Further Reading

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 01 Jul 2016 [PDF]
• Coalition Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Iraq, Syria AFPS 01 Jul 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.
• Coalition leader talks airpower effects AFNS 01 Jul 2016 -- The head of U.S. Air Forces Central Command took time June 28 to discuss the impact airpower has had in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and throughout the region during a visit with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing.
• Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on confirmation of two ISIL senior military commanders DoD 01 Jul 2016 -- Coalition forces conducted an airstrike against two ISIL senior military commanders on June 25 near Mosul, Iraq, resulting in their deaths. The precision strike killed Basim Muhammad Ahmad Sultan al-Bajari, ISIL's deputy minister of war, and Hatim Talib al-Hamduni, an ISIL military commander in Mosul.
• FACT SHEET: Executive Order on the US Policy on Pre & Post-Strike Measures to Address Civilian Casualties in the US Operations Involving the Use of Force & the DNI Release of Aggregate Data on Strike Outside Area of Active Hostilities The White House 01 Jul 2016
• US Releases Report on Civilians Killed in Drone, Air Strikes VOA 01 Jul 2016 -- The White House has released a long-anticipated report on civilians killed in drone strikes outside active conflict zones, saying between 64 to 116 civilians have been killed between 2009 and 2015.
• Intense Fighting in Afghan Provinces Kills Dozens VOA 01 Jul 2016 -- Intense fighting has broken out in several Afghan provinces over the last few days, with government forces and their Taliban foes each claiming to have inflicted heavy casualties. Afghan security troops also have been battling Islamic State militants.
• Obama Releases Numbers on Civilian Casualties Caused by US Drones Sputnik 01 Jul 2016 -- After being pressured for years to release data related to drone-related casualties, US President Barack Obama issued a report on Friday which claims only 116 civilians have been mistakenly killed by since he took office. The figures are markedly lower than those presented by human rights groups.

Defense Policy / Programs

• USS Patriot Commences Summer Patrol NNS 01 Jul 2016 -- The Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Patriot (MCM 7) departed Sasebo, Japan, July 2 for a routine patrol in U.S. 7th area of operations.
• First USAF F-35A takes overseas flight to England AFNS 01 Jul 2016 -- The Air Combat Command F-35A Heritage Flight team accomplished America's first transatlantic flight in an F-35A Lightning II, with refueling support from a KC-10 Extender, when it touched down here June 30.
• Senegal, U.S. build partnership through advanced training USMC News 01 Jul 2016 -- Senegal's Compagnie Fusilier de Marin Commando surpassed new training milestones during a three-week exercise with Marines from Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response–Africa in Thies, Senegal, June 6-24, 2016.
• USS Ashland Transits South China Sea NNS 01 Jul 2016 -- Amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) completed a multiday transit of the South China Sea as the ship continues to operate in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, July 1.
• RIMPAC SoCal 2016 Kicks Off NNS 01 Jul 2016 -- The multinational exercise Rim of the Pacific Southern California 2016 kicked off June 30, occurring in and around Southern California through Aug. 4.
• Navy Awards Contracts for Fleet Replenishment Oiler and Amphibious Assault Ship NNS 01 Jul 2016 -- The Navy awarded two contracts key to future amphibious operations and replenishment missions, June 30. The combined total projected contract value of these contracts is approximately $6.3 billion.
• Submarine USS Topeka Returns from National Tasking NNS 01 Jul 2016 -- Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754) returned to its homeport of Polaris Point, Guam, on July 1 following a two-month forward operating period to the Western Pacific.
• Laboon Participates in Group Sail NNS 01 Jul 2016 -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) departed its homeport of Norfolk, June 27 to participate in a group sail in preparation for an upcoming deployment with Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 2.
• Carrier Strike Group 5 conducts patrol in South China Sea NNS 01 Jul 2016 -- Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5, including the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) and USS Shiloh (CG 67); Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers from Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and aircraft from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, is conducting routine operations in the South China Sea.
• USS America Arrives in Hawaii for RIMPAC 2016 NNS 01 Jul 2016 -- Sailors and Marines manned the rails of the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) as it pulled pierside in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in preparation for the Rim of the Pacific 2016 Exercise, June 30.
• Canada to send 1,000 soldiers to Latvia for NATO brigade Press TV 01 Jul 2016 -- Canada will send 1,000 troops to Latvia to join one of NATO's battalions that are being assembled in Eastern Europe in a show of force against Russia.
• Putin: NATO Jets Fly Over Baltics Without Turning on Identification Devices Sputnik 01 Jul 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said that NATO jets fly over the Baltic region without turning on their identification devices more often that Russian military aircraft.
