Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 01 Jun 2016 [PDF]
• Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 01 Jun 2016 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on U.S. Airstrike in Somalia DoD 01 Jun 2016 -- On May 27, U.S. forces carried out an airstrike in south-central Somalia targeting Abdullahi Haji Da'ud, a senior military commander for al-Shabaab.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Brig. Gen. Cleveland via Teleconference from Afghanistan DoD 01 Jun 2016 -- Presenter: Brigadier General Charles H. Cleveland, deputy chief of staff for communications, Resolute Support Mission, Afghanistan
• Afghan Forces Make Slow, Steady Gains, Resolute Support Official Says AFPS 01 Jun 2016 -- The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces are making slow and steady progress, giving them momentum for an expected tough fight ahead, Army Brig. Gen. Charles H. Cleveland said today in Kabul.
• 6 killed in Taliban attack in Afghanistan's Ghazni Press TV 01 Jun 2016 -- A fresh attack by the Taliban militants in eastern Afghanistan has killed six people as the militants step up their annual spring offensive after naming a new leader.
• New Taliban Leader Mullah Haibatullah Unlikely to Engage in Peace Talks Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- Resolute Support Mission deputy spokesperson Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland said that Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada will take part in the peace talks in Afghanistan.
• US Drone Strike in Pakistan Renews Calls for Transparency VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- The strike was unprecedented.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Procedures Tested, Safety Emphasized During Pacific Partnership Guam Training Exercise NNS 01 Jun 2016 -- Personnel aboard hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) held a training exercise in Guam May 31 in support of Pacific Partnership 2016.
• Pacific Submarine Force Bids Aloha to USS City of Corpus Christi NNS 01 Jun 2016 -- The Pacific Submarine Force and the Pearl Harbor waterfront said farewell to the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705) in a decommissioning ceremony on Memorial Day, May 30, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
• F-15s reinforce defense capability at Arctic Fighter Meet AFNS 01 Jun 2016 -- The 48th Fighter Wing trained alongside the Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish air forces from May 23-27 during exercise Arctic Fighter Meet 2016.
• 27 Nations to Participate in World's Largest Maritime Exercise NNS 01 Jun 2016 -- Twenty-seven nations, 45 ships, five submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise scheduled, June 30 - Aug. 4, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and southern California.
• CARAT 2016 Series Kicks Off in Malaysia, Aiming for Increased Complexity with Allies and Partners NNS 01 Jun 2016 -- The 22nd annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the armed forces of nine partner nations began June 1 with a commemoration ceremony for the Malaysia phase in Sandakan.
• USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) Stops in Guam during Pacific Partnership 2016 NNS 01 Jun 2016 -- Hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrived in Guam May 31, in support of Pacific Partnership 2016.
• USS Decatur and USS Momsen to Visit Sasebo, Japan NNS 01 Jun 2016 -- The guided-missile destroyers USS Decatur (DDG 73) and USS Momsen (DDG 92) are scheduled to arrive in Sasebo, Japan for a regularly scheduled port visit, Jun. 2-4.
• Russia's Gulf of Finland Expedition Results Remarkable Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- The results of the first part of the Russia's Bolshoi Tyuters' RGS expedition in the Gulf of Finland have been tremendous, expedition head Artyom Khutorskoy told Sputnik on Wednesday.
• Canada Deploys Troops in High Arctic to Improve Surveillance Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- The operation is commanded by a joint task force and involves approximately 100 Canadian troops, including technicians from the Canadian Forces Information Operations Group, military members from the Mapping and Charting Establishment, and personnel and aircraft from the Royal Canadian Air Force.
• Watch the Quiet Ones: Norwegian Navy Boasts New Superweapon Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- Norwegian Armed Forces have acquired a hitherto unknown capacity, as the Norwegian Navy now boasts that all of its frigates and corvettes are equipped with top class medium-range cruise missiles.
• Commander: Iranian Navy embodiment of country's might IRNA 01 Jun 2016 -- Iran Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habbibollah Sayyeri said the Navy force in Iran was the embodiment of the country's power and might.
• Navy 40th flotilla returns home, ending 55-day mission IRNA 01 Jun 2016 -- The 40th flotilla of Iran's Navy returned home Wednesday after ending its 55-day mission to the remote waters.
• Rafsanjani: Iran's missile industry is of defensive nature IRNA 01 Jun 2016 -- Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on Wednesday that Iran's missile industry is of defensive nature.
• 41st flotilla of Iran Navy off to Gulf of Aden ISNA 01 Jun 2016 -- The 41st flotilla of Iranian Navy was dispatched to the Gulf of Aden from Abbas Port, southern Iran.
• Iran unveils indigenous defense tech Press TV 01 Jun 2016 -- Iran has unveiled three homemade defense technologies, including a GPS system, in a ceremony attended by the country's defense minister.
