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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 16 Mar 2018 [PDF]
• U.S. Aircraft Crashes in Western Iraq AFPS 16 Mar 2018 -- Yesterday at about 6:45 p.m. GMT, a U.S. HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed in western Iraq. The crash does not appear to be a result of enemy activity. This incident is under investigation.
• Officials Report Details of Latest Defeat-ISIS Strikes in Syria, Iraq AFPS 16 Mar 2018 -- Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve and its partners continued to strike Islamic State of Iraq and Syria targets in designated parts of Syria and Iraq between March 9-15, conducting 23 strikes consisting of 37 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Test pilot briefs T-6 nation AFNS 16 Mar 2018 -- An F-16 Fighting Falcon's sustained 9 g-force break turn is no small matter on a normal day. Imagine yourself there. Your head weighs 180 pounds and your arms are pinned to the stick and throttle; let go of your breath the wrong way, and you watch the world fade from gray to black in an instant. Now add to this situation a corset-tight upper vest built to restrict lung inflation and an oxygen hose with half the normal flow rate – on purpose.
• Special Operations Forces Exercise in Arctic Conditions AFPS 16 Mar 2018 -- The U.S. military conducts mission-based training events year-round, but Arctic Edge 2018 is a unique opportunity that has brought more than 1,500 U.S. military personnel from 20-plus units together to train in arctic conditions throughout the Alaska range.
• Eucom Commander Discusses Counteracting Russian Disinformation AFPS 16 Mar 2018 -- Russia is using all aspects of government power to overthrow the existing international rules-based infrastructure and especially trying to subvert NATO, Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti said during a roundtable with reporters at the Pentagon yesterday.
• Defense Official Discusses Security Cooperation Reform AFPS 16 Mar 2018 -- Army Lt. Gen. Charles W. Hooper, the director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, discussed his agency's role in the new National Security Strategy, and its role in ongoing reform efforts within the security cooperation enterprise during a Center for Strategic and International Studies panel event here today.
• Mattis Describes Middle East Trip as Successful In Building Unity AFPS 16 Mar 2018 -- Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said his recently concluded Middle East trip was successful, adding that collaboration, the spirit of shared understanding and unity were what he took away from his official meetings with heads of state and military and diplomatic leaders.
• US, Slovenian Army conduct live fire base defense training Army News 16 Mar 2018 -- To fight a modern war takes more than infantry, artillery, reconnaissance and engineers. Even a highly deployable fighting force like the 173rd Airborne Brigade has to get to the battle and be sustained in the fight. This means having riggers to pack the parachutes and rig the equipment to be dropped, mechanics to keep the vehicles in top condition, and fuelers to keep those vehicles running, or even the "water dogs" to purify thousands of gallons of water a day to keep the paratroopers fighting.
• Army scientists develop pizza MREs, slated for assembly March 2018 Army News 16 Mar 2018 -- It's ready, set, dough for the Meals, Ready-to-Eat pizza.
• Arlington National Cemetery seeks changes to burial eligibility criteria to ensure future space Army News 16 Mar 2018 -- Arlington National Cemetery will reach full capacity by the early 2040's if changes aren't implemented soon, according to the Army National Military Cemeteries executive director.
• USS Oklahoma City Visits Singapore NNS 16 Mar 2018 -- The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) arrived in Singapore March 16 for a visit as part of its deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
• NATO Trends Heading Up, Annual Report Shows AFPS 16 Mar 2018 -- NATO has stepped up recrafting deterrence and defense, and the alliance's annual report for 2017 shows that the trend lines for the alliance are up, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels yesterday.
• Deputy Secretary General marks first anniversary of NATO's enhanced forward presence in Poland NATO 16 Mar 2018 -- NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller began a trip to Poland with a visit to the NATO multinational battlegroup in Orzysz on Friday (16 March 2018). Led by the US, the battlegroup is one of four that are operational in the eastern part of the Alliance.
• UK-US military links strengthened after ministerial visit to Washington DC UK MOD 16 Mar 2018 -- Military ties between the UK and USA have been reinforced following a visit to Washington DC by Defence Minister Mark Lancaster this week.
• Reports reveal sea tests of electromagnetic railguns People's Daily 16 Mar 2018 -- Official media reports on two scientists during China's Two Sessions period have revealed that the Chinese navy is making notable achievements on advanced weapons, including sea tests of electromagnetic railguns, and noise-reduction of its nuclear submarines.
• Chinese Marines Conduct Major War Games Involving 10,000 Troops Sputnik 16 Mar 2018 -- More than 10,000 troops have crossed the country in its largest military training drills, according to the China Central Television program Military Report.
• Indian Opposition Alleges $5.5 Billion Misappropriation in Rafale Fighter Deal Sputnik 16 Mar 2018 -- The alleged corruption in the Rafale fighter jet procurement was raised by the opposition in Parliament earlier this year, but defense minister Nirmala Sitharaman had refused to disclose details of the contract, including the prices, citing the clause of confidentiality in the said contract.
