Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 28 Apr 2016 [PDF]
• Counter-ISIL Effort Makes Gains in Iraq, Syria, Chairman Tells Senate Panel AFPS 28 Apr 2016 -- The U.S. military is addressing the transnational nature of the threat that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant poses,but the most dangerous threat remains the core of ISIL in Iraq and Syria, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.
• Carter Details U.S. Strategy to Accelerate ISIL's Defeat AFPS 28 Apr 2016 -- Moves made last year in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have proved effective and U.S. officials have capitalized on that success to accelerate the counter-ISIL campaign, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.
• Counter-ISIL Strikes Target Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 28 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.
• Afghanistan Outraged About Taliban's Pakistan Visit VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- Afghanistan has criticized Pakistan for allowing a Taliban delegation to visit the neighboring country, saying "a terrorist organization" should not have been been allowed to undertake such activities.

Defense Policy / Programs

• U.S. Bill Backs More Defense Spending For Europe, Ukraine RFE/RL 28 Apr 2016 -- A key U.S. congressional committee has backed a substantial increase in defense spending to reassure European allies jittery about Russian military maneuvers.
• US Congress Must Release $350Mln Funding for Syria Train-and-Equip Program Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- The US Congress must release nearly $350 million in blocked funding to support the new version of the Pentagon's train-and-equip program for local fighters against the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter told the US Armed Services Committee on Thursday.
• Fairchild takes in evacuated McConnell KC-135s AFNS 28 Apr 2016 -- Because of its ramp space, logistical capabilities and maintenance facilities, Fairchild Air Force Base received six KC-135 Stratotankers that were evacuated April 26 from McConnell AFB, Kansas, due to projected severe weather.
• Joint Press Conference by Deputy Secretary Work and Swedish State Secretary Jan Salestrand on U.S.-Nordic-Baltic Leadership in Stockholm, Sweden DoD 28 Apr 2016 -- Presenter: Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work; Swedish State Secretary Jan Salestrand
• DoD Releases Department-wide Strategy to Prevent Retaliation Associated with Reporting Sexual Assault or Harassment DoD 28 Apr 2016 -- Today, the Department of Defense released a department-wide strategy to improve the way it provides support to service members who experience retaliation and to align prevention and response efforts across the services.
• Navy Region Center Singapore Welcomes USS John C Stennis Carrier Strike Group NNS 28 Apr 2016 -- Navy Region Center Singapore welcomed USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Carrier Strike Group Sailors during a port visit in Sembawang, Singapore, April 19-23.
• NMCB 5 Completes Airfield Damage Repair During FTX NNS 28 Apr 2016 -- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 Sailors completed the Airfield Damage Repair portion of their Field Training Exercise (FTX) April 21.
• US Navy Transfers Research Vessel to Philippine Navy NNS 28 Apr 2016 -- The U.S. Navy transferred ownership of Research Vessel (R/V) Melville to the Philippine Navy, during a ceremony April 27 at Naval Base San Diego.
• US Cyber Commander Speaks at U.S. Naval Academy on Future of Cyber Operations NNS 28 Apr 2016 -- Adm. Michael S. Rogers, commander, U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM), spoke at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, April 26, as part of the Cyber Lecture Series.
• USS Toledo Returns from 7-Month Deployment NNS 28 Apr 2016 -- Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Toledo (SSN 769) returned to Naval Submarine Base New London following a regularly scheduled deployment, April 25.
• US spy plane intercepted by Russian supersonic jet Press TV 28 Apr 2016 -- A Russian supersonic jet has intercepted a US spy aircraft over Russia's Far East, flying within several feet of it, a senior US military official says.
• NATO Secretary General praises Albania's role in strengthening shared security NATO 28 Apr 2016 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Albanian President Bujar Nishani to NATO Headquarters on Thursday (28 April 2016) to discuss preparations for the Warsaw Summit. Speaking at a joint press conference with President Nishani, Mr. Stoltenberg praised Albania for its contributions to Allied security and for its role in strengthening stability in the Western Balkans.
