Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 16 Mar 2017[PDF]
• Counter-ISIS Strikes Target Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 16 Mar 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.
• Kansas Army National Guard deploys to fight fires in central Kansas Army News 16 Mar 2017 -- As wildfires burn in multiple counties across the state, the State Emergency Operations Center continues to monitor and coordinate assistance for the affected counties.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Trump Seeks $30B More in Fiscal 2017 to Rebuild Military, Fight ISIS AFPS 16 Mar 2017 -- In a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan today, President Donald J. Trump asked for another $30 billion for the Defense Department in this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, to rebuild the armed forces and accelerate the campaign to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
• Department of Defense Off-Camera Press Briefing by Comptroller Roth and Gen. Ierardi on the Fiscal Year 2017 Request for Additional Appropriations DoD 16 Mar 2017 -- John P. Roth, performing the duties of undersecretary of defense comptroller; Army Lt. Gen. Anthony R. Ierardi, director, force structure, resources and assessment (J8), Joint Staff
• Singapore AF enhances Red Flag 17-2 AFNS 16 Mar 2017 -- As the Singapore CH-47 Chinook's twin rotors build speed and spin in unison, a loud but calming hum fills the interior of the helicopter. Seven Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialists sit with their gear in front of them, parachutes on their backs.
• F-15C simulators provide low-cost, critical training AFNS 16 Mar 2017 -- Projecting unrivaled combat airpower is expensive, which is why one Tyndall Air Force Base unit invested in smarter operations for lower training costs. This unit can launch a jet, fly an unlimited amount of hours and fight thousands of enemies all from a single room.
• New Soldier armor weighs less, offers more options Army News 16 Mar 2017 -- The average generation II improved outer tactical vest weighs about 26 pounds. But the new torso and extremity protection system or TEP, under development now at Program Executive Office Soldier, sheds about five pounds of weight and also adds a wide degree of scalability that commanders can make use of depending on threat level and mission.
• 120 programs on hold due to unpredictable funding Army News 16 Mar 2017 -- The most formidable threat the Army faces today is not a resurgent Russia, a more sophisticated Chinese military or even terrorist networks. It's fiscal uncertainty, one of the Army's top civilians said Tuesday.
• Air Force may join Army in refining multi-domain concept Army News 16 Mar 2017 -- The Air Force may soon join the Army in developing new capabilities for multi-domain battle, senior leaders say, just a few weeks after Army and Marine Corps leaders came together to publish an outline on future combat operations.
• Energy C2 dashboard will help Marines, soldiers extend operational reach USMC News 16 Mar 2017 -- The Marine Corps and Army are jointly developing a fuel tracking system that will automatically record fuel usage to better assess energy efficiency in theater.
• USS Stethem, JDS Ikazuchi Conduct Groundbreaking Parts Transfer NNS 16 Mar 2017 -- Ships' maintenance parts exchanged by two officers expanded the capabilities of two navies, March 11, in Guam.
• Makin Island Earns Battle 'E' NNS 16 Mar 2017 -- Amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) received the 2016 Battle Effectiveness Award (Battle "E"), March 14, marking the second time the ship received the honor.
• Green Bay Wins First Battle 'E' NNS 16 Mar 2017 -- Amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD 20) was named a recipient of the 2016 Battle Efficiency (Battle "E") Award, March 15, marking the first time the ship has received the prestigious award.
• Battalion Establishes Air Deployable Det. for Major Contingencies NNS 16 Mar 2017 -- Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1, stood up an Air Deployable Det. for major contingencies on board Naval Station Rota, Spain, March 1, 2017.
• 45th SW supports successful Falcon 9 EchoStar XXIII launch AFNS 16 Mar 2017 -- The 45th Space Wing supported SpaceX's successful launch of the EchoStar XXIII spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center March 16, 2017.
