Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 11 Apr 2016 [PDF]
• Counter-ISIL Strikes Hit Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 11 Apr 2016 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Battling Daesh: US Aims to Increase Fivefold Number of Troops in Syria Sputnik 11 Apr 2016 -- The Pentagon has come up with an initiative of increasing fivefold the number of American troops in Syria in attempt to combat Daesh ("ISIL" or "the Islamic State"), in the cities of Ar Raqqah and Mosul, according to media reports.
• Bombing attack in eastern Afghanistan kills 12, injures dozens Press TV 11 Apr 2016 -- At least 12 people have lost their lives and dozens sustained injuries in a bombing attack in eastern Afghanistan, officials say.

Defense Policy / Programs

• CIA Director: No Waterboarding, Even if Ordered VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- U.S. CIA Director John Brennan says his agency would not use waterboarding against a detainee, even if a future president ordered such interrogation techniques.
• Media Availability with Secretary Carter in Goa, India DoD 11 Apr 2016 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• Remarks by Secretary Carter at a Troop Event in Goa, India DoD 11 Apr 2016 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• Carter: U.S., India Destined to Be Strategic Partners AFPS 11 Apr 2016 -- Because of their strong ties and many commonalities between their interests and their people, the United States and India are "destined to be strategic partners in this century," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in Goa, India, yesterday.
• F-22s Deploy to Europe EUCOM 11 Apr 2016 -- The U.S. Air Force has deployed F-22 Raptors, Airmen and associated equipment to Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, April 11, to conduct air training with other Europe-based aircraft.
• USSTRATCOM, UAE sign agreement to share space services, data STRATCOM 11 Apr 2016 -- U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) entered into an agreement with the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) to share space situational awareness (SSA) services and information today at the 32nd Space Symposium.
• Air Force approves RPA initiatives AFNS 11 Apr 2016 -- The Air Force recently approved two initiatives for the remotely piloted aircraft career field. First, eight RPA reconnaissance squadrons will be redesignated as attack squadrons. Second, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III authorized RPA aircrews to log combat time when flying an aircraft within designated hostile airspace, regardless of the aircrew's physical location.
• Airmen help South Korea, US Soldiers enhance search, recovery techniques AFNS 11 Apr 2016 -- Firefighters from the 51st Civil Engineer Squadron assisted Joint Security Area service members with rescue tools and safety precautions during a joint exercise April 8 at Camp Bonifas.
• Secretary Mabus Names Next Destroyer Carl M. Levin DoD 11 Apr 2016 -- Today, during a ceremony in Detroit, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that the next Arleigh Burke class destroyer, DDG 120, will be named Carl M. Levin in honor of the longest serving senator in Michigan history.
• Ships Depart for Underway Portion of IMCMEX NNS 11 Apr 2016 -- Coalition ships sailed to begin the underway portion of the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise, April 10.
• Mississippi Visits Yokosuka during Western Pacific Deployment NNS 11 Apr 2016 -- Virginia-class attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN 782) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, April 11, for a routine visit as part of its maiden deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific.
• USS Emory S. Land Returns to Guam, New Homeport NNS 11 Apr 2016 -- The submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) returned to its homeport in Guam, April 11, following a six-month deployment.
• Mason Participates in Multiship Live-Fire Exercises NNS 11 Apr 2016 -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Mason, assigned to Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, participated in a multiship warning shot/disabling fire exercise during a composite training unit exercise in the Atlantic Ocean, April 4.
• Kearsarge Hosts Head of Tunisian Coastal Surveillance NNS 11 Apr 2016 -- Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group flagship USS Kearsarge hosted senior leaders of the Tunisian navy while at sea, April 10.
• VP-9 Golden Eagles Return from Overseas Deployment NNS 11 Apr 2016 -- Following a seven-month deployment, the last P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, belonging to the "Golden Eagles" of Patrol Squadron 9, touched down, April 4, and Sailors were joyfully reunited with friends and family at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
• MND declines comment on U.S. naval officer's espionage charge CNA 11 Apr 2016 -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) declined to comment Monday on a report that a Taiwanese-American naval flight officer has been accused of passing secrets to foreign countries.
• US Naval cmdr. charged over 'espionage for China, Taiwan' Press TV 11 Apr 2016 -- A US Navy flight commander has been nabbed, facing charges of espionage for China and Taiwan.
