Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 28 Jun 2016 [PDF]
• Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 28 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.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group Conducts Strikes from Med NNS 28 Jun 2016 -- The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group conducted strike missions in Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea June 28.
• Pakistan Builds Checkpoints, Plans Fence on Afghan Border VOA 28 Jun 2016 -- Pakistan plans to fence its long, porous border with Afghanistan after construction of checkpoints at all established crossings is completed, a top government adviser said Tuesday.
• Four killed in fresh US drone strike in Afghanistan's Kunduz Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- At least four people have been killed in a fresh US drone strike in Afghanistan's northern province of Kunduz, local security sources say.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US Lawmakers Vow to Continue Immigrant Program for Afghan Interpreters VOA 28 Jun 2016 -- U.S. lawmakers say they want to make sure a program that enables Afghan military interpreters to immigrate to the U.S. continues without interruption, despite the Senate's failure to extend the program earlier this month. The interpreters are often targeted by the Taliban.
• AF introduces first fully built HH-60G Ops Loss Replacement helicopter AFNS 28 Jun 2016 -- The Air Force introduced the first of 21 fully built HH-60G Pave Hawk Operational Loss Replacement (OLR) helicopters June 28 at a ceremony in Huntsville, Alabama.
• USS Makin Island Hosts Scientists to Sea NNS 28 Jun 2016 -- USS Makin Island (LHD 8) hosted 12 members of Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet's Scientists to Sea program.
• AF moving forward with restructure of missileer career field AFNS 28 Jun 2016 -- The commander of Air Force Global Strike Command directed a review of the nuclear and missile operations career field earlier this year, with the goal of creating a self-sustaining career field.
• Intense immersion training readies 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, extreme simulation USMC News 28 Jun 2016 -- Marines with Company B, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, trained in a simulated African village where they conducted patrols and defended the village from insurgents operating nearby during a training exercise at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 23, 2016.
• USS Carter Hall Arrives in Bergen, Norway NNS 28 Jun 2016 -- Amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) arrived in Bergen, Norway for a scheduled port visit, June 26 to enhance U.S.-Norway relations as the two nations work together for a stable, secure and prosperous Baltic region and Europe.
• Monterey Visits Koper, Slovenia NNS 28 Jun 2016 -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) conducted a port visit in Koper, Slovenia, June 22.
• Magic Carpet Lands Aboard Washington NNS 28 Jun 2016 -- A technology innovation that makes landing fixed-wing aircraft aboard an aircraft carrier was tested by the Strike Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX-23) aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) June 23-28.
• Pacific Dragon Exercise Concludes NNS 28 Jun 2016 -- Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet is wrapping up the third biennial exercise Pacific Dragon (PD) from June 20-28 off the coast of the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) in Kauai, Hawaii.
• US to deploy Israeli missile system on Russian borders: General Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- The US military has tested an Israeli short-range missile for possible use in its European network of missile systems to deter Russia, says a US Army general.
• Secretary General: A Strong European Union is important for NATO NATO 28 Jun 2016 -- Visiting the European Council on Tuesday (28 June 2016), Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the importance of the strategic partnership between NATO and the European Union. He highlighted that a strong European Union is important for NATO and welcomed the European Global Strategy.
• Pentagon Contacts Moscow About US Destroyer's Encounter With Russian Ship Sputnik 28 Jun 2016 -- The United States is in contact with Russian authorities about the incident concerning a Russian frigate approaching the US guided missile destroyer Gravely in the Mediterranean Sea, US Department of Defense spokesperson Michelle Baldanza told Sputnik on Tuesday.
• Moscow Says U.S. Destroyer Came Dangerously Close To Russian Ship RFE/RL 28 Jun 2016 -- Russia has complained that a U.S. naval ship passed too close to one of its ships in the Mediterranean Sea and released a video that Moscow says shows how dangerous the encounter was.
• U.S. OKs Russian Overflights Despite Worries About Intrusive Surveillance RFE/RL 28 Jun 2016 -- The United States has authorized a Russian surveillance jet to overfly U.S. territory as part of an international treaty, closing a dispute that had elicited vocal criticism from some lawmakers over the technology being used by the Russians.
• Russia First to Adopt Digital Cameras on Open Skies Flights Sputnik 28 Jun 2016 -- Russia will become the first among the 34 Open Skies Treaty countries to use digital cameras when performing observation flights, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center said on Tuesday.
• Russia Developing New Military Ship to Track Ballistic Missiles Launches Sputnik 28 Jun 2016 -- According to the manufacturing company Iceberg Central Design Bureau report, Russia is developing a new military ship that would track the launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
• Republika Srpska to Hold Referendum on NATO Membership - President Sputnik 28 Jun 2016 -- Milorad Dodik said that the Republika Srpska, an ethnically Serbian entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), will have to organize a referendum on potential membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
• Russian Helicopters Transfers Two Mi-17 Choppers to Serbian Military Sputnik 28 Jun 2016 -- According to the holding press release, Russian Helicopters company has carried out the first delivery of its choppers to Serbia.
