Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 14 Jun 2016 [PDF]
• Remarks by the President After Counter-ISIL Meeting The White House 14 Jun 2016
• Military Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 14 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.
• CSG 8 Operation Inherent Resolve Air Power Summary June 13, 2016 NNS 14 Jun 2016 -- Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, embarked aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) is primarily responsible for executing prompt and sustained combat actions from sea in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR).
• U.S. Apache Helicopters Join Counter-ISIL Fight, Carter Says AFPS 14 Jun 2016 -- U.S. Apache helicopters have entered the fight in Iraq against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters yesterday.
• Tensions High on Afghanistan, Pakistan Border VOA 14 Jun 2016 -- A Pakistan army officer and two Afghan soldiers have died, while at least 30 people were wounded on both sides in this week's cross-border skirmishes, officials said.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Small contingency response team makes big impact in Swift Response 16 AFNS 14 Jun 2016 -- The buzzing of C-130 Hercules and CH-47 Chinook helicopter propellers could be heard throughout the Bydgoszcz Airport as a contingency response team loaded and unloaded cargo from the aircraft during exercise Swift Response 16.
• Readout of Secretary Carter's Meeting with British Secretary of State for Defense Michael Fallon and French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian DoD 14 Jun 2016
• Secretary Mabus Names Destroyer after Pioneering United States Navy Nurse DoD 14 Jun 2016 -- During a ceremony to honor women who served in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in Arlington, Virginia, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced an Arleigh-Burke class destroyer, DDG 123, will be named Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee in honor of the pioneering U. S. Navy chief nurse, who served as the superintendent of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps during World War I and was the first female recipient of the Navy Cross.
• Navy Announces Further Review of Enlisted Rating Titles NNS 14 Jun 2016 -- In order to be as inclusive as possible and reflect that all Navy occupations are open to men and women, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus recently met with his leadership team to discuss the service's enlisted rating titles review.
• Navy Helicopter Down in James River, Crew Safe NNS 14 Jun 2016 -- A U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter crashed this morning in the James River while on a routine training mission. The three crew members aboard were rescued and transported to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth.
• 2nd US aircraft carrier enters Mediterranean: US Navy Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- A second US aircraft carrier has arrived in the Mediterranean amid American officials' concerns about Russian maritime expansion in the region, the Navy says.
• Airmen kick off Saber Strike with European partners AFNS 14 Jun 2016 -- U.S. Airmen joined more than 4,500 military members from 13 different NATO countries June 12 as they kicked off exercise Saber Strike 16, which will last through June 21.
• Rim of the Pacific Exercise 2016 Begins June 30 AFPS 14 Jun 2016 -- The biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise that begins at the end of June will boast participation from 27 nations and 25,000 service members, 45 ships, five submarines and more than 200 aircraft, Defense Department Press Operations Director Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told Pentagon reporters today.
• Readout of Secretary Carter's Meeting with Turkish Minister of Defense Fikri Isik DoD 14 Jun 2016
• 2nd TSB conducts joint air delivery training with 2nd CEB USMC News 14 Jun 2016 -- Marines in Landing Support Company, 2nd Transportation Support Battalion, in conjunction with 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion and Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 conducted a joint air delivery mission at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, June 9, 2016.
• Finnish Partners Complete BALTOPS Operations NNS 14 Jun 2016 -- As partners to NATO, Finnish military units concluded their participation in BALTOPS 2016 in both amphibious and mine laying operations, 13 June.
• NATO's Defense Spending Rises, Secretary General Says AFPS 14 Jun 2016 -- Overall NATO defense spending has reversed trends of past years and is rising, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels yesterday.
• NATO Defence Ministers agree to enhance collective defence and deterrence NATO 14 Jun 2016 -- NATO Defence Ministers agreed on important measures to strengthen the Alliance's defence and deterrence on Tuesday (14 June 2016). "NATO will deploy by rotation four robust multinational battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. And I welcome the commitments made by many Allies today to contribute," said the Secretary General. He stressed that this sends a clear message that if any Ally is attacked, the whole Alliance will respond as one.