• US Navy Officer Faces Spy and Prostitution Charges VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- A U.S. Navy officer who is a naturalized citizen from Taiwan is facing espionage and other charges for allegedly passing state secrets, possibly to China and Taiwan.
• Russian Navy Set to Receive 6 Advanced Patrol Ships by 2019 Sputnik 11 Apr 2016 -- The Russian Navy will receive six advanced Project 22160 patrol ships equipped with an integrated bridge system by 2019, the Kronstadt Technologies company's military-technical head said Monday.
• Iran to hold 4 massive drills ISNA 11 Apr 2016 -- Commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces Brigadier General Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan said that the country plans to stage 4 massive drills in the current Iranian calendar year, which started on March 21, 2016.
• First phase of S-300 deal passes executive path, says Iran ISNA 11 Apr 2016 -- Iran said that S-300 missile system would be delivered to Iran soon.
• 'First phase' of S-300 delivery completed Press TV 11 Apr 2016 -- Iran says Tehran and Moscow have begun implementing a contract on Russia's delivery of S-300 missile defense systems to the Islamic Republic.
• Russia Begins Delivery of Surface-to-air Missiles to Iran VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- In a deal that would have been barred prior to last year's nuclear agreement, Russia has begun delivering advanced surface-to-air missiles to Iran, according to state media reports.
• Norway Chief of Defense Warns Armed Forces Ill-Prepared for Attack Sputnik 11 Apr 2016 -- Norwegian armed forces are poorly prepared for an attack, Norwegian Chief of Defense Haakon Bruun-Hanssen disclosed in an annual defense report on Monday.
• Background Briefing on Secretary Kerry's Visit to Japan US Dept. of State 11 Apr 2016 -- Special Briefing by Senior State Department Official
• April 11, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 11 Apr 2016
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 4/11/16 The White House 11 Apr 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 11, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 11 April 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 11 Apr 2016
• At UN peace operations review, Ban urges change of mindset in response to new challenges UN News 11 Apr 2016 -- Ensuring that United Nations peace operations effectively confront and respond to both current and future global peace and security challenges requires sustained efforts to bolster progress throughout 2016 and beyond, including the right processes, strong partnerships and clear political strategies, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.
• Saudi Arabia violates truce agreement in Yemen Press TV 11 Apr 2016 -- Saudi warplanes have reportedly bombarded a number of areas in Yemen's southwestern province of Ta'izz, violating a UN-brokered truce agreement that had just taken effect.
• Yemen: UN envoy welcomes start of cessation of hostilities UN News 11 Apr 2016 -- The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen has welcomed the start of the cessation of hostilities that began at midnight, 10 April, urging all parties to work to ensure that the terms are fully respected and create a conducive environment for the peace talks scheduled to resume next week.
• UN Envoy: 'Time to Step Back From the Brink' in Yemen VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- The U.N.'s envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, welcomed Monday the cessation of hostilities that halted more than a year of fighting, saying "now is the time to step back from the brink."
• What's Hiding Behind Russia's Calls for Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- The presidents of Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan – Vladimir Putin, Hassan Rouhani and Ilham Aliyev, respectively -- are planning to hold security talks in Baku soon.
• Israel PM admits strikes in Syria for first time Press TV 11 Apr 2016 -- Israel has launched dozens of strikes in Syria, the regime's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admits for the first time.
• Militants carry out attacks in central, southern Syria despite truce Press TV 11 Apr 2016 -- A number of Syrian civilians have been injured in attacks by militants in central and southern Syria, while the Damascus government is observing a ceasefire and holding talks with opposition groups to end the conflict in the Arab country.
• Daesh seizes Syrian town from Turkish-backed militants Press TV 11 Apr 2016 -- Militants from the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group have seized a key town in northern Syria from Turkish-backed militants.
• Armed group vows to join Syria govt. in fight against Takfiris Press TV 11 Apr 2016 -- The Syrian government signs a peace deal with a militant group northeast of Damascus as UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura arrives in the capital ahead of Geneva talks.
• Syria's Aleppo Comes 'Under New Shelling' With Poisonous Gas Sputnik 11 Apr 2016 -- The Kurdish-controlled Sheikh Maqsoud district of the Syrian city of Aleppo came under new shelling with the usage of poisonous gas on Monday, injuring several people, in the second such attack since the beginning of the month, Senam Mohamed, European representative of Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan) administration told Sputnik on Monday.
