01 August 2016 Military News

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Defense Policy / Programs
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Current Operations

OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 01 Aug 2016 [PDF]

Coalition Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Iraq, Syria AFPS 01 Aug 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.

Department of Defense Press Briefing by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 01 Aug 2016 -- Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook
Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook on US Air Strike in Libya DoD 01 Aug 2016 -- Today, at the request of the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), the United States military conducted precision air strikes against ISIL targets in Sirte, Libya, to support GNA-affiliated forces seeking to defeat ISIL in its primary stronghold in Libya.
US military begins airstrikes against Daesh-stronghold Sirte Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- The US military conducted airstrikes in Libya on Monday to target the Daesh stronghold of Sirte, marking the first time the US has carried out such operations in the country.
US Conducts Strikes Against IS in Libya VOA 01 Aug 2016 -- The U.S. military has conducted air strikes against Islamic State targets in Libya, the Pentagon said Monday.

4 dead as attack on Kabul hotel used by foreigners ends Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- A massive Taliban attack on a hotel housing foreign contractors in the Afghan capital has ended seven hours after the assault began, officials say.
Truck Bomber, Gunmen Attack Foreigners' Hotel In Kabul RFE/RL 01 Aug 2016 -- A battle between Taliban gunmen and Afghan security forces raged through the night at a guesthouse and logistics facility used by foreign contractors in Kabul.
Afghan Forces Declare Eastern District Free of IS VOA 01 Aug 2016 -- Authorities in Afghanistan have declared a far eastern border district free of Islamic State militants, saying security forces killed nearly 300 IS militants during a month-long offensive.

Defense Policy / Programs

NNSA Reaches Important Milestone with B61-12 Life Extension Program National Nuclear Security Administration 01 Aug 2016 -- The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) announced that they recently formally authorized the production engineering phase of its B61-12 warhead life extension program (LEP).
B-1s to replace B-52s during routine bomber presence rotation AFNS 01 Aug 2016 -- The B-1B Lancers are scheduled to deploy to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Aug. 6 for the first time since April 2006 in support of U.S. Pacific Command's continuous bomber presence mission.
Air Force modifies long-range radar solicitation AFNS 01 Aug 2016 -- The Air Force is working diligently to improve battlespace awareness with the next generation of long-range radars and has issued an amendment to a current solicitation.
Ordnance Marines, pilots train with high explosives Down Under USMC News 01 Aug 2016 -- Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 122 and Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12 ordnance Marines built, inspected and loaded high explosive ordnance during Exercise Southern Frontier at Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal, Australia, July 28, 2016.
RIMPAC 16: U.S. Marines, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force team up for beach landing USMC News 01 Aug 2016 -- U.S. Marines and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members teamed up for an amphibious beach landing exercise at Pyramid Rock today during the final phase Rim of Pacific 2016.
Pacific Partnership Arrives in Malaysia NNS 01 Aug 2016 -- Pacific Partnership arrived in Kuantan Aug. 1, embarked aboard hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), marking the first time Pacific Partnership has visited Malaysia, although Malaysia has provided teams to support the mission since 2006.
Blackhawks Forge Ties during Operation Steele Root NNS 01 Aug 2016 -- Helicopter Mine Countermeasure Squadron 15 (HM-15) "Blackhawks" pilots and aircrewmen visited Fort Drum, New York, July 27, to participate in Operation Steele Root alongside the U.S. Army 1/108th Field Artillery Regiment.
Proposed US military buildup in Guam outrages locals Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- The US is proposing to bring an additional 5,000 marines to the Western Pacific island of Guam, which is already 28 percent occupied by the US military.

NATO Air Policing jets train with US bombers over the Baltic Sea NATO 01 Aug 2016 -- On Aug. 1, 2016, Danish F-16s supporting NATO's continuous Air Policing mission, along with JAS-39 Gripens from the Partnership for Peace nation of Sweden, conducted intercept training with a U.S. long range bomber. Additionally, Typhoons from Great Britain – one of the Baltic Air Policing detachments – were airborne in western Estonia training areas while the bomber transited the Baltic Sea off the Estonian coast. The exercise took place in European international airspace, including over the Baltic Sea and the English Channel.
NATO Policing Jets Train With US Bombers in Baltic Sea Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- The exercise took place in European international airspace over the Baltic Sea and English Channel, according to NATO.

