Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 11 Jul 2017[PDF]
• Remarks by General Townsend in a media availability in Baghdad, Iraq DoD 11 Jul 2017 -- Presenter: Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend
• Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 11 Jul 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 23 strikes consisting of 69 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Recapture of Mosul an Historic Victory, Townsend Says AFPS 11 Jul 2017 -- The global coalition fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has offered its congratulations to Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the Iraqi security forces on their historic victory against an evil enemy, the commander of Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve told Pentagon reporters today.
• US-Led Coalition May Establish Temporary Bases in Iraq Sputnik 11 Jul 2017 -- The US-led coalition may look into establishing temporary bases in Iraq to finish the campaign against Daesh after the liberation of Mosul, Operation Inherent Resolve Commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend said in a briefing on Tuesday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Anti-IS Coalition Aims to Turn Up Heat on Terror Group VOA 11 Jul 2017 -- From stemming the flow of foreign fighters to cracking down on terrorism financing, global coalition leaders are meeting in Washington this week to explore ways to further intensify pressure on the Islamic State militant group.
• THAAD Successfully Intercepts Target in Missile Defense Test MDA 11 Jul 2017-- The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Ballistic Missile Defense System Operational Test Agency, and U.S. Army soldiers of the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas, conducted an intercept test today of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) element of the nation's ballistic missile defense system.
• US Shoots Down Missile in Intercept Test Over Pacific VOA 11 Jul 2017 -- The U.S. said Tuesday it has successfully shot down a simulated incoming missile, bolstering its defense against the threat posed by North Korea's recent test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the United States.
• US-made Patriots deployed in Lithuania for NATO drills Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- A battery of the US-made Patriot ground-to-air missiles has been deployed in Lithuania as the NATO military alliance is readying for war games near the country's border with Russia.
• Pacom Chief Visits Bangladesh to Discuss Cooperation, Security Initiatives AFPS 11 Jul 2017 -- Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of U.S. Pacific Command, visited Bangladesh to meet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and military service chiefs for discussions on cooperation, regional security initiatives and to learn more about Bangladesh's role in peacekeeping operations.
• Exercise Red Flag 17-3 Commences in Nevada AFPS 11 Jul 2017 -- Red Flag 17-3, a three-week air-to-air combat joint training exercise, commenced here yesterday, Air Force officials said.
• The 'Total Army' angle: active duty, National Guard, Reserves coordinate on GPS exercise in Europe Army News 11 Jul 2017 -- U.S. Army National Guard engineers and active-duty field artillery Soldiers from U.S. Army Europe's regionally-allocated land force for Operation Atlantic Resolve navigated their way to combined training, as multinational exercises converged in the Romanian countryside on July 6.
• Remarks by Secretary Mattis in an Honor Cordon Welcoming Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti to the Pentagon DoD 11 Jul 2017 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Roberta Pinotti, Minister of Defense of the Italian Republic
• Avengers assemble: Marine Corps, Air Force F-35s come together for ground-breaking exercise USMC News 11 Jul 2017 -- Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 "Wake Island Avengers," 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, began participating in Red Flag 17-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, July 10.
• USNS Lewis B. Puller Begins First Operational Deployment NNS 11 Jul 2017 -- The U.S. Navy's first purpose-built expeditionary sea base, USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB 3), departed from Naval Station Norfolk to begin its first operational deployment, July 10.
• NCBC Gulfport Celebrates Completion of Four Megawatt Solar Facility NNS 11 Jul 2017 -- The Department of the Navy (DON), Mississippi Power and representatives from the Mississippi Public Service Commission celebrated the completion of a four megawatt (MW) direct current solar facility at the Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) Gulfport in Gulfport, Mississippi.
• UK to buy $1B worth of US-made Joint Light Tactical Vehicles Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- Britain is planning to purchase $1.04 billion worth of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV), made by the United States, says the US Defense Department.
• China sets up base in Djibouti People's Daily 11 Jul 2017 -- Ships carrying Chinese military personnel departed Zhanjiang in southern China's Guangdong Province on Tuesday to set up a support base in Djibouti.