• Putin Hints At Troop Movements If Finland Joins NATO RFE/RL 01 Jul 2016 -- President Vladimir Putin has indicated that Russia would move troops toward its border with Finland if the Scandinavian country became a member of NATO, whose eastward expansion since the fall of the Soviet Union has long angered the Kremlin.
• Top Secret Project 705: Soviet Submarine Still Causing a Stir in the West Sputnik 01 Jul 2016 -- The Soviet top secret Project 705 is still prompting heated debate: the question remains open whether the superfast elusive Cold War-era Lira-class submarine or its successor will ever enter service again.
• Russia Plans to Sell Over 120 Mi-28NE, Mi-35M Helicopters in 2016-2018 Sputnik 01 Jul 2016 -- Russia's Rostvertol plant, manufacturing military and commercial helicopters, plans to supply domestic and foreign customers with over 120 Mi-28NE attack helicopters and multirole Mi-35M helicopters in 2016-2018, the company said in its annual report for 2015.
• Russia Preparing to Test-Fly Advanced Sarmat ICBMs Sputnik 01 Jul 2016 -- Russia started preparations for flight tests of the country's latest Sarmat silo-based heavy ballistic missiles, local Izvestia newspaper reported Friday, citing military sources.
• Russia to Respond to US Missile Defense in Poland - Putin Sputnik 01 Jul 2016 -- Russia will be forced to respond adequately to the deployment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) missile defense system in Poland and the Western alliance's estward military buildup, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.
• Thai navy gains approval to buy three Chinese-built, Yuan-class submarines People's Daily 01 Jul 2016 -- Thai Deputy Premier Prawit Wongsuwan confirmed on Friday that Thailand will buy three Chinese-built submarines for a combined price of one billion U.S. dollars.
• UK High Court to Start Legal Review of Country's Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia Sputnik 01 Jul 2016 -- The High Court of Justice of England and Wales has allowed to start a legal review of country's arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
• Iran likely to hold joint naval drills: Commander Press TV 01 Jul 2016 -- Iran will probably hold joint naval drills with certain regional and extra-regional countries, Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari says.
• S-300 to go operational in Iran by year-end: Commander Press TV 01 Jul 2016 -- A senior Iranian commander says the S-300 long-range missile defense system is to go operational in Iran by the end of the Iranian calendar year (March 2017).
• Iran's Russian-Made S-300 Systems to Become Operational by March 20 Sputnik 01 Jul 2016 -- The Russian-made S-300 air defense systems delivered to Iran will become operational by late March 2017, local media reported Friday.
• China Sea Dispute Drives Interest in India's Anti-ship Missile VOA 01 Jul 2016 -- India's plans to sell advanced missile systems to countries like Vietnam got a boost this week after New Delhi joined an exclusive global club of countries controlling the export of missile technology.
• Japan plans to spend $40 billion on fighter planes to respond to China People's Daily 01 Jul 2016 -- According to a report of Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao" on June 30, Japan's defense ministry is about to promote a fighter procurement bidding project as early as mid-July. The transaction could be worth up to 40 billion dollars.
• Navy ship fires anti-ship missile by mistake CNA 01 Jul 2016 -- The Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy said that one of its 500-ton corvettes based in southern Taiwan launched a supersonic anti-ship missile by mistake early Friday.
• Accidental firing of missile likely due to human error: Navy CNA 01 Jul 2016 -- The Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy said that the accidental firing of an anti-ship missile from one of its Chinchiang-class corvettes in a Kaohsiung naval base Friday was most likely caused by human error.
• No abnormalities detected in Chinese fleets: Taiwan's Navy CNA 01 Jul 2016 -- No abnormalities have been detected in China's naval or air force fleets after a missile was mistakenly launched by a warship during a testing drill from a military base in southern Taiwan earlier Friday, the Navy said.
• Missile fired by mistake did not cross Taiwan Strait median line: Navy CNA 01 Jul 2016 -- Taiwan's Navy said Friday that a supersonic anti-ship missile fired by mistake earlier in the day did not cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait when it fell into waters off outlying Penghu County.
• China asks Taiwan to explain missile blunder CNA 01 Jul 2016 -- China's top official on Taiwan affairs said Friday that Taiwan should provide a "responsible" explanation for launching a missile accidentally into the Taiwan Strait earlier in the day, calling it a "serious" matter.
• Military apologizes for casualty caused by missile blunder CNA 01 Jul 2016 -- The Ministry of National Defense (MND) apologized Friday after a missile launched from a Taiwanese Navy corvette by mistake earlier in the day slammed into a Taiwanese fishing boat in the Taiwan Strait, killing its captain.
• Navy unclear why mistakenly fired missile did not self-destruct CNA 01 Jul 2016 -- The Navy will investigate why the self-destruct mechanism of a missile that was fired by mistake Friday morning was not activated before hitting a fishing boat, said Navy Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mei Chia-shu (梅家樹).
