Further Reading

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 15 Jul 2016 [PDF]
• Counter-ISIL Strikes Target Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 15 Jul 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.
• US to deploy more troops to Iraq to fight ISIL: General Press TV 15 Jul 2016 -- The US military says it may deploy additional troops to Iraq, even beyond the hundreds announced earlier this week, to help in the fight against the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group.
• Coalition Forces Uncover Vital ISIL Intelligence in Key Syrian City AFPS 15 Jul 2016 -- As Syrian Arab forces entered western Manbij, Syria, and pushed toward the heart of the city to dismantle the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's hold there, Syrian Democratic Forces unveiled key ISIL intelligence, a U.S. Central Command spokesman said today.
• Former Afghan Intel Chief Leaks Docs Linking Pakistan to Terror VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- A former head of Afghanistan's intelligence agency has leaked documents that he claims show Pakistan's link to groups that carry out attacks inside Afghanistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Program works to reduce risk on next Air Force One AFNS 15 Jul 2016 -- The Air Force awarded a contract modification to Boeing July 15 to continue risk reduction activities for the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program, which will field the next Air Force One.
• Readout of Secretary Carter's Call with French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian DoD 15 Jul 2016
• Navy P-8 Poseidon Crews Enhance Maritime Partnerships During Rotational Detachments to Singapore NNS 15 Jul 2016 -- U.S. 7th Fleet will rotationally deploy two P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to Singapore from July 15 through August 12, in support of shared maritime security initiatives.
• USS Ross Begins Fourth FDND Patrol NNS 15 Jul 2016 -- Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) departed Rota, Spain for a scheduled patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility July 14.
• US-Japan Mine Countermeasures Assets Set to Begin Annual MCMEX NNS 15 Jul 2016 -- U.S. mine countermeasures (MCM) units and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force MCM units are scheduled to commence the 2016 Mine Countermeasures Exercise (MCMEX) 2JA, July 17.
• USS Mason, USS Roosevelt Work With French for Maritime Security Operations NNS 15 Jul 2016 -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Mason (DDG 87) and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) participated with the French Marine Nationale's Horizon-class air defence destroyer FS Forbin (D 620) in a bilateral Maritime Security Operation (MSO) exercise, July 2.
• Wasp ARG Completes Exercise African Sea Lion with Morocco NNS 15 Jul 2016 -- Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed joint and bilateral exercise African Sea Lion 2016, July 14.
• USS Springfield Returns from Deployment NNS 15 Jul 2016 -- Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Springfield (SSN 761) returned to its homeport at Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE) from a regularly scheduled deployment, July 14.
• Frank Cable Sailors, MSC CIVMARs Maintain Weapons Proficiency during Deployment NNS 15 Jul 2016 -- Sailors and Military Sealift Command civilian mariners attached to submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) attended a gun shoot on Diego Garcia, July 13-14.
• Awesome Autonomy: The Future Force, RoboBoats NNS 15 Jul 2016 -- The future of naval engineering was on display last week as 13 teams of high school and college students did battle at the 9th annual RoboBoat Competition in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• Small Business to Construct LCS Facility at Naval Station Mayport NNS 15 Jul 2016 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a multiple-award design-build construction contract (MACC) July 14 to seven small businesses for work throughout the Southeast.
• Two P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft Jet Off to Singapore for Patrols Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- The 7th Fleet of the US Navy will deploy two P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to Singapore from July 15 through August 12 in support of shared maritime security initiatives, the Navy said in a press release on Friday.
• DoD Cyber Strategy Defines How Officials Discern Cyber Incidents from Armed Attacks AFPS 15 Jul 2016 -- When assessing whether a cyber incident constitutes an armed attack on the nation, Defense Department leaders take the incidents case by case and consider a range of factors, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy told a House panel this week.
• Sweden Lures Finland Deeper Into NATO Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- Finland and Sweden have a traditional reputation for being non-aligned, yet both are being pushed towards NATO amid exaggerated suspicions of Russia's aggression. Constant fear-mongering has led to marked swings in public opinion, which politicians are trying to exploit, as both countries are slowly approaching full membership.