• Doorstep statement by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the start of the meetings of NATO Defence Ministers NATO 14 Jun 2016
• NATO and Baltic States sign Agreement to enhance air training opportunities in the Baltic region NATO 14 Jun 2016 -- Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow met with the Defence Ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Tuesday (14 June 2016) to sign a new Letter of Agreement on airspace management arrangements in support of NATO's Air Policing mission and other air activities in the Baltic Sea region.
• NATO to deploy troops to Romania as part of eastward expansion Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) says it will send units to Romania as part of plans to expand its presence in Eastern Europe, a source of controversy with Russia.
• NATO to Step Up Military Presence in Black Sea Region – Stoltenberg Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- NATO plans to further increase its military presence in the Black Sea region, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday.
• Encirclement Continues: NATO Pressuring Russia in the Black Sea Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- NATO is continuing its eastward expansion - this time to Romania - thus increasing the pressure on Russia and raising security concerns in the Moscow government, German newspaper Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten (DWN) reported.
• NATO Drills in Poland Purely Defensive, Pose No Threat - Polish President Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- The NATO Anaconda 2016 military exercises, currently taking place in Poland, do not pose threat to anyone, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Tuesday.
• NATO deployments will invoke counter measures: Russia Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- Moscow has vowed to initiate countermeasures against NATO's plans to deploy four battalions close to Russian borders.
• US Multiple Rocket Launchers Delivered to Estonia for Saber Strike Drills Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- Two US M124 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) were delivered to Estonia on Tuesday to participate in the ongoing Saber Strike military drills, the Estonian Defense Forces said.
• Less is More: Russia Opts for Lower-Cost but More Capable Navy Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- The Russian Navy has received a welcome boost with the arrival of two of its new series of naval frigates – the Admiral Grigorovich, which arrived at its home base in Sevastopol on Thursday, and the Admiral Essen, scheduled to join the fleet shortly.
• Vietnamese Fighter Jet Missing in the South China Sea Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- A Vietnamese fighter jet is missing after vanishing from radar during a training flight along the South China Sea coastline.
• China advocates for complete prohibition of nuclear weapons People's Daily 14 Jun 2016 -- China is committed to taking the path of peaceful development and advocates for complete prohibition and thorough destruction of the nuclear weapons, China's Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said here on Monday.
• India Explores American, Israeli & German Torpedoes for Its Submarines Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- After cancelling a 300 million Euro deal for Black Shark torpedoes manufactured by WASS, a subsidiary of Leonardo-Finmeccanica, India is now looking for alternatives.
• Pakistan to Consider Jordanian F-16 Jets Offer After US Deal Fail Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- After the failure to purchase US F-16s, Pakistan is considering an offer to buy Jordanian used F-16 jets.
• UK military to take massive hit if Leave campaign wins: Osborne Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- British armed forces are going to face major cuts if Britons vote to leave the European Union (EU) in a referendum later this month, UK Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne has warned.
• The Government of Iraq-AC-208 Sustainment, Logistics, and Spares Support DSCA 14 Jun 2016 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Iraq for AC-208 sustainment, logistics, and spares support. The estimated cost is $181 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Flood Of Weapons Makes Eastern Ukraine Ripe For Arms Trade RFE/RL 14 Jun 2016 -- Awash with arms and facing a breakdown in law and order, war-torn eastern Ukraine has all the elements required to become a major illicit international weapons market.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 6/14/2016 The White House 14 Jun 2016
• June 14, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 14 Jun 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 14, 2016
• China's large passenger aircraft to take maiden flight, trillion-dollar industry clusters will take shape People's Daily 14 Jun 2016 -- China's independently developed C919 large passenger jetliner will take its first flight later this year and complete the follow-up technical verifications as early as 2017 before being delivered, Economic Information Daily reports on Tuesday.

Other Conflicts

• Yemeni Civilians Caught in Taiz Fighting, MSF Says VOA 14 Jun 2016 -- Civilians continue to be severely affected by violence in the Yemeni city of Taiz, despite the cease-fire reached two months ago between warring parties, according to the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors Without Borders.
• Pilot, co-pilot die as UAE helicopter goes down in Yemen Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- The pilot and copilot of a United Arab Emirates military helicopter have been killed after their aircraft crashed in Yemen.
