• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 31 May 2017[PDF]
• Officials Provide Details of Latest Defeat-ISIS Strikes AFPS 31 May 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 21 strikes consisting of 49 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Afghans Demand Answers After Kabul Hit By Deadliest Attack Since 2001 RFE/RL 31 May 2017 -- How did a sewage tank truck packed with explosives penetrate a heavily fortified area of the Afghan capital and carry out the deadliest attack in Kabul since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001?
• Truck bomb blast in Afghan capital causes mass casualties Press TV 31 May 2017 -- Horror and chaos grip the Afghan capital Kabul following a huge car bomb explosion, which according to the Health Ministry has so far claimed at least 90 lives and wounded about 400 others.
• At Least 90 Dead, Hundreds Wounded In Huge Kabul Blast RFE/RL 31 May 2017 -- The Afghan government has raised the death toll from a huge truck-bomb blast in the center of Kabul to 90.
• UN condemns terrorist attack in Kabul, underscores need to protect civilians UN News 31 May 2017 -- Condemning the terrorist attack in the Afghan capital, Kabul, United Nations officials, including the Secretary-General and his Special Representative for the country as well as members of the Security Council underscored that all parties to the conflict are obliged, under international law, to ensure that civilians are protected from any harm.
• Deadly Truck Bomb Rocks Kabul VOA 31 May 2017 -- A massive truck bomb exploded Wednesday morning in the diplomatic section of Afghanistan's capital, killing at least 90 people and wounding more than 300 others.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Missile Defense Agency Chief: BMD System 'Ready to Defend the Homeland Today' AFPS 31 May 2017 -- Yesterday's successful test of part of the nation's ballistic missile defense system shows that the United States can defend itself against the threat of ballistic missile launches from North Korea or Iran, the director of the Missile Defense Agency said today.
• Department of Defense Off-Camera Press Briefing by Vice Admiral James Syring on Missile Defense DoD 31 May 2017 -- Presenter: Vice Admiral Jim Syring, MDA Director; Captain Jeff Davis, Director, Defense Press Office
• Dunford to Consult with U.S. Partners During Asia Trip AFPS 31 May 2017 -- Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, left Washington today for meetings in Asia, Joint Staff officials said.
• Pacific Partnership 2017 Draws To a Close NNS 31 May 2017 -- Pacific Partnership 2017, embarked aboard USNS Fall River (T-EPF-4) arrived in Singapore May 31, marking the conclusion of this year's mission.
• USS Vinson, USS Reagan Carrier Strike Groups Conduct Dual Exercises in Sea of Japan VOA 31 May 2017 -- Two U.S. aircraft carriers have started military exercises together in the Sea of Japan, U.S. Navy officials tell VOA.
• Naval Oceanography Demonstrates Capabilities in the Gulf of Mexico NNS 31 May 2017 -- For several months Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Commands (NAVMETOCCOM) have been conducting operations in the Gulf of Mexico in support of its Unmanned Systems Operational Demonstration, May 31 - June 1.
• Hill AFB Airmen generate 3,000th F-35A sortie, adopt upgraded ALIS AFNS 31 May 2017 -- The 3,000th F-35A Lighting II sortie departed Hill Air Force Base generated by maintainers from the active duty 388th Fighter Wing and Air Force Reserve's 419th FW May 22, 2017.
• Eager Lion exercise builds multinational partnership in Jordan Army News 31 May 2017 -- On a hilltop in the country of Jordan, two F-16 Fighting Falcons break the calm morning silence is broken when they drop their explosive payload. As a cloud of powdery dust and shrapnel rise from the target area, the engines of five M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks roar to life and move into position atop a hill overlooking a ravine.
• Massive US-Led Military Drills in Baltics Include Over 50 Ships, 50 Aircraft Sputnik 31 May 2017 -- More than 50 aircraft and 50 ships and submarines will take part in the US-led BALTOPS drills that are set to begin on Thursday in the Baltic Sea region, the US European Command (EUCOM) said in a statement on Wednesday.
• Russian Northern Fleet Gets Over 100 New Weaponry Pieces, Including S-400 Sputnik 31 May 2017 -- Russia's Northern Fleet in the first five months of 2017 received over 100 pieces of advanced military equipment, including S-400 missile systems, Northern Fleet Commander Vice-Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov said Wednesday.
• Russia, India Set to Discuss Creation of Anaerobic Power Unit for Submarines Sputnik 31 May 2017 -- The Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport and the Indian Larsen & Toubro Limited will discuss creation of anaerobic power unit for submarines during the upcoming St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the Rosoboronexport's press service said on Wednesday.
