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Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 12 Aug 2016 [PDF]
• DoD Officials: Local Forces in Libya, Syria Gain Ground Against ISIL AFPS 12 Aug 2016 -- Local forces engaged in tough fighting in Libya and Syria against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are gaining ground against the terrorist army, a Defense Department spokesman said today.
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq AFPS 12 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.
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 12 Aug 2016 -- British forces have continued to conduct air operations in the fight against Daesh
• Statement by Deputy Press Secretary Gordon Trowbridge on Strike Targeting an ISIL Leader in Afghanistan DoD 12 Aug 2016 -- U.S. and Afghan Special Operations Forces conducted operations against ISIL in southern Nangarhar province from approximately 1-30 July 2016. During this time, U.S. forces conducted an airstrike targeting Hafiz Sayed Khan, the Islamic State in the Levant-Khorasan emir, in Achin district, Nangarhar province July 26, resulting in his death.
• Pakistan: Intelligence Cooperation Deal With Afghanistan Can Help Counter Terrorism VOA 12 Aug 2016 -- Pakistan is calling on Afghanistan to help create a formal intelligence-sharing deal so that the countries can better address allegations that their spy agencies are involved with anti-state violence on both sides of their shared border.

Defense Policy / Programs

• KC-46A approved for production AFNS 12 Aug 2016 -- The KC-46A Pegasus program received Milestone C approval from Frank Kendall, the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, signaling the aircraft is ready to enter into production.
• Travis C-5M delivers SBIRS GEO Flight 3 satellite AFNS 12 Aug 2016 -- A C-5M Super Galaxy assisted in the completion of a major milestone for the Air Force's Space Based Infrared Systems program, successfully delivering a geosynchronous Earth orbit Flight 3 satellite to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, Aug. 2.
• Mobile EHPI, aircraft recovery Marines rise to help with Harrier pilots recertification USMC News 12 Aug 2016 -- U.S. Marines with Aircraft Recovery assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron had an opportunity to train with a mobile version of the Expeditionary Hover Position Indicator at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Aug. 9, 2016.
• Mobile Bay Returns to San Diego NNS 12 Aug 2016 -- Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), the air and missile defense commander of the John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG), returned to its homeport of San Diego following a regularly scheduled seven-month deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific, Aug. 11.
• US Navy Collaborates with Germany for Technological Advances NNS 12 Aug 2016 -- Mine warfare experts from Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) are preparing for the first major milestone of Allied Munitions Detection Underwater (ALMOND), a joint project with a German organization, in September, the Navy announced.
• Navy Completes Fire Testing on Replicate Littoral Combat Ship NNS 12 Aug 2016 -- The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program completed blast and fire testing of a full-scale structural assembly at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center, officials announced Aug. 9.
• Russia deploys S-400 missile system to Crimea Press TV 12 Aug 2016 -- Russia has deployed a regiment of its advanced S-400 air defense missile system to Crimea as a dispute deepens between Moscow and Kiev over the security situation in the Black Sea peninsula.
• Russia holds drills in Black Sea amid tensions with Ukraine Press TV 12 Aug 2016 -- Russian naval forces have announced three-day military maneuvers in the Black Sea amid growing tensions between Moscow and Kiev over the Crimean Peninsula.
• Russia Working on Manned, Unmanned 6th Generation Fighter Jets Sputnik 12 Aug 2016 -- Russian Aerospace Forces Commander Viktor Bondarev said that the construction of sixth generation of jet fighters is not far off.
• Russia Rebuilding Military Airfields in Vietnam, Pacific Islands Sputnik 12 Aug 2016 -- Former Air Force Commander said that Russia is rebuilding its Soviet-era network of airfields in Vietnam and the northwestern Pacific island of Matua.
• Innovation Initiative to bring future-tech and ideas to the Armed Forces UK MOD 12 Aug 2016 -- Defence Secretary launches new innovation push backed by £800m Fund.
• India Rejects SAAB's Offer to Develop Tejas MK1A Aircraft Sputnik 12 Aug 2016 -- Swedish defense firm SAAB had offered to set up a production unit in India to collaborate with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the co-development of the Tejas MK1A fighter aircraft
• French Firm DCNS Fails to Find Takers in India for Its AIPS Technology Sputnik 12 Aug 2016 -- Sources from India's Ministry of Defense say that the AIPS technology proposed by the DCNS is similar to what is being used in Scorpene class submarines.
• Pakistan Ready to Work Out Bilateral Agreement on Nuclear Test Ban With India Sputnik 12 Aug 2016 -- Pakistani prime minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said that Pakistan is ready to consider the transformation of its unilateral moratorium into the bilateral agreement with India on banning nuclear testing.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for August 12, 2016