• Deputy Crown Prince Meets US Secretary of Defense and US Senior Officials SPA 17 Mar 2017
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis' Meeting with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman DoD 16 Mar 2017
• Remarks by Secretary Mattis at Top of Meeting with Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed Bin Salman at the Pentagon DoD 16 Mar 2017 -- Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis; Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed Bin Salman
• United Kingdom - Hellfire Missiles DSCA 16 Mar 2017 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Kingdom for Hellfire missiles. The estimated cost is $150 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• UK Royal Air Force Air-to-Air Refueling Payback Clause Exposed Sputnik 16 Mar 2017 -- The UK Ministry of Defense has agreed to compensate the company proving air-to-air refueling for the Royal Air Force (RAF) if its aircraft take on board more fuel from foreign air forces than its tankers provide to foreign aircraft, it has been revealed.
• Pyongyang Blasts US B1-B Nuke Bombers Taking Part in South Korea War Games Sputnik 16 Mar 2017 -- On Thursday, North Korea denounced the US and South Korea for conducting joint military drills near the divided peninsula using the USS Carl Vinson and US strategic bombers, accusing the two nations of "escalating nuclear attack threats" against Pyongyang.
• Navy commander: Iran able to confront all threats in free waters IRNA 16 Mar 2017 -- Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced that Iran is able to confront all threats in the world's free waters.
• Commander: Iran's navy conducts escorts for 10,000 cargo ships, oil tankers IRNA 16 Mar 2017 -- Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced that his forces have conducted a total of 150 escort operations for 10,000 cargo ships and oil tankers in the free waters.
• Pakistan Successfully Tests Anti-Ship Missile Sputnik 16 Mar 2017 -- The anti-ship missile launched from the Pakistan's coastal region has successfully hit the target in the sea, acccording to local media reports.
• Taiwan can strike enemy troops at their home bases: defense official CNA 16 Mar 2017 -- Taiwan's military has the capability to strike Chinese troops at their home bases, should a war in the Taiwan Strait break out, a Defense Ministry official said Thursday while presenting a defense review to the Legislature.
• Taiwan Seeks Warplane Like F-35B as China Boosts Defense Budget Sputnik 16 Mar 2017 -- As the US and China smooth out the details of new budgets that dramatically increase military spending, Taiwan announced that it plans to bolster its forces with a vertical and/or short take-off and landing (V/STOL) aircraft, and Lockheed Martin's F-35B is certain to be a prime candidate.
• Ankara Not to Integrate S-400 System Into NATO Missile Defense System Sputnik 16 Mar 2017 -- S-400 missile system that Ankara plans to buy from Russia will not be integrated into NATO missile defense system, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Işık said on Thursday.
• Dubious Defense Cooperation With Colombia Whets Saab's Appetite Sputnik 16 Mar 2017 -- During his visit to Colombia, Swedish Industry Minister Mikael Damberg signed off on a defense cooperation agreement. Sweden's Saab is particularly enthusiastic about the agreement, which may help the troubled airplane manufacturer sell some of its vaunted Gripen fighter jets.
• Press Availability With Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida US Dept. of State 16 Mar 2017
• Remarks With Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 16 Mar 2017
• Remarks With Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Before Their Meeting US Dept. of State 16 Mar 2017
• Department Press Briefing - March 16, 2017 US Dept. of State 16 Mar 2017
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sean Spicer, 3/16/2017, #25 The White House 16 Mar 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 16, 2017
• Boeing, U.S. Army Sign $3.4B Contract for 268 AH-64E Apache Helicopters Boeing 16 Mar 2017 -- Boeing and the U.S. government recently signed a five-year, $3.4 billion contract through which the Army, and a customer outside the U.S., will acquire the latest Apache attack helicopter at a significant savings to taxpayers.