• China dispatches troops to set up military base in Djibouti Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- China has dispatched its naval forces to the Horn of Africa to set up an army base in Djibouti, where several global players have a military presence.
• China Announces Official Opening of Naval Base in Djibouti Sputnik 11 Jul 2017 -- The Chinese Defense Ministry announced Tuesday the official opening of a naval logistics center of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa.
• US Experts Dispute Russia's Claim That North Korea's New Missile Not an ICBM VOA 11 Jul 2017 -- Russia's assessment of North Korea's latest missile launch puzzles many U.S. experts, who say the Kremlin "mischaracterized" the nature of Pyongyang's test, either as a result of technical flaws or possibly for political reasons.
• DPRK accuses U.S., South Korea of intensifying war preparations People's Daily 11 Jul 2017 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Tuesday accused the United States and South Korea of intensifying war preparations after it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) earlier this month.
• S. Korean spy agency sees DPRK's test of ballistic missile with ICBM range People's Daily 11 Jul 2017 -- South Korea's spy agency said Tuesday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) had tested a ballistic missile with a range of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) earlier this month.
• North Korea unlikely to have attained ICBM tech: S Korean spy agency Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS) says it is unlikely that North Korea has yet achieved the necessary technology to build intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), as Pyongyang celebrates the "successful launch" of the country's first such missile a week earlier.
• S Korean Intel Doubts North's ICBM Technology Capabilities After Latest Test Sputnik 11 Jul 2017 -- North Korea is unlikely to possess intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) re-entry technologies needed for a fully functional missile despite the recent ICBM test, Yonhap news agency reported Tuesday, citing South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS).
• South Korea Disputes North's Claim of Long-Range Missile Test VOA 11 Jul 2017 -- South Korea's intelligence agency is casting doubt on North Korea's boasts that it carried out a test launch of its first intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, according to a South Korean lawmaker.
• Indian Navy Disposes of Russian-Built Submarine INS Sindhurakshak at Sea Sputnik 11 Jul 2017 -- Four years after an accident and resultant operational issues, the Indian Navy sank the Russian-built Kilo-class submarine INS Sindhurakshak last month.
• Moscow 'Categorically' Disagrees With Washington on Iran's Missile Program Sputnik 11 Jul 2017 -- Russia categorically disagrees with US claims that Iran's missile program is carried out in violation of a UNSC resolution on the issue as the United States and some other Western countries attempt to misrepresent the situation, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik on Tuesday.
• Australia - 120mm Tank Ammunition and Related Support Services DSCA 11 Jul 2017 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia for 120mm tank ammunition and related support services. The estimated cost is $50 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on July 10, 2017.
• Australia - Upgrades for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Aircraft DSCA 11 Jul 2017 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia for upgrades for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft. The estimated cost is $101.4 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on July 10, 2017.
• Government of the Netherlands - AGM-114R Hellfire Missiles DSCA 11 Jul 2017 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the Netherlands for AGM-114R Hellfire missiles. The estimated cost is $34 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
• Romania - Patriot Air Defense System and Related Support and Equipment DSCA 11 Jul 2017 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Romania for Patriot air defense systems, related support and equipment. The estimated cost is $3.9 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on July 10, 2017.
• Tsai: Arms sales show U.S. support for Taiwan's defense autonomy CNA 11 Jul 2017 -- A recent decision by the U.S. government demonstrates the Trump administration's support for the Taiwan Relations Act and Taiwan's ability to defends itself, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said on Tuesday.
• Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, 7/11/2017 The White House 11 Jul 2017
• Background Briefing on the President's Trip to France, 7/11/2017 The White House 11 Jul 2017
• Department Press Briefing - July 11, 2017 US Dept. of State 11 Jul 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 11, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 11 July 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 11 Jul 2017
• Aid agencies in Yemen forced to shift resources from fighting hunger to cholera - UN UN News 11 Jul 2017 -- Unless the international community contributes $200 million to address the cholera outbreak in Yemen, the United Nations humanitarian arm will be forced to "reprogram" more resources tagged for malnutrition in the country already facing famine, a senior official today said.
• IS confirms death of top leader al-Baghdadi People's Daily 11 Jul 2017 -- The Islamic State (IS) militant group has confirmed the death of its top leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a local news website reported on Tuesday.
• Daesh declares its ringleader dead: Source Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- After its collapse in Mosul, Daesh has announced that the Takfiri terror group's leader Ibrahim al-Samarrai, aka Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, "has been killed," a local source in Iraq's Nineveh province says.
• Daesh Confirms Death of Group Leader al-Baghdadi Sputnik 11 Jul 2017 -- Daesh terrorists confirmed the group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead, Al Sumaria TV channel reports citing a source in the Iraqi province of Nineveh.
• Pentagon Officials: No Confirmation of Reports Islamic State Leader Is Dead VOA 11 Jul 2017 -- Pentagon officials say they have no information to confirm reports that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead.
• Syrian Monitoring Group Says IS Leader Baghdadi Is Dead RFE/RL 11 Jul 2017 -- The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says it has received "confirmed information" from sources within the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group that IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead.
• Syrian army soldiers inflict heavy losses on Daesh militants Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- Syrian government forces have carried out fresh operations against Takfiri Daesh militants in the war-raved Arab country's eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, inflicting substantial losses on them.
• Syrian Kurds must be given role in drafting new constitution: UN envoy Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- The United Nations special envoy for Syria says Syrian Kurds should be allowed to take part in drafting a new constitution for the Arab country.
• Opening of land route to Syria's battle-affected areas 'making difference' for aid delivery - UN agency UN News 11 Jul 2017 -- The United Nations refugee agency said today that the opening of the road to Syria's north-eastern Hassakeh governorate is already making a difference for humanitarian aid delivery on the ground.
• Deficit of Trust Between Arabs, Kurds Complicates Raqqa Battle VOA 11 Jul 2017 -- Kurdish-led fighters made further advances Tuesday in the fight to oust the Islamic State terror group from its de facto capital of Raqqa in northern Syria. They have been consolidating their foothold in the old city, while amassing soldiers in the eastern suburbs, ready for a deeper strike, say commanders with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
• With Mosul reclaimed, accountability key to heal Iraq's 'ISIL wounds' - UN rights chief UN News 11 Jul 2017 -- Although the retaking of Mosul city from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters by Iraqi Government forces marks a significant turning point in the conflict, Iraq must ensure that those who committed crimes be held accountable, the United Nations human rights chief has said.
• Trump Congratulates Iraqis on Liberation of Mosul from IS VOA 11 Jul 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday congratulated Iraq, its prime minister, and security forces for liberating the city of Mosul from Islamic State.
• Amnesty Accuses Iraq, Allies Of 'Crimes' In Mosul RFE/RL 11 Jul 2017 -- Amnesty International says tactics used by Iraqi forces and their U.S.-led coalition allies in the battle for Mosul violated international humanitarian law and might amount to war crimes.
• Turkey Deploys Military Vehicles Convoys Near Syria's Northwestern Border Sputnik 11 Jul 2017 -- Turkey has deployed six military transport convoys to the Musabeyli area, which is located in the Kilis province that borders Syria's de facto self-governing Kurdish regions, local media reported Tuesday.
• Turkish army jets kill 11 Kurdish militants in southeast Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- At least 11 militants with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have been killed as Turkey's fighter jets bombed their positions in two areas of the country's southeast overnight.
• 7 Hindus killed in crossfire between Kashmir militants, India troops Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- At least seven Hindus have died in reported crossfire between Indian forces and suspected militants in New Delhi-controlled Kashmir amid tensions in the disputed Himalayan region.
• Colombian President Pardons Over 3,500 Former FARC Militants Sputnik 11 Jul 2017 -- Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos signed on Monday a decree on amnesty for 3,600 former militants from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the presidential administration said.
• Security Council warned DR Congo's violence on rise amid little political progress UN News 11 Jul 2017 -- The security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to be a major source of concern, with violence in the Kasai provinces, in the western part of the vast country, reaching "disturbing" levels, the United Nations Security Council was told today.
• Living conditions in Gaza 'more and more wretched' over past decade, UN finds UN News 11 Jul 2017 -- A decade after Hamas seized the Gaza Strip, the living conditions for two million people in the Palestinian enclave are deteriorating "further and faster" than the prediction made in 2012 that the enclave would become "unlivable" by 2020, a new United Nations report has found.
• Sudan Calls for US to Permanently Remove Sanctions VOA 11 Jul 2017 -- Sudan is asking the United States to permanently scrap 24-year-old sanctions, warning that the country could fall back into war if the sanctions are reapplied.

News Reports

• Emails Show Trump's Son Expected Incriminating Russian Information on Clinton VOA 11 Jul 2017 -- Newly disclosed emails show that an intermediary for a Russian lawyer promised U.S. President Donald Trump's eldest son incriminating information last year about Trump's presidential opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, to bolster Moscow's support of the real estate mogul's candidacy.
• Trump's Son Publishes E-Mails With Russian Offer Of Damaging Information On Clinton RFE/RL 11 Jul 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's eldest son has published e-mails showing he was aware that a Russian lawyer he met with in 2016 had alleged ties to the Russian government, and that he was offered "sensitive information" that could help Trump's election campaign.
• Report Claims Trump's Son Was Told Russia Provided Damaging Information About Clinton RFE/RL 11 Jul 2017 -- Donald Trump Jr. was told that the Russian government was the source of information damaging to former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton before meeting with a Russian lawyer about it, the New York Times reported on July 10.
• US sanctions bill against Russia stalled in House of Representatives Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- A new package of economic sanctions against Russia and Iran that would limit President Donald Trump's ability to lift financial penalties on Moscow is mired in a partisan dispute in the House of Representatives in Congress.
• White House Seeks Changes In Senate's Russian Sanctions Bill RFE/RL 11 Jul 2017 -- The White House is seeking to change a Senate bill imposing tough new sanctions on Russia so it doesn't constrain the president's authority to impose or waive sanctions, a top White House official said on July 10.
• Lavrov Says Russia To Retaliate If U.S. Does Not Release Property RFE/RL 11 Jul 2017 -- Russia will retaliate in a reciprocal manner if the United States does not heed its demands for a return of diplomatic assets, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.
• Russia may retaliate expulsion of diplomats under Obama Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- Sources in the Russian Foreign Ministry say Moscow may finally expel some 30 American diplomats in retaliation for a similar measure adopted in the previous US administration.
• Press Availability With Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani US Dept. of State 11 Jul 2017
• Rex Tillerson says Qatar's position in diplomatic crisis 'reasonable' Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Qatar has "reasonable" views in the five-week diplomatic crisis with a Saudi-led bloc of Arab countries.
• US, Qatar Sign Pact to Fight Terrorism VOA 11 Jul 2017 -- The United States and Qatar have signed a memorandum of understanding to fight terrorism in the Persian Gulf nation.
• Top Iran, Russia diplomats discuss JCPOA implementation Press TV 11 Jul 2017 -- Senior Iranian and Russian officials have held talks about the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries ahead of a scheduled meeting of the Joint Commission monitoring the implementation of the deal.
• Iran Fulfilling Provisions of Nuclear Deal - Russian Foreign Ministry Sputnik 11 Jul 2017 -- Iran fulfills its obligations in accordance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on its nuclear program and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regularly confirms this, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
• Nazarbaev Signs Law Barring 'Ordinary' Kazakhs From Seeking Presidency RFE/RL 11 Jul 2017 -- Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has signed into law a measure that bars people without previous government experience from running for president.
• Russia to Build Super Heavy-Lift Rocket Launch Pad at Vostochny Space Center Sputnik 11 Jul 2017-- Russia plans to develop a launch pad for super heavy-lift launch vehicles needed for future lunar missions at the newly-build Vostochny space center, Roscosmos state space corporation Director General Igor Komarov said on Tuesday.
• EU Formally Approves Ukraine Association Agreement RFE/RL 11 Jul 2017 -- The European Union's 28 member states have formally endorsed the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, the final step in the ratification process after years of political twists and turns.