• Soldier fires missile without any supervisors present: Navy CNA 01 Jul 2016 -- The man behind a fatal missile blunder by Taiwan's military on Friday was a Navy sergeant who set off the missile without following procedures or without any superior officers present while the missile was in the wrong launch mode, the Navy said.
• Home countries of migrants injured in missile blunder informed: MOFA CNA 01 Jul 2016 -- Taiwan has briefed the home countries of the two foreign fishing workers injured when a missile was accidentally fired from a Taiwanese military base Friday morning, hitting the fishing boat carrying the migrants, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said.
• July 1, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 01 Jul 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 01, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 1 July 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 01 Jul 2016
• China not to compromise on national sovereignty: President Xi Press TV 01 Jul 2016 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping says Beijing will never compromise on its sovereignty ahead of an international court hearing over the territorial dispute with its neighbors.
• China's Defense Ministry responds on the possibility to tow away the Philippine warship from the Ren'ai Reef People's Daily 01 Jul 2016 -- Wu Qian, the Defense Ministry spokesman says that the PLA has the determination and ability to safeguard sovereignty and the territorial integrity of the country during a press conference held in Thursday afternoon in Beijing.
• South China Sea arbitration nothing more than a political farce: People's Daily People's Daily 01 Jul 2016 -- Given the lack of legal validity of the arbitral tribunal of the South China Sea case, China does not accept any propositions or actions based on the arbitration, instead, stands ready to safeguard its own territorial sovereignty and maritime interests in the South China Sea through firm and strong actions, read a People's Daily commentary on Thursday.
• Assad: West attacks us politically, deals with us secretly Press TV 01 Jul 2016 -- President Bashar al-Assad says Western countries follow a policy of double standards toward Syria, dealing secretly with his government while aiding militants to topple him at the same time.
• Loose Interpretation: Russian Military Criticizes Pentagon Remarks on Syria Sputnik 01 Jul 2016 -- The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday strongly criticized recent remarks by US Defense Secretary Ash Carter about Russia's role in the anti-terrorism fight in Syria.
• Syrian Militants Whom US Refused to Add to Terror List Shell UN Convoy Sputnik 01 Jul 2016 -- Jaysh al-Islam, a group that is trying to overthrow Bashar al-Assad and establish a caliphate in Syria, has shelled a UN humanitarian convoy in the province of Damascus, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. Moscow urged the UN to designate the group as a terrorist organization, but the US blocked this initiative.
• 3.6 million Iraqi children at risk from increasing violence: UN Press TV 01 Jul 2016 -- A UN report has revealed that 3.6 million children in Iraq, meaning one in five, are at the serious risk of death, injury, sexual violence, abduction and recruitment into Takfiri militant groups wreaking havoc in the crisis-hit Arab country.
• Despite hopes for calm during the holy month of Ramadan, hundreds killed in Iraq: UN UN News 01 Jul 2016 -- At least 662 Iraqis – half of them civilians – were killed and another 1,457 were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in the country in June, according to latest figures released by the United Nations political mission in Iraq.
• Libya's unity government sacks four ministers Press TV 01 Jul 2016 -- Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) said Friday it had sacked four ministers from the recently-formed cabinet.
• Libya: UN mission documents 49 civilian casualties in June UN News 01 Jul 2016 -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) reported today that for the month of June, it documented 49 civilian casualties, including 18 deaths and 31 injuries, as a result of hostilities across the country.
• Israel imposes closure on al-Khalil, surrounding areas Press TV 01 Jul 2016 -- Israel imposed a closure Friday on the occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron) and its surrounding areas hours after an Israeli man was killed there.
• Israel must cease settlement expansion in Palestine: Quartet report Press TV 01 Jul 2016 -- A much-awaited report by the foursome of nations and entities involved in mediating the so-called peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has called on the Tel Aviv regime to put an end to its settlement expansion activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
• Diplomatic Quartet releases report on advancing two-state solution to Israel-Palestine conflict UN News 01 Jul 2016 -- The United Nations and its diplomatic partners in the Middle East peace process today released the first report of its kind, which analysed the impediments to a lasting resolution to the Palestinian–Israeli conflict and offered recommendations on the way forward, urging Israel to stop its settlement policy and Palestine to end incitement to violence.
• UN urges more aid for people in north-east Nigeria, once inaccessible due to Boko Haram threat UN News 01 Jul 2016 -- Tens of thousands of children in northeast Nigeria will die of malnutrition this year unless they receive treatment soon, the United Nations today warned after reaching areas in the north-east of the country which had been cut off by Boko Haram violence.
• Somali President to al-Shabab: 'Abandon This Suicidal Mission' VOA 01 Jul 2016 -- Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Friday called on al-Shabab militants to end what he called their "suicidal mission" and stop their brutal attacks.

