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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 22 Feb 2018 [PDF]
• Trump's Office: US Troops Can Stay in Syria Indefinitely Without Congress' OK Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- President Donald Trump's administration has decided that US troops fighting the Daesh terror group (banned in Russia) can remain in Syria indefinitely without new legal authorization from Congress, two newly published letters written by senior Pentagon and State Department officials informed.
• Afghanistan Unveils Plans for Controversial Militia Force VOA 22 Feb 2018 -- Afghanistan's ministry of defense has announced the creation of a new militia force comprising about 36,000 men to defend areas that military-led operations have cleared of Taliban insurgents.

Defense Policy / Programs

• DoD Now on Track to Rebuild, Restore Military, Spokesperson Says AFPS 22 Feb 2018 -- The Bipartisan Budget Act puts DoD on track to rebuild, restore and modernize the U.S. military, Dana W. White, the Pentagon's chief spokesperson, said today.
• Readout of Deputy Secretary Shanahan's Meeting with Australian Prime Minister Turnbull DoD 22 Feb 2018
• Navy to Christen Expeditionary Fast Transport Burlington DoD 22 Feb 2018 -- The Navy will christen its newest Expeditionary Fast Transport, the future USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10), during a 10 a.m. CST ceremony Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.
• Department of Defense Press Briefing by Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 22 Feb 2018 -- Presenter: Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White
• Navy to Christen Expeditionary Fast Transport Burlington NNS 22 Feb 2018 -- The Navy will christen its newest Expeditionary Fast Transport, the future USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10), during a 10 a.m. CST ceremony Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.
• HST Strike Group Conducts Integrated Live-Fire Exercise NNS 22 Feb 2018 -- The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) executed an integrated live-fire exercise while underway conducting their composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX), Feb. 21-22.
• Pacific Partnership Enhances Regional Disaster Response Cooperation AFPS 22 Feb 2018 -- The Navy will join allied and partner-nation militaries for the 13th Pacific Partnership mission, scheduled to start tomorrow.
• Officials Highlight German-American Partnership at Security Conference AFPS 22 Feb 2018 -- Wolfgang Ischinger, the chairman of the Munich Security Conference, told members of the Loisach Group that the German-American partnership is the "backbone" of the transatlantic alliance and the conference, which was held here Feb. 16-18.
• German-American Officials Explore Transatlantic 'Backbone' at Munich Security Conference Army News 22 Feb 2018 -- Just in the past five years, events like the Annexation of Crimea and political changes throughout Europe have some officials and members of civil society publicly voicing their concerns about the strength of the transatlantic alliance, even right down to the "backbone."
• West Virginia leaders meet with Peruvian counterparts Army News 22 Feb 2018 -- West Virginia National Guard senior leaders and members of the State Partnership Program met with Peruvian military leadership in Lima, Peru recently to develop a path forward for future engagements in the coming months and years.
• Navy-Marine Integration Plays Crucial Role in Oak Hill's Deployment NNS 22 Feb 2018 -- Nearly 400 Marines and equipment from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) were loaded aboard dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) over a span of four days to begin a scheduled six-month deployment with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG).
• Pacific Partnership Mission Prepares to Enhance Disaster Response Cooperation, Strengthen Ties in Indo-Asia-Pacific NNS 22 Feb 2018 -- The U.S. Navy will join allied and partner nation militaries for the 13th Pacific Partnership mission, scheduled to begin Feb 23.
• Hand-Me-Down Drones: US Navy May Pick Up Air Force's Retiring Predators Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- The US Air Force fleet of MQ-1 Predator strike drones is slated to go offline later this spring, and the US Navy is mulling whether to scoop them up for naval aviation missions, an Air Force spokeswoman told Jane's International Defence Review on Wednesday.
• NATO Secretary General commends Croatia for Support to Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Balkan Neighbours NATO 22 Feb 2018 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković to NATO Headquarters on Thursday (22 February 2018) to discuss preparations for the Summit in July and regional cooperation in the Western Balkans.
• Sweden Eyes Massive $22Bln Budget Hike to Create 'Formidable' Defense Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- "Only then will we be able to talk about a defense force that's robust and dangerous," government investigator Ingemar Wahlberg said, presenting a survey lobbying for a radical 40-percent budget hike.
• Western Dragon: Chinese Air Force Deploy Advanced Fighters to Indian Border Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has boosted their high altitude capacities along their southwestern borders, sending more top-of-the-line jet fighters to parts of China that border rival state India.
• Chinese Air Force Passed Taiwan and Philippine Airspace on 'Long Haul' exercise Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- A unit from China's People's Liberation Army Air Force, flew through the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines as part of a long-range flight training mission in the western Pacific Wednesday, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND).
• Creating History: India's First Woman Fighter Pilot Flies Solo on MiG-21 Bison Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- For over 50 years, MiG-21 variants have been serving the Indian armed forces, and their quick reaction time still makes them potent for interception and ground attack roles.
• Night Trial of India's Nuke-Capable Prithvi-II Ballistic Missile Successful Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- The missile is crucial for a limited war, especially on the western front (the border with Pakistan). The missile is equipped with a domestically-produced guidance system and is capable of carrying warheads of up to 1,000 kg. It was test fired from a mobile launcher at 8:30 p.m. (Indian Standard Time) on Wednesday.
• China's Transgressions Expose Vulnerability of India's Chicken Neck - Navy Chief Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- Siliguri, the only corridor that connects India's northeastern states to the rest of the country, feeds the primary military formations which would counter China in the event of a conflict. India fears that the frequent transgressions by the Chinese PLA are part of a plan to strangle this corridor.
• Taiwan's defense minister Feng stepping down CNA 22 Feb 2018 -- Taiwan's Defense Minister Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) is to be replaced by National Security Council Secretary-General Yen Teh-fa (嚴德發) in a cabinet reshuffle that is likely to be announced Friday.
• Department Press Briefing - February 22, 2018 US Dept. of State 22 Feb 2018

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for February 22, 2018
• India's Indigenous Multi-Purpose Aircraft SARAS Almost Ready for Mass Production Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- SARAS will be 30 to 35 percent cheaper than any imported aircraft in the same category and it will be a 19-seat aircraft instead of 14-seat. While the State-owned HAL has been identified as the production agency for the military version of Saras, production of the civilian version will be given to the private sector.
• Dark Horse: South Africa's Bronco II Joins US Light Attack Aircraft Scene Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- A South African company wants to take a bite out of the US light attack aircraft market by offering its Bronco II to the US military.
• Turkey's Syria Operation Showcases Domestic Weapons Industry VOA 22 Feb 2018 -- Turkey's ongoing military offensive against a Kurdish militia in Syria's Afrin enclave is showcasing the growing prowess of the Turkish armaments industry. In recent years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sought to dramatically reduce his country's dependency on imported arms.

Other Conflicts

• 22 February 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 22 Feb 2018
• Philippine President Draws Line on Cooperation with Maritime Rival China VOA 22 Feb 2018 -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has placed a boundary on his fast-growing friendship with China by barring further Chinese activity off the Pacific coast and insisting that Beijing avoid new construction work in contested waters.
• Russia Opposes U.S. Bid To Condemn Iran Over Supply Of Yemeni Arms RFE/RL 22 Feb 2018 -- Russia is opposing a bid by the United States and its allies to include language condemning Iran for allegedly violating an arms embargo imposed on Yemeni rebels in a United Nations resolution renewing that embargo this month.
• Has Russia Deployed Latest-Generation Stealth Warplanes in Syria? VOA 22 Feb 2018 -- Moscow may have deployed two of its latest generation stealth warplanes to Syria, according to video footage of a pair of Su-57s landing at a Russian airbase in the war-torn country.
• Cossack Fighter Laments Russian 'Utilization' Of Mercenaries In Syria RFE/RL 22 Feb 2018 -- Russia is abuzz with media reports that dozens -- perhaps hundreds, by some accounts -- of Russian mercenaries were killed or wounded in the eastern Syrian city of Deir al-Zor on February 7-8 in fighting with the U.S. military and its Syrian-rebel allies.
• 'You can still save lives'; UN aid chief urges Security Council action to halt violence in Syria's war-battered east Ghouta UN News 22 Feb 2018 -- The United Nations humanitarian chief on Thursday called for action by the Security Council to halt the appalling destruction of Syria's eastern Ghouta, where nearly 300 people have reportedly been killed in just the past few days, as "bombs and mortars have rained down on bakeries and medical facilities."
• UN Security Council fails to agree on ceasefire across Syria: Russia Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- Russia says no agreement was reached at the United Nations Security Council on a month-long ceasefire across Syria as the conflict deepens in the Arab country due to a sharp rise in terrorist attacks.
• Russia to support UN-proposed truce in Syria but not for Daesh, Nusra: Lavrov Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow will consider supporting a UN-proposed ceasefire, providing it does not cover the Takfiri terrorist groups of Daesh and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, as well as other militant outfits that are shelling civilians in Syria's militant-held Eastern Ghouta.
• Terror sponsors responsible for East Ghouta situation: Russia Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- The Kremlin has blamed the current situation in the Eastern Ghouta region on the countries that are supporting terrorists in Syria, vehemently rejecting claims linking Russia and its allies to the violence.