• Lavrov: Claims of Russia's Dangerous Activity on NATO Borders Unfounded Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- Claims that Russia conducts "dangerous activities" near NATO borders are unfounded, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Sweden's Dagens Nyheter newspaper published Thursday.
• PLA restructuring changes focus at military schools People's Daily 28 Apr 2016 -- A changing Chinese military strategy and planned troop reductions in the People's Liberation Army are having an impact on the number and type of students military academies will be recruiting and training.
• Anti-terror fight needs comprehensive approaches: Chinese defense minister People's Daily 28 Apr 2016 -- Visiting Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan on Wednesday said here that the international anti-terror fight needs comprehensive approaches.
• China hypersonic weapon test successful, says Pentagon Press TV 28 Apr 2016 -- China has successfully flight-tested a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) which is capable of carrying nuclear warheads at ultra-high speeds, US military officials say.
• Costa Rica Fears Nicaragua Tank Deal With Russia to Militarize Region Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- Costa Rica is concerned that a reported delivery of Russian tanks to its neighbor Nicaragua could militarize Central America, Foreign Minister Manuel Gonzalez said Wednesday.
• US Initial Indications Reveal N. Korea Missile Launch Attempts Unsuccessful Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- The initial assessment by the United States of the two attempted missile launches by Pyongyang on Thursday and Wednesday showed that they turned out to be unsuccessful, the US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) announced in a press release.
• Second Missile Launch Carried Out by N Korea on Thursday Most Likely Failed Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- North Korea carried out a second missile launch on Thursday, which most likely failure to accomplish its goal, South Korean media reported.
• US Strategic Command Detects 2 Attempted N Korean Missile Launches Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- The United States has detected two attempted missile launches by Pyongyang on Thursday and Wednesday, US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) announced in a press release.
• North Korea's Midrange Ballistic Missile Launch Fails - Reports Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- North Korea carried out an unsuccessful launch of a midrange ballistic missile, South Korean media reported Thursday, citing military sources.
• UPDATE 1 - USSTRATCOM Detects, Tracks Attempted North Korean Missile Launches USSTRATCOM 28 Apr 2016 -- U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) systems detected and tracked what we assess were attempted North Korean missile launches at 4:43 p.m. CDT April 27, 2016, and at 5:24 a.m. CDT, April 28, 2016.
• DPRK's Musudan missile launch appears to have failed People's Daily 28 Apr 2016 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday fired what was believed to be a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile, but it appeared to have failed, South Korea's defense ministry said.
• Seoul: N. Korea Missile Launch Attempt Failed VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- North Korea has apparently test-fired an intermediate-range missile that crashed seconds after takeoff, in what appears to be the second such failure in a matter of weeks.
• Pakistan looking for Russian air defense systems: Defense min. IRNA 28 Apr 2016 -- Pakistan defense minister says Islamabad and Moscow are in talks on sales of military helicopters, air defense systems and modernized tanks.
• British Forces support Gabon's fight against elephant poachers UK MOD 28 Apr 2016 -- British soldiers have deployed to West Africa to provide further support to the Gabon National Parks Agency in their fight against elephant poachers.
• UN Lifts 12-Year Arms Embargo on Ivory Coast VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- The United Nations Security Council removed a 12-year-old arms embargo on Ivory Coast on Thursday and renewed the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the country for another year.
• Turkish Multi-Purpose Military Base in Qatar Starts Operating Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- The Turkish military base in Qatar has started its work, Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Thursday.
• No Slouch: Crimean Shipyard Can Build Mistrals Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- A shipbuilding plant in Crimea is capable of building large Mistral-class helicopter carriers, the region's Industry Minister Andrei Vasyuta told RIA Novosti news agency.