• What Can UN Do to Get Aid Into Syria? VOA 14 Jun 2016 -- The contrast couldn't be greater. International aid reached Syrian government-controlled areas in Latakia and Deir ez-Zor provinces Monday and Tuesday. Those aid deliveries came just three days after the government targeted the town of Daraya for airstrikes, hours after U.N. agencies delivered aid to the rebel-held Damascus suburb for the first time in almost four years.
• Turkey: No cooperation with 'terrorists' in Syria Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says Turkey will not allow cooperation with terrorist organizations in Syria, referring to Kurdish groups which the US supports.
• Battle for Manbij: French Special Forces Building Military Base in Kobani Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- French special forces have been tasked with training the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and building a military base near Kobani ahead of a major offensive on the Daesh-held city of Manbij, political analyst Idris Nessan, who served as deputy foreign minister of the Kobani Canton, told Sputnik.
• Fallujah liberation operation displaced 43k Iraqis: IOM Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says over 430,000 people have been displaced since the beginning of the operation to retake the Daesh-held Iraqi city of Fallujah.
• Iraqis fleeing Fallujah lack water, Doctors Without Borders says Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- Doctors Without Borders says thousands of Iraqi civilians fleeing Fallujah lack access to adequate water, raising the likelihood of epidemics such as cholera.
• Iraq recaptures Fallujah Barrage from Daesh Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- Iraq's army and volunteer fighters have recaptured a major water facility from the Takfiri Daesh terrorists as the fight continues against the militants west of the capital, Baghdad.
• Iraqi Army Imposes Curfew in City of Ramadi Amid New Daesh Attacks Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- The Iraqi Armed Forces has introduced a curfew in the central country's city of Ramadi following a number of new attacks of the Daesh militant group, media reported Tuesday.
• Security Council authorizes high seas inspections off Libya's coast, aiming to stem illegal arms flow UN News 14 Jun 2016 -- The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution today authorizing Member States, acting nationally or through regional organizations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya they believe are carrying illicit weapons.
• UN rights office urges Libyan authorities to investigate death of 12 victims of torture UN News 14 Jun 2016 -- The UN human rights office today urged the Libyan authorities to undertake an effective, thorough and impartial investigation to bring perpetrators of torture to justice, after 12 people were found dead last Friday.
• UN Greenlights EU Operation Against Libya Arms Smuggling VOA 14 Jun 2016 -- In a bid to bolster the Libyan government and stop the spread of weapons into the hands of terrorists and militias there, the U.N. Security Council adopted a measure Tuesday authorizing a European Union naval force to stop and search ships, and seize illegal arms headed to or from Libya.
• Erdogan sends first letter to Putin since Su-24 downing Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent a congratulatory letter to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the occasion of Russia's National Day in the first such contact since bilateral relations hit a low after Ankara downed a Russian fighter jet in November last year.
• Opposition warns of 'ethnic civil war' in Turkey Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- The leader of a Turkish opposition party has warned of an "ethnic civil war" in the country as a result of growing divisions between Kurds and Turks.
• Ukrainian Says 'Tortured' In Russia As Moscow, Kyiv Exchange More Prisoners RFE/RL 14 Jun 2016 -- Two Ukrainians have lambasted Russia after being freed from jail there and flown home in the second high-profile prisoner exchange in weeks, with one saying he was tortured and another predicting the two countries would be "enemies" as long as Vladimir Putin is in the Kremlin.
• Around 250 Chinese Soldiers Enter Indian Territory, Leave Hours Later Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- There had been another incident of incursion from the Chinese PLA, when 250 of them entered Indian territory but left after few hours.
• 'Little progress' made on finding viable solution to Darfur conflict - UN peacekeeping chief UN News 14 Jun 2016 -- Given the unchanged nature of the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, the mandate of the African Union-United Nations mission there should be extended for another year, without changes to its priorities or its authorized troop and police ceiling, the top UN peacekeeping official said today.

News Reports

• Obama Rebukes Trump's Call for Muslim Ban VOA 14 Jun 2016 -- Just a day after a mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was asked by reporters about pointed criticism from likely Republican nominee Donald Trump toward President Barack Obama for being "too politically correct" to utter the words "radical Islam" or "Islamic terrorism."