• Military helicopter crash kills leaves 17 dead in Colombia Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- At least 17 military personnel have been killed in Colombia after an army helicopter crashed apparently due to "bad weather."
• Seoul Says North Korean Ships Equipped With US Machine Guns Sputnik 28 Jun 2016 -- North Korea has started to equip its ships with US made multi-barrelled machine guns, South Korean media reported.
• North Korea's Scuds can reach US base in Japan: Paper Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- North Korea's short-range Scud missiles are now developed enough to reach the US naval base in Japan, the South's military sources say.
• Leader appoints new chief of staff of armed forces IRNA 28 Jun 2016 -- Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Sunday appointed Major General Mohammad-Hossein Baqeri as the new chief of staff of armed forces.
• Leader appoints new Iran Armed Forces' Chief of Staff Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has appointed Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri as the new Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces.
• South Korean Government Develops Remote Controlled Howitzers Sputnik 28 Jun 2016 -- The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) of South Korea wants to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of the Republic of Korea Army's (RoKA's) 155 mm artillery systems on the battlefield.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 6/28/16 The White House 28 Jun 2016
• June 28, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 28 Jun 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 28, 2016
• Russian Military Industry Set to Become Driver of Civilian Economy Sputnik 28 Jun 2016 -- Economic analyst Dmitri Pskezin comments on the Russian government's plans to successfully convert cutting-edge developments in Russia's military sector to the civilian economy.

Other Conflicts

• 28 June 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 28 Jun 2016
• UN Appeal for More Than $21B Going Unheeded VOA 28 Jun 2016 -- The United Nations says a record number of people caught in conflict and natural disasters are in need of humanitarian assistance.At the same time the world body warns the funding response to these crises falls far short of what is needed.
• UN aid chief spotlights need to bridge humanitarian-development divides UN News 28 Jun 2016 -- The United Nations humanitarian chief today stressed the need to transcend the divide between relief aid and development work, urging action on global commitments made at last month's World Humanitarian Summit (WHS).
• China resolutely defends South China Sea sovereignty despite US military muscle: People's Daily People's Daily 28 Jun 2016 -- The US is accelerating its militarization of the seas by flexing its military muscles even as China exercises maximum restraint on the South China Sea issue, the People's Daily said in a commentary published on Monday.
• Saudi airstrikes leave 40 Yemeni civilians dead despite truce Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- At least 40 civilians have been killed as Saudi warplanes bombed Yemen's Ta'izz Province in violation of a UN-brokered ceasefire.
• Syria army retakes control of 90% of Mallah farms: Report Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- The Syrian armed forces have managed to wrest control of more than 90 percent of the Mallah farms near the northwestern city of Aleppo, says a report.
• Revised Pentagon program trains less than 100 Syria militants Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- A revamped training program by the Pentagon has trained less than 100 additional militants to combat Daesh terrorists in Syria, US officials said.
• Iraqis fleeing Fallujah in dire conditions, need aid: Charity Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- Civilians fleeing the Iraqi city of Fallujah, which was recently liberated from the grip of Takfiri Daesh terrorists, are in urgent need of aid with poor sanitary conditions threatening their health, a charity says.
• Planning Underway to Liberate Iraq's Mosul VOA 28 Jun 2016 -- After Iraqi officials declared Fallujah fully liberated, the U.S. envoy to the coalition against Islamic State (IS) militants told lawmakers on Tuesday "planning is now underway" for a military campaign to free Mosul from the terrorist group.
• Select Committee on Benghazi Releases Proposed Report Select Committee on Benghazi 28 Jun 2016 -- The committee’s proposed report is just over 800 pages long and is comprised of five primary sections and 12 appendices. It details relevant events in 2011 and 2012.
• US House Probe: No New Evidence of Wrongdoing By Clinton in Benghazi Attack VOA 28 Jun 2016 -- A Republican-led investigation of a 2012 terrorist attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Libya that killed four Americans ended Tuesday with no new allegations about the actions of then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, now the presumptive 2016 Democratic presidential nominee.
• Report Finds US Military Showed Up Late During Benghazi Attack Sputnik 28 Jun 2016 -- None of the relevant US military forces met their required deployment timelines during the 2012 attack on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, according to the US House Benghazi Committee.
• UN Security Council strongly condemns terrorist attacks in Lebanon UN News 28 Jun 2016 -- The United Nations Security Council has condemned "in the strongest terms" three consecutive terrorist attacks that occurred yesterday in the northern town of Qaa, which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries.
• In Jerusalem and Gaza, Ban urges 'courageous steps' for lasting two-State solution UN News 28 Jun 2016 -- Following a meeting this morning in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the leader to take the "courageous steps" necessary for a negotiated two-State solution in order to bring lasting peace, security and dignity for the people of both Israel and Palestine.

News Reports

• Deadly Explosions Hit Istanbul International Airport RFE/RL 28 Jun 2016 -- At least 36 people were killed and scores more wounded in a suicide attack on Istanbul's main international airport late on June 28.
• Secretary-General condemns deadly terrorist attack at international airport in Istanbul UN News 28 Jun 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned today's terrorist attack at Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport, according to his spokesperson.
• Turkish PM Calls for National Unity as Airport Death Toll Rises VOA 28 Jun 2016 -- Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim issued a call for national unity early Wednesday as his country faced a rising death toll from a suicide attack that killed at least 39 people at Istanbul's Ataturk international airport.
• Brexit's Impact on Russia Stirs Concern VOA 28 Jun 2016 -- There is growing angst over how Britain's decision to leave the European Union will impact Russia's strategic footing around the globe, but disagreement about how much it will affect Moscow, just as the West moves to curb Russian aggression in the Baltics and Syria.
• Lithuania Rues Losing Strong Defender Of Russian Sanctions In EU RFE/RL 28 Jun 2016 -- Lithuania, concerned about losing a strong defender of Russian sanctions in the European Union, has called for a gradual British exit from the EU that preserves ties with London.
• Global Markets Take Another Drubbing On 'Brexit' Worries RFE/RL 28 Jun 2016 -- Britain's vote to leave the European Union spurred another wave of selloffs in global markets on June 27, with the British pound falling to a fresh 31-year low despite government reassurances.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow June 28, 2016 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 28 Jun 2016
• US accuses Russia of harassing its diplomats Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- The United States has complained bitterly to Moscow over harassment of American diplomats by Russian security agents and traffic police, the State Department says.
• Russia Calls Former U.S. Ambassador 'Incompetent,' Complains Of FBI, CIA Harassment RFE/RL 28 Jun 2016 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry has launched a fresh volley in an increasingly ugly war of words with its U.S. counterparts, calling a former U.S. envoy incompetent and complaining that Washington was pressuring Russian diplomats.
• U.S. Complains To Russia About Increased Harassment Of Diplomats RFE/RL 28 Jun 2016 -- Russian harassment and spying on U.S. diplomats in Moscow has increased significantly, an issue that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry raised recently with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Briefing on Situation on Korean Peninsula Given for Diplomatic Envoys Here from Asian Countries KCNA 28 Jun 2016 -- The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK organized a briefing on the recent situation on the Korean peninsula for diplomatic envoys here from Asian countries Tuesday.
• CPC leadership on reform: vested interests to be challenged People's Daily 28 Jun 2016 -- A top-level reform group headed by President Xi Jinping has likened the country's reform drive to a "revolution" that challenges vested interests, while calling for real action to keep it going.
• Senate report finds Brazil's Rousseff innocent of fiscal wrongdoing Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- An investigation by the Brazilian Senate into allegations against suspended President Dilma Rousseff has found her innocent of fiscal wrongdoing.
• IRGC forces kill 11 terrorists in northwest Iran Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) forces have destroyed an 11-member gang of terrorists tied to an anti-Iran Kurdish terror outfit.
• Iran dismantles anti-revolution team in Kurdistan province ISNA 28 Jun 2016 -- Commander of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Kurdistan Province Mohammad-Hassan Rajabi said the forces have completely dismantled an anti-revolution team in the province, located in western Iran.
• Myanmar: Trafficking Downgrade Would be a Mistake VOA 28 Jun 2016 -- Myanmar is pushing back against a report the U.S. will demote the country to the lowest level on Washington's human trafficking index.
• Cross-Taiwan Strait interaction not entirely cut off: premier CNA 28 Jun 2016 -- Interactions between Taiwan and China have not been completely cut off, and the government is making efforts to reach out to China, Premier Lin Chuan (林全) said Tuesday.
• S. Africa's Zuma Ordered to Repay Gov't $500K for Home Upgrades VOA 28 Jun 2016 -- President Jacob Zuma must pay back about $500,000, or three percent of the public funds used to upgrade his personal country home, says South Africa's treasury.
• Venezuela ruling party may seek to dissolve congress Press TV 28 Jun 2016 -- Venezuela's coalition government is reportedly seeking to dissolve the congress, as rifts keep widening between President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition, which controls the chamber.
• Netherlands, Italy to Share UN Security Council Seat VOA 28 Jun 2016 -- The Netherlands and Italy took the rare step Tuesday of agreeing to share a two-year seat on the U.N. Security Council, after a contest that ended in a dead heat.