Other Conflicts

• 16 March 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 16 Mar 2017
• China to Retaliate If Japan Sends Izumo Warship to South China Sea Sputnik 16 Mar 2017 -- China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying stated that the situation in the South China Sea was improving in comparison with the last year due to the efforts of the regional states, and countries outside of the region must respect the efforts to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
• Yemeni forces down Saudi helicopter in Hudaydah province: TV Press TV 16 Mar 2017 -- Yemeni army soldiers and fighters from Popular Committees have shot down an Apache helicopter operated by Saudi Arabia in the western province of Hudaydah, a report says.
• 'Tightening the Noose': Syrian Democratic Forces Now Control Areas Around Raqqa Sputnik 16 Mar 2017 -- The Syrian Democratic Forces' troops have gained complete control of areas surrounding the "capital" of Daesh.
• Over 150,000 Iraqis flee amid operations to liberate western Mosul Press TV 16 Mar 2017 -- Iraq says more than 150,000 people have fled fighting in and around the western side of Mosul since security forces launched an operation to retake the area from Daesh terrorists.
• Relief operations in western Mosul reaching 'breaking point' as civilians flee hunger, fighting - UN UN News 16 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations and its humanitarian partners in Iraq are scrambling to get emergency sites ready amidst a mass exodus from West Mosul, with nearly 700,000 civilians still living in the city where Iraqi forces are fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh), according to the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country.
• UN: Mass Exodus from Western Mosul Possible VOA 16 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations said Thursday it is preparing for a "mass exodus" from the western part of the Iraqi city of Mosul, as military operations intensify to dislodge Islamic State terrorists.
• Libya unity government, rival factions agree ceasefire after Tripoli battle Press TV 16 Mar 2017 -- Libya's unity government and rival armed groups in Tripoli have signed a ceasefire deal, ending fierce fighting for the control of the capital.
• EU seeks UN probe into crimes by Myanmar military against Rohingya Muslims Press TV 16 Mar 2017 -- The European Union has called on the United Nations to urgently send an international fact-finding mission to Myanmar to investigate widespread crimes being committed by the government armed forces against persecuted Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State.
• Myanmar must allow Rohingya Muslims to leave camps, return home: Annan commission Press TV 16 Mar 2017 -- A panel led by former UN chief Kofi Annan says Myanmar needs to close the squalid camps in Rakhine State, where thousands of persecuted displaced Rohingya Muslims have been trapped for nearly five years, and allow them to return home.
• European Parliament Calls On Russia To Free Ukrainians RFE/RL 16 Mar 2017 -- The European Parliament is calling on Moscow to free more than 30 Ukrainian citizens who are in prison or other conditions of restricted freedom in Russia, Crimea, and parts of eastern Ukraine that are controlled by Russia-backed separatists.
• U.S. Denounces Russia's Crimea Annexation On Referendum Anniversary RFE/RL 16 Mar 2017 -- The United States on March 16 issued a sharp condemnation of Russia's seizure of Crimea and the referendum that Moscow staged there and later held up as justification for its annexation of the Black Sea peninsula.
• India Slams Pakistan Bid to Make Disputed Gilgit-Baltistan Area Its Province Sputnik 16 Mar 2017 -- India has reacted strongly to Pakistan's decision to convert Gilgit-Baltistan area of India's state of Kashmir into its fifth province, stating that this is a very serious matter concerning India's sovereignty and integrity.
• Half of Central African Republic's people need aid; Security Council discusses peace operations UN News 16 Mar 2017 -- Senior officials today called for strong political support and adequate resources for the United Nations peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic (CAR), where half of the population urgently needs aid, according to the latest United Nations figures.
• Somalia: UN-backed cholera vaccination campaign targets 450,000 people UN News 16 Mar 2017 -- The Government of Somalia has launched an oral cholera vaccination (OCV) campaign today with the support of the United Nations health agency, targeting over 450,000 people in seven high-risk areas around the country.

News Reports

• Senate Intelligence Leaders say No Evidence Obama Wiretapped Trump VOA 16 Mar 2017 -- The leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee say there is no evidence to support President Donald Trump's allegation that former President Barack Obama wiretapped his Trump Tower headquarters in New York in the weeks before last November's election.