• Afrin residents celebrate arrival of pro-government forces Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- Hundreds of Syrians have held a demonstration in Afrin to celebrate the arrival of pro-government fighters in the northwestern city that has been the target of Turkish attacks.
• Strikes Hit Syria's Ghouta For Fifth Day As UN Pleads For Cease-Fire RFE/RL 22 Feb 2018 -- Warplanes and artillery bombarded eastern Ghouta - a rebel enclave near Syria's capital, Damascus - for a fifth straight day on February 22, as the United Nations pleaded for a halt to one of the fiercest air assaults of the seven-year civil war.
• Kurdish YPG Agrees to Hand Control Over Tell Rifaat to Syrian Army - Source Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- The Kurdish Self-Defense Forces (YPG) confirmed to the Reuters news agency that the Syrian Armed Forces has taken under control the Kurdish-held territory of Aleppo.
• Moscow Worried UN Resolution on Syrian Ceasefire Aimed at Accusing Damascus Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- Russia suspects that western countries want to shift focus away from the necessity of starting the Geneva talks to launching plan "B" in Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated.
• UN Officials Appeal for Syria Truce, Eastern Ghouta Assistance VOA 22 Feb 2018 -- Russia expressed its objections Thursday to a draft U.N. resolution intended to implement a 30-day pause in fighting across Syria and lift the siege on the town of eastern Ghouta.
• Bangladesh accelerates plan to put Rohingya refugees on isolated island Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- The government in Bangladesh is rapidly pushing a controversial plan to relocate some 100,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar to an isolated and flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal, where they may be stranded forever.
• China Denies Contacts with Separatist Militants in Pakistan VOA 22 Feb 2018 -- Chinese officials have denied reports that they are in contact with separatist militants in Pakistan's restive Baluchistan province to secure tens of billions of dollars' worth of infrastructure projects planned for the area.
• Israel approves construction of 3,000 new settler units in East Jerusalem al-Quds Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- Israeli officials have approved plans for the construction of thousands of new settler units in East Jerusalem al-Quds in grave contravention of international law and a United Nation Security Council resolution against the Tel Aviv regime's land expropriation and settlement expansion policies in occupied Palestinian lands.
• 71 militants killed, 5 arrested during Egypt's operation in Sinai Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- Egypt has released the details of a massive military operation in the restive northwestern Sinai peninsula, saying 71 militants have been killed since the start of the offensive on February 9.
• Egypt Military's Anti-Terror Campaign Raises Doubts VOA 22 Feb 2018 -- Early this month, the Egyptian army launched a military campaign in the North Sinai and areas of the Nile Delta, all of which have seen major terrorist attacks in the past year. But experts say it will take more than security measures to eradicate terrorism in Egypt.
• 7 killed in Boko Haram attacks in Cameroon, Chad Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- At least seven people have been killed in Chad and Cameroon by militants of the Boko Haram Takfiri terrorist group, which is based in neighboring Nigeria.
• Road to peace in Central African Republic remains 'long and difficult,' says UN envoy UN News 22 Feb 2018 -- The violence plaguing communities across the Central African Republic (CAR) is a reminder that despite the efforts of all stakeholders, the path to peace, stability and reconciliation in the country remains long and difficult, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Thursday.
• Lack of funding for aid operations means 'people will die' in Central African Republic - UN official UN News 22 Feb 2018 -- A senior United Nations relief official is urging the international community to boost support for humanitarian efforts in crisis-gripped Central African Republic (CAR), where nearly half the population requires assistance.

