Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 22 Mar 2016 [PDF]
• Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 22 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 22 Mar 2016 -- British forces have continued to conduct air operations in the fight against Daesh
• U.S. Opens Small Marine Base In Northern Iraq, Comes Under Fire RFE/RL 22 Mar 2016 -- The United States recently opened a small Marine outpost in northern Iraq and it has already come under fire from the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.
• Dunford: No Compromise on Training for Iraq, Afghanistan AFPS 22 Mar 2016 -- The United States military has not, and will not compromise training or equipping of any troops going into harm's way, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the House Armed Services Committee today.
• US commander apologizes for Afghan hospital bombing Press TV 22 Mar 2016 -- US General John W. Nicholson, the new commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, has apologized for last year's US bombing of a hospital that killed dozens of Afghan civilians.
• US Afghan Commander Apologizes for Errant Strike VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- The new commander of the U.S.-led NATO forces in Afghanistan has apologized to residents of Kunduz for a U.S. airstrike on a hospital that killed 42 people.
• Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on Yemen Airstrike DoD 22 Mar 2016

Defense Policy / Programs

• Flying the RPA mission AFNS 22 Mar 2016 -- The aircraft is ready to fly, the ground control stations are up and running, and the crews have been briefed. Now it's time to fly the remotely piloted aircraft.
• Readout of Deputy Secretary Work's Meeting with Danish Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Thomas Ahrenkiel DoD 22 Mar 2016
• USS Ross Completes 3rd FDNF Patrol NNS 22 Mar 2016 -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, after completing its third forward-deployed patrol in U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations March 21.
• Patrol Squadron Four Begins 'Aloha' Deployment NNS 22 Mar 2016 -- P-3C Orion planes from Patrol Squadron (VP) Four, departed Kaneohe from Marine Corps Base Hawaii for the last time, March 18. The Skinny Dragons of VP-4 began a challenging tri-site deployment to three different areas of responsibility (AORs).
• Go for launch: Airmen forecast weather for space missions AFNS 22 Mar 2016 -- Predicting weather for space missions is tough enough. But when forecasts cover part of Florida's lightning alley, where a rocket blasting off could spur strikes, the demands of the job can skyrocket.
• AF Research Lab seeks to turn waste into energy AFNS 22 Mar 2016 -- It may seem like a scene from "Back to the Future," but the Air Force Research Laboratory is looking to turn fiction into reality with a nearly $7 million waste-to-energy project.
• U.S., Senegal continue fight against illicit trafficking in West African nation USMC News 22 Mar 2016 -- Senegalese soldiers completed a month-long training exercise with U.S. Marines, March 18, at a military training facility in Thies, Senegal.
• Stennis Strike Group to Participate in Foal Eagle NNS 22 Mar 2016 -- The John C. Stennis Strike Group left the Republic of Korea to participate in exercise Foal Eagle with the Republic of Korea armed forces, March 18.
• 30th NCR Wraps Up Foal Eagle 2016 NNS 22 Mar 2016 -- The 30th Naval Construction Regiment completed construction with Republic of Korea navy Seabees for exercise Foal Eagle 2016, March 18.
• US 7th Fleet, Indo-Asia-Pacific Navies Increase Multilateral Cooperation NNS 22 Mar 2016 -- Maritime leaders from U.S. 7th Fleet, Republic of Singapore Navy, Royal Malaysian Navy, Philippine Navy and Indonesian Navy met for a professional exchange of ideas to discuss operational topics aboard U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), March 19-20.
• USS America Returns to Sea NNS 22 Mar 2016 -- USS America (LHA 6) returned to sea March 21 after completing a 10-month post-shakedown availability maintenance period during which the crew and contractors made improvements to the ship's design.
• Intel Marines mold future of Marine Corps USMC News 22 Mar 2016 -- Intelligence Marines from throughout the Marine Corps presented software they created to leaders of the Marine Corps Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance Enterprise accelerator program in Stafford, Virginia, March 4, 2016.
• Project Kalina: Russia's Fifth-Generation Diesel-Electric Submarine Sputnik 22 Mar 2016 -- Russia is set to start construction of its new fifth-generation Kalina-class diesel-electric submarine in the "imminent future," earlier than previously announced, according to Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief Vice-Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov; here is what the new project is all about.
