagreement Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- Damascus has denied that Russia's announcement to withdraw its military forces from the Arab country "reflects a Syrian-Russian difference."
• Russia Says Forces Have Begun Drawdown In Syria RFE/RL 15 Mar 2016 -- Russian has begun the withdrawal of military assets from Syria following an order by President Vladimir Putin, according to statements by the Russian Defense Ministry.
• Kurds Notify Russian, US Centers of Turkey Violating Ceasefire in Syria Sputnik 15 Mar 2016 -- People's Protection Units (YPG) officials sent the ceasefire coordination centers a notice that Turkey violated ceasefire in Syria by shelling of YPG positions.
• Syrian Ceasefire Turns Violent Rebels Against Each Other Sputnik 15 Mar 2016 -- The largely observed ceasefire in Syria has apparently forced some rebel groups which were fighting together against the government troops to use their violence against each other. When Division 13 of the Free Syrian Army and the al-Nusra Front clashed, the jihadists had to escape from a town in Idlib Province.
• Russian Campaign in Syria Disrupts Terrorists' Expansion Plans Sputnik 15 Mar 2016 -- Russia's air campaign in Syria prevented terrorist plans to expand into Russia and other countries, as well as undermined their administrative system and economic potential, Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said Tuesday.
• Syrian Army Recaptures Part of Highway East of Deir Ez-Zor From Daesh Sputnik 15 Mar 2016 -- The Syrian army has regained a section of an Eastern Syrian highway from the Daesh terrorist group, a local source told Sputnik on Tuesday.
• Russia to Keep All Equipment in Syria to Defend Facilities, Including S-400 Sputnik 15 Mar 2016 -- Russia will keep doing everything necessary to protect its bases in Syria both from the air and from the ground, Kremlin Administration head Sergei Ivanov said Tuesday.
• Russian Su-24, Su-25, Su-34 Warplanes Leaving Hmeymim Airbase in Syria Sputnik 15 Mar 2016 -- Russian Su-24 attack aircraft, Su-25 close air support jets and Su-34 fighter-bombers are being withdrawn from the Hmeymim airbase in Latakia, according to media reports.
• With Syrian peace talks underway, UN urges support for negotiations and impacted Syrians UN News 15 Mar 2016 -- Marking the fifth anniversary of the Syrian conflict, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed to the stakeholders and the Security Council to fulfil their responsibilities and to help make the United Nations-mediated peace talks a success.
• First Russian Warplanes Arrive Home as Syrian Withdrawal Starts VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- The first wave of Russian warplanes arrived home Tuesday from Syria, following President Vladimir Putin's surprise announcement to withdraw most of his forces from the Middle Eastern country after a five-and-a-half-month operation.
• Russia begins shipping out Syria equipment: Defense Ministry Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- Russia's Defense Ministry says the country has started shipping its military equipment and materials out of Syria.
• Putin's Pullout: Behind Russia's New Syria Surprise RFE/RL 15 Mar 2016 -- Vladimir Putin surprised his country and the world on March 14 by ordering the start of a partial withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria, less than six months after the beginning of an air campaign that followed a swift and secretive buildup on the ground. What are the motives and messages behind the announcement?
• Russian Aerospace Forces to Be Withdrawn From Syria According to Schedule Sputnik 15 Mar 2016 -- Russian Aerospace Forces Commander Col.-Gen. Viktor Bondarev said that the return of main part of the aviation group from Syria will be fulfilled according to the schedule.
• Peshmerga forces repel Daesh attack in west Kirkuk Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in Iraq have thwarted an attack by Daesh terrorists on their position in the west of Kirkuk Province.
• Security Council extends mandate of UN mission in Libya for three months UN News 15 Mar 2016 -- The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until 15 June, recognizing the need for a short extension so it can continue working with the country to establish the Government of National Accord.
• Suspected Daesh militants attack plant near key Libya oil field Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- Suspected Daesh terrorists have attacked a plant near a major oil field in eastern Libya but have been pushed back by security forces, witnesses say.
• Turkey Kurds full of feelings of vengeance: PKK leader Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- A top militant from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has warned the Turkish government to expect payback for the ongoing military offensive in the southeastern Kurdish-majority regions.
• UN agency welcomes Malawi's decision to reopen former camp for Mozambique refugees UN News 15 Mar 2016 -- The United Nations refugee agency today welcomed a decision by the Malawian Government to reopen a former refugee camp to help cope with the rising numbers of people fleeing internal fighting in Mozambique.
