Further Reading

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 07 Jul 2016 [PDF]
• Coalition Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Iraq, Syria AFPS 07 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 Inhe
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 07 Jul 2016 -- British forces have continued to conduct air operations in the fight against Daesh
• Defence Secretary praises RAF role in Fallujah liberation UK MOD 07 Jul 2016 -- Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has praised the decisive difference made by the RAF in the liberation of Fallujah.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Nominations for first enlisted RPA pilots being accepted AFNS 07 Jul 2016 -- The Air Force is accepting nominations to fill its first class of enlisted remotely piloted aircraft pilots as part of a deliberate approach to enhance the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission.
rent Resolve officials reported today.
• USS Ashland Returns to Sasebo NNS 07 Jul 2016 -- The Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) arrived in Sasebo, Japan after completing several phases of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) series, July 8.
• Micro Laser Range Finder helps Marines improve accuracy, lethality USMC News 07 Jul 2016 -- Marine Corps Systems Command is equipping Marines with a new range finder that will improve their accuracy and lethality on the battlefield.
• NAVFAC Awards First Djiboutian Contract NNS 07 Jul 2016 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) is determined to put qualified Djiboutian companies first as Camp Lemonnier continues to expand its facilities footprint to further expand economic opportunity for the Djiboutian people, July 7.
• USS Patriot Arrives in Osaka NNS 07 Jul 2016 -- Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Patriot (MCM 7) arrived in Osaka, Japan, July 6 for a regularly scheduled port visit during a summer patrol of U.S. 7th fleet area of operations.
• Next Generation Expeditionary C2 Debuts at RIMPAC NNS 07 Jul 2016 -- The Navy's Shore and Expeditionary Integration Program Office (PMW 790) recently achieved an important milestone for its latest Deployable Joint Command and Control (DJC2) system. The system was set up in Hawaii for use during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, which kicked off June 30.
• Self Defense Test Ship Completes Test Trials Using 100 Percent Alternative Fuel NNS 07 Jul 2016 -- Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division's (NSWC PHD) Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS), ex-PAUL F. FOSTER went underway for final-phase testing of two alternative fuels, May 31.
• NATO Summit to Focus on IS, Russian Aggression, Afghan War VOA 07 Jul 2016 -- On the heels of a U.S. announcement to keep 8,400 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, NATO leaders will meet in Warsaw Friday and Saturday to discuss three key security topics: continuing support for Afghan forces, defeating Islamic State militants on NATO's southern flank and deterring Russian aggression on the alliance's eastern flank.
• Ahead Of Summit, Stoltenberg Says NATO Faces 'Defining Moment' RFE/RL 07 Jul 2016 -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says that the alliance has reached a "defining moment for our security" and that its summit in Poland this week will confront head-on the challenges of an increasingly "dangerous" world.
• Warsaw Summit Aims to Chart NATO Route Forward AFPS 07 Jul 2016 -- President Barack Obama is on his way to Poland to attend NATO's Warsaw Summit to discuss the future of an alliance that has grown to be the cornerstone of global security.
• China 'better prepared' for Pacific drill People's Daily 07 Jul 2016 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy is far more prepared for the Rim of the Pacific naval exercises this year than it was in 2014, the first time that China participated.
• China should be prepared for military conflicts, expert says People's Daily 07 Jul 2016 -- Facing the reality of Japan's warplane scramble over the East China Sea, China should be prepared for military conflicts, Chinese military expert Liang Fang said in a recent interview.
• Background Briefing on State Department Communications With U.S. Citizens Overseas US Dept. of State 07 Jul 2016
• July 7, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 07 Jul 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 07, 2016
• AVIC report: China's Taihang engine widely deployed in military People's Daily 07 Jul 2016 -- China's Taihang engines have become a significant, large-scale presence in the military, making China the third country in the world that has mass deployment of domestically-produced high-thrust engines for military use, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) annual report.