Poland, Italy to Hold Observation Flight Over Russia Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- Polish and Italian experts will carry out a joint observation flight over Russian and Belarusian territory.

Russian Airborne Troops to Include Drone, Electronic Warfare Units by 2017 Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- The Russian Airborne Forces intend to include electronic warfare and unmanned aerial vehicle units by 2017.
Russian Su-34 Bomber Gets Unique New Recon Gear Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- Russia's latest Sukhoi Su-34 frontline bomber will soon be sporting advanced radio surveillance gear that will allow the crew to spot and destroy enemy headquarters, communications and drone control centers, the newspaper Izvestiya wrote citing a source at the Defense Ministry in Moscow.

Chinese navy holds live-ammunition drill in East China Sea People's Daily 01 Aug 2016 -- The Chinese navy started a drill, which involved firing dozens of missiles and torpedoes, in the East China Sea Monday.
Chinese peacekeepers face up to challenges to safeguard world peace, stability People's Daily 01 Aug 2016 -- Deep into a primeval forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the weather is harsh -- you just sweat all over when it is sunny, get covered with mud when it rains, and could have a layer of your skin "removed" by the scorching sun that comes out again.
Beijing's Navy Launches Large-Scale Military Drills in East China Sea Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- Beijing's navy started large-scale drills including a cruiser, a submarine, more than 100 vessels, several dozens of combat aircraft and several coastal radar stations in the East China Sea.

THAAD will destroy regional balance People's Daily 01 Aug 2016 -- Despite the strong opposition of China, the United States and the Republic of Korea have agreed to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system in the ROK. Although the US claims THAAD is aimed at countering the "nuclear threat" posed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea", it is actually targeted at China.

India Considers Buying Russian Il-78 MRTT After Ending Six Year Old Airbus Deal Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- High costs and pending inquiries against Airbus has forced India to abort a 2 billion dollar deal with Airbus. Sources say a contract for Russian Ilyusin-78 (IL-78) aircraft is likely to be signed by October of this year.
India-France Rafale Jets Deal Needs Cabinet's Security Committee Approval Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- Long-awaited deal on Rafale fighter jets between Paris and New Delhi is waiting for the clearance by the India's Cabinet Committee on Security Affairs, a source in the Indian Defense Ministry told Sputnik on Monday.

Iraqi PM orders probe into corruption allegations over weapons deals Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has issued an order for an investigation into alleged corruption in weapons contracts to avoid fomenting a political crisis in the country as the military plans to retake Mosul from the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

Turkish Defense Ministry Appoints 167 New Generals After Thwarted Coup Attempt Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- The decree of the Turkish Defense Ministry on the appointment of 167 new generals was published in the official government's newspaper on Monday.

Troubled UK Royal Navy destroyers return home Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- All six of the UK navy's advanced Type 45 destroyers have been docked in Portsmouth Harbor and are about to undergo heavy maintenance operations after facing constant breakdowns in the Persian Gulf.
UK Defense Ministry to Allocate Over $1.32Bln for First Stealth Submarine Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- The UK Defense Ministry will allocate a billion pounds ($1.32 billion) to begin the construction of the first ultra-stealth submarines out of four planned, media reported Monday.

Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz en route Atlanta, Georgia, 8/1/16 The White House 01 Aug 2016

Defense Industry

DoD News: Contracts for August 01, 2016

Other Conflicts

1 August 2016 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 01 Aug 2016

Yemeni hold mass rally to support new ruling coalition Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- Yemeni people have staged a mass rally in the capital, Sana'a, to voice their support for a new coalition government including the ruling Houthi Ansarullah movement and former president Ali Abdullah Saleh's General People's Congress party.
Riyadh: Houthi-Formed Council Not to Change Military Situation in Yemen Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- The military situation in Yemen has not changed, and the formation of a supreme political council by Houthis together with the General People's Congress (GPC) will have no effect on it, Saudi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri told Sputnik Monday.
Yemen: Focusing on local suppliers, UN agency reaches thousands more in need of food aid UN News 01 Aug 2016 -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has recorded a nearly five-fold increase in the number to whom it has provided assistance in hard-to-reach areas across war-torn Yemen, through an innovative, locally driven voucher initiative.