• Advocacy Groups: Sanctions, Arms Embargo, Tribunal Needed for S. Sudan VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- War crimes, including killings, systematic rape, and forced disappearances remain daily occurrences in South Sudan, as highlighted in reports this month from the United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Some advocacy groups say sanctions and other targeted measures could make an impact where a peace deal has failed.

News Reports

• U Htin Kyaw of ruling party elected as president of Myanmar People's Daily 15 Mar 2016 -- U Htin Kyaw from Myanmar's ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), led by Aung San Suu Kyi, won the presidential election Tuesday through a secret ballot, thus becoming the country's new president for the next five-year term.
• Myanmar's Next President Propelled from Obscurity VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- Myanmar's parliament has voted to elect Htin Kyaw as the country's next president.
• Who Is Htin Kyaw, Myanmar's Newly Elected President? VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- Myanmar's parliament voted Tuesday to elect Htin Kyaw as the country's next president.
• Intelligence minister: Full security prevailing in Iran IRNA 15 Mar 2016 -- Intelligence Minister Seyyed Mahmoud Alavi underlined that Iran is enjoying a sustainable security situation as compared with other regional countries.
• Iran missile tests don't violate nuclear agreement, EU says Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says Iran's recent ballistic missile tests do not violate its nuclear deal with the world powers.
• Iran Insists Missile Launches Legal After US Urges International Response VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday his country's missile tests last week did not violate the nuclear agreement Iran signed with a group of world powers last year.
• Iran's UN mission: Raising missile tests at UNSC contradicts JCPOA IRNA 15 Mar 2016 -- Iran's permanent representative at the United Nations in a statement said that raising of the issue of Islamic Republic's missile test in UNSC is contrary to the prevailing positive environment, and detrimental to the good-faith of the JCPOA.
• U.S., Russia Clash Over Iran Missile Tests At United Nations RFE/RL 15 Mar 2016 -- The United States and Russia clashed at a United Nations Security Council meeting on March 14 over whether Iran's test-firing of ballistic missiles last week violated a UN resolution.
• Oil Prices Plummet On Fear Iran Will Torpedo Output Freeze Plan RFE/RL 15 Mar 2016 -- Oil prices plummeted amid worries that the push for an output freeze by Russia and top OPEC producers could founder on opposition from Iran.
• S.Korea warns unbearable retaliation against DPRK's nuclear threats People's Daily 15 Mar 2016 -- South Korea's foreign ministry on Tuesday warned of unbearable retaliations against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear threats.
• S.Korean president urges DPRK to come to path for change People's Daily 15 Mar 2016 -- South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to come to a path for change amid escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula.
• AQIM Expanding Reach in West Africa VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- The deadly terror attack in Ivory Coast Sunday was the latest in a recent string of high-profile attacks in previously untouched parts of West Africa. The attacks have all been claimed by the same group, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, which not only appears to be bouncing back after the 2013 regional military intervention in Mali but also shifting strategy.
• Cash-strapped Saudis launch austerity drive Press TV 15 Mar 2016 -- Saudi Arabia's cash strapped government has launched fresh austerity measures and ordered ministries to cut contract spending by at least five percent.
• China's Top Political Advisory Body Highlights Party Leadership for 2020 Goal People's Daily 15 Mar 2016 -- Chinese top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng underscored the Communist Party of China (CPC) leadership on Monday as the country 'enters the home stretch' for its 2020 goal.
• Marina Litvinenko: People Behind My Husband's Killing Will Be Exposed 'One Day' RFE/RL 15 Mar 2016 -- The widow of former Russian security agent Aleksandr Litvinenko says that the identities of those responsible for her husband's 2006 poisoning death will eventually be revealed.
• Widow of Russian Ex-spy Calls His Poisoning 'State-sponsored Crime' VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- The widow of Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian intelligence officer who was poisoned in London in 2006, says a recent British public inquiry shows that the Russian state was behind his slaying, and that his probes into alleged Kremlin ties to organized crime may have played an important role in the decision to kill him.
• US House Passes Bill Backing Taiwan's Participation in Interpol VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Monday in support of Taiwan's participation in the International Criminal Police Organization, or Interpol.
• Khmer Rouge Leader to Be Investigated as Case Progresses VOA 15 Mar 2016 -- Another suspect appearing before the Khmer Rouge tribunal will be investigated, the U.N.-backed court said Tuesday.
• Top U.S. Official: Ukraine Reforms Endangered By Oligarchs Fighting Back RFE/RL 15 Mar 2016 -- A top U.S. administration official has taken pointed aim at the wealthiest Ukrainian tycoons, known as oligarchs, accusing them of undermining the country's anticorruption reform efforts.