• Russian Armed Forces to Receive 9 More Mi-8 Helicopters by End of 2016 Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- The Russian Armed forces will receive nine Mi-8 military transport helicopters, three of which have been designed for use in the Arctic, by the end of the year, the managing director of the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant said on Friday.
• Russian Aerospace Forces Receive 4 Jets, 23 Helicopters, 15 Drones Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- The Russian Aerospace Forces put into service four jets, 23 helicopters and 15 drones in the second quarter of 2016, Anatoly Gulyaev, head of the Armaments Department of the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.
• Russian MoD to Deploy S-400 Air Defense Systems in Crimea in August Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- Russia's Defense Ministry will deploy a regiment of S-400 air defense systems in Crimea by the end of the summer, Lt. Col. Evgeniy Oleynikov said Friday.
• Russian Army Receives Iskander Brigade, S-400 Regiment, Over 90 Aircraft Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the country's armed forces recieved a number of new weapons systems in the second quarter of 2016.
• Arms Spending May Rise as Beijing Asserts Control in South China Sea VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- China is expected to increase its military investment in the South China Sea and significantly raise its overall defense spending to affirm its claim to the region.
• India's Deal with Japan on US-2 Amphibious Aircraft is Almost 'Dead' Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- India and Japan have failed to iron out their differences on the ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft deal but both sides are refraining from unilaterally calling it off.
• South China Sea Deployment: India Sends Three Naval Ships to Malaysia Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- The Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri, Shakti and Kirch have arrived at the port of Kelang in Malaysia. The naval Ships likely to conduct exercises with the Royal Malaysian Navy.
• India Achieves Major Breakthrough in Artillery Gun Systems Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- India's fully domestically produced integrated gun system is being seen as a major shot in the arm for Indian artillery, which has not had any modernization since Bofors gun was acquired in 1987.
• India Assisting Philippines in Getting Warship to Patrol South China Sea Sputnik 14 Jul 2016 -- India has dedicated itself to meeting the Philippines' request to provide it with a warship so that it may patrol the South China Sea.
• Iraq: security reform, State control of armed groups priorities at 'critical junction,' UN envoy says UN News 15 Jul 2016 -- Recent victories against ISIL show that Iraqis are capable of defeating the extremist group, but sustainable peace and security in Iraq can only be achieved through historic reconciliation, the United Nations envoy for the country today said, calling also on the international community for greater support for Iraq and its people.
• THAAD Radiation Fears Spark South Korean Protests VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- Protesters pelted South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn with eggs and water bottles Friday as he tried to allay the concerns of citizens living near the site where the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system will be deployed.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest, 7/15/2016 The White House 15 Jul 2016
• July 15, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 15 Jul 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 15, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 15 July 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 15 Jul 2016
• South China Sea arbitration not to waver China's determination to safeguard sovereignty: Chinese State Councilor People's Daily 15 Jul 2016 -- On 14 July, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi gave an interview to state media on the so-called award of the Arbitral Tribunal for the South China Sea arbitration on Thursday, during which he comprehensively elaborated on China's position.
• Hanoi to name several roads with aim to advertize 'sovereignty' over South China Sea People's Daily 15 Jul 2016 -- According to a July 13 report in Vietnam's Labor News, the Hanoi municipal government recently submitted a proposal to the city council declaring its intentions to give names to two roads.
• EU urges peaceful resolution to South China Sea dispute Press TV 15 Jul 2016 -- The European Union has called for a peaceful resolution of the South China Sea dispute in the wake of an international court ruling against Beijing's claims to sovereignty over the strategic waters.
• Taiwan's Legislature calls South China Sea ruling unacceptable CNA 15 Jul 2016 -- Taiwan's Legislative Yuan said Friday that a ruling laid down by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague earlier this week over the disputes in the South China Sea is unacceptable.
• CGA denies report of plan to bolster personnel on Taiping Island CNA 15 Jul 2016 -- The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on Friday denied a report that it will send additional equipment and personnel to Taiping Island in the South China Sea amid escalating tensions after a controversial court ruling on the islands in the area.
• Saudi F-16 downed in W Yemen: Report Press TV 15 Jul 2016 -- A Saudi F-16 warplane has crashed in the west-central Yemeni province of Sana'a, killing one of its pilots, Yemeni media reports say.