• Indian Navy Gets Quotes From 4 Jet Makers for $15 Billion Naval Fighter Deal Sputnik 31 May 2017 -- The Indian Navy will soon begin examining quotes it received from four global manufacturers for 57 multirole combat aircraft. Dassault Aviation, Boeing, SAAB and Rosoboronexport have responded to the global request for information (RFI) issued in January this year.
• Indian Navy to Induct First Scorpene Class Submarine by July-August Sputnik 31 May 2017 -- The first of India's six Scorpene submarines will be inducted into the Indian Navy in the next two months, Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba has said.
• India Ensures Greater Naval Presence in Pacific With Fiji Defense Pact Sputnik 31 May 2017 -- In a major push to play a larger role in the southern Pacific, India has signed a defense pact with Fiji which includes intelligence, military training and defense production during the visit of Fijian Minister of Defense and National Security Ratu Inoke Kubuabola in New Delhi.
• India Says Defense Preparedness Necessary for Peace in the Region Sputnik 31 May 2017 -- Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley has said that India's defense preparation is the best deterrent to ensure peace and stability in South Asia, in an oblique reference to the Chinese warning to India to not develop the border areas after a long river bridge was opened for traffic.
• China to terminate all military paid services by 2018 People's Daily 31 May 2017 -- The Central Military Commission (CMC) will terminate all paid services provided by the military by the end of June 2018, according to a military professor.
• Former French Prime Minister Investigated Over Alleged Kickbacks In 'Karachi Affair' RFE/RL 31 May 2017 -- French authorities have opened a preliminary investigation into former French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur in connection with a funding scandal that arose from a 1990s arms deal with Pakistan.
• Indications Iran Doubling Down on Use of Proxy Forces VOA 31 May 2017 -- An influx of cash that was the byproduct of the deal Iran struck with a group of world powers to curtail its nuclear program may not be changing the way Iran goes about wielding influence across the Middle East and beyond.
• Pentagon: THAAD has capability to defend against missiles, will be upgraded People's Daily 31 May 2017 -- Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis told journalists on May 30 that the U.S. Department of Defense has been very transparent in all its actions throughout the deployment of the THAAD missile defense system in South Korea. Davis was responding to the report that four additional launchers were secretly added to the THAAD system, and that President Moon Jae-in has ordered an inquiry into the actions, Yonhap News Agency reported on May 31.
• South Korea military brass deliberately kept president in dark about THAAD: Probe Press TV 31 May 2017 -- A South Korean presidential probe into the "unauthorized" US deployment of additional missile launchers in South Korea has found that the Asian country's own military authorities had deliberately withheld the information from the new president.
• S Korea Vows to Continue to Host US THAAD Amid Probe Into Launchers Delivery Sputnik 31 May 2017 -- Seoul's probe into the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system's deployment is not aimed at conducting a review of the decision of the system's deployment on South Korean territory, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday in a statement obtained by the Yonhap news agency from presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun.
• Shocking Revelation: How THAAD Entered South Korea Without President's Approval Sputnik 31 May 2017 -- A scandal is brewing in South Korea in connection with the deployment of the US missile defense system THAAD. It turns out that four units were delivered not only without the official permission of local authorities, but even the head of the South Korean state being notified.
• Taiwan sticks to 'self-reliant defense' policy on new submarines CNA 31 May 2017 -- Taiwan's Navy said Wednesday that it has commissioned a Dutch company to assist in a program to upgrade its two submarines bought from the Netherlands in the 1980s, but stressed that the program is not related to a program for Taiwan to build its own submarines.
• 13 Turkish troops killed in helicopter crash in Sirnak Press TV 31 May 2017 -- Thirteen Turkish troops have died in a helicopter crash in the country's southeastern Sirnak province.
• Thailand, China vow to push forward all-round development of military ties People's Daily 31 May 2017 -- Thailand and China pledged here Tuesday to joint hands to push forward the all-round development of the military relations between the two countries.
• Press Briefing by Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin The White House 31 May 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 31, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 31 May 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 31 May 2017
• Act before time runs out, urges UNICEF, as Yemen grapples with 'unprecedented' cholera outbreak UN News 31 May 2017 -- Amid an "unprecedented" increase in suspected cholera cases in war-torn Yemen – where medical facilities are teetering on the edge of collapse – the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has stepped up its response but warned that time may be "running out."
• Yemen health system mangled as cholera bites: UN envoy Press TV 31 May 2017 -- The United Nations' Yemen envoy says more than seven million people are facing the risk of famine in the impoverished country, which has been under incessant Saudi attacks for more than two years.