• April 28, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 28 Apr 2016
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 4/28/2016 The White House 28 Apr 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 28, 2016
• Russia says ready to make T-90s in Iran Press TV 28 Apr 2016 -- Russia announced on Thursday that it is considering a plan that involves the licensed production of T-90 tanks in Iran in what could mark a new chapter in strategic relations between the two countries.

Other Conflicts

• 28 April 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 28 Apr 2016
• Taiwan to lodge strong protest with Japan for fishing boat detention CNA 28 Apr 2016 -- Foreign Affairs Minister David Lin (林永樂) will summon Japan's representative to Taiwan Friday to convey Taiwan's strong protest against the Japanese coast guard's detention of a Taiwanese fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean early this week.
• Taiwan to uphold rights to fish on high seas: president CNA 28 Apr 2016 -- President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) reaffirmed Thursday that Taiwan will uphold the freedom of its fishermen operating on the high seas and will not budge on this position.
• Kissinger Dismisses Claims That US Inaction Gave Up South China Sea Archipelago VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has denied signing any agreement with the Chinese government decades ago to pave the way for Beijing to occupy a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea.
• US, Allies Tighten Cooperation to Counter China in South China Sea VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- The U.S. is ratcheting up cooperation with Asian allies to counter China's "assertive and provocative behavior in the South China Sea" that is challenging the freedom of navigation in the crucial waterway, Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers Thursday during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.
• U.S. 'freedom of navigation' operations in South China Sea 'very dangerous': Defense Ministry People's Daily 28 Apr 2016 -- The so-called "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea conducted by the U.S. military are "very dangerous," a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.
• UN still 'positive' as Yemen talks enter second week Press TV 28 Apr 2016 -- The United Nations special envoy to Yemen has expressed optimism about the ongoing round of negotiations between Yemeni warring sides as long drawn-out peace talks enter into a second week.
• Syrian Army Denies Reports of Gov't Behind Airstrike on Aleppo Hospital Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- Media reports on airstrikes carried out by the Syrian Air Forces against a hospital in Aleppo are not consistent with the reality, the Syrian Armed Forces said in a statement on Thursday.
• Jaysh al-Islam Recognition as Terror Group 'May Ruin Syria Settlement' Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- Should Jaysh al-Islam and Ahrar ash-Sham be recognized as terrorist organizations following Russia's proposal to the United Nations, the peace process in Syria may collapse, Abdul Hakim Bashar, vice president of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, told Sputnik.
• Damascus: Arrival of 150 US Soldiers in Syria 'Dangerous Invasion' Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- Reports of the arrival of 150 US servicemen in Syria causes concern and is considered by Damascus as an invasion and violation of the country's sovereignty, Syria's SANA news agency reported Thursday, citing the Syrian Foreign Ministry.
• Attack on al-Quds Hospital in Aleppo, Syria US Dept. of State 28 Apr 2016
• Digital cards improve food assistance to displaced families and Syrian refugees in Iraq - UN agency UN News 28 Apr 2016 -- Thousands of displaced Iraqi families and Syrian refugees across Iraq now have better and flexible access to food, thanks to an innovative digital cash card launched by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
• Syria: human toll and suffering are 'sickening,' UN relief chief tells Security Council UN News 28 Apr 2016 -- With hundreds of thousands of civilians killed, millions of people displaced and countless families torn apart, the UN relief chief today described the human toll and suffering in Syria as "sickening," and said the global community should be "ashamed" that this is happening on its watch.
• With Syrian truce 'barely alive,' UN envoy urges Russia and United States to help revitalize talks UN News 28 Apr 2016 -- The United Nations envoy mediating a resolution to the crisis in Syria warned that the latest round of talks was overshadowed by a substantial deterioration of the cessation of hostilities, and called on the leaders of the Russian Federation and United States to help salvage the "barely alive" pact.