• Leader: Iran to torch JCPOA if US tears it out IRNA 14 Jun 2016 -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned the presidential nominees of the US to be careful about what they say, and said that Iran will torch the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if they tear it out.
• Zangeneh: Iran's oil output hits 3.8mbd IRNA 14 Jun 2016 -- Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh referred to two-fold increase in Iran's oil exports saying that oil production hit 3.8 million barrels per day.
• Iran's oil production above 3.8m bpd Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- Iran says its oil production has surpassed 3.8 million barrels per day of which about 2 million barrels are exported.
• French Police Attacker Claimed Allegiance to IS VOA 14 Jun 2016 -- France's President Francois Hollande Tuesday denounced the stabbing death of two police officials outside Paris, as the country hosts the Euro 2016 football championship. The suspect, Larossi Abballa, claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group and had a record of radicalism.
• Hollande slams French police killing as 'terrorist act' Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- French President Francois Hollande says the killing of a policeman and another individual in a Paris suburb on Monday is "unquestionably a terrorist act."
• Daeshi attacker kills police chief, wife in Paris Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- An attacker allegedly affiliated with the Daesh terrorist group has killed a police chief and his wife at their home located near Paris before being gunned down by the police.
• US Democratic National Committee Network Hacked VOA 14 Jun 2016 -- The U.S. Democratic National Committee (DNC) said Tuesday its computer network was breached by Russian government hackers who gained access to opposition information on presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
• Prolonged political crisis could erode Guinea Bissau's development gains, UN envoy warns UN News 14 Jun 2016 -- The longer the political crisis continues in Guinea Bissau, the more likely the country could see setbacks to its development and economic gains, warned the head of the United Nations peacebuilding office there, urging the Security Council to pay greater attention to the situation.
• In Brussels, Ban urges joint efforts against terrorism and in addressing displacement UN News 14 Jun 2016 -- In Brussels, Belgium, today, ahead of the start of a forum by the European Commission, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with several European officials, discussing such issues as the need for stronger international cooperation in the face of emerging challenges related to terrorism, and also visited with refugees and volunteers working at a soup kitchen.
• Premier will not rule out cross-strait 'track two' dialogue CNA 14 Jun 2016 -- Premier Lin Chuan (林全) said Tuesday that the government will not rule out the possibility of "track two" dialogue with China, as long as it is based on the principles of dignity and reciprocity.
• AIT director calls for patience in development of cross-strait ties CNA 14 Jun 2016 -- The director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) called Tuesday for patience for Taiwan and China to develop their relations, saying that it will take time for the two sides to become familiar when it comes to a new relationship.
• China to send Chang'e-4 to south pole of moon's far-side People's Daily 14 Jun 2016 -- China aims to send the Chang'e-4 lunar probe to land in the south pole region of the far side of the moon in 2018, according to China National Space Administration (CNSA).
• Kazakh Minister Says Possible Syria Link In Aqtobe Attacks RFE/RL 14 Jun 2016 -- Kazakhstan's top law enforcement official says authorities believe that suspects in deadly June 5 attacks in the northwestern city of Aqtobe were instructed or inspired by a militant Islamist leader based in Syria.
• Erdogan Sends Letter to Putin, Hopes for Improved Ties With Russia Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of Russia's national holiday, expressing hope for good bilateral relations.
• Caracas asks top court to block recall referendum Press TV 14 Jun 2016 -- The Venezuelan government has started a legal action at a top court to block what it calls a fraudulent opposition bid to hold a referendum aimed at removing President Nicolas Maduro.
• Bahrain Court Rules to Close All Opposition Al-Wefaq Party's Branches Sputnik 14 Jun 2016 -- Bahrain's Court of Cassation on Tuesday ruled to close all offices of Al-Wefaq, the largest opposition party in the Gulf countries, in a response to an appeal lodged by the country's Ministry of Justice, the ministry said in a statement.
• Uganda Tensions Rise as Presidential Challenger Tried for Treason VOA 14 Jun 2016 -- In Uganda, tensions continue to simmer, four months after the country's disputed presidential poll. A wave of arrests, including those of current and former military officers, followed by an armed attack on a police station in the north, have sparked concern this week as the runner-up in the vote goes on trial for treason.