Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 24 Mar 2017[PDF]
• Statement by Pentagon Spokesman Captain Jeff Davis on U.S.-Russia Video Conference DoD 24 Mar 2017
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 24 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.
• Taliban militants capture key district in Afghanistan's Helmand Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- The Taliban militant group has captured the center of a strategic district in Afghanistan's southern Helmand, forcing government troops to pull out of the area.
• Russia Says Not Supplying Taliban, Calls U.S. General's Statement A 'Lying Assertion' RFE/RL 24 Mar 2017 -- A senior Russian diplomat has rejected a statement by the top U.S. general in Europe that Moscow may be helping supply Taliban militants who are fighting the U.S.-backed government and U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
• Russia rejects US claim of giving supplies to Taliban in Afghanistan Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- Russia has dismissed as "false" the recent allegation by a US general that Moscow may be providing supplies to Taliban militants in Afghanistan, saying the charge was an attempt by Washington to cover up its failed policies in the war-torn country.
• Taliban Denies Talks With Pakistan on Afghan Peace Prospects VOA 24 Mar 2017 -- Afghanistan's Taliban disputes media reports that its representatives recently visited neighboring Pakistan and discussed with officials there the prospect of holding direct peace talks with Kabul.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense Press Briefing on U.S. Africa Command by General Thomas D. Waldhauser, commander, U.S. Africa Command DoD 24 Mar 2017 -- Presenter: General Thomas D. Waldhauser
• Remarks by Secretary Mattis and Minister Kammenos at the Pentagon DoD 24 Mar 2017 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis; Greek Minister of Defense Panos Kammenos
• 416th FLTS upgrading F-16 radar AFNS 24 Mar 2017 -- The 416th Flight Test Squadron continually conducts developmental testing to enhance the warfighting capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. One focus of the F-16 testers here is the integration and testing of a new radar as part of the F-16 Radar Modernization Program.
• Key Resolve reaffirms strategic US, South Korea alliance AFNS 24 Mar 2017 -- South Korea and U.S. military forces participated in an annual command and control exercise called Key Resolve (KR17) held across the Korean Peninsula March 8 to 23, 2017.
• Navy Announces Launch of Task Force Ocean AFPS 24 Mar 2017 -- The Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy, under direction from the Chief of Naval Operations, today announced the establishment of Task Force Ocean.
• U.S. thanks Taiwan for humanitarian assistance in IS fight CNA 24 Mar 2017 -- The U.S. State Department said on Thursday it appreciates Taiwan's commitment to providing humanitarian assistance as part of the U.S-led coalition to counter the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense JIm Mattis' Meeting with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval DoD 24 Mar 2017
• Remarks by Secretary Mattis and Indian National Security Adviser Doval at the Pentagon DoD 24 Mar 2017 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis; Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis' Meeting with Greek Minister of Defense Panos Kammenos DoD 24 Mar 2017
• DACOWITS Releases FY16 Annual Report DoD 24 Mar 2017 -- Today, the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) released its annual report on matters relating to women serving in the Armed Forces of the United States for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016.
• Scarlet Response begins, CBIRF responds to the call USMC News 24 Mar 2017 -- Marines and sailors with Chemical Biological Incident Response Force traveled to Guardian Centers, a training facility in Perry, Georgia, to participate and conduct Exercise Scarlet Response 2017.
• US Naval War College Strengthens Latin America, Caribbean Partnerships NNS 24 Mar 2017 -- U.S. Naval War College (NWC) kicked off its 14th Regional Alumni Symposium at the Peruvian Naval Academy, March 21.
• Obangame Express 2017 Begins with Opening Ceremonies NNS 24 Mar 2017 -- Maritime forces from Gulf of Guinea nations, Europe, North and South America, as well as several regional and international organizations officially began the multinational maritime exercise Obangame Express 2017 with a main official ceremony taking place in Accra, Ghana, March 23.
• US Navy Visits Republic of Korea Island for First Time NNS 24 Mar 2017 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) is scheduled to arrive in Jeju-do, Republic of Korea (ROK), March 25. This will mark the first visit by any U.S. Navy ship since the ROK Joint Civil-Military Complex opened, Feb. 26.
• Carl Vinson, Republic of Korea Navy Complete PHOTOEX NNS 24 Mar 2017 -- Aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) teamed up with the Republic of Korea navy and various assets of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 1 to complete a photographic exercise (PHOTOEX), March 22.
• Russia's Western Military District Receives Its First Tor-M2 Air Defense System Sputnik 24 Mar 2017 -- Russia's 538 guards Air Defense Missile Regiment of the Western Military District's 4th Guards Tank Division received its first Tor-M2 system, commanding officer Col. Konstantin Demidov said Friday.
• Polish Air Force Considering F-35, F-16 Acquisitions Sputnik 24 Mar 2017 -- Military strategists in Poland are torn as to whether to bolster the country's aerial arsenal with more beleaguered F-35 Joint Strike Fighters or upgraded F-16 Fighting Falcons.