• Putin highlights Iran's important role in Syrian ceasefire IRNA 31 May 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Turkey, Iran, the Syrian government and the armed opposition, as well as Russia, all play an important role in ensuring that the Syrian ceasefire works.
• Russia fires missiles at Daesh positions outside Syria's Palmyra Press TV 31 May 2017 -- The Russian military says it has fired cruise missiles from its warships in the Mediterranean towards Daesh positions outside the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, inflicting losses on the Takfiri terror group.
• US-Russia Deconfliction Channel Active Ahead of Strikes Near Palmyra - Pentagon Sputnik 31 May 2017 -- The deconfliction line for the US-Russia military operations in Syria was active before a Russian frigate and submarine launched Kalibr cruise missiles on Daesh targets near the city of Palmyra, US Department of Defense spokesperson Adrian Rankine-Galloway told Sputnik.
• Russia Fires Cruise Missiles at Islamic State in Syria VOA 31 May 2017 -- Russia's Defense Ministry says its forces fired four cruise missiles from the Mediterranean Sea to hit Islamic State targets in Syria.
• US arming Syrian militants on border with Iraq to block popular forces Press TV 30 May 2017 -- Syrian militants say Washington has increased its arms supplies to them in order to block Iraq's pro-government Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) from creating a supply route between Iraq and Syria.
• Casualties reported after bomb attack in Iraq's Anbar province Press TV 31 May 2017 -- A least 14 people have been killed and over 20 more injured in a bomb blast in Iraq's western province of Anbar.
• Aid Group: South Sudanese Elderly, Disabled Face Additional Risks VOA 31 May 2017 -- Peter Bol Wal, 35, lost his left leg below the knee during fighting against Sudan in 1994. He now lives in a United Nations protection of civilians site in the South Sudanese capital of Juba, where he says life is not easy.
• South Sudan General Accused of Using Position to Gain Millions VOA 31 May 2017 -- A top South Sudan army official has used his position to accumulate millions of dollars through his personal business, while helping to orchestrate a conflict that has resulted in famine, according to a new report by a Washington-based human rights group.
• 'Warning signs are flashing' in crisis-torn Central African Republic, warns senior UN official UN News 31 May 2017 -- Despite "vast improvement" in security in parts of the Central African Republic (CAR), there are still deep tensions and some fear of a sudden relapse, a top United Nations human rights official said while visiting the strife-torn country.
• Al-Shabab Commander Defects to Somali Forces VOA 31 May 2017 -- An al-Shabab military commander has defected and surrendered to Somali government forces, authorities in Mogadishu said.

News Reports

• Trump Assails Congressional Probes of His Campaign's Links to Russia VOA 31 May 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump again assailed the congressional probes into his campaign's links to Russia on Wednesday, claiming opposition Democrats are blocking the testimony of one of his former aides looking to clear his name.
• Putin, Trump Blame U.S. Democrats For Allegations Of Russian Meddling RFE/RL 31 May 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on May 30 both dismissed allegations of Russian meddling in last year's U.S. presidential campaign as "fiction" or "fake news" created by Democrats to explain their defeat in the election.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, May 31, 2017 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 31 May 2017
• Interview: U.S. Senator Booker Says Russia Trying to Destabilize Democracies Globally RFE/RL 31 May 2017 -- Russia's interference in Ukraine is just one sign of a broad attempt to destabilize democracies around the world, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (Democrat-New Jersey) has told RFE/RL.
• Russia, Saudi Arabia Hail Oil Output Deal For Stabilizing World Markets RFE/RL 31 May 2017 -- Russia and Saudi Arabia on May 30 praised their agreement on oil production curbs, which they said had helped stabilize global oil prices, and agreed to pursue more cooperative efforts.
• Vucic Sworn In As Serbian President Amid Protests RFE/RL 31 May 2017 -- Aleksandar Vucic has been sworn in as Serbia's president, taking office amid protests against his increasingly tight grip on power in the Balkan state.
• Arak reactor to become operational in 3 to 4 years: AEOI spokesman IRNA 31 May 2017 -- The work on redesigning Arak reactor is being carried out according to the plans and the reactor will be inaugurated in the next three to four years, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi announced.
• Kenya's standard gauge railway service officially begins operations People's Daily 31 May 2017 -- Kenya began operations on the Chinese-built Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Wednesday in a drive to revolutionize its transportation sector and speed up industrialization.
• Interview: Chinese-built railway pushes forward Kenya's modernization drive People's Daily 31 May 2017 -- The 480 km railway linking Kenya's largest port city Mombasa to capital Nairobi, slated to be officially launched on May 31, will be a key infrastructure project that will push forward the East Africa nation's modernization drive, a senior company executive said Monday.