Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 17 Jun 2016 [PDF]
• Officials Provide Details of Latest Counter-ISIL Strikes in Syria, Iraq AFPS 17 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.
• DOD Releases Report on Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan DoD 17 Jun 2016 -- Today the Department of Defense provided to Congress a report on "Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan" covering events during the period from December 1, 2015 to May 31, 2016.
• Afghans Feel Less Secure Than in Taliban Years, Pentagon Report Says VOA 17 Jun 2016 -- According to the Pentagon, Afghan citizens feel less secure now than at any other time in the recent past, as civilian casualties rise to their highest level in seven years.
• Centcom Officials Announce Counterterrorism Strikes in Yemen AFPS 17 Jun 2016 -- The U.S. military conducted three counterterrorism strikes June 8-12 against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula in central Yemen, killing six al-Qaida operatives and injuring one, U.S. Central Command officials announced today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Defense Secretary Ash Carter Releases Hack the Pentagon Results DoD 17 Jun 2016 -- Today, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter released the final results from the Hack the Pentagon cybersecurity initiative, the first bug bounty in the history of the federal government. At an event in the Pentagon, the Secretary also personally thanked two hackers who participated in the competition, Craig Arendt and David Dworken.
• Carter Announces 'Hack the Pentagon' Program Results AFPS 17 Jun 2016 -- Cracking open his laptop between classes as he finished up his senior year in high school, 18-year-old David Dworken was on an important mission for the Pentagon, according to Defense Secretary Ash Carter.
• Remarks by Secretary Carter at Hack the Pentagon Ceremony DoD 17 Jun 2016 -- Secretary of Defense Ash Carter
• Navy to Christen Destroyer Michael Monsoor DoD 17 Jun 2016 -- The Navy will christen the newest destroyer, USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001), Saturday, June 18 during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at the General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath, Maine.
• 6th ESB puts engineering skills to test at exercise Red Dagger USMC News 17 Jun 2016 -- Marines with Company C, 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces Reserve, based out of Peoria, Illinois, participated in exercise Red Dagger at various training locations across the northeast United States, June 3-17, 2016.
• Secretary of the Navy Visits USS Mason for Biofuel RAS NNS 17 Jun 2016 -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, along with Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy Joseph M. Bryan and Chief of the Italian Navy Adm. Guiseppe De Giorgi, visited guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) to observe the ship's role in the Great Green Fleet (GGF) initiative, June 16.
• John C. Stennis Hosts Indian LNO NNS 17 Jun 2016 -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Sailors hosted a naval liaison officer (LNO) from the Indian navy during Malabar 2016, June 17.
• US 'Dramatically' Increasing Naval Fleet Size, Maritime Presence Sputnik 17 Jun 2016 -- The US Navy is growing its fleet, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said.
• Global Hawk gets innovative ISR payload adapter AFNS 17 Jun 2016 -- Using a cooperative research and development agreement, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, partnering with Northrop Grumman and Air Combat Command, has developed an innovative solution to the tricky problem of how to connect existing and future information gathering sensor capabilities, not currently designed for the Block 30 RQ-4 Global Hawk high altitude long endurance unmanned aircraft system, to link with the airframe system. Through the agreement, the ISR payload adapter was conceived and flown within seven months.
• NATO Secretary General and Libyan Foreign Minister discuss how NATO can support Libya NATO 17 Jun 2016 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met Mohamed Taha Siala, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Libya on Friday (17 June 2016). They discussed the political and security situation in Libya. The Secretary General said he was encouraged by the progress made by the Government of National Accord led by Prime Minister Fayez Al Sarraj and conveyed NATO's support for the political dialogue process led by the United Nations.
• Russia May Move Military Units Anywhere on Own Territory Sputnik 17 Jun 2016 -- Russia has the full right to deploy military units within its own borders, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.
• Jet Set: Russia's T-50 Stealth Fighter 'Ready for Mass Production' Sputnik 17 Jun 2016 -- Russia's new state-of-the-art fighter is poised and ready to be mass produced, according to the Russian newspaper Izvestia.
• Azerbaijan to kick off major military drills near disputed Karabakh Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- Azerbaijan will launch military drills near Nagorno-Karabakh two months after fighting erupted with Armenian forces over the disputed Caucasus region, the country's defense ministry says.