• Iran Sends Naval Flotilla on Anti-Pirate Patrol Mission to Gulf of Aden Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- Iranian Navy Commander Adm. Habibollah Sayyari said that the 41st flotilla of the Iranian Navy was sent sent for an anti-pirate patrol mission to the Gulf of Aden.
• India Takes Aim at Domestic Weapons Sector, Starts with Helicopter Rockets Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- The second most populated country on the planet looks to make strides away from dependence on Western arms manufacturers in an unprecedented change to national policy.
• Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Josh Earnest en route Elkhart, IN The White House 01 Jun 2016
• June 1, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 01 Jun 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 01, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 1 June 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 01 Jun 2016
• External panel calls for 'paradigm shift' in UN Police operating model UN News 01 Jun 2016 -- As the United Nations' role in countries affected by complex conflicts has grown in scale and scope throughout the years, UN Police (UNPOL) have increasingly become the central pillar of the Organization's peace operations, working both to reinforce the provision of security and also to build or re-build a basic system of policing in countries, and as such, require a new operating model with enhanced capacities, an external review team has found.
• International Court Ruling on China, Philippines Dispute Could Be Vital VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- An international tribunal is expected to soon issue a ruling on a territorial dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. Though the decision will not determine sovereignty of the territory in question, it could have wide-ranging implications for China's sweeping claims in one of the world's most important and bitterly contested waterways.
• China to Proceed With South China Sea Air Defense Zone Pending US Moves Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- In case of the United States continues its "provocative" actions in the South China Sea, China is ready to proceed with installing its planned air defense identification zone, local media reported Wednesday.
• South China Sea issues seen likely to flare up at Asia Security Summit CNA 01 Jun 2016 -- Defense ministers and professionals from the Asia-Pacific region are expected to engage in heated debates on South China Sea issues at the 2016 Asia Security Summit that will kick off in Singapore June 3, experts said Wednesday.
• New York Times editorial on South China Sea misleading, partial People's Daily 01 Jun 2016 -- A recent New York Times editorial that criticized China's rightful territorial claims in South China Sea is misleading by misconstruing and ignoring facts and international norms, said Ben Reynolds, a U.S. foreign policy analyst.
• Syria forces start operation to retake control of Manbij from Daesh Press TV 01 Jun 2016 -- Syrian forces have launched an offensive to push Daesh Takfiri terrorists out of the northern city of Manbij near the Turkish border, US military officials say.
• Two-day humanitarian truce agreed in Syria's Darayya Press TV 01 Jun 2016 -- A two-day ceasefire has been agreed in the Syrian town of Darayya near the capital, Damascus, starting from Wednesday to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to the residents.
• Syrian Troops Kill 20 Terrorists in Hama Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- At least 20 terrorsits from the Daesh and Nusra Front were killed in the Hama province of Syria, also a number of the Daesh vehicles were destroyed in Syria, according to local media.
• Russia Regrets Absence of Cooperation With US on Anti-Terror Fight in Syria Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- Russia regrets that despite regular exchange of information there is still no cooperation between Moscow and Washington on anti-terrorist efforts in Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.
• Syria: UN experts urge protection of civilians amid ISIL offensives in country's north UN News 01 Jun 2016 -- Two United Nations human rights experts today urged immediate protection for thousands of civilians caught up in offensives by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) in the Aleppo region of northern Syria.
• Civilians Press for More Control in Syria's Rebel Areas VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- While most media coverage of the Syria conflict has focused on the clash of arms, in northern Syria, the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule has followed two tracks – the military struggle to oust the government and the effort to establish civilian governance in rebel-held areas. Those efforts have frequently come into conflict, with civilians, seeking to provide basic services, struggling to persuade armed groups that there should be a separation of powers.
• US-backed Forces Seize Nine Villages in Syria VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- U.S.-backed forces have taken control of nine villages near the Turkish border in Syria since Tuesday in an advance toward the Islamic State-controlled town of Manbij.
• Iraq slows down Fallujah operation over civilians safety concerns Press TV 01 Jun 2016 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the slowdown of the massive military offensive to liberate Fallujah from the grip of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group due to fears for the safety of civilians trapped in the city.
• Kurdish Troops Liberate Over 40 Square Miles From Daesh Near Mosul Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- Kurdish Peshmerga forces have liberated some 120 square kilometers (46 square miles) from the Daesh to the east of Iraq's Mosul, a Peshmerga representative said Wednesday.
• Some 20,000 Children Feared Trapped in Fallujah VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- Some 20,000 children are believed to be trapped in Fallujah, Iraq as fighting rages for control of the city that Islamic State militants seized more than two years ago.
• Libya forces retake two towns from Daesh Press TV 01 Jun 2016 -- Forces aligned with Libya's new Government of National Accord (GNA) have pushed Daesh out of two towns within a matter of two days.