• Russian Bomb Squad Demined 117 Mines in Syria's Palmyra in Past 24 Hours Sputnik 11 Apr 2016 -- The Russian bomb squad has demined 20 hectares of Syria's city of Palmyra.
• Al-Nusra Front Deploys Up to 10,000 Terrorists Near Aleppo - Russian MoD Sputnik 11 Apr 2016 -- According to the Russian General Staff, al-Nusra Front terrorist group has deployed up to 10,000 militants near the Syrian city of Aleppo ahead of a major offensive.
• Syrian Cease-fire Fraying; Aleppo in Regime Sights VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- Rebel commanders and opposition politicians who have been battling to unseat Syrian Presidential Bashar al-Assad for five years say the cessation of hostilities brokered by the U.S. and Russia in February is on the verge of collapse, and they are readying for a regime offensive on Aleppo.
• Philippine soldiers kill four Takfiri terrorists in south Press TV 11 Apr 2016 -- Filipino forces have killed four more Daesh-affiliated Abu Sayyaf militants in the wake of recent heavy clashes in the country's troubled south, a military official says.
• UN survey finds displaced Palestinian families in Gaza Strip live in desperate conditions UN News 11 Apr 2016 -- More than 75,000 Palestinian families internally displaced in the Gaza Strip as a result of the 2014 escalation of hostilities continue to live in fraught conditions and are in need of homes, the United Nations relief coordination wing for the Occupied Palestinian Territory reported today.
• UN agencies step up joint response to help drought-affected northern Somalia UN News 11 Apr 2016 -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are intensifying joint efforts to assist communities in northern Somalia coping with a severe drought exacerbated by El Niño conditions.
• Sudan to Hold Darfur Referendum in Spite of US Concerns VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- A three-day referendum for Sudan's Darfur region begins Monday despite concerns from the United States that it would not be credible and would also undermine the current peace process.

News Reports

• South Korea: Senior North Korean Military Officer Defects VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- South Korea says a high-ranking North Korean military officer defected to the South last year.
• The 13 North Koreans Defecting to ROK Make Lawful Exit of China with Valid Passports: Chinese FM People's Daily 11 Apr 2016 -- Investigation shows that 13 DPRK nationals left China with valid passports in the morning of April 6, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang in a regular press conference on April 11, 2016.
• India Mends Ties With Maldives VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- In a signal of a revival in ties between India and the Maldives, the president of the Indian Ocean island country committed to what he called an "India-first" policy on a two-day visit to New Delhi.
• Thai Political Parties Oppose Draft Constitution VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- The leadership of Thailand's oldest political party, the Democrats, has joined other political groups in opposing a military-backed draft constitution.
• Volodymyr Hroysman: Ukraine's Likely Next Prime Minister Is Loyal Poroshenko Ally RFE/RL 11 Apr 2016 -- The man identified by Ukraine's outgoing prime minister as his successor, Volodymyr Hroysman, is a 38-year-old loyalist of President Petro Poroshenko who was thrust onto the national scene after the Euromaidan unrest that toppled a government.
• Fujimori Leading Peruvian Presidential Poll as Run-off Looms VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- The daughter of Peru's imprisoned former president Keiko Fujimori far outpaced her competitors Monday following the first round of Peru's presidential election, but fell short of the 50 percent needed to secure the nomination.
• Congressional Panel Recommends Impeachment for Brazilian President Rousseff VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- A Brazilian congressional committee Monday recommended that President Dilma Rousseff face impeachment for alleged corruption.
• Saudi King Visits Turkey in Sign of Improving Relations VOA 11 Apr 2016 -- Relations between Turkey and Saudi Arabia have deepened over their cooperation in the Syrian civil war and their concerns over rising Iranian power.
• Space Firm: Russia to Shift All Lunar Launches to Vostochny Cosmodrome Sputnik 11 Apr 2016 -- Russia will stop using the Soviet-era Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for lunar launches, according to Russian-based Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC Energia).
• President demands return of Taiwan nationals sent to China CNA 11 Apr 2016 -- President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) demanded Monday that China return eight Taiwan nationals who were sent there from Kenya three days ago in connection with a phone fraud case in Nairobi.