• Major investment boost for next generation Royal Navy ships UK MOD 22 Mar 2016 -- The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has announced a further £472 million for the Royal Navy's Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme.
• Pyongyang's Rockets Ready for Deployment Following 'Final Test-Fire' Sputnik 22 Mar 2016 -- North Korea's short-range missile tests are complete; the country's next step is to make its new multiple rocket system fully operational and ready for combat, Pyongyang's state media reported on Tuesday.
• Japan to permanently deploy missile interceptors amid intensified frequency of DPRK launches People's Daily 22 Mar 2016 -- Japan's Defense Ministry on Tuesday announced that its ground-based missile interception system would be permanently deployed at a location in Tokyo following the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's increasingly frequent launches of ballistic missiles.
• Japan to Continue Efforts to Deter North Korean Missile Threat Sputnik 22 Mar 2016 -- Japan will further promore its efforts to constrain possible nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
• Widodo Orders Probe of Deadly Chopper Crash VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday called for a full investigation of a deadly helicopter crash that occurred during counterterror operations along the northeastern coast of Central Sulawesi province.
• US Providing Ukraine 'Most Effective' Hybrid, Conventional Warfare Training Sputnik 22 Mar 2016 -- Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter explained that the United States is providing to Ukraine training "both against what you might call symmetrical, or traditional kinds of combat operations, and also helping them with this unique brand... of hybrid warfare."
• March 22, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 22, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 22 March 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 22 Mar 2016
• Taiwan details South China Sea policy CNA 22 Mar 2016 -- Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a position paper to lay out the Republic of China's policy on the South China Sea Tuesday, one day before representatives of foreign media will have an opportunity to visit a Taiwan-controlled island in the disputed region.
• Indonesian vessel fires 12 bullets into Taiwanese fishing boat CNA 22 Mar 2016 -- An Indonesian government vessel that fired upon a Taiwanese fishing boat Monday left the boat with 12 bullet holes, with two bullets passing through the cabin, the Liuchiu Fishermen's Association said Tuesday.
• Taiwan demands evidence from Indonesia in shooting incident CNA 22 Mar 2016 -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Tuesday demanded that Indonesia provide evidence to support its claims that two Taiwanese fishing boats were poaching in its territorial waters and attempted to ram an Indonesian patrol vessel before they were fired upon on Monday.
• China voices concern over US militarization of disputed waters Press TV 22 Mar 2016 -- China has voiced concern over agreements such as the recent one between the US and the Philippines, which allow Washington to beef up its military presence in the disputed South China Sea.
• Commentary: It's not wise for Japan to seek international arbitration over the East China Sea dispute People's Daily 22 Mar 2016 -- Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party, recently renewed tensions over the East China Sea issue by urging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government to consider seeking international arbitration, mirroring similar action by the Philippines. This move, however, would not be wise.
• 'Terrible year' in war-torn Yemen leaves majority of country's people in need of aid - UN UN News 22 Mar 2016 -- One year on into the conflict in Yemen, tens of thousands of Yemenis have been killed or injured, one in 10 are displaced and nearly the entire population is in urgent need of aid, the top United Nations humanitarian official in the country said.
• Iranians Fuel Property Frenzy in Syria VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- The Iranian government is encouraging prominent Tehran developers to buy property in well-off Shi'ite majority neighborhoods in Syria's capital, analysts and construction industry sources in Tehran said.
• Syrian Opposition's HNC Says Over 25 Areas in Country Under Siege Sputnik 22 Mar 2016 -- Asaad Zoubi, the head of the Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee's delegation to the Geneva peace talks said that there are more than 25 areas under siege.
• Arab Media Blast Iraqi Plan for Wall Around Shi'ite Town VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- Iraq's Shi'ite-dominated government and officials in the Shi'ite holy city of Karbala are building a wall to defend their city from nearby Sunni-dominated Anbar province. In recent months, Iraq's Sunni leaders have decried a similar government project to build a wall around the capital, Baghdad.
• Over 20 PKK Members Killed in Southeastern Turkey Within 24 Hours Sputnik 22 Mar 2016 -- Eight members of the separatist organization the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in Sirnak, three in Nusaybin and 12 in Yuksekova, according to the Turkish general staff.