• Indian Air Force Lists Russian S-400 Air Defense System as Top Priority Sputnik 16 Mar 2018 -- The Indian Air Force desires to induct five firing units of the S-400 long-range surface-to-air missile system by the year 2022. If the proposed deal with Russia is finalized, it would be one of the biggest arms contracts India has ever had with Russia.
• U.S. to keep supporting Taiwan's defense capabilities: official CNA 16 Mar 2018 -- U.S. Navy Admiral Harry Harris Jr., head of the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), maintained on Thursday that his command will continue to support Taiwan's efforts to increase its self-defense capabilities through regular arms sales and military training.
• Taiwan proposes measures to counter China's incentives CNA 16 Mar 2018 -- Taiwan's Cabinet on Friday announced "eight major strategies" to counter China's latest attempt to attract Taiwanese people to study, work and invest in the mainland through 31 incentives.
• Kabul Interested in Russia's Mi-17, Mi-35 on Free of Charge Basis - Ambassador Sputnik 16 Mar 2018 -- Kabul is interested in Russia's Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters for counterterrorism operations and would like Moscow to supply them on a non-reimbursable basis, Afghan Ambassador to Russia Abdul Qayyum Kochai told Sputnik.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short The White House 16 Mar 2018

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for March 16, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 16 March 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 16 Mar 2018
• Saudi-Led Coalition, Houthis Reportedly Held Indirect Talks to End War Sputnik 16 Mar 2018 -- Yemen's Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, sees positive signs in negotiations with Saudi Arabia on settling the conflict in the country, but is not confident in their success, Ali Quhum, a member of the movement's political administration, told Sputnik on Friday.
• Turkey Slams Europe Over Calls to End Syria Offensive VOA 16 Mar 2018 -- Turkey has reacted furiously to the European Parliament's motion calling for an end to Ankara's military offensive in Syria's Afrin enclave against a Kurdish militia. The motion cited concerns for the hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in Afrin city under siege by Turkish forces for almost two months. But beyond the diplomatic haranguing, both the European Union and Ankara appear anxious to continue to work to rebuild relations.
• Syrian army retakes 70 percent of Eastern Ghouta Press TV 16 Mar 2018 -- Syrian government troops have regained the control of 70 percent of militant-held areas in Eastern Ghouta near the capital Damascus.
• Turkish shelling, strikes kill 36 in Syrian town of Afrin, UN receiving 'alarming' reports on deaths Press TV 16 Mar 2018 -- The Turkish military's shelling and airstrikes against a hospital and purported positions of the People's Protection Units (YPG) militants in Syria's northwestern town of Afrin have claimed the lives of over three dozen civilians, Syrian Kurdish forces and a so-called monitoring group say.
• Dozens Said Killed In Separate Attacks In Syria's Ghouta, Afrin RFE/RL 16 Mar 2018 -- Dozens of people have been killed in separate attacks in Syria's rebel-held enclave of eastern Ghouta and the northern town of Afrin, a war monitor says.
• Syrian Army Says Liberated 70% of Eastern Ghouta From Terrorists Sputnik 16 Mar 2018 -- The Syrian government troops have liberated from terrorists 70 percent of the territory of Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta so far, the Syrian army command said.
• Thousands of Syrians Leave Afrin for Gov't-Controlled Areas Amid Turkish Advance Sputnik 16 Mar 2018 -- Tens of thousands of Syrian civilians are leaving the northern Kurdish-controlled city of Afrin as the Turkish army is tightening its grip on the city, Sputnik correspondent reported Friday, citing witnesses.
• Syria: Children, families killed by airstrikes, shelling in Afrin - UN UN News 16 Mar 2018 -- Dozens of children have been killed since fighting began in the north-western Syrian town of Afrin, where people are under bombardment, hospitals have been shut down and water supplies cut off, the United Nations has reported.
• Brief ceasefire in Douma only piece of good news for civilians in war-torn Syria, UN envoy says UN News 16 Mar 2018 -- The United Nations mediator for the Syrian conflict told the Security Council on Friday that its three-week old demand for a ceasefire across the war-ravaged country was still not being implemented, and while progress had been made in in Douma in Eastern Ghouta, "the bottom line is, too many civilians are still suffering."
• UN launches $1 billion appeal for Rohingya refugees in 2018 Press TV 16 Mar 2018 -- The United Nations has launched an appeal for nearly one billion dollar to meet the urgent needs of Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh, stressing the importance of establishing conditions for securing the safe return of those displaced.
• UN appeals for nearly $1 billion to address 'critical needs' of Rohingya refugees, Bangladesh host communities UN News 16 Mar 2018 -- To meet the urgent needs of nearly 900,000 Rohingya refugees and more than 330,000 vulnerable Bangladeshis in the communities hosting them, United Nations agencies and their humanitarian partners appealed jointly on Friday for $951 million.
