Further Reading

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 26 Jul 2016 [PDF]
• Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on U.S.-Russia Video Conference DoD 26 Jul 2016
• Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 26 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.
• Washington Has 'No Plan' to Move Warplanes Out of Incirlik Base in Turkey Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- Washington has no plans to relocate its warplanes from the Turkish Incirlik airbase despite the recent coup attempt, the US Air Force secretary said.
• Afghan Leaders See Sectarian Agenda in IS Kabul Attack VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- Tensions are rising in Afghanistan after a suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State killed more than 80 members of a minority Shiite group, and IS's top commander for the country threatened more violence to punish Afghan Shi'ites for fighting alongside the Syrian regime.
• 120 Daesh terrorists killed in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Press TV 26 Jul 2016 -- At least 120 members of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group have been killed in an Afghan army offensive in the northern province of Nangarhar.
• Afghan Forces Said to Kill More Than 120 IS Fighters VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- Authorities in Afghanistan say security forces have killed more than 120 fighters of the Islamic State terror group, including senior commanders, and captured a key base for the militants in far eastern Nangahar province, bordering Pakistan.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Policy changes allow Airmen to retrain into special ops AFNS 26 Jul 2016 -- In a move to meet the high demand for battlefield Airmen, the Air Force announced changes to retraining and cross-flow, outlined in a policy memorandum from April.
• Remarks by Secretary Carter in a Media Availability at a DIUx event in Boston, Massachusetts DoD 26 Jul 2016 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter; Rajiv Shah, Managing Director, DIUx
• Secretary Carter Opens Second DIUx Location in Boston, Updates DoD Outreach to Tech Community DoD 26 Jul 2016 -- Today Secretary of Defense Ash Carter formally opened the Boston location of Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental, or DIUx, the department's ground-breaking effort to strengthen connections to the American innovation economy and speed technologies into the hands of the warfighter. He was joined at the event by state and local officials, as well technology leaders from the Boston area.
• PHIBRON 5, Makin Island ARG, 11th MEU Complete PMINT NNS 26 Jul 2016 -- The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 5 and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed a 12-day integrated training event off the coast of Southern California, July 22.
• C-17 gains valuable training through integration at Red Flag 16-3 AFNS 26 Jul 2016 -- Since its maiden flight in 1991, the C-17 Globemaster III has served as a reliable and maintainable cargo aircraft with the ability of rapid and strategic cargo and troop delivery.
• Ronald Reagan Returns to Yokosuka for Mid-Patrol Break NNS 26 Jul 2016 -- The U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) concluded the first segment of its 2016 patrol and returned to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) July 26.
• USS Carney Begins Second Rotational Patrol in US 6th Fleet NNS 26 Jul 2016 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) departed Naval Station Rota, Spain, July 25 to begin her second forward-deployed patrol in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve and to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to collective defense of allies and partners in the region.
• Department of the Navy Names Superior Suppliers for 2016 NNS 26 Jul 2016 -- Today, the Department of the Navy (DON) named its 2016 superior suppliers, as part of the Department of Defense's Superior Supplier Incentive Program (SSIP). The Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) Sean J. Stackley announced the names of 11 business segments designated as Tier 1 superior suppliers for exceptional contractor conduct in the areas of cost, schedule, performance, quality, and business relations.
• Russia's 6th Yasen-Class Nuclear Submarine to Be Laid Down on July 29 - Source Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- Russia's sixth Yasen-class submarine will be laid down at the Sevmash ship-building company in the city of Severodvinsk on July 29, a defense industry source told RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
• BTR-82A Armored Vehicles First Used During Russian Drills in Tajikistan Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- Russian troops used the BTR-82A armored personnel carriers for the first time during drills in Tajikistan, an aid to the commander of Russia's Central Military District said Tuesday.
• Despite Warnings, Japanese Sub Visits Ex-US Navy Base in Philippines Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- Amid ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, a Japanese submarine has traveled to a former US naval base located on the edge of China's territorial claim.
• Iran allows no country to decide on its missile program: Def. Min. ISNA 26 Jul 2016 -- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan says the Islamic Republic will not allow any country to make decisions on its missile program.
• India Not Even Discussing Joint Patrol in South China Sea With US Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- India has no plans to hold joint naval patrols with the United States in the disputed South China Sea and is committed to joining an international military effort only under the United Nations flag.
• Seoul to Test THAAD Radar Waves Amid Local Population Health Concerns - MoD Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- The South Korean authorities will carry out additional testing of the electromagnetic emission of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system to be deployed by the United States in the country in an attempt to alleviate health concerns of the local population, the South Korean Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
• Huge Explosion Hits Arms Factory in Azerbaijan, People Feared Trapped Inside Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- Twelve people were hospitalized Tuesday after an explosion at an arms factory in the city of Shirvan in eastern Azerbaijan, a representative of a local hospital said.
• July 26, 2016 - U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing US Dept. of State 26 Jul 2016
• Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz The White House 26 Jul 2016