Other Conflicts

• Most ferocious Saudi air raids in recent months hit Yemen Press TV 12 Aug 2016 -- At least eight Yemeni civilians have lost their lives as Saudi warplanes ramp up airstrikes against the capital, Sana'a, and other cities in the neighboring state.
• Civilian Death Toll in Yemeni Civil War Exceeds 3,700 - UN Sputnik 12 Aug 2016 -- According to United Nations, over 3,700 civilians have been killed and over 6,500 have been injured as a result of the ongoing civil war in Yemen.
• 'A political solution is the only solution,' UN says, as rising violence deepens crisis in Yemen UN News 12 Aug 2016 -- The United Nations today sounded the alarm over a spike in violence in crisis-torn Yemen, as the world body's human rights wing reported the number of civilian casualties in the conflict has been "steadily mounting," with some 815 casualties since April alone.
• Indian police expand curfew in Kashmir to block protest rally Press TV 12 Aug 2016 -- Indian authorities have expanded a curfew to areas across the disputed Kashmir region in an effort aimed at blocking a march by pro-independence activists.
• India blames Pakistan for rise of tension in Kashmir Press TV 12 Aug 2016 -- India blamed Pakistan Friday for the rise of tension in Indian-controlled Kashmir as pressure mounts on New Delhi to cool down the situation.
• Russian-Turkish Thaw: Ankara Ready to Close Its Border With Syria Sputnik 12 Aug 2016 -- Turkey is already mulling the possibility of closing its border with Syria, amid the ongoing diplomatic fence-mending between Moscow and Ankara, according to the Russian newspaper Izvestia.
• Daesh Takfiris kidnap nearly 2,000 civilians in northern Syria Press TV 12 Aug 2016 -- Members of the Daesh Takfiri group have kidnapped thousands of civilians in a Kurdish-populated city of the strategic northwestern province of Aleppo as the victims were fleeing heavy fighting between an alliance of Arab and Kurdish forces on one side and extremists on the other.
• US urges Ukraine-Russia restraint over Crimea Press TV 12 Aug 2016 -- The United States has urged Ukraine and Russia to show restraint after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko deployed all forces near Crimea apparently in preparation for a confrontation with Moscow.
• Kyiv Accuses Russia Of Provocations As Moscow Deploys Missiles RFE/RL 12 Aug 2016 -- Kyiv accused Russia of seeking to provoke an escalation of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, saying Moscow has bolstered separatist forces in the region with fresh deliveries of ammunition and military hardware.
• Foiled Crimea Terrorist Attacks 'Crime Against Russian State, People' - Medvedev Sputnik 12 Aug 2016 -- Russian Prime Minister Dmintry Medvedev called the recently prevented terrorist attacks in Crimea "a crime committed against the Russian state and the people of Russia living on one of the territories belonging to the Russian Federation."
• Ukraine-Russia Tensions Flare as Russians Rebuild Military in Crimea VOA 12 Aug 2016 -- Ukrainian troops are on high alert as tensions rise with Russia. Kyiv has accused Moscow of increasing its troop presence on the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia two years ago. Moscow is accusing Kyiv of an incursion into Crimea. Some experts say the timing is ripe for a conflict because the world's attention is elsewhere.
• Uganda not to contribute troops to regional force in South Sudan Press TV 12 Aug 2016 -- Uganda says it will not contribute troops to a regional protection force formed to enforce the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
• South Sudan: Scale of refugee exodus straining capacity in neighbouring countries, warns UN UN News 12 Aug 2016 -- The countries hosting refugees from their crisis-gripped neighbour, South Sudan, are straining under the sheer weight of the ongoing exodus as desperate people continue to arrive at their borders daily, joining hundreds of thousands of others that fled for safety before them, the United Nations has warned.
• Rapid Influx of South Sudan Refugees Strains Uganda Centers VOA 12 Aug 2016 -- An unprecedented number of refugees from South Sudan have been streaming into Uganda since fighting broke out in Juba last month. In some border towns, refugees now outnumber local residents. Humanitarian agencies working at the border say more assistance is urgently needed.
• Security Council approves regional protection force for UN mission in South Sudan UN News 12 Aug 2016 -- The Security Council today authorized a 4,000-strong regional protection force within the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), "responsible for providing a secure environment in and around Juba," the capital, which in early July, was the scene of the latest eruption of deadly violence in the young country, exacerbating an already desperate humanitarian situation.
• Georgia Sabotaging Work on Non-Use of Force in Abkhazia, South Ossetia Sputnik 12 Aug 2016 -- Georgian side is consistently sabotaging work at Geneva discussions on documents for the non-use of force in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
• UN health agency boosts response to cholera outbreak in Central African Republic UN News 12 Aug 2016 -- Amid the difficult humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners are stepping up efforts to respond to a recent cholera outbreak in villages along the Oubangui River and have stressed the urgent need for more resources and support for the country.
• UN: Violence, Hatred Against Burundi Tutsis Could Presage Genocide VOA 12 Aug 2016 -- The U.N. Committee Against Torture warns acts of violence and incitement to hatred against the ethnic Tutsi minority in Burundi could develop into genocide. The committee has just issued its concluding observations on its examination of Burundi's implementation of the Convention Against Torture.