• Expert: No more than 100 Xian Y-20s will be deployed to troops People's Daily 17 Jun 2016 -- Recently, news that the first batch of China's Xian Y-20 large military transport aircraft has been deployed to troops appeared on Weibo and in online military forums.
• Up and Away: India's Trainer Aircraft Makes Its First Flight Sputnik 17 Jun 2016 -- India has produced a trainer aircraft, the Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40; the plane took off for its first official flight in Bangalore on Friday.
• Iran armed forces will not allow any aggression: Commander IRNA 17 Jun 2016 -- The Iranian armed forces will not allow any acts of aggression against the Islamic Republic, says General Heshmatollah Malekian Commander of the Army Ground Force's Northwestern Base.
• US House okays sales of more banned bombs to Saudi Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- The United States House of Representatives has approved the sales of more cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia despite an international ban on the controversial munitions.
• View From Above: India to Launch High Resolution Surveillance Satellite Sputnik 17 Jun 2016 -- India's soon to be launched Cartosat-2 series satellite is capable of monitoring foreign troops, allowing the country's military to detect incursions and other activities.
• Taiwan, U.S. to hold defense review talks soon: sources CNA 17 Jun 2016 -- Defense officials from Taiwan and the United States will meet soon for the first time since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office in May, to discuss exchanges between their armed forces and joint training programs, sources said Thursday.
• China Seeks Closer Military Ties With Indonesia VOA 17 Jun 2016 -- China's plan to build military ties with Indonesia is not likely to bring any rapid changes to the two country's relationship, regional experts say. Over the long run, they say, Beijing may be seeking to build support for its claims over much of the South China Sea.
• June 17, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 17 Jun 2016
• Press Gaggle by Deputy Press Secretary Jennifer Friedman en route New Mexico The White House 17 Jun 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 17, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 17 June 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 17 Jun 2016
• UAE has not ended Yemen attacks: Emirati foreign minister Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- A senior Emirati official has withdrawn his earlier comments that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had ended its combat operations in Yemen, saying his country is still "at war."
• 'Militants use poisonous weapons against Syria soldiers' Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- Syria's official news agency says foreign-backed militants have used "poisonous" weapons to attack government soldiers in a suburb of the country's capital.
• Official accuses Russia of attacking US-backed militants in Syria Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- An American official has expressed grave concern over allegation of Russia's bombing of US-backed militants in Syria.
• US officials call for attack on Damascus Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- US State Department officials have called for strikes against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
• U.S. Blames Russia For Syrian Air Strikes; Moscow Countercharges RFE/RL 17 Jun 2016 -- The United States has accused Russia of carrying out air strikes in southern Syria against rebels, including forces backed by the United States, that are battling the Islamic State group.
• Dozens Of U.S. Diplomats Urge Air Strikes Against Syrian Forces RFE/RL 17 Jun 2016 -- More than 50 U.S. State Department officials have signed an internal memo that criticizes U.S. policy in Syria and calls for air strikes against Syrian government forces.
• Syrian Opposition Inclusion to Gov't to Ensure Political System Stability Sputnik 17 Jun 2016 -- A proposal, supported by Russia and the United States, to include representatives of the Syrian opposition into the government structures will guaranty stability of the political system and boost anti-terror efforts, Tarek Ahmad, a member of the Hmeymim opposition group, told Sputnik Friday.
• Putin Says First Priority in Syria is to Keep the Country Unified Sputnik 17 Jun 2016 -- It is of major importance is to prevent Syrian coup d`etat, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.
• US Diplomats Used Memo to Compel Russia to Work With Them on Assad Sputnik 17 Jun 2016 -- An internal memo on Syria advocating for military strikes against President Bashar Assad's forces, signed by dozens of US diplomats, is a way to force Moscow to cooperate with the US leadership regarding the future of Assad as the Syrian leader, a source in the Syrian opposition told Sputnik Friday.
• Much-needed aid reached some 87,500 people in Syria's besieged cities, UN reports UN News 17 Jun 2016 -- Over the past two days, humanitarian convoys have delivered aid to thousands of beneficiaries in several besieged areas of war-torn Syria, including some 50,000 beneficiaries in Afrin, in the country's north, and an estimated 37,500 residents of Al-Waer, near Homs, according to the United Nations relief wing.
