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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 21 Feb 2017[PDF]
• Iraqi Security Forces Move in to Liberate West Mosul, Official Says AFPS 21 Feb 2017 -- Since operations began over the weekend to retake West Mosul from two years of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria control, Iraqi security forces have already retaken more than 125 square kilometers – more than 48 square miles – of ISIS-held territory near the city, Pentagon director of press operations Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters today.
• DoD to Deliver Counter-ISIS Review to White House AFPS 21 Feb 2017 -- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis yesterday completed his first trip to the Middle East, where he gained valuable insight as he prepares to make key policy decisions, including submitting the results of a review of the department's strategy to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria to the White House, Pentagon press operations director Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters this morning.
• Officials Provide Details of Latest Strikes in Syria, Iraq AFPS 21 Feb 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• US Advisers in Iraq Expanding Presence to More Units - Pentagon Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- In between phase one and phase two of Iraqi Security Forces operations to liberate east Mosul the US-led coalition expanded its advise and assist mission to better support the ISF, according to US Department of Defense spokesperson Jeff Davis.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Keel Laid for Future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. NNS 21 Feb 2017 -- The keel of future guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr. (DDG 121) was ceremoniously laid Feb. 21 at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard.
• Army implements new, improved ammunition management system Army News 21 Feb 2017 -- The Army is implementing an updated ammunition management system with significantly improved cyber-attack resistance, as well as greater transparency for ammunition managers and easier functionality for operators.
• Strike capable asset: Navy, Marine Corps team up for maritime deployment USMC News 21 Feb 2017 -- Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 "Death Rattlers" departed Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, to conduct predeployment training with Carrier Air Wing 11 at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, Jan. 25 to Feb 23.
• Alexandria Visits Sasebo during Indo-Asia-Pacific Deployment NNS 21 Feb 2017 -- Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Alexandria (SSN 757) arrived at Fleet Activities Sasebo for a visit as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment, Feb. 19.
• Nimitz Completes INSURV NNS 21 Feb 2017 -- Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) successfully completed the final phase of testing conducted by the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), the Material Inspection, one day earlier than expected in San Diego, Feb. 16.
• EUCOM, NATO troops undertake global exercise 'Austere Challenge' Army News 21 Feb 2017 -- U.S. European Command brought together service members around the world for a computer-assisted global command-and-control exercise called Austere Challenge 2017, which focused on European security.
• Russia Says Military Neutrality Of Sweden, Finland Is Crucial For Security RFE/RL 21 Feb 2017 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said the military neutrality of Sweden and Finland is fundamental to the security of the Baltic region.
• Russia Begins Sukhoi T-50 Fighter Missile, Bomb Armament Tests Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- Deputy Defense Minister said that tests of the Russian fifth-generation fighter T-50 (PAK FA) are in the process of the integration of missile and bomb armament.
• Fifth S-400 Air Defense Regiment Enters Combat Duty Near Moscow Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- The Russian Armed Forces have deployed another S-400 Triumf missile system to the Moscow Region.
• Turkey-Russia Talks on S-400 Deliveries 'Positive' - Turkish Foreign Minister Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- Turkish Foreign Minister said that negotiations with Russia on deliveries of advanced S-400 Triumf air defense systems to Turkey are progressing successfully.
• 2nd carrier almost complete People's Daily 21 Feb 2017 -- China is close to completing its second aircraft carrier, which will begin service by 2020, experts said. China Central Television (CCTV) reported that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's Type 001A class aircraft carrier's scaffold has been removed and red undercoat has been painted below the ship's waterline in Dalian, northeastern Liaoning Province, and that a launching ceremony will soon be held.
• India Sanctions Engine Repair Facility for Naval Carrier Aircraft MiG 29K Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- Indian Navy has announced a tender for 57 multi-role carrier borne fighters. Russian Aircraft has announced its willingness to participate in this bid.
• India to Add 42 Radar Stations for Surveillance in Western Coast Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- In the backdrop of frequent movement of rival naval ships and increased risk of terrorist attacks from sea, India has expedited the second phase of coastal surveillance scheme.
• IRGC Ground Forces conduct urban warfare drill Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s Ground Forces are practicing defending residential areas during simulated urban warfare.
• Czech Army to Purchase 8 Israeli Radars for $116 Mln Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- The Czech army will buy eight Israeli ELM 2084 MMR radars, used in Iron Dome missile defense system, for about $116 million, local media reported.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sean Spicer, 2/21/2017, #13 The White House 21 Feb 2017

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• 21 February 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 21 Feb 2017
• 'Time running out' for 1.4 million children in 'man-made' crises in Africa, Yemen - UNICEF UN News 21 Feb 2017 -- Almost 1.4 million children are at imminent risk of death due to severe acute malnutrition this year, as famine threatens in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, warned the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), urging prompt action to save them.
• World Must Do More to Protect Children From Conflict, Officials Warn VOA 21 Feb 2017 -- The French government and UNICEF are urging the international community to step up protection of children living in and fleeing armed conflict that affects tens of millions of youngsters.
• At Security Council, UN chief Guterres highlights global significance of a peaceful Europe UN News 21 Feb 2017 -- Noting that recent crises in Europe show that the continent remains at risk from new outbreaks of conflict, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for reinforcing mutual trust and respect to strengthen stability and cooperation both within Europe and beyond.
• Beijing voices opposition to US naval patrols in South China Sea Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- China has reiterated that it respects the freedom of navigation but it will not permit other countries to use such principals to undermine its sovereignty.
• South China Sea: Beijing Unwilling to Go Down Without a Fight Amid US-Led FONOP Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- While Washington signals its readiness to continue the Obama-era FONOP operations in the South China Sea, Beijing is seemingly not willing to go down without a fight, Russian expert Anton Tsvetov told Sputnik.
• 7 million people face starvation in conflict-ridden Yemen: UN Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- The United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Yemen has warned of a deepening food crisis in the country, which is reeling from a Saudi military aggression, saying almost a quarter of the country's 27 million population are facing starvation.
• Yemen's brutal two-year conflict forcing displaced to return home amid persisting risks - UN UN News 21 Feb 2017 -- The complex crisis in Yemen continues to deepen, with United Nations agencies reporting today that perhaps one million people who had fled for safety are returning to their homes mainly due to a lack of access to income and basic services in the areas of displacement, warning that returnees often find the situation just as bad.
• Riyadh may send forces to Syria to back US campaign against Daesh: Saudi FM Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- Saudi Arabia says it is ready to support the United States in its so-called war against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in Syria by sending ground troops and special forces to the war-torn Arab country.
• Syrian troops, allies inflict heavy losses on Takfiri militants Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- Syrian government forces, backed by fighters from allied popular defense groups, have carried out fresh operations against foreign-backed Takfiri militants across the country, inflicting substantial losses on them.
• CIA Freezes Aid To Free Syrian Army Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- As Syrian President Bashar al Assad's hold on western parts of Syria solidifies, the CIA is lessening its support of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
• Syrian Army Takes Control Over Road Junction Three Miles Away From Palmyra Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- Despite the successes of the Syrian army, it was premature to talk about the liberation of Palmyra in the coming days, according to a well-informed source on the ground.
• Syrian Air Force Kills al-Nusra Front Field Commander in Hama Province Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- The Syrian Air Force on Tuesday killed one of Jabhat Fatah al Sham terrorist group (formerly known as the Nusra Front, banned in Russia) field commanders in the country's northern province of Hama.
• Armed Opposition in Syria Receives Weapons From Abroad - Moscow Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- Armed groups in Syria have been receiving weapons from abroad, the Russian defense minister said.
• Al-Nusra Front Attacks UN Aid Convoy With Mortars, Machine-Guns in Syria Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- Al-Nusra Front terrorists attacked a UN humanitarian aid convoy in Syria on February 20, a diplomatic source told Sputnik on Tuesday.
• UN refugee agency focuses on sheltering displaced as Iraqi offensive moves to west Mosul UN News 21 Feb 2017 -- The United Nations refugee agency is focusing efforts on camp construction in and around the Iraqi city of Mosul, where renewed fighting could displace up to 250,000 people.