• Russia Offers to Set Up Helicopter Maintenance Center in Sri Lanka - Official Sputnik 24 Mar 2017 -- A deputy chief of Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said that Russia has proposed to set up a service center for Russian-made helicopters in Sri Lanka.
• Japan Commissions Sub-Hunting Helicopter Carrier to Brace for 'China Threat' Sputnik 24 Mar 2017 -- Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force has commissioned a ship two-and-a-half American football fields long to bolster its fleet as threats loom in the East and South China Seas.
• China May Launch 2nd Liaoning Aircraft Carrier Late April Sputnik 24 Mar 2017 -- Second Chinese Liaoning aircraft carrier might be launched at the end of April 2017, local media reported Friday.
• Malaysia Buying Chinese Ships to Protect its Waters From China, Others VOA 24 Mar 2017 -- Malaysia's deal to buy Chinese naval ships and step up patrols against any intrusions from China underscores the complexity of relations between the two countries and signals growing concern over national defense.
• Daily Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sean Spicer - #28 The White House 24 Mar 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 24, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 24 March 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 24 Mar 2017
• Outgoing UN peacekeeping chief praises reduced cost of operations, as agility increases UN News 24 Mar 2017 -- United Nations peacekeeping is becoming more agile and capable, the outgoing chief today said, even as the cost for each peacekeeper fell 16 per cent in recent years, dropping the entire budget of the blue helmets worldwide to around $7.2 billion.
• UN says 106 civilians killed in Yemen in one month alone Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations human rights office says 106 civilians have been killed in Yemen, mostly by airstrikes and shelling by the Saudi regime and its allies, during the past month alone.
• Over 100 Civilians Killed in Yemen in March, Mainly by Coalition Strikes Sputnik 24 Mar 2017 -- Over the past month alone 106 civilians were killed in Yemen, mostly by air strikes and shelling by Saudi-led coalition war ships, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
• Saudi Arabia threatens to attack Yemen's Hudaydah port Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- The head of Saudi-led coalition in the war on Yemen has warned that the military alliance will attack Yemen's western port city of Hudaydah unless the United Nations intervenes.
• Two years on, Yemen conflict targets children, food trucks and even fishermen's boats - UN UN News 24 Mar 2017 -- The conflict in Yemen is raging, the United Nations human rights chief today warned, urging those fighting to work towards a ceasefire and to allow humanitarian aid to get through to millions of people in need.
• 'US-led assault on Raqqah unlawful if not coordinated with Damascus' Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- Syria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Bashar al-Ja'afari has stressed that any US- or Turkish-backed military offensive against the militant-held northern city of Raqqah must be coordinated with the Syrian government otherwise it would be illegitimate.
• Syrian army besieges last Daesh stronghold in Aleppo Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- The Syrian army is besieging the last stronghold of the Daesh Takfiri terrorists in the northern province of Aleppo, weeks after launching a campaign to liberate the entire province.
• Syrian Army Regains Control of Industrial Area in Eastern Damascus Sputnik 24 Mar 2017 -- Elite units of the Syrian Armed Forces, in cooperation with the Allied detachments, have regained control of all the facilities and compounds of buildings previously captured by militants of the terrorist group Nusra Front (banned in Russia) in an industrial zone in the east of Damascus, according to the Syrian Armed Forces Command.
• Syrian Democratic Forces Take Part of Road Linking Raqqa, Aleppo Under Control Sputnik 24 Mar 2017 -- The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) managed to establish control over the key sectors of the road, connecting Raqqa with Aleppo and Deir ez-Zor as part of the Operation Euphrates Rage, SDF said in a statement on Friday.
• Syrian Army Kills Tahrir al Sham Extremists' Commander in Western Hama Province Sputnik 24 Mar 2017 -- Syria's government army has killed a field commander of the Tahrir al-Sham militant group in the north of Hama, the capital of Syria's western province of the same name.
• Iraqi forces take control over Daesh command center in western Mosul Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- Iraqi government forces have managed to establish complete control over a command center run by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in central Mosul as the country's armed forces battle to recapture the country's second largest city and drive the extremists out of their last urban stronghold in Iraq.
• US Underestimated Number of Daesh Fighters in Sirte Libya's Last Year Sputnik 24 Mar 2017 -- The US military probably underestimated the number of Daesh terrorists near Libya's Sirte and overestimated the number of civilians, the AFRICOM chief said.
• Six Russian soldiers killed in gun battle with Chechnya militants Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- Six Russian soldiers have been killed in a gun battle with militants, who attempted to launch an attack on a military facility in the country's southern region of Chechnya.
• Six Russian Troops, Six Militants Killed In Chechnya Fighting RFE/RL 24 Mar 2017 -- Six Russian National Guard troops and six assailants have been killed in an attack on a military unit in Chechnya, one of the deadliest incidents in the region in months.