• UN Mediator Urges US, Russia to Save Syria Talks VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- Talks on ending the five-year Syrian conflict have ground to a halt in Geneva, and the United Nations mediator on Thursday appealed to the United States and Russia to help put the peace process on track as violence worsened in Syria.
• Aleppo Attack Puts Spotlight on US, Russia VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- The State Department says it does not believe there has been a deterioration in U.S.-Russia relations over the crisis in Syria, in spite of the Russian-backed Syrian government's continued bombing of civilian and rebel targets.
• Syria condemns US troops deployment as blatant aggression Press TV 28 Apr 2016 -- Syria has strongly criticized the United States for the deployment of a contingent of troops on its soil, saying the move amounts to aggression against national sovereignty.
• Militant shelling kills 49 civilians in Syria's Aleppo Press TV 28 Apr 2016 -- At least 49 civilians have reportedly been killed in recent rocket attacks carried out by foreign-backed militants in Syria's northwestern city of Aleppo.
• Russia Proposes Blacklisting Two Syrian Rebel Groups At UN RFE/RL 28 Apr 2016 -- two groups that are parties to the cessation of hostilities -- would have damaging consequences to the cessation just as we are trying to deescalate the situation on the ground," Edgar Vasquez, a spokesman for the U.S. mission, said.
• Syrian Truce in Tatters Amid Government Airstrikes, Messy Battles VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- U.S. allies in northern Syria, fighters from a Kurdish-dominated alliance and militiamen from the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA), clashed Thursday as Russian and government warplanes increased airstrikes on and around the city of Aleppo.
• Syrian Blast Destroys Aleppo Hospital, Killing 14 VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- An airstrike in Syria has destroyed a hospital in Aleppo supported by the international charity Doctors Without Borders, killing at least 14 people.
• Somali, AU Forces Face Resurgent Al-Shabab VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- The Islamic State militant group claimed its first ever attack in Somalia earlier this week, though the claim has not been verified. Meanwhile, al-Shabab militants have stepped up their attacks as Somalia gears up for elections later this year.
• Al-Shabab Fighters Loyal to Islamic State Complicate Somalia Security VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- Members of al-Shabab in Somalia who recently pledged allegiance to Islamic State are moving into the capital, Mogadishu, according to a senior intelligence analyst.
• Monitors: 'Alarming' Number of Cease-fire Violations in E. Ukraine VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- Violations of a tense cease-fire in eastern Ukraine between Kyiv and Russian-backed rebels have reached "alarming numbers" not seen in months, international monitors told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday.
• Ukraine: Security Council meets on situation with sense of 'urgency and hope' UN News 28 Apr 2016 -- As the conflict in the eastern part of Ukraine enters its third year, the United Nations Security Council today met with both a sense of urgency and hope, as described by a senior UN political official.
• Ukraine truce violations highest in months, OSCE says Press TV 28 Apr 2016 -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says the violations of the Minsk ceasefire agreement in the violence-wracked eastern Ukraine have reached their highest level in months.
• OSCE: Cease-Fire Violations In Eastern Ukraine At 'Worrying Levels' RFE/RL 28 Apr 2016 -- The security situation in eastern Ukraine is worsening, with cease-fire violations at their highest level in months, the chief OSCE monitor warned on April 28.
• China to Never Allow War or Chaos on Korean Peninsula: Xi People's Daily 28 Apr 2016 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday China will never allow war or chaos on the Korean peninsula as he urges talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue at an Asian regional security meeting.
• China 'not to allow war, chaos on Korean Peninsula' Press TV 28 Apr 2016 -- China says it will not allow the Korean Peninsula to be plagued by war and chaos, amid continuing tensions between the two Koreas.
• South Sudan: UN strongly condemns attack against mission compound in Bentiu UN News 28 Apr 2016 -- The United Nations has strongly condemned an attack that took place on 25 April against the compound of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in Bentiu, where a rocket-propelled grenade landed inside the perimeter of the compound and partly damaged one of the containers located in the humanitarian hub.