• Ukraine: UN experts urge accountability for human rights violations by foreign fighters UN News 22 Mar 2016 -- Today in Geneva, the United Nations Working Group on mercenaries called on the Government of Ukraine to ensure accountability for human rights violations committed by foreign armed actors during the conflict that has plagued the country since 2014.
• Russian Court Sentences Ukrainian Pilot to 22 Years in Prison VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- A Russian court Tuesday found captured Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko guilty of complicity in the murder of two Russian journalists covering the war in eastern Ukraine and sentenced her to 22 years in a Russian prison.
• South Sudan to Stop Paying Hotel Bills for Rebel Advance Team VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- South Sudan's government said at the end of this week it will stop paying the hotel bills of about 600 rebel advance team members who have been living in Juba since last December to work out the modalities for the implementation of last year's August peace agreement. The advance team has also been preparing for the coming to Juba of rebel leader Riek Machar.
• Netanyahu Cautions US Against UN Resolution on Mideast Conflict VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday cautioned the United States against using a U.N. Security Council resolution to try to advance the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
• ICC Convicts Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo of War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2016
• UN welcomes ICC's first conviction for rape as war crime UN News 22 Mar 2016 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the judgement issued by the International Criminal Court in the case of former Congolese vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba.

News Reports

• Belgian Police Launch Searches After Deadly Attacks In Brussels RFE/RL 22 Mar 2016 -- Belgian officials have increased security and launched searches around the country after powerful bomb blasts at the main airport and a subway station in Brussels killed at least 34 people in attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.
• Readout of the President's Call with Prime Minister Charles Michel of Belgium The White House 22 Mar 2016
• The United States Condemns the Terrorist Attacks in Brussels, Belgium US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2016
• Secretary Kerry's Call With Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders US Dept. of State 22 Mar 2016
• Europe ramps up security in wake of Brussels attacks People's Daily 22 Mar 2016 -- European governments moved swiftly to beef up security in the wake of the attacks in Brussels which officials say killed many people and injured hundreds.
• Brussels Under Lockdown After Deadly Attacks RFE/RL 22 Mar 2016 -- Powerful bomb blasts struck the main airport and the subway system in Brussels on March 22, killing at least 34 people in attacks claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.
• UN strongly condemns terrorist bombings in Brussels, calling it 'an attack on us all' UN News 22 Mar 2016 -- Senior United Nations officials have strongly condemned today's terrorist bombings in Brussels, extending condolences to the victims and their families while expressing solidarity with the people and Government of Belgium.
• Belgian Police Hunt for Brussels Attack Suspect VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- Belgian police issued a wanted notice for a suspect in the Brussels airport bombing, one of three explosions claimed by Islamic State that rocked the capital Tuesday, killing at least 30 people.
• World Leaders Strongly Condemn Brussels Attacks VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- The deadly explosions in Brussels Tuesday have drawn strong condemnation from leaders around the world.
• Terror Attacks Raise Alarm About Belgian Security Agencies VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- Belgium's capital will remain on virtual lockdown for days while the country's hard-pressed security services try to determine who was behind Tuesday's bomb attacks - whether the perpetrators and planners were surviving members of the large network behind last November's terrorist strike in Paris or the work of a new group that authorities have failed to identify.
• Obama to Cuba: I'm here to 'bury' Cold War rivalry Press TV 22 Mar 2016 -- US President Barack Obama has told Cubans in an unprecedented live television address that he came to their country to open a new chapter in the relations between Washington and Havana.
• US, Cuba Continue to Have Deep Differences on Human Rights – Obama Sputnik 22 Mar 2016 -- US President Barack Obama stated that United States and Cuba continue to have serious disagreements on the issue of human rights amid the Cuban normalization process.
• Obama to Cubans: 'It's Time to Leave the Past Behind' VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- Appealing directly to the Cuban people in Havana, President Barack Obama says it is time for the U.S. and Cuba to move beyond their Cold War differences and begin a new journey toward a future that will benefit both nations.