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 26, 2016

Other Conflicts

• 26 July 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 26 Jul 2016
• Kerry: US Encouraged by Support for Rule of Law in South China Sea VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the United States is very encouraged by statements coming from many members of the international community, including many Southeast Asian nations, that have expressed support for the rule of law and a peaceful settlement of maritime disputes in the South China Sea.
• Taiwanese Fishing Boats Land on Disputed Taiping Island VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- Fishermen from three Taiwanese fishing boats set foot on the disputed Taiping Island in the South China Sea on Tuesday morning as part of a planned trip.
• Taiwan-Japan maritime talks postponed CNA 26 Jul 2016 -- The first meeting of a new dialogue on maritime cooperation between Taiwan and Japan has been postponed, after Taipei requested that the meeting, originally slated for July 28, be pushed back to allow better preparations for the wide-ranging topics to be discussed, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.
• Yemeni forces shoot Saudi military copter, kill two pilots Press TV 26 Jul 2016 -- Yemeni forces have shot down an Apache military helicopter operated by invading Saudi forces in Yemen's central province of Ma'rib, killing its two pilots.
• Syria: UN envoy aims for peace talks to resume in late August UN News 26 Jul 2016 -- The United Nations envoy mediating a resolution to the five-year crisis in Syria said today he aims to convene a new round of intra-Syrian peace talks towards the end of August, and expressed hope that the United States and Russia would make "concrete progress" in order to improve the atmosphere for the resumption of the discussions.
• Syrian forces take control of key road in Aleppo Press TV 26 Jul 2016 -- The Syrian army and its allied fighters have managed to wrest control of Castello Road, the only path into the militant-controlled eastern areas of the embattled city of Aleppo.
• Syria army continues gains countrywide Press TV 26 Jul 2016 -- Syrian military forces continue to reclaim areas throughout the country from Takfiri and foreign-backed terrorists.
• Kerry, Lavrov Meet To Explore Cooperation In Syria RFE/RL 26 Jul 2016 -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says he hopes to announce in early August details of a U.S. plan for closer military cooperation and intelligence sharing with Russia on Syria.
• Iraqi Army, Peshmerga Forces Prepare Huge Offensive Against Daesh in Mosul Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- As the Iraqi army and its allied Peshmerga units prepare a major offensive on Mosul to flush out Daesh terrorists, Helgurd Hikmet, a representative of the Regional Government of Kurdistan, discussed the details of the upcoming operation with Sputnik.
• Iraqi FM calls on Arab states to pressure Turkey into recalling troops ISNA 26 Jul 2016 -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari has called on Arab states to pressure Turkey into withdrawing its forces deployed in Iraq.
• SPLM-IO Faction Moves to Replace First VP Machar VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- Members of the SPLM In Opposition nominated Taban Deng Gai over the weekend to become South Sudan's Acting First Vice President to replace Riek Machar, who went into hiding shortly after fighting broke out in the capital, Juba, in early July.
• South Sudan leader replaces rival Machar as vice president Press TV 26 Jul 2016 -- South Sudan's president has replaced his vice president and rival Riek Machar, in a move that could undermine last year's peace accord and trigger a fresh wave of violence in Africa's youngest nation.
• Some 4,000 South Sudanese fleeing into Uganda daily - UN warns UN News 26 Jul 2016 -- Recent fighting in South Sudan has forced 37,491 people to flee to Uganda in the past three weeks, averaging more than 4,000 a day in the past week, the United Nations refugee agency warned today.
• S. Sudan Fighting Forcing Thousands to Flee to Uganda VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- The U.N. refugee agency reports more South Sudanese refugees have fled into Uganda in the past three weeks than in the first six months of this year.
• S. Sudan President Swears In New VP to Replace Machar VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has sworn in a new deputy to replace opposition leader Riek Machar, who went into hiding this month after deadly clashes between his forces and government soldiers.
• US Committed to Helping Somalia Defeat Al-Shabaab Amid Airport Attack Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- Washington expressed readiness to help Somalia wrestle down terror groups such as al-Shabaab. On Tuesday, al-Shabaab militants detonated two vehicles in Mogadishu killing at least a dozen people.
• Deadly explosions hit near airport in Somali capital Press TV 26 Jul 2016 -- Two deadly explosions have rocked an area outside the African Union (AU) peacekeeping base in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu.
• UN agency appeals for added funds for return of Somali refugees from Dadaab camp UN News 26 Jul 2016 -- The United Nations refugee agency today appealed to donors for an additional $115.4 million to fund the voluntary return and reintegration of Somali refugees from Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp.
• Somalia: UN condemns terrorist attack near Mogadishu airport UN News 26 Jul 2016 -- The United Nations chief and his envoy for Somalia have denounced today's terrorist attack in the vicinity of Mogadishu International Airport that killed at least a dozen people.
• Security Council extends UN Central African Republic Mission through 2017 UN News 26 Jul 2016 -- The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic (CAR) until 15 November 2017, keeping an authorized troop ceiling of 10,750 military personnel intact and providing time for the mission to assess the post-transition process in the country.