• Iraqi army, volunteer fighters force Daesh terrorists out of Mosul airport Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- Iraqi government forces, supported by fighters from Popular Mobilization Units, have closed in on the Mosul International Airport, forcing the Daesh Takfiri terrorists to pull out of the facility.
• Series of Daesh Drone Attacks Kill 9 People in Iraqi Mosul Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- At least nine people have been killed in a series of the Daesh terrorist group (banned in Russia) drone attacks in Iraqi Mosul on Tuesday, media reported.
• Iraqi Troops Close In on Mosul's Southern Border VOA 21 Feb 2017 -- Iraqi troops have pushed into the southern outskirts of Mosul as they consolidate their position on the third day of a rebooted offensive to take the city, a military spokesman said.
• European Border Officials Paint Grim Libyan Picture VOA 21 Feb 2017 -- A bleak assessment by European border officials of the turmoil in Libya is casting doubt on the prospects for European Union efforts to work more closely with authorities in the strife-torn country to curb migration flows across the Mediterranean.
• UN Special Rapporteur visits Rohingya camps in Bangladesh Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar has visited Rohingya Muslims refugee camps in Bangladesh, where thousands of people have taken shelter after fleeing an ongoing persecution and military crackdown in Myanmar.
• Kremlin Dismisses Back-Channel Ukrainian Peace Plan As 'Absurd' RFE/RL 21 Feb 2017 -- The Kremlin has dismissed a Ukrainian peace plan created by a pro-Russian Ukrainian lawmaker and given to the White House, calling its provision on Crimea "absurd."
• Kremlin on Donbass Republics: DPR, LPR 'in Severe Blockade on Part of Ukraine' Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- The Kremlin spokesman commented on the possibility of Russia recognizing Donbass republics following President Vladimir Putin's decree giving a legal status to the documents of the republics' citizens.
• Ex-Colombian FARC rebels to begin disarmament Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- Colombia's president says nearly 7,000 former rebels with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) group have reached designated demobilization zones throughout the country, where they will start laying down their arms under a landmark peace deal with the government.
• Azerbaijan's Breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh Holds 'Illegal' Referendum RFE/RL 21 Feb 2017 -- The separatists controlling Azerbaijan's breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region have strengthened their executive leader's powers in a referendum that international observers warned was illegal.
• DR Congo: UN rights chief calls on Government to halt violence by security forces UN News 21 Feb 2017 -- The United Nations human rights chief today called on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to take immediate steps to halt widespread human rights violations, including apparent summary executions, by the country's armed forces.

News Reports

• Background Briefing Previewing Secretary Tillerson and DHS Secretary Kelly's Travel to Mexico US Dept. of State 21 Feb 2017 -- Special Briefing by Senior Administration Officials
• US Must Hire 5,000 Border Patrol Agents - Homeland Security Secretary Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said that US Customs and Border Patrol agency must immediately hire 5,000 new border patrol agents to apprehend immigrants entering the United States illegally.
• US Homeland Security Directives Outline Aggressive Immigration Enforcement VOA 21 Feb 2017 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued two new memos outlining the implementation of President Donald Trump's executive orders to stop illegal immigration while deporting undocumented immigrants out of the U.S.
• Just One Month In, US President, Aides Face Multiple Investigations VOA 21 Feb 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has been in office for a month, but the number of investigations of his new administration and its actions is mounting.
• Haley: US Committed to European Allies VOA 21 Feb 2017 -- U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Tuesday that the United States is committed to working with European allies, despite occasional disagreements.
• Aliyev Appoints Wife As First Vice President Of Azerbaijan RFE/RL 21 Feb 2017 -- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has appointed his wife as first vice president, putting her first in line to take over if the president dies or is incapacitated.
• Azeri leader appoints first lady as vice-president Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has appointed his socialite wife Mehriban Aliyeva as the vice-president of the oil-rich Caspian Sea country.
• Bahraini MPs pass bill allowing military trial of civilians Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- The lower house of the Bahraini parliament has approved a contentious amendment to the kingdom's constitution under which civilians could be tried in military courts, in a latest move to further suppress political dissent in the island country.