• Remarks by President Obama to the People of Cuba The White House 22 Mar 2016
• Computer Hacking Conspiracy Charges Unsealed Against Members of Syrian Electronic Army US Dept. of Justice 22 Mar 2016 -- Three Syrian nationals, all current or former members of the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA), were charged with multiple conspiracies related to computer hacking, according to two criminal complaints unsealed today in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia.
• US Indicts 'Syrian Electronic Army' for Computer Hacking VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- The U.S. Justice Department has indicted three members of the so-called "Syrian Electronic Army," a group it says was dedicated to compromising the computer systems of the U.S. government, international groups and media organizations it regarded as being antagonistic towards the Syrian regime.
• IS Forcing Children to Be Killers, Suicide Bombers VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- Islamic State (IS) extremists are training Iraqi and Syrian children as young as eight years old to carry out suicide attacks and fight to kill, Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga commanders tell VOA.
• British Spy Agency GCHQ Moves Fast to Prevent Mass Energy Hack Attack Sputnik 22 Mar 2016 -- The UK intelligence agency GCHQ has stepped in to prevent a massive hack attack on Britain's energy networks after discovering so-called "smart meters" - designed to replace 53 million gas and electricity meters can be easily hacked.
• Senior UN official warns Burundi's tensions could fuel violence throughout Great Lakes region UN News 22 Mar 2016 -- A climate for inclusive dialogue is urgently required to eradicate the polarization and fragmentation of Burundian society, resulting from the increasing poverty and ongoing political crisis, a senior United Nations human rights official today urged.
• Flare-up of Ebola epidemic kills five in Guinea: Health officials Press TV 22 Mar 2016 -- A flare-up of Ebola epidemic in Guinea has killed at least five people since December last year when the West African country was declared free of Ebola virus transmission.
• Liberia Closes Border With Guinea After Ebola Flare-up VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- Liberian officials ordered the border with neighboring Guinea closed Tuesday amid concerns of a new outbreak of the Ebola virus.
• Four North Korea cargo ships removed from UN blacklist Press TV 22 Mar 2016 -- The United Nations has reportedly lifted sanctions on four container ships previously blacklisted for links to illegal arms trade by Pyongyang.
• Japan ships weapons-grade plutonium to U.S., Three Non-Nuclear Principles in focus People's Daily 22 Mar 2016 -- A ship carrying 331 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium left a port in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Tuesday en route to the United States.
• Aung San Suu Kyi Nominated to Join Myanmar Cabinet VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been nominated to become a member of President-elect Htin Kyaw's cabinet.
• Xi urges implementation of new development concepts People's Daily 22 Mar 2016 -- President Xi Jinping has called for supporting measures to implement China's new innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development model, as outlined in the Five-Year Plan.
• 8 key figures in China's 13th Five-Year Plan People's Daily 22 Mar 2016
• UN Agencies: EU-Turkey Deal Does Not Safeguard Refugee Rights VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- U.N. humanitarian agencies are expressing concern a recent European Union-Turkey agreement does not safeguard the rights of the thousands of Syrians, Iraqis and other people fleeing to Greece in search of a save haven from conflict and persecution.
• UN refugee agency redefines role in Greece as EU-Turkey deal comes into effect UN News 22 Mar 2016 -- The United Nations refugee agency has announced that it is "not a party" to the new provisions agreed between the European Union (EU) and Turkey to stem the large-scale flow of refugees and migrants into Greece and Europe, and that it will align its work to cope with the deal.
• Kazakh Ruling Party Wins Most Seats In Parliament RFE/RL 22 Mar 2016 -- Kazakhstan's election authorities say President Nursultan Nazarbaev's Nur Otan party will receive 84 seats in the lower house of parliament following elections on March 20.
• Ukraine's Economy Plummeted By Nearly 10 Percent In 2015 RFE/RL 22 Mar 2016 -- Ukraine's battered economy shrank by 9.9 percent in 2015 due to implosions in the financial sector and consumer demand, the state statistics service reported on March 21.
• Pakistan, Afghanistan Look to Boost Trade and Security VOA 22 Mar 2016 -- With several recent high-level visits to Islamabad from global trading partners, including nearby Iran, Pakistani officials are indicating they want to increase business with Afghanistan.