News Reports

• Political Knives Flashing as Brexit Fallout Turns Allies into Foes VOA 01 Jul 2016 -- "Tory Day of Treachery" was the headline blazoned across Friday's front page of the Daily Mail, an influential middle-market British tabloid that campaigned vigorously to break with the European Union.
• Gunmen in Bangladesh Open Fire, Take Hostages at Restaurant VOA 01 Jul 2016 -- Police in Bangladesh say gunmen have attacked a restaurant in the diplomatic zone of the capital, Dhaka, and have taken around 20 hostages.
• Turkish parliament passes law to restructure judiciary Press TV 01 Jul 2016 -- The Turkish parliament has approved legislation to restructure high courts and remove hundreds of top judges in what is regarded as part of government's efforts to weed out the followers of Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Muslim cleric and opponent of the Turkish president.
• Xi Jinping: China Will Oppose Actions Aimed at Taiwanese Independence Sputnik 01 Jul 2016 -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping said that peaceful development between mainland China and Taiwan was the only way toward reunification and warned against separatist sentiments. China will adhere to the "one country, two systems" principle in relations with Hong Kong and Macau, he added.
• Poll: For Hong Kong Citizens, Sense of Chinese Identity Hits New Low VOA 01 Jul 2016 -- As Hong Kong marks 19 years since its handover from Britain, a new poll indicates an all-time low in the collective sense of pride as Chinese citizens, and feelings about Beijing's policies toward the city.
• Chinese Communist Party lauded for strength, achievements on 95th birthday People's Daily 01 Jul 2016 -- International observers are marvelling at the sustained vigor and vitality of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the glorious achievements it has made in China's development as the party celebrates its 95th birthday Thursday.
• Xi Urges Chinese Communist Party to Embrace Marxist Roots VOA 01 Jul 2016 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping marked the Communist Party's 95th anniversary with a speech that emphasized how Marxism remains core to the party's identity, and analysts saw the remarks as further signs of the leader's intolerance for political liberalization.
• China Seeks Western Help to Nab Fleeing Corruption Suspects VOA 01 Jul 2016 -- China is stepping up requests for cooperation in hunting down corruption suspects that have fled overseas. But while the Chinese government has sought to extradite suspects, but many Western countries, including the United States, have been reluctant to sign extradition treaties with China because of alleged human rights abuses.
• Celebrations, Protests Mark Hong Kong Handover Anniversary VOA 01 Jul 2016 -- Tens of thousands of protesters filled the streets of Hong Kong Friday, as the city marked the 19th anniversary of its handover from Britain to China.
• Kim Jong Un Meets Special Envoy of First Secretary of CPC Central Committee KCNA 01 Jul 2016 -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, on Thursday met Salvador Antonio Valdes Mesa, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) and vice-president of the Council of State of Cuba, and his party on a visit to the DPRK as a special envoy of Raul Castro Ruz, first secretary of the C.C., CPC.
• DPRK's Future Is Bright: Leading Newspapers KCNA 01 Jul 2016 -- The Fourth Session of the 13th Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK held here on June 29 elected the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un as chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK.
• CIA Held Man at Afghan Black Site, Despite Knowing They Had Wrong Person Sputnik 01 Jul 2016 -- A recently released internal report from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reveals their agents knew early on they had made an error and arrested the wrong man, yet continued the detention for four months at a clandestine black site.
• Chinese man to serve jail time in US over smuggling charges Press TV 01 Jul 2016 -- A Chinese man has received a 30-month prison sentence in America over charges of smuggling military equipment to his homeland, the US Justice Department says.
• Ramzan Kadyrov's Trojan Horse RFE/RL 01 Jul 2016 -- It is no secret that Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has long considered Daghestan's Khasavyurt district that borders on Chechnya part of his bailiwick. Two recent interlinked moves are clearly intended to strengthen his influence not only in Khasavyurt, but elsewhere in Daghestan.
• Thai Junta Vows Continued 'Zero Tolerance' After Trafficking List Upgrade VOA 01 Jul 2016 -- Thailand's military government is expressing appreciation for its upgrade on a closely watched index of human trafficking. Meanwhile, officials in Myanmar are lamenting the country being blacklisted in the U.S. State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.
• Austria's Highest Court Overturns Presidential Election Results VOA 01 Jul 2016 -- Austria's highest court has overturned the results of presidential election, citing procedural irregularities and ordered a rerun to be held in September or October, an unprecedented decision in the country's post-war history.
• China announces successful satellite in-orbit refuelling People's Daily 01 Jul 2016 -- China has successfully completed the in-space refuelling of orbital satellites following last week's launch of a new-generation carrier rocket, the National University of Defense Technology announced on Thursday.