• Yemen Governor Survives Attack Ahead of Peace Talks VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- A suicide bomber unsuccessfully targeted the governor of the Yemeni city of Aden Friday, just hours before U.N.-brokered peace talks were scheduled to re-start in hopes of resurrecting a failed cease-fire agreement.
• Syrian Arab Coalition Troops Move Toward Center of Manbij in Syria AFPS 15 Jul 2016 -- The Syrian Arab Coalition, supported by coalition strikes, maneuvered toward the center of the city of Manbij in Syria, denying Da'esh, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, access to critical supply routes, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Russia airstrikes in Syria cut off terrorists' supply routes: Defense minister Press TV 15 Jul 2016 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says his country's aerial campaign against foreign-sponsored Takfiri militant groups operating inside Syria has changed the course of the developments on the ground in favor of the Damascus government.
• Russia Urges US to Join Ceasefire Efforts Around Syria's Aleppo - Shoigu Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- The Russian defense minister called on the US-led coalition to join ceasefire efforts near Syria's city of Aleppo.
• UN rights chief warns at least 200,000 civilians surrounded; calls Syria 'gigantic, devastated graveyard' UN News 15 Jul 2016 -- The United Nations human rights chief today urged the forces advancing on Aleppo and two other cities in Syria to not harm the hundreds of thousands of civilians surrounded by fighting between the Government forces and the opposition.
• UN: Deliberate Starvation of Syrian Civilians May Be War Crime VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, warns the deliberate starvation of hundreds of thousands of Syrian civilians by government and opposition forces may constitute a war crime.
• UN: Mosul Liberation Could Trigger Major Humanitarian Crisis VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- The U.N.'s top diplomat in Iraq is warning that the expected military operation to liberate the city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters could become the world's biggest humanitarian crisis.
• South Sudan violence has killed over 300, UN says Press TV 15 Jul 2016 -- Four days of fierce clashes in South Sudan's capital, Juba, have killed more than 300 people and forced thousands of others to flee, the UN says.
• In Rwanda, Ban meets with African leaders on situation in South Sudan UN News 15 Jul 2016 -- Ahead of the 27th African Union (AU) Summit taking place in Kigali, Rwanda, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today met with several African leaders to discuss the situation in South Sudan.
• Amnesty: S. Sudan Security Blocks Citizens From Leaving Country VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- South Sudanese national security agents are deliberately blocking citizens from leaving the country, Amnesty International said.
• South Sudan Cease-Fire Not Enough to Stop Violence: Analysts VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- South Sudan's capital was calm Friday as government and opposition forces appeared to respect a cease-fire declared earlier in the week. The question of whether a peace deal signed last year can continue to work, however, remains.
• Kashmir remains under curfew amid tensions Press TV 15 Jul 2016 -- Most parts of the Indian-administered Kashmir remain under curfew a week after the killing of a popular militant leader in the disputed Himalayan region.
• Bellingcat Says Russia Used 'Fake Evidence' To Point Finger At Kyiv In Downing Of MH17 RFE/RL 15 Jul 2016 -- The Russian Defense Ministry published doctored, misdated satellite imagery to support its suggestion that Ukraine was responsible for downing of a passenger jet over eastern Ukraine in 2014, independent investigation group Bellingcat alleges in a new report.
• Multinational Force Fighting Boko Haram Gets Mixed Results VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- Nigeria and its neighbors pledged last year to come together to defeat Boko Haram, but experts say regional cooperation appears to be happening in fits and starts.
• Al-Shabab Attack Kills 2 Kenyan Soldiers, 1 Somali Soldier VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- Officials in southwestern Somalia said two Kenyan soldiers and one Somali soldier were killed Friday when al-Shabab militants ambushed their convoy in the Gedo region.

News Reports

• Turkish President Erdogan Denounces Coup Attempt VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan flew into Istanbul early Saturday, denouncing an attempted coup by a rogue group of military officers as an act of treason in a live, televised speech.
• Erdogan Denies Turkish Military In Control RFE/RL 15 Jul 2016 -- Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan said in a CNN interview that he is still in power and will put down an attempted military coup. He called on citizens to "take to the streets" to support his government.
• Military Coup Attempt Underway in Turkey Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- The Turkish military claims it has taken over the government and seized all power in the country.
