Further Reading

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 24 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.

Defense Policy / Programs

• VMFA-121 brings F-35B to Red Flag 16-3 for first time USMC News 24 Jul 2016 -- Six F-35B Lightning IIs with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 participated in Red Flag 16-3, making it the first time in history that the fifth generation fighter has taken part in the three-week long exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
• Boxer ARG Enters US 7th Fleet NNS 24 Jul 2016 -- The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) entered the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations (AOO), July 23 after nearly four months supporting Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOO.
• Boxer ARG Departs US 5th Fleet NNS 24 Jul 2016 -- The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) concluded operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO) and entered the U.S. 7th Fleet AOO, July 23.
• USS New Orleans, 13th MEU Arrive in Sri Lanka NNS 24 Jul 2016 -- The USS New Orleans (LPD 18) with embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka for a port visit, July 24.
• Trump threatens US defense allies, calls army 'depleted' Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- US defense allies, including NATO member states, should pay otherwise they will not be protected at the time of war, says GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, asserting that the US army is itself "depleted."
• Tensions Heat Up Between NATO Allies as Spain and UK Spat Over Gibraltar Sputnik 24 Jul 2016 -- Simmering tensions between two NATO allies, Spain and the United Kingdom, over Gibraltar have flared up this week after a British nuclear submarine and a merchant vessel were involved in what the UK Defense Ministry described as a "glancing collision" 3.3 nautical miles from the coast of the peninsula that locals affectionately call the Rock.
• Afghanistan Plans to Buy Russian Mi-17, Mi-35 Helicopters Sputnik 24 Jul 2016 -- Kabul intends to strike a deal on buying Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters from Russia.
• Satellites Pinpoint Suspected Top-Secret North Korean Nuclear Site Sputnik 24 Jul 2016 -- The Institute for Science and International Security reported on Wednesday that it may have discovered a top secret facility used by North Korea to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons. The discovery could be vital in any future nuclear deal with the reclusive state.
• Search for missing India plane enters third day Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- A search operation in the Bay of Bengal for an Indian military plane that went missing earlier on Friday has entered its third day.
• Iran Army Aviation, strong in all missions: Commander IRNA 24 Jul 2016 -- Commander of Ground Force of the Iranian Army Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan said Iran Army Aviation has been capable of doing any kinds of missions till now.
• Iran Ground Forces to stage 20 major drills by year-end: Commander Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- A senior Iranian military commander says the Iranian Army's Ground Forces will stage 20 military maneuvers by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2017).
• Canada Ditches Super Hornet After Threats to Buy F-35 or Lose 10,000 Jobs Sputnik 24 Jul 2016 -- Lockheed Martin pointed an economic weapon of mass disruption at Ottawa and it appears that Justin Trudeau has blinked caving to the defense contractor's threats.

Defense Industry

• China builds 'largest amphibious aircraft' Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- China has built the world's largest amphibious aircraft, which will be used to perform marine rescue operations and fight forest fires, local Chinese media report.