800 militants killed in joint Syria-Russia operation in Aleppo Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- The Russian military says it has assisted the Syrian army in an operation that has killed around 800 militants who were trying to break the siege of the northern city of Aleppo.
Militant mortar attack kills four, injures 20 in Aleppo Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- Foreign-sponsored militants have carried out a mortar attack on the eastern area of the embattled Syrian city of Aleppo, leaving at least four people dead and 20 others injured, Press TV reports.
Russia helicopter shot down over Syria's Idlib, five on board believed dead Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- A Russian helicopter delivering humanitarian aid to the Syrian city of Aleppo has been shot down in Idlib province, with reports suggesting the five people on board are killed.
Clashes erupt between militants and government troops in Syria's Aleppo Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- Fierce clashes have broken out between Syrian government forces and militants trying to break the siege around the city of Aleppo, says a UK-based monitoring group.
Russian Mi-8 Transport Helicopter Downed in Syria, Five People Confirmed Dead Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- The Russian Aerospace Forces' Mil Mi-8 Hip transport helicopter was downed in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib on Monday with three crew members and two reconciliation center officers aboard.
Russian Aerospace Forces Actively Support Syrian Army in Repelling Attacks Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- The Russian Aerospace Forces are actively supporting the Syrian government armed forces in repelling enemy attacks by delivering selective strikes on militants and avoiding populated areas, the Russian General staff said Monday.
Some 25,000 people displaced by military attacks in western Aleppo - UNICEF UN News 01 Aug 2016 -- About 25,000 people, including more than 12,000 children, have been displaced last night from a neighbourhood in western Aleppo City by intense military attacks initiated by armed opposition groups, a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) official in Syria said today, calling on the warring parties to do their utmost to protect all civilians.
Syrian Forces Repel al-Nusra in a Major Offensive Marred by Suicide Attacks Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- Syrian armed forces have managed to successfully repel a massive offensive by the besieged Nusra Front terrorists, which began early Sunday, capturing a warehouse of US-made weapons in process.

Iraqi forces free al-Anbar region from ISIL ISNA 01 Aug 2016 -- Iraqi security forces have liberated a strategic region in the western al-Anbar Province from the ISIL terrorist group.
Iraqi forces liberate Khaldiyah Island in Anbar province Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- The Iraqi Army, backed by fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Forces, has fully liberated the strategic Khaldiyah Island in western Anbar province from Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

OSCE Official Says Monitors Need 'Unfettered' Access In Ukraine RFE/RL 01 Aug 2016 -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is demanding unfettered access across eastern Ukraine after one of its monitoring missions there was threatened at gunpoint by Russia-backed separatists.
Russia to Deploy Airborne Forces Battalion in North Crimea in 2017 Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- Russia will deploy a battalion and a regiment of its airborne forces in Crimea.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Slams Trump as 'Dangerous Outcast' Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has called US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump a "dangerous outcast" over the billionaire's promise to look into recognizing Crimea as Russian territory.
Trump Says He Would Consider Recognizing Crimea As Part Of Russia RFE/RL 01 Aug 2016 -- The Republican candidate for U.S. president, Donald Trump, has said that, if elected, he would consider recognizing Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

UNICEF working at 'full strength' in north-east Nigeria, despite attack on aid convoy UN News 01 Aug 2016 -- Despite an attack on a humanitarian convoy in which one of its staff members was injured, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is scaling up its response to provide assistance to thousands of conflict-affected children in Nigeria's Borno state, which has borne the brunt of violence by Boko Haram insurgents.
Nigerian Army Killed 348 Shiites in December Raid, Inquiry Says VOA 01 Aug 2016 -- A Nigerian commission has found that the army killed 348 people from a minority Shiite Muslim sect last December and has called for the prosecution of those involved.