News Reports

• Kremlin Reshuffle Sees New Chief of Staff Appointed Sputnik 12 Aug 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has released Sergei Ivanov, the chief of staff of the Russian presidential administration, from his duties, the Kremlin said Friday.
• Putin Replaces Top Adviser In Major Kremlin Shake-Up RFE/RL 12 Aug 2016 -- In a major shake-up at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin has transferred his chief of staff and one of his closest allies to a far less influential position.
• Russia's Putin appoints new Kremlin chief of staff Press TV 12 Aug 2016 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has relieved his close ally and powerful chief of staff Sergei Ivanov from his duties in the most high-profile power reshuffle at the Kremlin in several years.
• Zarif, Erdogan hold key talks in Ankara Press TV 12 Aug 2016 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have held talks about key bilateral, regional and international issues.
• Ankara Suspends Over 5,000 Education Staff Over Alleged Ties to Cleric Gulen Sputnik 12 Aug 2016 -- Turkey's Council of Higher Education (YOK) on Friday suspended 5,342 educational workers for alleged ties to cleric Fethullah Gulen suspected of guiding the recent military coup in the country, local media reported.
• Turkish HDP Party Leader May Face Five Years in Prison For Promoting Terrorism Sputnik 12 Aug 2016 -- The Turkish Prosecutor's Office is ready to charge Selahattin Demirtas, co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) with disseminating terrorism-related propaganda, which means he could spend three to five years in prison if found guilty, media reported Friday.
• Two Years After Controversial Afghan Elections, Promised Reforms Remain Stalled VOA 12 Aug 2016 -- Afghanistan was on the brink of a civil war when both presidential candidates claimed victory in the 2014 run-off election, which outside observers called flawed by fraud and irregularities led to a contested result.
• Afghanistan's Long-simmering Political Tensions Go Public VOA 12 Aug 2016 -- This week, long-simmering political tensions between Afghanistan's top leaders spilled into the open as Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, and his governing partner, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, sharply criticized each other, raising questions about the survival of the fragile so-called national unity government.
• Afghan President Ghani unfit for presidency: Abdullah Press TV 12 Aug 2016 -- Afghanistan's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah has slammed President Ashraf Ghani, saying his ally is "unfit for the presidency."
• Venezuela, Colombia agree to partially reopen borders Press TV 12 Aug 2016 -- Venezuela and Colombia have agreed to partially reopen their common border a year after Caracas decided to close the country's frontier crossings in a dispute over security and smuggling.
• UN condemns bomb attacks in Thailand UN News 12 Aug 2016 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the bomb attacks in Thailand that took place on Thursday and Friday, expressing the hops that the perpetrators will be quickly brought to justice.
• Thai Blasts Shake Tourism Industry VOA 12 Aug 2016 -- Thailand's valuable tourism industry is reeling after a series of bombs and arson attacks Friday killed four people and injured at least 30 people, many of them foreign visitors.
• DPRK FM Spokesman Accuses U.S. of Pulling up DPRK over Issue of Religious Freedom KCNA 12 Aug 2016 -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA Friday as regards the fact that the U.S. pulled up the DPRK over the issue of religious freedom: