Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 13 Jul 2017[PDF]
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Dillon and Iraqi Spokesmen in the Pentagon Press Briefing Room DoD 13 Jul 2017 -- Presenter: Colonel Ryan Dillon, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman; Brigadier General Yahya Rasool, Spokesperson for Joint Operations Command; Brigadier General Halgwrd Hikman Ali, Spokesperson for the Peshmerga Forces; Brigadier General Saad Maan, Iraqi Ministry Of Interior Spokesman
• U.S., Coalition Continue Strikes to Defeat ISIS in Syria, Iraq AFPS 13 Jul 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 24 strikes consisting of 62 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 13 Jul 2017 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Iraq and Syria.
• American, Afghan Forces Intensify Anti-IS Fight in Afghanistan VOA 13 Jul 2017 -- As the Islamic State terror group loses ground in Iraq and Syria, U.S. and Afghan forces are stepping up their attacks on the group's offshoot in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar province.

Defense Policy / Programs

• On-the-Record Briefing US Dept. of State 13 Jul 2017 -- Special Briefing by Brett McGurk, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition To Counter ISIS, Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition To Counter ISIS
• Getica Saber 17 Exercise Participants Practice Collective Defense AFPS 13 Jul 2017 -- Booming mortar blasts broke the mountain valley's silence as Romanian and U.S. artillery fired opening rounds at the July 10 commencement of the annual joint combined training exercise Getica Saber 2017 here.
• Press point by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council NATO 13 Jul 2017 -- Good afternoon.
• NATO-Russia Council Meeting 'Useful' Despite 'Fundamental Disagreements' RFE/RL 13 Jul 2017 -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has characterized the latest session of the NATO-Russia Council as a "frank and useful discussion" of Ukraine, Afghanistan, and risk reduction.
• Russian Jets Buzz NATO Airspace as 'Close Encounters' Rise Sharply VOA 13 Jul 2017 -- Russia has significantly increased its military activity in the skies around Western European NATO members, according to a new report that warns the tactic could present a danger to civilian aircraft.
• Russian Airborne Forces Not to Deploy Permanent Units in Arctic - Chief of Staff Sputnik 13 Jul 2017 -- Russian Airborne Forces (AbF) will not deploy its units in the Arctic region permanently, AbF Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Nikolay Ignatov told Sputnik.
• Germany & France to develop 'new generation' European fighter jet to replace existing fleets RT 13 Jul 2017 -- Germany and France have agreed to develop a "new generation" European fighter jet in an effort to strengthen the EU and increase cooperation between the two countries. French President Emmanuel Macron called the plan a "profound revolution."
• European Parliament Votes to Allow EU Aid to Be Spent on Third World Militaries Sputnik 13 Jul 2017 -- The European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee narrowly backed the legality of a draft plan to allow EU "peace-building" aid to be spent on developing the military of countries such as Somalia and Mali. The move follows years of pressure from France and Germany on to spend more EU money on missions in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Azerbaijan Capable of Downing Missiles of Iskander Systems - MoD Sputnik 13 Jul 2017 -- Azerbaijani Armed Forces had anti-missile weapons capable of shooting down Iskander missiles systems deployed in Armenia.
• Russian Arms Contract With Azerbaijan on Delivery of Tanks, Msta-S 90% Complete Sputnik 13 Jul 2017 -- The contract on the delivery of Russian tanks, Smerch multiple rocket launchers and Msta-S self-propelled howitzers to Azerbaijan is 90-percent complete and paid for, Azerbaijan's Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
• Chinese bombers conduct drill near Taiwan, Japan CNA 13 Jul 2017 -- China's air force on Thursday sent formations of Xian H-6 strategic bombers near Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) and the Miyako Strait south of Japan's Okinawa as part of a long-range drill, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said that day.
• Chinese aircraft carrier-led flotilla leaves Taiwan's ADIZ CNA 13 Jul 2017 -- A Chinese naval flotilla headed by China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, that entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the early hours of Wednesday, left the zone at 2 a.m. the following day after sailing north along the Taiwan Strait, according to the Ministry of National Defense.
• Chinese naval fleet returns from escort mission People's Daily 13 Jul 2017 -- After a 208-day sail, covering nearly 120,000 nautical miles, a Chinese fleet wrapped up its escort mission Wednesday morning.
• Chinese base in Djibouti not military expansion People's Daily 13 Jul 2017 -- China's establishment of its first military base in Djibouti has triggered wide concerns amongst some Western countries that China is indeed conducting military expansion and building strategic layout in the Indian Ocean. The base is meant to ensure supplies rather than a "threat" posed by China as alleged, refuted a commentary.
• China carrier 'enters Taiwan defense zone' Press TV 13 Jul 2017 -- Taiwan says a Chinese aircraft carrier has entered its "air defense identification zone (ADIZ)" and is being monitored by Taipei as the carrier sails back from a trip to Hong Kong.
• Indian Air Force Jets Slated to Have Beyond-Visual-Range Strike Capacity by 2018 Sputnik 13 Jul 2017 -- India's Tejas light combat aircraft is armed and ready with I-Derby missiles for downing other aircraft, according to The Diplomat.
• Fire causes blasts at Turkey military zone near Syria: Reports Press TV 13 Jul 2017 -- A large fire has erupted at a military zone in Turkey's southern province of Kilis, near the Syrian border, triggering small blasts as it spread to a nearby ammunition depot, media report.
• At Least 10 Turkish Soldiers Injured in Ammunition Depot Fire Near Syria Border Sputnik 13 Jul 2017 -- A fire, which occurred at the ammunition depot in the Turkish province of Kilis near the border with Syria on Thursday, left at least 10 servicemen injured, local media reported.
• RAF opens close combat role to women ahead of schedule UK MOD 13 Jul 2017 -- Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has announced that from September this year, ground close combat roles in the RAF Regiment will be open to women.
• 'Defining Moment' for RAF as Women to Serve in Close Combat Roles for First Time Sputnik 13 Jul 2017 -- Women are to be allowed to serve in the UK's Royal Air Force Regiment, the RAF ground fighting, close combat division, for the first time from September, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon announced at July's RAF Air Power Conference in London.
• UK to Spend $50Mln on Upgrades of Typhoon Fighter Jets - Defense Secretary Sputnik 13 Jul 2017 -- The United Kingdom will invest 40 million pounds [$50 million] in the development of a technology, which will enhance the defenses of Typhoon fighter jets, according to UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon.
• Defence Secretary announces new Maritime Patrol Aircraft squadrons UK MOD 13 Jul 2017 -- The Defence Secretary has announced the numbers of the UK's two new Maritime Patrol Aircraft squadrons and the first commanding officer.
• Canadian Hercules Transport Plane Conducts First Coalition Sortie Sputnik 13 Jul 2017 -- Canada's CC-130J Hercules cargo transport airplane conducted its first mission as part of the country's contribution to the US-led coalition against Daesh, according to National Defense Canada said in a press release.
• Department Press Briefing - July 13, 2017 US Dept. of State 13 Jul 2017

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for July 13, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 13 July 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 13 Jul 2017
• Direct talks possible between Syria's warring sides: UN Envoy Press TV 13 Jul 2017 -- The United Nations special envoy for Syria has raised the possibility of direct talks between Damascus and opposition negotiators before the next round of peace talks in the Swiss city of Geneva.
• US-Equipped Forces Penetrate Daesh Defenses in Raqqa - Special Envoy Sputnik 13 Jul 2017 -- The US-equipped Syrian Democratic Forces have advanced to the center of Raqqa, US Presidential Envoy Brett McGurk said in a meeting of US-led coalition members on Thursday.
• ISIS Dealt Significant Blow After Iraq Retakes Mosul, Official Says AFPS 13 Jul 2017 -- The retaking of Mosul by Iraqi forces delivered a significant blow to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Army Col. Ryan Dillon, the spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, told Pentagon reporters today.
• Hashd al-Sha'abi to participate in liberation of Hawijah, Daesh-held areas Press TV 13 Jul 2017 -- The spokesman for pro-government Popular Mobilization Units, commonly by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha'abi, says the volunteer fighters will join army soldiers in counter-terrorism operations to liberate the last remaining areas in Iraq still controlled by the Takfiri Daesh terrorists.
• Over dozen dead as bomb attack hits Iraq's Anbar province Press TV 13 Jul 2017 -- More than a dozen people have lost their lives and several others sustained injuries when members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group carried out a bomb attack in Iraq's troubled western province of Anbar.
• Iraqi Forces to Focus on Liberating Tal Afar Next - US Envoy Sputnik 13 Jul 2017 -- The Iraqi Security Forces will next move to liberate Tal Afar, US Envoy to the Global Coalition to counter Daesh stated on Thursday.
• Liberation of Mosul a 'milestone' in global fight against ISIL - UN Security Council UN News 13 Jul 2017 -- The liberation of Mosul has marked an "important milestone" in the global fight against Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh), the United Nations Security Council today, welcoming the announcement by Iraqi authorities that the city has been freed of the terrorist group.
• Turkish Forces Detain 44 PKK Militants, Including Istanbul Terror Act Organizer Sputnik 13 Jul 2017 -- Turkish security forces and intelligence have detained 44 fighters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), outlawed in Turkey, including the organizer of the 2016 Vodafone Arena terror attack in the Turkish city of Istanbul, the city's governor, Vasip Sahin, said Thursday.
• Security Council deplores ongoing violence, attacks on civilians in Central African Republic UN News 13 Jul 2017 -- The United Nations Security Council today expressed concern at the ongoing clashes between armed groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) and deplored that civilians from some communities, UN peacekeepers and aid workers continue to be targeted.
• India China Standoff in High Himalayas Pulls in Tiny Bhutan VOA 13 Jul 2017 -- A tense standoff between India and China in the high Himalayas is being played out not on the disputed borders between the two Asian giants, but on a plateau claimed by China and Bhutan. Many analysts say the face off is also a play for power in the tiny, strategically located country, which is India's closest ally in South Asia, but where Beijing wants to increase its presence.
• Government Forces Approaching Rebel HQ in South Sudan VOA 13 Jul 2017 -- South Sudanese government forces are approaching the headquarters of rebel forces led by former vice president Riek Machar, a United Nations official says.
• UN envoy calls on Security Council to further support fight against terrorism in West Africa, Sahel UN News 13 Jul 2017 -- Amid rising terrorism and violent extremism in West Africa and the United Nations envoy for the region called on the Security Council to further support national and Regional efforts to combat this "serious threat", including strengthening the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel.

News Reports

• Hillary, Bill Clinton 'colluded' with Russia: White House Press TV 13 Jul 2017 -- The White House has accused former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton of "collusion" with Russia, in a bid to fend off new questions in the ongoing investigation into President Donald Trump's alleged ties to Moscow.
• Trump Says Didn't Know Of Son's Meeting With Russian Lawyer During Campaign RFE/RL 13 Jul 2017 -- U.S. President Donald Trump said he was unaware that his oldest son Donald had a meeting with a Russian lawyer during the presidential campaign, but he does not fault him for the controversial move.
• Trump hails Syria ceasefire deal with Russia, to invite Putin for state visit Press TV 13 Jul 2017 -- US President Donald Trump says a recent Syria ceasefire deal brokered by the US and Russia shows his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was a success.
• Analysts Warn Foiled Montenegrin Coup Will Likely Be Repeated By Russia Elsewhere RFE/RL 13 Jul 2017 -- Analysts are warning that an alleged coup attempt last year by Russian agents that Montenegro said was foiled will likely be repeated, and Washington needs to do more to shore up "Europe's soft underbelly."
• Merkel In Paris Ahead Of Trump Visit Talks Of Europe Self-Reliance, U.S. Cooperation RFE/RL 13 Jul 2017 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has met in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump, with the two European leaders expressing the need for continental self-reliance along with cooperation with the United States.
• Tillerson Ends Persian Gulf Trip With No Breakthrough on Qatar Blockade VOA 13 Jul 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson left Qatar Thursday with little apparent progress in his shuttle diplomacy aimed at ending Doha's diplomatic standoff with four Arab countries.
• US talks with Saudi, allies end without fixing Qatar rift Press TV 13 Jul 2017 -- Talks between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and several Persian Gulf Arab states aimed at ending a rift with Qatar have come to an end without any breakthrough.
• Tillerson Leaves With No Comment After Four-Day Qatar Crisis Talks RFE/RL 13 Jul 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has left the Persian Gulf region after four days of talks to help mediate a dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and its allies.
• Chinese Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo Dies At 61 RFE/RL 13 Jul 2017 -- Chinese authorities say Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo has died while still in custody following a battle with cancer, after Beijing ignored international pleas to let him spend his final days free and abroad.
• Liu Xiaobo, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Dies in Chinese Hospital VOA 13 Jul 2017 -- China's best-known human rights prisoner, Liu Xiaobo, died Thursday at age 61 following a high-profile battle with liver cancer that made his death as controversial as his life.
• Rights Groups, Nobel Commission Express Regret Over Liu's Death VOA 13 Jul 2017 -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is calling for China to release Liu Xiaobo's widow from house arrest Thursday.
• Ex-Brazilian president sentenced to 9.5 years in jail Press TV 13 Jul 2017 -- Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been sentenced to nine and a half years in prison for corruption and money laundering.
• China Posts Double Digit Trade Increase with North Korea in First Half of 2017 VOA 13 Jul 2017 -- China says its trade with North Korea rose in the first six months of 2017, compared to the same period the year before.
• Russia won't meddle in German election: Lavrov Press TV 13 Jul 2017 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has rejected speculations that his country could meddle in the upcoming elections in Germany as it was alleged about votes in the United States and France.
• Iran to respond US allegations in practice: Military Spox IRNA 13 Jul 2017 -- Spokesperson of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri said on Thursday that Tehran will give a crushing response in practice to baseless allegations uttered by US officials against Iran.
• Pakistani Premier Nawaz Sharif dismisses graft report as 'slander' Press TV 13 Jul 2017 -- Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has for the first time explicitly rejected a report from a corruption investigation that raised questions about the source of his family's wealth.
• Convicted Nemtsov Killers Given Lengthy Prison Terms RFE/RL 13 Jul 2017 -- A Russian court has sentenced five men convicted of killing opposition politician Boris Nemtsov to prison terms ranging from 11 to 20 years.
• Taiwan, Paraguay reaffirm strong bilateral ties CNA 13 Jul 2017 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and her Paraguayan counterpart Horacio Cartes reaffirmed the strong ties between the two diplomatic allies on Thursday in Taipei, with the visiting president from the South American country pledging that the friendship will continue.
• Political Divide Deepens in Turkey as Failed Coup Anniversary Approaches VOA 13 Jul 2017 -- Saturday marks the first anniversary of Turkey's failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but with a post-coup crackdown firmly in place, there are concerns about a deepening political divide as the government marks the turmoil.
• EU's Juncker calls 'corruption' main problem in Ukraine Press TV 13 Jul 2017 -- European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has cited "corruption" as the main factor hampering the European Union's efforts to build trade ties with Ukraine.
• Ukraine-EU Summit In Kyiv Focuses On Bolstering Ties RFE/RL 13 Jul 2017 -- At an EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv, both sides have hailed strengthening relations in the wake of the European Union's final approval of an Association Agreement with Kyiv earlier in the week and the bloc's decision to grant visa-free travel to Ukrainians last month.