• Trump 'Stands by' Allegations of Wiretapping Conducted by Obama Sputnik 16 Mar 2017 -- President Donald Trump maintains his allegation of wiretapping by former President Barack Obama, White House spokesperson Sean Spicer said during a press briefing on Thursday.
• Trump Proposes Slashing Foreign Aid, Environment In Budget Plan RFE/RL 16 Mar 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has presented a budget plan that would slash funding for foreign aid, the State Department, environmental programs and other initiatives to make way for a big boost in military spending.
• Trump Blasts U.S. Court Ruling Freezing Revised Travel Order RFE/RL 16 Mar 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump blasted a federal judge who suspended his revised travel order, accusing him of "unprecedented judicial overreach."
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, March 16, 2017 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 16 Mar 2017
• 'We Should Never Trust Russia,' Warns U.S. Ambassador To UN RFE/RL 16 Mar 2017 -- The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says Washington should "never trust Russia," the latest in a series of hawkish statements that have made her a leading Russia critic in President Donald Trump's administration.
• Kremlin Denies Any Russian State Involvement In Cyberattacks RFE/RL 16 Mar 2017 -- A day after U.S. authorities indicted two Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers over a massive hack targeting Yahoo, the Kremlin reiterated its claim that the Russian state has never been involved in any cyberattacks.
• EU Commissioner Tells Western Balkan Leaders To Embrace European Future RFE/RL 16 Mar 2017 -- The European Union's enlargement commissioner has urged Western Balkan leaders to fully embrace their European future and refrain from stoking regional tensions.
• Venezuelan Authorities Prolong Economic Emergency for 6th Time Sputnik 16 Mar 2017 -- The Venezuelan government prolonged the economic emergency for 60 days since March 13, the presidential order published by the Gaceta Oficial government newspaper said on Wednesday.
• Zimbabwe's Mugabe: Indigenization Law Ensures Security VOA 16 Mar 2017 -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe says foreign companies that comply with his indigenization law are guaranteed security. His comment is a deviation from his earlier promise that he would revise the policy, which analysts repeatedly have said scares away investors.
• Tillerson admits failure of North Korea policy Press TV 16 Mar 2017 -- In his first trip to Asia as US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson has said two decades of US policy vis-à-vis North Korea have failed to deter the Asian country from advancing a military nuclear program, calling for "a new approach."
• Tillerson: Different Approach Required With Nuclear North Korea VOA 16 Mar 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says "it is clear that a different approach is required" after 20 years of failed diplomatic efforts to prevent North Korea from having nuclear weapons.
• Turkey threatens to cancel refugee deal in row with EU Press TV 16 Mar 2017 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to end a contentious agreement with the EU, aimed at halting the refugee influx into the continent as tensions between the two sides continue to escalate.
• Turkey's Top Diplomat Warns of Religious Wars in Europe VOA 16 Mar 2017 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is warning of "religious wars" coming to Europe in response to the re-election of Mark Rutte as Dutch Prime Minister.
• Retired officer arrested for spying for China: report CNA 16 Mar 2017 -- A retired military officer who was on the security detail of former Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) was arrested Monday for spying for China, a local newspaper reported Thursday, citing unnamed investigators and law enforcement officers.
• MAC denies 5,000 Chinese spies in Taiwan CNA 16 Mar 2017 -- The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday denied a media report that 5,000 Chinese spies are currently in Taiwan.
• Al Qaeda Operative Convicted of Multiple Terrorism Offenses Targeting Americans Overseas US Dept. of Justice 16 Mar 2017 -- Operating Under a Deputy of Usama bin Laden, the Defendant Participated in Attacks Against U.S. and Coalition Soldiers in Afghanistan Resulting in the Death of Two American Service Members and Conspired to Attack U.S. Diplomatic Facilities in Nigeria