• Romania lawmakers vote for scrapping controversial corruption bill Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- Romania's lower house of parliament has overwhelmingly approved a government order to withdraw a graft bill which decriminalizes several corruption offenses.
• China jails former head of safety watchdog over graft Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- China has sentenced to 15 years in jail a former head of the country's watchdog for safety at work, saying the official, who was in charge when deadly blasts in 2015 killed nearly 170 people in the city of Tianjin, was involved in graft.
• China coal ban not to seriously affect North Korea: Official Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- China's recent imposition of a ban on coal imports from North Korea has yet to be fully felt in Pyongyang, says an official in North Korea, playing down the impact of the measure that Beijing adopted in line with international sanctions on the country.
• Malaysian doctors still waiting for lab results to determine cause of DPRK man's death People's Daily 21 Feb 2017 -- Doctors found no sign of puncture on the body of a Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) man, who died at the Kuala Lumpur airport last week, as the cause of death is yet to be determined by results from a lab, a Malaysian health official said on Tuesday.
• Malaysia: No Cause of Death Yet in North Korean's Killing VOA 21 Feb 2017 -- Malaysian health officials said Tuesday they have not yet determined a cause of death in the apparent assassination of the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
• French police raid offices of far-right leader Le Pen in probe of EU fraud Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- French police have raided the headquarters of the country's far-right Front National (FN) Party, led by frontrunner presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, as part of a probe into her alleged misuse of EU funds.
• Trial of Libyan Gadhafi Regime Members Found Flawed VOA 21 Feb 2017 -- The trial in Libya of Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son of former strongman Moammar Gadhafi and 36 other members of his regime, failed to live up to international standards of fairness, a United Nations report said Tuesday.
• Five killed, 15 injured in bomb attack on court in northern Pakistan Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- At least five people have been killed as a bomb explosion rocked a court complex in northern Pakistan, the latest in a string of attacks which have claimed more than 100 lives over the past 10 days.
• Suicide Attack on Pakistani Courthouse Kills 7 VOA 21 Feb 2017 -- A suicide gun-and-bomb attack on a courthouse in northwestern Pakistan Tuesday killed at least seven people and wounded 30 others.
• Indian Space Research Organization Awaits Government Nod to Develop Station Sputnik 21 Feb 2017 -- Indian leaders and some of the space scientists had criticized ISRO for Mars Mission in 2013, arguing that with limited available resources, ISRO should prioritize its spending and avoid wasteful expenditure. Now, space scientists have points to make in support of India's own space station.
• U.S. has right to decide whether to post military at AIT: minister CNA 21 Feb 2017 -- The U.S. government has the right to decide whether to post military personnel at the new compound of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and whether to arm the officers, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) said Tuesday.
• Cross-strait ties 'not ideal enough': premier CNA 21 Feb 2017 -- The Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) administration has hoped for positive interactions between Taiwan and China since it took office on May 20 last year, but the situation has not been "ideal enough," Premier Lin Chuan (林全) said Tuesday.
• Turkish parliament strips pro-Kurdish opposition party leader of lawmaking status Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- The Turkish parliament has removed Figen Yuksekdag, the co-leader of the pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), from her status as a legislator, three months after security forces detained the lawmaker as part of a "counter-terrorism investigation."
• Turkish President Resurrects Death Penalty Issue VOA 21 Feb 2017 -- Protesters chant, "We want the death penalty|," as 40 soldiers are led into an Ankara court. The soldiers are accused of trying to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a failed coup in July, in which more than 250 people were killed.
• Policeman says Philippine's Duterte paid him to kill criminals Press TV 21 Feb 2017 -- A former police officer has claimed that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte used to pay him and other police officers to murder criminals.
• 'Time lost means lives lost,' warns UN aid chief, releasing funds to tackle drought in Ethiopia UN News 21 Feb 2017 -- The top United Nations humanitarian official today released $18.5 million from the organization's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to enable critical aid for more than 785,000 people suffering from hunger, malnutrition and severe water shortages in Ethiopia's Somali region – the worst drought-stricken part of the country.