News Reports

• Trump administration considering new sanctions against Russia Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- The administration US President Donald Trump is considering new sanctions against Russia in response to alleged election meddling and a cyber attack last year, in a bid to push back against criticism that it has been slow to act.
• Amnesty International Says Trump Setting 'Dangerous Precedent' RFE/RL 22 Feb 2018 -- Amnesty International has taken aim at U.S. President Donald Trump and other world leaders the global watchdog says are abandoning human rights, accusing them of setting a "dangerous precedent" for other governments to follow.
• Dutch Parliament Recognizes Armenian Killings As 'Genocide' RFE/RL 22 Feb 2018 -- Lawmakers in the lower house of the Dutch parliament have overwhelmingly passed a motion recognizing as "genocide" the 1915 massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.
• EU Presses Moldova On Judicial Reform, Fighting Corruption RFE/RL 22 Feb 2018 -- The European Union is urging Moldova to press ahead with judicial reforms and undertake a "more decisive fight against corruption," according to a draft text seen by RFE/RL.
• Lavrov Vows Close Russia-Serbia Ties Despite EU Ambitions RFE/RL 22 Feb 2018 -- During a visit to Belgrade, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomed Serbia's drive to join the European Union, but also vowed that Moscow would remain engaged with the Balkan country no matter what happens.
• Navalny Briefly Detained, Could Be Jailed Ahead Of Russian Election RFE/RL 22 Feb 2018 -- Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny says he was briefly detained by police and accused of an administrative offense that could result in a 30-day jail term.
• Saudi Arabia, China, Turkey block US move to put Pakistan on terror-financing list Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- Saudi Arabia has reportedly joined Turkey and China in a move to block a US-sponsored attempt this week to place Pakistan on an international terror-financing watch list.
• N Korea Calls US-Japan Missile Drills Provocation Against Intra-Korean Dialogue Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- North Korea's committee on Korean reconciliation condemned on Thursday an upcoming joint US-Japan missile defense drill as an attempt to reignite regional tensions and obstruct the ongoing thaw between Pyongyang and Seoul.
• China Probing Possible Breach of UNSC's N Korea Sanctions During Sea Transfer Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- Beijing is currently examining a Japanese report that a suspected Chinese vessel may have carried out a cargo transfer with a North Korean ship in violation of the UN Security Council's (UNSC) sanctions, Geng Shuang, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesman, said.
• US, S. Korea Military Exercises Could End Outreach to Nuclear North VOA 22 Feb 2018 -- The resumption of U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises, which were postponed until after the PyeongChang Olympics and Paralympics end in late March, could also mark the end of the current diplomatic outreach to North Korea.
• IAEA reaffirms Iran's compliance with JCPOA in its new report IRNA 22 Feb 2018 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has once again confirmed that Iran is fulfilling its commitments under the 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement.
• Envoy: IAEA confirms Iran's compliance with JCPOA for 10th time IRNA 22 Feb 2018 -- Ambassador and permanent representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the IAEA Reza Najafi said on Thursday that the international body reaffirmed that Iran is living up to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.
• IAEA once again verifies Iran's compliance with nuclear deal Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has once again confirmed that Iran is living up to its commitments under the 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement.
• Iran may withdraw from nuclear deal if gets no benefits: Araqchi Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- Iran says it could withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal if the "atmosphere of uncertainty" created by the new US administration continues to prevent Tehran from reaping the benefits of the multilateral accord, particularly in the business and banking sectors.
• Iran Will Withdraw From Nuclear Deal If 'No Economic Benefit' RFE/RL 22 Feb 2018 -- Iran has threatened to withdraw from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers if there is no economic benefit from it and major banks continue to fail to do business with Tehran.
• Watchdog Says Iran In Compliance With Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 22 Feb 2018 -- Iran remains in compliance with the 2015 nuclear accord signed with six world powers, the United Nations atomic watchdog says.
• Iran Plans to Construct 'Naval Nuclear Propulsion in Future' - IAEA Report Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which monitors Iran's implementation of the nuclear deal (JCPOA) reported that Tehran revealed the country's plans to build new facilities for naval nuclear propulsion.
• UN Atomic Agency: Iran Complying With Nuclear Accord VOA 22 Feb 2018 -- The United Nations atomic agency has concluded that Iran is continuing to restrict its nuclear program in compliance with the 2015 international accord aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear weapons development.
• Egypt sentences 21 to death over terrorism charges Press TV 22 Feb 2018 -- Egypt has sentenced 21 people to death on charges of involvement in terror activities as the North African country presses ahead with a campaign to contain an insurgency linked to the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
• US-Made Falcon 9 Rocket Lifts Spain Radar-Imaging Satellite into Orbit -SpaceX Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- A radar-imaging satellite entered low earth orbit following a flawless liftoff atop a Falcon 9 rocket in a launch broadcast over the internet by the rocket's manufacturer Space X on Thursday.
• Afghanistan: UN mission welcomes new penal code, urges measures to protect women from violence UN News 22 Feb 2018 -- While welcoming the entry to force of a new Penal Code in Afghanistan as a having the "potential to trigger real change," the United Nations mission in the country said on Thursday that it is concerned by the removal of the chapter penalizing violence against women.
• India 'Deeply Dismayed' by Extension of State of Emergency in Maldives Sputnik 22 Feb 2018 -- India has reiterated that the consequent delay in the resumption of the political process and the continuing suspension of democratic institutions including the judiciary is likely to further delay restoration of normalcy in the Maldives.