• Security Council approves final extension for UN mission in Côte d'Ivoire, citing 'remarkable' progress UN News 28 Apr 2016 -- The United Nations Security Council today renewed the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in Côte d'Ivoire for a final period, extending it until the end of June next year, and also decided to terminate all arms, travel and financial sanctions against the country, with immediate effect.

News Reports

• Going Sky-High: India Successfully Deploys Very Own GPS-Like System Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- India has successfully launched and put into orbit its seventh and final navigation satellite of the regional navigation system - IRNSS-1G.
• Putin Compares First Launch From Vostochny Cosmodrome With Pudding Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- "The proof of the pudding is in the eating!" President Vladimir Putin said after a Soyuz spaceship with three Russian satellites on board lifted off from the newly-built Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far East on Thursday.
• Putin Highlights Significance of First Launch From Vostochny Space Center Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated the country's space agency Roscosmos on the first launch from the newly-built Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East.
• Russia Launches First Rocket From Vostochny Cosmodrome RFE/RL 28 Apr 2016 -- Russia has launched a rocket for the first time from the newly built Vostochny Cosmodrome, one day after a technical glitch thwarted an earlier launch and flustered President Vladimir Putin.
• Putin Reprimands Roscosmos Head, Deputy PM for Delay in Vostochny Launch Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued reprimands to Roscosmos head Igor Komarov and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees the country's space industry, for the delay in launching the first rocket from the newly-built Vostochny Cosmodrome, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
• Upset Putin To Stay At Cosmodrome For 2nd Try At Rocket Launch RFE/RL 28 Apr 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has been sharply critical of Russian space officials for the delay of the maiden launch of a rocket from the new Vostochny Cosmodrome.
• Could Runoffs Tilt Iran's Balance Of Power? RFE/RL 28 Apr 2016 -- Iran's fractious political camps clash on April 29 in runoff votes to finalize the makeup of parliament two months after a split result dealt a blow to hard-liners but failed to produce a majority.
• Chairman of DPRK Red Cross Society Sends Notice to President of S. Korean Red Cross KCNA 28 Apr 2016 -- The chairman of the Central Committee of the Red Cross Society of the DPRK Thursday sent the following notice to the president of the Red Cross of south Korea:
• UN warns of worsening hunger in North Korea Press TV 28 Apr 2016 -- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned against worsening hunger in North Korea as the country has hit a record low in food production since 2010 due to poor rainfall.
• UN Chief Criticizes European Restrictions on Refugees VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday told Austria's lower house of parliament that increasing restrictions on migrants will "negatively impact" Europe's commitments to international law.
• Land Sales Unearth Kazakhstan's Opposition RFE/RL 28 Apr 2016 -- The crowd parts as the elderly woman in the conservative beige overcoat and white head scarf makes her way to the front, demanding to be heard.
• Myanmar Monks, Protesters Denounce 'Rohingya' Outside US Embassy VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- Hundreds of protesters demonstrated outside of the U.S. embassy in Myanmar Thursday over its use of the term Rohingya to describe the country's ethnic Muslim minority group.
• U.S. Arrest Awakens Ghosts Of Turkey's Iran-Gold Scandal RFE/RL 28 Apr 2016 -- a Turkish gold trader and socialite who allegedly acted as the intermediary between Turkey and Iran.
• Kerry Hails Arab Efforts in Fight Against Terrorism VOA 28 Apr 2016 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday praised countries in the Middle East for working to bring political and economic change in the region.
• Merkel's Office Accused of Knowing of German Spy Agency Chaos Sputnik 28 Apr 2016 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office was alerted to the dysfunctionality of the country's intelligence agency, BND, but took no action until the sacking of its chief Gerhard Schindler, according to one of the country's most senior journalists.
• China passes law on foreign NGO operations Press TV 28 Apr 2016 -- China's legislature has passed a law governing the operations of foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country.