Other Conflicts

• Calming the Waters: US Increases Diplomatic Efforts in ASEAN Meetings VOA 24 Jul 2016 -- China's standoff with its neighbors over the South China Sea territorial dispute is expected to again be a focus as foreign ministers from the region and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry gather in Laos this week, making the landlocked country the next battleground for behind the scenes diplomatic maneuvers over maritime quarrels.
• ASEAN Foreign Ministers Fail to Agree on S China Sea During Meeting in Laos Sputnik 24 Jul 2016 -- Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during a meeting in Laos' capital of Vientiane failed to take a unified stance on the South China Sea territorial dispute, mainly because of the divisions between Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, Kyodo reported on Sunday.
• Taiwanese fishing boats might not land on Taiping Island: spokesman CNA 24 Jul 2016 -- A Taiwanese fishing flotilla that departed for the Taiwan-controlled Taiping Island in the South China Sea July 20 is expected to approach the island Monday, but might not be allowed to land there, according to local regulations, a government spokesman said Sunday.
• Yemen peace talks need to be extended: Houthis Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah movement has called for an extension of the peace talks with the Saudi-backed former regime officials in Kuwait, saying the planned two-week time for the negotiations is quite insufficient to reach a comprehensive solution.
• Syria govt. ready to resume peace talks: Official Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- A Syrian government official say Damascus is prepared to restart United Nations-brokered negotiations aimed at resolving the crisis in the Middle Eastern country.
• US must disclose location of Syria moderates to avoid hits, Russia says Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- Russia has called on the US to disclose the location of what Washington calls "moderate" militants in Syria after their bases were allegedly bombed by Russian jets near the Jordanian border.
• Kurds, Daesh clash in Syria's Manbij after terrorists ignore ultimatum Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- Clashes have erupted between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Daesh in the northern city of Manbij after the terrorists ignore an ultimatum to leave.
• US-Backed Forces in 'Fight Like We Haven't Seen' Against Daesh in Manbij Sputnik 24 Jul 2016 -- The Daesh terrorists ignored an 48-hour ultimatum to leave the city of Manbij, a key pipeline for the terrorist organization with the rest of the world and what some are now calling the jihadists headquarters.
• Syrian Government Airstrikes Hit 5 Clinics in Rebel-held Areas VOA 24 Jul 2016 -- Syrian government airstrikes struck five makeshift hospitals Saturday in rebel-held areas, killing one infant and jeopardizing medical care for more than 200,000 civilians in rebel-held areas, according to a British-based human rights group.
• Iraqis digging trench around Fallujah to ward off Daesh Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- Iraqi forces are digging a trench around Fallujah to keep Daesh terrorists at bay and prevent any potential onslaught and systematic looting of the recently-liberated city.
• Bomb attack hits Baghdad district, kills 17: Officials Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- At least 17 people have been killed and scores of others wounded in a bomb attack that struck Kadhimiyah, a Shia district of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, official sources say.
• Exclusive: Kurdish PM Says Mosul Operation Still in 'Planning Stage' VOA 24 Jul 2016 -- In a lengthy and wide-ranging interview, Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani spoke to VOA's Ali Javanmardi at his office in Irbil about plans with the U.S. to regain control of the Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters, as well as about Kurdish independence and the attempted coup in Turkey.
• Libya forces seize bomb-making factory used by Daesh in Sirte Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- Fighters affiliated with Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) say they seized a building Sunday used by the Takfiri Daesh terrorists for making explosives in the militants' stronghold of Sirte.
• Six Ukrainian soldiers killed in troubled east Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- Six Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and over a dozen others injured in new clashes between government troops and pro-Russia forces in Ukraine's troubled east.
• Fresh rebel attack in CAR claims 3 lives Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- Three people have been killed in an attack by militants in the south of the Central African Republic, security forces say.
• Clashes in Kashmir Risk Taking India-Pakistan Back to Brink of Nuclear War Sputnik 24 Jul 2016 -- The long ignored suffering of the Kashmiri people carries with it the world's greatest risk of full-scale nuclear war between two long-standing adversaries.

News Reports

• Turkish military vows to 'severely' punish coup soldiers Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- Turkey's military chief says the soldiers involved in the abortive coup of mid-July will face "the most severe punishment."
• Turkey in new era after abortive military coup: Erdogan Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says last weekend's failed military coup against the government has opened a "new era" in the country, stressing that all coup plotters would be prosecuted.
• Turkey disbanding presidential guard after failed coup Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has announced the disbanding of the country's presidential guard following the recent failed coup.
• Turkish Deputy Prime Minister: No Danger of New Coup Attempt Sputnik 24 Jul 2016 -- Turkey no longer faces the threat of an attempt of a military coup, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Sunday.
• Turkey to Disband Presidential Guard After Attempted Coup – Prime Minister Sputnik 24 Jul 2016 -- Turkey is going to disband the presidential guard after an attempted coup, local media reported citing Yildirim.
• Over 13,000 People Detained After Attempted Coup in Turkey – Prime Minister Sputnik 24 Jul 2016 -- Over 13,000 people, including 8,900 military personnel, have been detained in the wake of an attempted coup in Turkey, the country's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday.
• Turkish Ruling Party, Opposition Party Hold Joint Rally in Show of Unity VOA 24 Jul 2016 -- Members of Turkey's ruling and main opposition parties are rallying together in support of democracy and to condemn the bloody coup attempt July 15.
• IOC: No Blanket Ban On Russian Athletes; Federations To Decide RFE/RL 24 Jul 2016 -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on July 24 that it will not impose a blanket ban on Russian athletes at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro following damning reports on the country's doping record, but will leave the decision on these athletes' participation to the relevant individual federations.
• IOC Won't Ban All Russian Athletes from Rio Olympics VOA 24 Jul 2016 -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided against banning all Russian teams from competing in next month's Rio Olympics over allegations of an elaborate doping scheme.
• Kamalvandi: No obstacle to nuclear industry development IRNA 24 Jul 2016 -- Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Sunday that there is no obstacle to the country's nuclear industry development and the current restrictions are temporary.
• IRGC busts terror cells, kills 23 in northwest Iran Press TV 24 Jul 2016 -- Forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) have dismantled two terrorist groups in the country's northwest, killing nearly two dozen of their elements in clashes.
• Clinton Campaign Suggests Russian Role In Leaked E-Mails To Help Trump RFE/RL 24 Jul 2016 -- On the eve of the July 25 opening of the four-day Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, the Democratic Party was busy reacting to information from party emails leaked to the public.
• Nepal's Prime Minister Resigns, Triggering Political and Economic Uncertainty VOA 24 Jul 2016 -- Nepal's prime minister resigned Sunday, plunging the south Asian country into another period of political and economic uncertainty.