• 57,000 people flee violence in DR Congo to Uganda, UNHCR says Press TV 16 Mar 2018 -- The United Nations refugee agency says more than 57,000 people have fled violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to Uganda this year.
• UN refugee agency scaling up support as 'horrific' violence in DR Congo drives thousands into Uganda UN News 16 Mar 2018 -- In the span of just three days – between 10 and 13 March – more than 4,000 people, mostly terrified women and children, have crossed into Uganda from crisis-gripped eastern provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations refugee agency said Friday.
• Alarmed by plight of Central African refugees in Chad, UN urges funding to scale up humanitarian response UN News 16 Mar 2018 -- Thousands of refugees who have fled violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) to Chad are facing food and shelter shortages, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday, warning that this is the largest influx in four years into the small landlocked country.
• Gaza requires changed political reality, renewed commitment to avoid total collapse UN News 16 Mar 2018 -- The lack of a political process to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to be the single largest impediment to Palestinian development, and an escalation in hostilities could completely break down service delivery in Gaza, a United Nations report said Friday.

News Reports

• US Special Counsel Robert Mueller subpoenas Trump Organization in Russia probe Press TV 16 Mar 2018 -- US Justice Department's Special Counsel Robert Mueller has issued a subpoena for the Trump Organization to turn over Russia-related documents, a new report says, a move that suggests the investigation is inching closer to the US president.
• Putin likely ordered Russian spy's poisoning: UK FM Boris Johnson Press TV 16 Mar 2018 -- British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson claims it is "overwhelmingly likely" that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally ordered a nerve agent attack against a former Russian spy in southern England.
• Russia to expel UK diplomats as chemical attack crisis deepens Press TV 16 Mar 2018 -- Russia plans to expel UK diplomats in retaliation for Britain's decision to kick out 23 Russians over Moscow's alleged nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy on English soil, deepening the diplomatic crisis between London and Moscow.
• U.K.'s Johnson Says Putin Probably Behind Ex-Spy Attack RFE/RL 16 Mar 2018 -- British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has said it is "overwhelmingly likely" that Russian President Vladimir Putin made the decision to use a highly toxic chemical against a former double agent in England, prompting a swift and angry response in which the Kremlin called his remarks "shocking and unforgivable."
• Putin Urges Russians To Vote In Patriotic Appeal RFE/RL 16 Mar 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has called Russians to vote in the presidential election on March 18, urging citizens to "use your right to choose the future for our great and beloved Russia."
• Russia To Expand 'Blacklist' Of Americans In Response To Sanctions RFE/RL 16 Mar 2018 -- A senior Russian diplomat says that Moscow will respond to a new set of U.S. sanctions by expanding its "blacklist" of Americans who are barred from traveling to Russia.
• Why Wait? Takeaways (Already) From This Weekend's Russian Election RFE/RL 16 Mar 2018 -- As Russians prepare to go to the polls in the March 18 presidential election, the usual questions don't apply. No one needs to ask which candidate ran the most effective campaign, which one put forward the most compelling platform, who will make it to the second round. And no one needs to ask who will win.
• Deputy Secretary Sullivan's Meeting with Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Kang US Dept. of State 16 Mar 2018
• Readout of President Donald J. Trump's Call with President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea The White House 16 Mar 2018
• Zarif: JCPOA withdrawal mistake painful for US IRNA 16 Mar 2018 -- Thanks to the JCPOA achievements in R&D and as regards Iran efforts to promote its nuclear power in peaceful field, withdrawal mistake will be painful for the US, Iran FM said.
• Britain, France, Germany propose new sanctions on Iran: Report Press TV 16 Mar 2018 -- Britain, France and Germany have proposed new European Union sanctions on Iran over its missile program and its regional role, a confidential document says.
• Report Says Britain, France, Germany Propose New Sanctions On Iran RFE/RL 16 Mar 2018 -- Britain, France, and Germany have proposed new European Union sanctions against Iran related to its ballistic-missile program and its role in the Syrian conflict, according to a document seen by the Reuters news agency.
• Czech Court Rejects Russian Hacking Suspect's Appeal For Asylum RFE/RL 16 Mar 2018 -- A Prague court on March 16 rejected Russian cybercrime suspect Yevgeny Nikulin's appeal against the Czech Interior Ministry's refusal to grant him political asylum.
• South Africa's former President Zuma to be prosecuted Press TV 16 Mar 2018 -- Jacob Zuma, South Africa's former president, has been charged with fraud, racketeering, illegal arms dealing and much more.
• Turkmen President's Son Held Unannounced Meeting With Nazarbaev RFE/RL 16 Mar 2018 -- Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev held talks with the son of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov ahead of a Central Asian summit in Astana, Nazarbaev's office said a day after the meeting.