News Reports

• Foreign, Domestic Media Under Fire in Turkey VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- The Turkish government has turned its attention to journalists in the latest expansion of its purges after a failed coup July 15.
• Turkey 'Heartbroken' by US Reaction Toward Request to Extradite Gulen Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that Turkey is "heartbroken" by the way in which the United States treat the issue of the extradition of Turkish Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara suspects to be the mastermind behind the recent coup attempt.
• Show Me the Money: Erdogan Slams 'Dishonest' EU as Turkey Tensions Rise Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- Turkey has hit back at the EU over its reaction to the country's failed military coup, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calling on Brussels to pay up the money pledged as part of the EU-Turkey migration deal, in a sign of further tension between Ankara and the West.
• Turkish President Erdogan Strives for One-Man Rule - Gulen Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- US-based dissident Fethullah Gulen, whom the Turkish government has accused of orchestrating the botched coup, said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is becoming increasingly authoritarian.
• New Turkish Constitution in Development, Opposition Agreed - Prime Minister Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- New Turkish constitution is underway, the works on the draft has begun, country's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said.
• Turkish generals nabbed in Dubai Press TV 26 Jul 2016 -- Two Turkish generals, detained in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while away from their posts in Afghanistan, have now been returned to Turkey.
• Ankara to work with opposition on new constitution: Turkey PM Press TV 26 Jul 2016 -- Turkish Prime Minster Binali Yildirim says his government is ready to work with opposition parties on drafting a new constitution.
• Gulen Accuses Erdogan of 'Slow-motion Coup' in Turkey VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- The U.S.-based exiled cleric accused by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being behind Turkey's attempted coup has accused the Turkish president of "turning a failed putsch into a slow-motion coup of his own against constitutional government."
• Erdogan's Purges Threaten Future of Turkey's Secular Society VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- Watchers see Turkey's failed coup and the subsequent purge carried out by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as part of a battle among Islamists whose ultimate vision is to allow for a greater role of religion in public life. To others, that vision runs counter to the secular society established in the 1920s by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish republic.
• Russia dismisses allegations of hacking US's DNC Press TV 26 Jul 2016 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has rejected allegations by the US Democratic National Convention (DNC) that Moscow was behind a recent hack of its computer systems.
• Kremlin: Charges Of Russian Involvement In Democrats Leaked E-Mails 'Absurd' RFE/RL 26 Jul 2016 -- The Kremlin has dismissed allegations that Russia was behind a hack of the Democratic National Committee's e-mails as absurd.
• IS Claims Responsibility for Normandy Church Attack VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- Islamic State has claimed two of its "soldiers" carried out Tuesday's attack on a Catholic Church in Normandy, France, where they killed a priest after taking him hostage at knife-point.
• Daesh Loses 40% in Funding Thanks to Int'l Efforts - Italian FM Gentiloni Sputnik 26 Jul 2016 -- The Daesh funding has suffered a 40-percent decline due to international efforts, Italy's foreign minister said.
• Kerry warns N Korea of 'real consequences' of nuclear program Press TV 26 Jul 2016 -- US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned North Korea of "real consequences" of its nuclear and missile tests.
• Pyongyang: US Would Pay 'Terrifying Price' for Destabilizing Korean Peninsula VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- North Korea said Tuesday the United States would pay a "terrifying price" if it contributes to tensions on the Korean Peninsula, hours after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attacked Pyongyang for its nuclear development program.
• Minister: Money transfer problem irrelevant to JCPOA IRNA 26 Jul 2016 -- Minister of Defense Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said on Monday that problems with money transfer have nothing to do with the nuclear deal called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• Iran will not cooperate with US beyond nuclear issues: Defense minister IRNA 26 Jul 2016 -- Iran will not cooperate with the US beyond nuclear issues, Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said on Monday.
• With Lamborghinis and Rooftop Sushi, Why Is Kurdistan Broke? VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- A yellow Lamborghini rolled past the Tche Tche café, where men and women were lazily smoking sheesha (a syrupy tobacco mix) and drinking tea. Moments later, a large black Land Rover glided by. Looking out from the café, glass and concrete towers glinted in the sun. One of them is the five-star Divan Hotel where a rooftop restaurant boasts expensive champagne and sushi.
• Russian Officials Search Home Of Customs Chief In Smuggling Probe RFE/RL 26 Jul 2016 -- Russian investigators said on July 26 that they have searched the office and home of the country's top customs official in connection with a smuggling case, the second high-profile security services action against another government agency in a week.
• Report: Russia's FSB Searches Office Of Top Customs Official RFE/RL 26 Jul 2016 -- The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has reportedly searched the office of the top customs official and the home of his former adviser in what would mark the second high-profile security services action against another government agency in a week.
• Liberal Chinese Magazine's VP Blocked from Entering Offices VOA 26 Jul 2016 -- The vice president of Yanhuang Chunqiu, an influential liberal magazine in Beijing, showed up at the publication's headquarters Tuesday and demanded that its government-backed occupants vacate the premises.