• Eight Donetsk Republic Soldiers Killed in Donbass Over Past Week Sputnik 24 Mar 2017 -- Eight Donetsk People's Republic soldiers lost their lives in the fight against Ukrainian troops over the past week.
• UN Secretary-General Chastises South Sudan's Leaders for Humanitarian Crisis VOA 24 Mar 2017 -- United Nations Security Council members have unanimously called on South Sudan's leaders to prioritize the needs of the South Sudanese people, but disagree over the main causes of the famine in parts of the country.

News Reports

• Cancellation of Hearing on Russia Adds to Friction on House Intelligence Panel VOA 24 Mar 2017 -- Key U.S. lawmakers appear locked into a war of words over halting progress in their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election campaign.
• Trump's Former Campaign Manager Agrees To Testify In Russia Probe RFE/RL 24 Mar 2017 -- A senior Republican lawmaker says President Donald Trump's former campaign manager has volunteered to speak to a U.S. congressional committee about its investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
• House Panel Wants More Details From NSA, FBI on Russia Hacking VOA 24 Mar 2017 -- The U.S. congressional committee tasked with investigating allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign has asked the heads of the FBI and National Security Agency to testify again about the matter, the head of the committee said Friday.
• US State Department Memos Shed Light on 'Extreme Vetting' for Visas VOA 24 Mar 2017 -- The U.S. State Department has asked American embassies and consulates around the world to identify certain groups that should get extra scrutiny when they apply for visas.
• Kyiv Identifies Suspected Gunman In Ex-Duma Deputy's Assassination RFE/RL 24 Mar 2017 -- The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has confirmed the identity of the suspected gunman in the assassination in Kyiv on March 23 of a former Russian lawmaker who fled last year to Ukraine.
• Iran raps renewal of UN special rapporteur's mandate Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- Iran has condemned as "selective and spiteful" the UN Human Rights Council's resolution to renew the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic, saying it was a politically-motivated move by a few countries abusing UN mechanisms.
• U.S. Senators From Both Parties Sponsor Bill Tightening Iran Sanctions RFE/RL 24 Mar 2017 -- U.S. senators from both major political parties introduced legislation on March 23 to tighten sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile launches and other non-nuclear military activities.
• US sanctions 11 firms, individuals for transferring technology to Iran Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- The United States has imposed sanctions on eleven companies or individuals from China, North Korea or the United Arab Emirates for transferring technology to Iran that it claimed could boost the country's ballistic missile program.
• Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act Sanctions US Dept. of State 24 Mar 2017 -- On March 21, the United States imposed sanctions on 30 foreign entities and individuals in 10 countries pursuant to the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA). These sanctions apply to the specific individuals and entities which will be listed in the federal register and will be in effect for two years.
• Sanctions badly affect most needy in North Korea: UN report Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- The United Nations has warned that sanctions against North Korea are taking a serious toll on humanitarian aid activities in the country, where millions of women and children are reliant on donations.
• Xi calls for greater reform efforts People's Daily 24 Mar 2017 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday underlined the importance of implementation, urging leading officials to keep in mind the overall situation while pushing forward with reform.
• Growing Disconnect with China Seen Ahead of Hong Kong Election VOA 24 Mar 2017 -- On March 26 in Hong Kong, an electoral committee of nearly 1,200 people, stacked with Beijing loyalists, will select the city's chief executive for the next five years.
• British Police Make Two 'Significant' Arrests In London Terror Attack RFE/RL 24 Mar 2017 -- British police say they have made two more "significant" arrests in the investigation of the deadly attack near Parliament and said the birth name of the assailant, Muslim convert Khalid Masood, was Adrian Russell Ajao.
• 2 New Arrests in London Terror Attack VOA 24 Mar 2017 -- London police said Friday they have made two more arrests in connection with the attack near Parliament.
• With 'Nothing Left To Lose,' Belarus 'Social Parasites' Make A Stand RFE/RL 24 Mar 2017
• China to launch fourth FY-3 meteorological satellite in 2017 People's Daily 24 Mar 2017 -- According to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, China plans to launch its fourth Fengyun-3 (FY-3) meteorological satellite in the second half of 2017, Xinhuanet.com reported on March 23. It will be China's 16th meteorological satellite.
• Putin Meets Le Pen, Says Not Seeking To Influence French Vote RFE/RL 24 Mar 2017 -- French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has met with Russian President Vladimir and said that if elected, she will consider how to swiftly remove sanctions against Moscow.
• Le Pen: No Evidence of Russia Meddling in French Election Sputnik 24 Mar 2017 -- Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said there was no evidence of Russia's alleged meddling in the French election.
• Mubarak walks free for first time in six years Press TV 24 Mar 2017 -- Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak has walked free for the first time in six years, his lawyer says.