• Russia Bombs US-Backed Rebels in Syria VOA 17 Jun 2016 -- Russian aircraft have dropped bombs on rebels battling Islamic State in southern Syria, including those supported by the United States, a senior U.S. official said.
• Internal US Memo Critical of Syria Policy Draws 50-plus Signatures VOA 17 Jun 2016 -- The former U.S. ambassador to Syria says it is highly unusual, if not unprecedented, for more than 50 State Department diplomats to sign an internal diplomatic cable critical of U.S. administration policy.
• Daesh has no place in Iraq, Mosul liberation is near, Iraqi PM says Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- Iraqi premier has congratulated the nation for the liberation of Fallujah from the grip of the Daesh militant group, saying there is no place in his country for the Takfiri terrorists.
• Kurdish Forces Clash with Iran Troops on Iraqi Border VOA 17 Jun 2016 -- Kurdish rebels on Friday clashed with Iran's Revolutionary Guards for a second consecutive day in a border area between Iraq and Iran, Kurdish officials and Iranian state media said.
• Iraqi Fallujah liberated from Daesh terrorists IRNA 17 Jun 2016 -- Iraqi forces have liberated key areas in Fallujah from Daesh terrorists, raising the national flag of the country over the government buildings.
• Bombing, clashes leave 12 police dead in northern Iraq Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- At least a dozen Iraqi police officers, including a commander, were killed in a bomb attack as well as clashes with the Takfiri Daesh terrorists in the northern province of Salahuddin, a source said Friday.
• Iraqi troops retake govt. compound in center of Fallujah Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- Iraqi forces have retaken the main government compound in the center of Fallujah from Daesh militants, symbolizing government control of the city.
• Iraqi PM Announces Liberation of Most Part of Fallujah From Daesh Sputnik 17 Jun 2016 -- On Friday Iraqi security forces have managed to regain control over most part of the city of Fallujah.
• Iraqi Special Forces Retake Fallujah Government Building VOA 17 Jun 2016 -- After weeks of fierce fighting, Iraqi security forces on Friday broke through Islamic State defenses to reach the center of Fallujah, a city just west of Baghdad controlled by IS for more than two years.
• Russia's Putin slams West over backing 'coup d'etat' in Ukraine Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly criticized the West's support for 'a coup d'etat' in Ukraine in 2014, blaming it for the bloodshed that plagued the country.
• Russian forces kill 6 militants in restive Dagestan Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- At least six militants have been killed when Russian law enforcement forces carried out separate counter terrorism operations in the troubled North Caucasus republic of Dagestan.
• Boko Haram militants fatally shoot 18 women in Nigeria Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- The Takfiri Boko Haram militants have shot and killed at least 18 women when they stormed a funeral in a village in Nigeria's troubled northeastern state of Adamawa.
• 2.7 Million Displaced in Niger Need Urgent Aid VOA 17 Jun 2016 -- Ahead of World Refugee Day on Monday, U.N. agencies say rapid assistance is needed for the more than 2.7 million people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin over the past three years. The United Nations has called it the fastest growing displacement crisis in Africa.
• Central African Republic: UN mission strongly condemns escalation of violence in country's west UN News 17 Jun 2016 -- The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has expressed deep concern at the deteriorating security situation in Ngaoundaye, Ouham Pende Prefecture, in the west of the country following attacks and retaliation between groups backed by Christian militias and herders supported by Muslim fighters, since 10 June.
• Latest Ethiopia-Eritrea Clash is Culmination of Long-festering Tensions VOA 17 Jun 2016 -- Despite a lull after hostilities earlier this week, tensions remain high across the militarized border between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
• Burundi: On second visit to country, UN human rights experts call for concrete steps to end crisis UN News 17 Jun 2016 -- Concluding their second visit to Burundi, a team of United Nations independent human rights experts welcomed certain improvements in the country, but warned that the recent "calm should not be confused with long term stability," and also called on all parties in the country to stop the use of violence as a political tool.

News Reports

• P5+1 must fulfill JCPOA obligations: Iranian official Press TV 17 Jun 2016 -- A senior Iranian diplomat says the P5+1 group of countries must completely fulfill all its obligations, particularly in the banking sector, under the nuclear agreement it reached with Iran last July.
• U.S. Efforts to Advance Civilian Security in Central America's Northern Triangle US Dept. of State 17 Jun 2016 -- Special Briefing by William R. Brownfield, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs