• 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 22 Dec 2017[PDF]
• Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 22 Dec 2017 -- U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria between Dec. 18 and yesterday, conducting 11 strikes consisting of 21 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
• Australia's Defense Chief Declares End of Air Campaign Against Daesh Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne on Friday declared an end to the nation's airstrike operations in Syria and Iraq, although she admitted the challenge was not over yet, local media reported.
• Department of the Army announces upcoming 1st Stryker Brigade, 4th Infantry Division deployment Army News 22 Dec 2017 -- The Department of the Army announced today the spring 2018 deployment of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, to Afghanistan.
• 6 police officers killed in Taliban attack in Afghanistan Press TV 22 Dec 2017 -- At least six police officers have been killed in an attack by the Taliban militant group in southern Afghanistan.
• U.S. Vice President Claims 'Progress' In Afghan War On Surprise Visit To Kabul RFE/RL 22 Dec 2017 -- On a surprise visit to Afghanistan, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence praised U.S. and Afghan troops for what he said was "real progress" in the 16-year war and declared President Donald Trump's new strategy there is working.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Russia's Putin slams Washington's new national security strategy Press TV 22 Dec 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized US President Donald Trump's newly announced national security strategy as both "offensive" and "aggressive," adding that Moscow would take due notice of the stance.
• Putin Calls Trump's New Security Strategy 'Aggressive' RFE/RL 22 Dec 2017 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the U.S. security strategy unveiled by President Donald Trump as "aggressive," saying Moscow would take that into account in its own actions.
• Navy Announces Alignment of End of Active Obligated Service with Duty Station Tour Length NNS 22 Dec 2017 -- The Navy announced a policy and process change, directing commands to immediately take action to align Sailors' End of Active Obligated Service (EAOS) with their duty station tour length in NAVADMIN 307/17, Dec. 22.
• Army strengthens allied partnerships in 2017 with joint, multinational exercises Army News 22 Dec 2017 -- Across the globe, the U.S. Army is strong, dependable ally and partner for many countries. This level of seamless cooperation was on strong display in 2017, as the U.S. conducted multiple training exercises and operations with its allies abroad to promote international security. Here are two of the year's most significant, intensive exercises that strengthened the enduring partnerships between the U.S. and allied countries.
• Top US commander warns of war with Russia, Pacific countries Press TV 22 Dec 2017 -- A US top commander has warned of an imminent war by pointing to a shift of focus on conflicts in the Middle East to Russia and the Pacific region.
• GAO: Likely Inherent Errors in Key Components of US Strategic Nuclear Subs Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- Critical components of the Columbia class next-generation strategic ballistic missile submarine may not work as expected, be delayed or cost more than planned, the General Accounting Office (GAO) said in a report.
• Number of NATO Troops Near Russian Borders Tripled Since 2012 - Defense Minister Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that NATO has doubled the number of its military drills since 2012 in the vicinity of Russia's borders, adding that Moscow is scrutinizing the exercises.
• Russia to finalize Saudi S-400 deal by year-end Press TV 22 Dec 2017 -- Russia says it is working with Saudi Arabia to finalize a deal to sell advanced S-400 missile systems to the oil-rich kingdom.
• PLA to make strides in new era People's Daily 22 Dec 2017 -- Military strength forms basis for diplomatic victory in defending sovereignty: expert
• Navy conducts combat exercise in western Pacific People's Daily 22 Dec 2017 -- The Chinese Navy recently conducted a combat exercise in the western Pacific Ocean involving its aircraft and ships, the Navy said in a news release on Thursday afternoon.
• President Tsai says China's drills have affected regional stability CNA 22 Dec 2017 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took to Facebook on Friday to point out that China's increasingly frequent military drills near Taiwan have affected regional stability, while motivating the military to stay vigilant in safeguarding the country against security threats.
• India's Homegrown Anti-Aircraft QRSAM Enters Final Trials Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- In the last five months, Indian defense scientists have conducted a series of tests of the quick reaction surface to air missile (QRSAM) meant to be deployed along the border with Pakistan. The developers are soon expected to start series production of the missile system.
• India Launches $500 Mln Program to Acquire 15 Light Combat Helicopters Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- 5.5-ton light combat helicopters will provide crucial air support to the armed forces deployed along the border with China as they have the power to carry out operational roles under extreme weather conditions at altitudes of up to 20000 meter in the difficult Himalayan terrain.
• Japan Reportedly Holds Drills With PAC-3 Air Defense Missile System in Nagasaki Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) conducted military exercises on Friday with the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile interceptor in the Nagasaki prefecture, local media reported.
• Japan government approves record high military budget Press TV 22 Dec 2017 -- Japan's government has approved a record military budget, which allocates significant funding to the purchase of American-made weaponry.
• Japan Approves Record Defense Budget Amid Fears of North Korean Nuclear Threat Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- The Japanese cabinet on Friday voted for the largest budget on record for the next fiscal year that envisages high defense and social spending.
• Provision of US arms to Ukraine can mean more bloodshed: Russia Press TV 22 Dec 2017 -- Russia has warned the United States about the consequences of supplying arms to Ukraine, saying that the provision of weapons may cause new bloodshed in the country's troubled east.
• Serbia Negotiating Purchase Of More Russian Arms After Vucic's Visit To Moscow RFE/RL 22 Dec 2017 -- Serbia is negotiating the purchase of military helicopters from Russia in one of several possible new Russian arms purchases that could heighten tensions in the Balkans.
• Finland Launches Navy Upgrade, Buys Swedish Torpedo Systems Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- Finland has approved contracts worth $276 million for a sweeping improvement to its Hamina-class fast attack crafts. As part of the upgrade, a torpedo weapon system will be acquired from the Swedish company Saab.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for December 22, 2017

Other Conflicts

• 22 December 2017 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 22 Dec 2017
• New UN centre boosts use of real-time data to better respond to humanitarian crises UN News 22 Dec 2017 -- With more than 135 million crisis-affected people across the globe in need of humanitarian assistance, the United Nations today opened a data centre that will give aid organizations and relief workers access to vital information they need to make responsible and informed decisions.
• Suspected cholera cases in Yemen surpass one million, reports UN health agency UN News 22 Dec 2017 -- The total number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen has crossed one million, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) reported today, urging greater efforts to tackle the outbreak and deal with the deteriorating health situation in the war-torn nation.
• Abbas: Palestinians will no longer accept any plan from US Press TV 22 Dec 2017 -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says his nation will "no longer accept" any initiative from the US as part of the so-called Middle East peace process, calling Washington a "dishonest mediator."
• Abbas Says Palestinians Will Not Accept Any U.S. Peace Plan RFE/RL 22 Dec 2017 -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas says that the Palestinians "will no longer accept" any Middle East peace plan proposed by the United States.
• About 655,000 Rohingya Refugees Fled to Bangladesh Since Late August - IOM Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- Around 655,000 Rohingya refugees have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh since the start of the crisis in late August, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Friday.
• India, China hold 20th round of talks over disputed border regions Press TV 22 Dec 2017 -- India and China have held special delegation-level meetings on key points in a dispute on border regions.
• Thousands Fleeing Intercommunal Violence in DRC's Ituri Province VOA 22 Dec 2017 -- The U.N. refugee agency reports thousands of people are fleeing from a fresh wave of intercommunal violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri region.
• New Outbreak of Violence in DR Congo Pushes More People to Seek Refuge in Uganda Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- The latest outbreak of violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has led to a sharp increase in number of refugees fleeing the country to neighboring Uganda, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly said Friday.
• Sharp rise in refugee arrivals to Uganda as fresh violence flares in DR Congo - UN agency UN News 22 Dec 2017 -- Fresh violence in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) forced over 2,650 refugees to cross over into neighbouring Uganda this week, five times the usual number of arrivals, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
• UN Mission welcomes agreement to revive South Sudan's peace pact UN News 22 Dec 2017 -- Welcoming the signing of an agreement on cessation of hostilities and improving humanitarian access in South Sudan, the United Nations Mission in the country (UNMISS) has urged all parties to work collectively to ensure durable peace in the nation.
• South Sudan Government, Rebel Groups Sign Cease-fire Deal VOA 22 Dec 2017 -- A cease-fire is scheduled to go into effect on Christmas Eve in conflict-ridden South Sudan, after the country's government and rebel groups, as well as other signatories, signed a cessation of hostilities agreement in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia late Thursday.
• South Sudanese Refugees React Warily to Signing of Cease-fire VOA 22 Dec 2017 -- In the Meri refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 30,000 South Sudanese refugees yearn to return to their homeland, which has been ripped apart by a four-year civil war.
• Poroshenko, Merkel Agree On Need For Quick Prisoner Exchange In Eastern Ukraine RFE/RL 22 Dec 2017 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have agreed on the need to expedite an exchange of prisoners held on both sides of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Merkel's office says.

News Reports

• Pro-Independence Parties Win Majority in Catalonia Elections, A Blow to Madrid VOA 22 Dec 2017 -- Pro-independence parties have won an absolute majority in elections in the Spanish region of Catalonia, dealing a blow to the Spanish government under Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
• Uzbek President Vows Reforms In State-Of-The-Nation Address RFE/RL 22 Dec 2017 -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has vowed to pursue reforms and called on officials across the Central Asian country to improve communications with ordinary people.
• Secretary-General extends mandate of UN-backed Lebanon tribunal for three more years UN News 22 Dec 2017 -- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres extended for another three years the mandate of the tribunal set up to try those accused of carrying out the February 2005 attack in Beirut, which killed 22 people, including the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafiq Hariri, and injured many others.
• 'Storm clouds gathering' over Korean Peninsula: Mattis Press TV 22 Dec 2017 -- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said that "storm clouds are gathering" over the Korean Peninsula amid mounting tension between the US and North Korea.
• North Korean leader says Trump policy seeks 'total subordination of world' Press TV 22 Dec 2017 -- North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has censured US President Donald Trump for his expansionist policy, which, he says, seeks "total subordination of the world."
• Pyongyang: North Korea Presents 'Substantial Nuclear Threat' to US Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un warned that his country's military poses a "substantial nuclear threat" to the US, according to comments published by state media December 21.
• UNSC Unanimously Adopts Resolution to Impose New Sanctions on N Korea Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- The UN Security Council has unanimously voted on Friday in favor of the resolution to introduce new sanctions against North Korea for its continuing ballistic missile tests.
• Security Council further tightens sanctions against DPR Korea UN News 22 Dec 2017 -- The United Nations Security Council today imposed new sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), increasing the depth of measures imposed on the country in the wake of its continued nuclear and ballistic weapons programme, including the ballistic missile launch on 28 November.
• UN Security Council Unanimously Imposes Additional North Korea Sanctions VOA 22 Dec 2017 -- The U.N. Security Council unanimously agreed Friday to impose another round of sanctions on North Korea, targeting sectors that fuel its illicit weapons programs.
• Kim Jong Un Makes Opening Address at 5th Conference of Cell Chairpersons of WPK KCNA 22 Dec 2017 -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, made an opening speech at the 5th Conference of Cell Chairpersons of the WPK on Thursday.
• US Imposes New Sanctions Against Iran, Threatens to Scrap Nuclear Deal Sputnik 22 Dec 2017 -- The last year saw many controversial steps taken by the administration of US President Donald Trump, but the harsh policy on Iran, including the introduction of new sanctions against Tehran over its ballistic missile program and refusal to certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), are among the most notable issues worth reflecting upon.
• China Corruption Drive Continues, But Graft Persists VOA 22 Dec 2017 -- An expansive anti-corruption drive led by China's President Xi Jinping has seen more than 1.5 million officials investigated and the toppling of several high-ranking leaders as well. But despite the mind-boggling figures, corruption remains, as Xi puts it, "the biggest threat to the party."