News Reports

Turkey Captures Soldiers Allegedly Linked to Coup as Crackdown Intensifies VOA 01 Aug 2016 -- Turkish forces detained 11 soldiers Monday who are suspected of attacking a hotel where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was staying during an attempted coup in mid-July.
Turkey arrests 11 commandos for attempt to capture Erdogan during failed coup Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- Turkey's special forces have arrested 11 fugitive commandos wanted for involvement in an alleged attempt to capture President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the July 15 failed coup in the country.
Turkey to scrap EU deal if visa waivers not forthcoming: FM Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- Turkey says it will "back away" from a refugee deal it has struck with the European Union (EU) if the bloc does not grant Turkish nationals visa-free travel to Europe.
Ankara Threatens to Pull Out of EU-Turkey Migrant Deal Over Visa-Free Travel Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- Relations between the EU and Turkey have become increasingly strained since the attempted coup in July, with Turkish foreign minister threatening to break off the EU-Turkey migrant deal if Turkish citizens do not have visa-free access to the EU by October.
Concerns Over Turkish Media Freedom in Aftermath of Failed Coup VOA 01 Aug 2016 -- With nearly 20,000 people detained and arrests continuing, there is rising concern the crackdown in Turkey after the July 15 failed coup is expanding to government critics and opponents, especially in the media.

Islamic State Tries to Trigger 'War of Religions' in West VOA 01 Aug 2016 -- The Islamic State (IS) is inciting supporters to mount more attacks on Christians just days after two of the terror group's sympathizers slit the throat of an 85-year-old French priest as he was celebrating Mass – a killing French officials fear was a deliberate tactic to provoke a Christian backlash in France against Muslims.

Leader rebukes US for failure to respect JCPOA - (UPDATES) IRNA 01 Aug 2016 -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Monday rebuked the US for failure to honor commitments to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, saying they had promised to lift sanctions all at once on the Implementation Day.
JCPOA proved necessity of distrust in US promises: Leader Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says Iran's experience in striking a nuclear agreement with the P5+1 group of countries, including the United States, was a clear example of the enemies' untrustworthiness.
FM spokesman: Iran-US talks excluded to nuclear issue IRNA 01 Aug 2016 -- Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said on Monday that diplomatic encounter with Washington excluded to the nuclear dispute.
US must accept responsibility for violating JCPOA: Iran MP Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- A senior Iranian lawmaker says the United States must accept responsibility for lack of commitment to its obligations under last year's nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries.
No Iran-US negotiations other than on nuclear issue: Qasemi Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- Iran has rejected recent claims by CIA Director John Brennan about ongoing talks between Iran and the United States on various subjects, saying Tehran and Washington are holding negotiations on the nuclear issue only.

FBI Employee Pleads Guilty to Acting in the United States as an Agent of the Chinese Government US Dept. of Justice 01 Aug 2016 -- Kun Shan Chun, a native of the People's Republic of China and a naturalized U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty today to a criminal information charging him with acting in the United States as an agent of China without providing prior notice to the Attorney General.

North Korean Defector Waits for Freedom VOA 01 Aug 2016 -- The fate of an 18-year-old North Korean defector who sought asylum inside South Korea's consulate in Hong Kong last month is still up in the air, although human rights groups hope that China's recent non-cooperative stance with Pyongyang may eventually facilitate his freedom.
South Korean Prosecutors Say North Korea Continues Cyber Attacks Against Country Sputnik 01 Aug 2016 -- North Korea is continuing to carry out cyber attacks against South Korean officials and experts, the South Korean Supreme Prosecutors' Office said Monday.

China's Chang'e-3 confirms lack of water in moon's Mare Imbrium People's Daily 01 Aug 2016 -- China's Chang'e 3 lunar probe has proven that there is no water on the moon, according to the official Weibo account of CCTV News on July 31.

President apologizes to indigenous people on government's behalf CNA 01 Aug 2016 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday issued a formal apology on behalf of the government to Taiwan's indigenous people for the discrimination and neglect they suffered over the past 400 years.

Theresa May tells Lords to support Brexit after threats to derail Article 50 plans Press TV 01 Aug 2016 -- Downing Street has responded to reports that the House of Lords could derail or delay the process of leaving the European Union.

New Security Laws Launched in Malaysia VOA 01 Aug 2016 -- New security laws went into effect Monday in Malaysia.

Thai Charter Outcome Uncertain Ahead of Sunday Vote VOA 01 Aug 2016 -- Up to 50 million eligible Thai voters are set to decide the future of the country's latest draft constitution, seen as crucial to the military government's 'roadmap' to fresh general elections.

Trump Criticized For Remarks About Muslim Parents Of Slain U.S. Soldier RFE/RL 01 Aug 2016 -- Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for U.S. president, is facing harsh criticism from both Democrats and Republicans over comments he made about the grieving Muslim parents of a U.S. Army captain who was killed in Iraq.

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