• Gunfire Heard in Turkish Capital; Military Jets, Helicopters Seen Overhead Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- Gunfire has been heard in the Turkish capital, and there are reports of unusual military activity, with a military chopper opening fire near the national intelligence headquarters.
• Turkish Military Reportedly Seizes Control of Government VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- The Turkish military on Friday said that it had assumed power over Turkey, in what the prime minister has termed an illegal act.
• Gunfire, Troops On Streets Reported In Turkey RFE/RL 15 Jul 2016 -- Turkish security forces have closed portions of both of the Bosphorus bridges in Istanbul that link the European continent with Asia.
• Turkish opposition leader fined over 17,000 dollars for insulting Erdogan Press TV 15 Jul 2016 -- A court in Turkey has ordered the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) to pay thousands of US dollars in compensation to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for calling him a "sham dictator."
• Turkey intelligence agency: Coup attempt 'repelled' Press TV 15 Jul 2016 -- The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) says a coup attempt in the country has been "repelled" and the situation has been restored to "normal".
• The Situation in Turkey US Dept. of State 15 Jul 2016
• Ban is closely following 'with concern' developments in Turkey UN News 15 Jul 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is following "closely and with concern the fast-moving developments" in Turkey.
• What to Know About the Gulen Movement VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has been accused of being behind Turkey's apparent coup, has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States for more than a decade.
• Sept. 11 '28-Pages' Have Been Released VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- Congress has released the so-called '28-pages' from a 9/11 commission report that had been classified for more than a decade, although some information still remained secret.
• French Authorities Seek Motive, Possible Terrorist Links In Truck Attack RFE/RL 15 Jul 2016 -- French authorities on July 15 were working frantically to discover the motives and any possible terrorist connections of a Tunisian man who drove a truck through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the southern city of Nice late on July 14, killing at least 84 people.
• France: UN condemns terrorist attack on crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice UN News 15 Jul 2016 -- Senior officials from across the United Nations family today condemned the deadly attack in Nice, France, calling for stepped up efforts to fight terrorism and violent extremism.
• Is Hong Kong's 'One Country, Two Systems' Autonomy in the Balance? VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- China's campaign against five Hong Kong booksellers has raised concerns about erosion of the "one country, two systems" principle that has governed the autonomous Chinese territory's relations with Beijing.
• Firms say Congress blocking Iran plans Press TV 15 Jul 2016 -- In the wake of the recent anti-Iran bills adopted by the US Congress, global corporate leaders are already complaining that American lawmakers are undermining their plans to approach the vast Iranian market.
• Diplomats, DRC Opposition to Kabila: Pave Way for Transition VOA 15 Jul 2016 -- As it appears less and less likely that the Democratic Republic of the Congo will hold elections in the coming months, political opposition members and diplomats around the world are calling on President Joseph Kabila to respect his constitutional obligations and pave the way for a democratic transition.
• Thousands defy govt. ban to rally in Baghdad Press TV 15 Jul 2016 -- Supporters of an Iraqi cleric have defied a government warning, taking to the streets of Baghdad in thousands to stage a protest rally.
• Joint Press Availability With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov US Dept. of State 15 Jul 2016 -- Remarks by John Kerry, US Secretary of State
• Remarks With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 15 Jul 2016 -- Remarks by John Kerry, US Secretary of State
• Kerry, Lavrov Hold Moscow Talks RFE/RL 15 Jul 2016 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held more than four hours of talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, trying to find new agreement on military operations in Syria and movement toward ending the five-year-old conflict.
• China Plans to Build Own Space Station Similar to ISS Sputnik 15 Jul 2016 -- China is developing its own space station and is building a new site which will be used to launch space stations and space technology. The trial run for the new rocket was a success so the construction of the station will begin in 2018.
• DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesman Denounces U.S. Introduction of Nuclear Submarine into S. Korea KCNA 15 Jul 2016 -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK gave the following answer to the question raised by KCNA Friday as regards the U.S. introduction of another nuclear submarine into south Korea:
• N Korea parades defector who 'worked as S Korea agent' Press TV 15 Jul 2016 -- North Korea has paraded a defector accused of being involved in a child abduction plot that Pyongyang says was masterminded by South Korean agents.