• Four UN staff killed in al-Qaeda attacks in Mali Press TV 01 Jun 2016 -- Four members of the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, have been killed in two al-Qaeda attacks.
• Mali: Ban 'outraged' by latest deadly attack on UN mission; urges authorities to investigate UN News 01 Jun 2016 -- In two separate incidents that took place yesterday in the Gao area of Mali's restive north, terrorists attacked an outpost of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA), as well as the services of a local provider for the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the most recent in a string of deadly attacks against the UN in the country.
• At Least 10 Killed in Somalia Ambassador Hotel Attack VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- Witnesses in Somalia's capital say at least 10 people were killed and more than 15 others wounded when militants attacked a major hotel Wednesday.
• Al-Shabab's intelligence unit head killed in Somalia Press TV 01 Jun 2016 -- Somali government forces have killed the head of the intelligence unit in al-Shabab militant group during a cleanup operation in the troubled country.
• Somalia Says Organizer of 2015 Garissa Massacre Killed VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- Witnesses in Somalia's capital say at least 10 people were killed and more than 15 others wounded when militants attacked a major hotel Wednesday.
• UN Security Council Renews Sanctions on South Sudan Leaders VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Tuesday to renew sanctions against South Sudan's leaders for another year. They include travel bans and asset freezes on persons believed to have impeded the peace and stability of the country.
• Burundi: UN agency warns 4.6 million people facing food insecurity UN News 01 Jun 2016 -- Some 4.6 million people in Burundi are food insecure, with more than 500,000 of them requiring urgent emergency food assistance, the United Nations food relief agency has said, warning that food stocks are stretched as a result of the fragile socio-economic context in the country.

News Reports

• Security Council strongly condemns recent failed ballistic missile launches by DPR Korea UN News 01 Jun 2016 -- The United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned the most recent failed ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 31 May and 27 and 28 April, reiterating that the Government should refrain from further actions in violation of the relevant Council's resolutions.
• US Takes Steps to Further Cut Off North Korea from US Banks VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- The United States is taking further action to cut off North Korean access to the U.S. financial system, calling the North a "primary money-laundering concern."
• President Xi meets DPRK delegation People's Daily 01 Jun 2016 -- President Xi Jinpingmet with a visiting delegation of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday.
• N Korea begins 200-day battle to boost economy Press TV 01 Jun 2016 -- North Korea has begun a 200-day battle to boost the country's sanctions-hit economy as part of a five-year economic plan.
• Japan, US, South Korea Agree to Step Up Pressure on North Korea Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- The foreign ministers of Japan, the United States and South Korea agreed on Wednesday to increase pressure on North Korea and are against possible negotiations, Japanese media reported.
• North Korea State Media Call Trump 'Wise Politician' VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- As the Republican party starts to coalesce around presumptive nominee Donald Trump, one endorsement has come from an unlikely place: North Korea.
• Iran to Produce Stable Isotopes at Fordow Site Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- Iran began production of stable isotopes project facilities, according to the statement of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).
• WHO Declares Guinea Ebola-Free VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- The World Health Organization Wednesday declared the end of Ebola transmission in Guinea, after the West African country successfully passed 42 days without a confirmed case of this fatal disease.
• New Astronaut Training Complex to Open at Vostochny Cosmodrome by 2022 Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- Russia's new Vostochny Space Center's astronaut training complex will be completed by 2022, the head of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center said.
• Turkey warns Germany over Armenian 'genocide' vote Press TV 01 Jun 2016 -- Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says a resolution expected to be approved by German lawmakers declaring the 1915 killings of Armenians a genocide will damage ties with Berlin.
• Turkish PM Plays Down Armenian Genocide Claims in Feud with Berlin VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- Ankara is warning of serious consequences if the German parliament passes a motion accusing Turkey's then-Ottoman rulers of genocide against its Armenian minority. Turkey and Germany have close economic and political ties and Berlin has become dependent on Ankara to stem migrants entering the European Union.
• Uninvited Intervention: Maduro Accuses Venezuela Parliament of Treason Sputnik 01 Jun 2016 -- Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro accused the country's parliament of treason after the National Assembly speaker called for foreign assistance in resolving the country's ongoing crisis.
• Liberia's Main Opposition Calls for Expansion of Corruption Probe VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- Liberia's main opposition party, Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), is calling on all officials implicated in the ongoing alleged corruption scandal to recuse themselves from their current positions while the prosecutorial process takes place.
• Besigye Treason Hearing Erupts in Anger After No-Show VOA 01 Jun 2016 -- Tensions have escalated in Uganda's capital after a court appearance for opposition leader Kizza Besigye was canceled and two opposition leaders were arrested. Besigye is charged with treason after calling February's presidential poll rigged and declaring himself president.