Other Conflicts

• 7 July 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 07 Jul 2016
• US warships sail near Chinese-held islands Press TV 07 Jul 2016 -- US naval officials say American warships have sailed close to Chinese-controlled islands in the disputed South China Sea in recent weeks, patrols likely to fuel tensions between Washington and Beijing.
• Commentary: US should not challenge China's bottom line in South China Sea issue People's Daily 07 Jul 2016 -- A dialogue on the South China Sea between Chinese and US think tanks was held in Washington DC on Tuesday. The dialogue came at the right time as political forces of the US and the Philippines are now meddling in the waters of the South China Sea.
• Military has response measures for South China Sea ruling: minister CNA 07 Jul 2016 -- Taiwan's military has response measures in place and will respond appropriately to any developments following an upcoming ruling by an international court on a dispute between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea, Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) said Thursday.
• Philippine President Duterte aims 'soft-landing' in talks with China People's Daily 07 Jul 2016 -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is taking a "soft-landing" approach in exploring ways to renew friendly ties with China, which have been strained in the past years over the disputes in the South China Sea, analysts said on Wednesday.
• IS Introduces Gold Currency in Iraqi, Syrian Areas It Controls VOA 07 Jul 2016 -- The Islamic State group has issued its own currency that would be its standard for trade transactions in areas it controls in Syria and Iraq, experts and locals in both countries reported.
• Syria army, Hezbollah kill two Nusra Front commanders in Qalamoun Press TV 07 Jul 2016 -- The Syrian army, backed by Hezbollah resistance fighters, has thwarted an attack by terrorists in Syria's Qalamoun region, killing two commanders of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front terrorist group.
• Syria cuts only road for militants to Aleppo Press TV 07 Jul 2016 -- The Syrian army has cut the only way into militant-held parts of Aleppo, severing the militants' only lifeline from the city to the outside world.
• 35 killed, 60 injured in attack against shrine in Iraq's Sallahudin Press TV 07 Jul 2016 -- At least 35 civilians have lost their lives and 60 others sustained injuries when a powerful bomb explosion coupled with a shooting attack struck a holy Shia Muslim mausoleum north of the Iraqi capital.
• Baghdad blast death toll hits 292: Health Ministry Press TV 07 Jul 2016 -- Iraq's Health Ministry says the death toll from a recent deadly bombing attack in the capital, Baghdad, has risen to 292.
• Security Council extends African Union mission in Somalia UN News 07 Jul 2016 -- Reauthorizing the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) until 31 May 2017, the United Nations Security Council today set out key objectives for the operation during its new mandate, including "to reduce the threat posed by Al-Shabaab and other armed opposition groups."

News Reports

• DPRK Foreign Ministry Hits U.S. for Its Hideous Crime KCNA 07 Jul -- The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK issued a statement Thursday to denounce the U.S. for its unheard-of hideous hostility toward the DPRK.
• North Korea: US Sanctions on Kim a 'Declaration of War' VOA 07 Jul 2016 -- North Korea said Thursday that the most recent U.S. sanctions imposed on its leader, Kim Jong Un, amounted to a "declaration of war" and vowed to take strong retaliatory measures against "the worst-ever hostile act."
• U.S. Lawmakers Debating Bills To Prohibit Boeing Sale To Iran RFE/RL 07 Jul 2016 -- A U.S. House subcommittee on July 7 will debate legislation aimed at halting Boeing's sale of passenger jets to Iran, in the largest U.S.-Iranian business transaction since 1979.
• Putin Signs Contentious Counterterror Legislation RFE/RL 07 Jul 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law contentious counterterrorism legislation that opposition activists and rights advocates have denounced as unconstitutional and a blunt tool to suppress dissent.
• Putin Signs Counterterrorism Law Criticized by Telecom Chiefs, Rights Activists VOA 07 Jul 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed into law a controversial package of amendments to the country's existing counterterrorism laws.
• Remarks with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko US Dept. of State 07 Jul 2016 -- Remarks by John Kerry, US Secretary of State
• Kerry Says U.S. Will Remain Firm On Russia Sanctions RFE/RL 07 Jul 2016 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has reassured Ukraine that sanctions against Russia will remain in place unless Moscow fulfills its obligations under the Minsk agreement reached last year, and announced additional humanitarian aid for Kyiv.
• Political crisis has put long-term stability of the DR Congo at risk, warns UN deputy chief, urging dialogue UN News 07 Jul 2016 -- An inclusive and credible dialogue among Congolese stakeholders is the only realistic way to defuse political tensions, overcome the electoral impasse and prevent violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where public discontent is being fuelled by delays in the electoral process and shrinking democratic space, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson warned today.
• UN Warns of Risk of Possible Violence, Instability in DRC VOA 07 Jul 2016 -- The United Nations is warning that without a serious national political dialogue, the Democratic Republic of Congo's current political tensions could deteriorate into a severe and possibly violent crisis.