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Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 13 Apr 2018 [PDF]
• U.S., Allies Strike Syrian Targets in Response to Regime's Chemical Attacks AFPS 13 Apr 2018 -- U.S., French and British forces have struck targets in Syria as punishment for Syrian leader Bashar Assad using chemical weapons against his own people.
• Mattis, Dunford Detail Attacks on Syrian Chemical Arsenal AFPS 13 Apr 2018 -- U.S., British and French air and naval forces launched attacks against the Syrian government's chemical weapon arsenal in retaliation for the use of such weapons on civilians, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon news conference tonight.
• Statement by Secretary James N. Mattis on Syria DoD 13 Apr 2018
• Briefing by Secretary Mattis on U.S. Strikes in Syria DoD 13 Apr 2018 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis; Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph F. Dunford; Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Dana W. White
• Trump: US, Allies Launch Strike Against Syria's Chemical Weapons VOA 13 Apr 2018 -- President Trump announced Friday night "a combined operation" by the U.S., France and Britain against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
• Coalition Strikes Hit ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 13 Apr 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, conducting 15 strikes consisting of 41 engagements April 6-12, task force officials reported today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Readout of Deputy Secretary Shanahan's Meeting with Australian Minister for Defence Industry Pyne DoD 13 Apr 2018
• U.S. Military Must Develop All-Domain Defenses, Mattis, Dunford Say AFPS 13 Apr 2018 -- If a nation wants to challenge the United States conventionally, that nation will lose.
• Military Leaders Highlight Efforts, Challenges in Recruiting, Retention AFPS 13 Apr 2018 -- Senior military personnel officers today described to a House panel efforts to recruit and retain the best talent, while outlining challenges the military faces due to the competitive civilian job market.
• Silver Eagles depart Fightertown USMC News 13 Apr 2018 -- Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 departed Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort April 9-10 in support of combat operations overseas.
• USS Pearl Harbor Arrives in Victoria, British Columbia NNS 13 Apr 2018 -- Amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) arrived in Victoria, British Columbia, for a scheduled port visit April 12.
• Arleigh Burke Deploys with HSTCSG NNS 13 Apr 2018 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) departed Naval Station Norfolk for a scheduled deployment to 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility as part of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG), April 11.
• RADM Peters: Budget Increase Means More Aircraft, Better Systems for Naval Aviators NNS 13 Apr 2018 -- The program executive officer (PEO) overseeing more than half of Naval Aviation's aircraft inventory is putting recent budget increases to good use, dramatically increasing the number of aircraft it will buy in fiscal 2018 and beyond.
• HSTCSG Kicks Off 2018 Deployment With Live Fire Exercise NNS 13 Apr 2018 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Farragut (DDG 99) and USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98), part of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG), conducted a live-fire missile exercise (MISSLEX), April 13.
• Finances Threaten to Blot Out US Gunship's Laser Cannon Sputnik 13 Apr 2018 -- The US Air Force (USAF) wants to put a 60-kilowatt laser gun on its AC-130J "Ghostrider" gunships by 2002, but without more money from Congress the program could fall into the research and development "valley of death."
• NATO Deputy Secretary General addresses Kyiv Security Forum NATO 13 Apr 2018 -- NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller underscored the Alliance's strong support for Ukraine during a two-day visit to Kyiv this week. Addressing the Kyiv Security Forum on Friday (13 April 2018), Gottemoeller welcomed Ukraine's progress on its reform agenda and stressed the importance of sharing experience and best practices in countering hybrid warfare.
• Russian Navy Uses Syria's Tartus as Resupply Point, Not Permanent Base - Source Sputnik 13 Apr 2018 -- The Russian navy is still using the Tartus naval facility in Syria only for replenishment of supplies and repair work, the warships always return to the sea, a military-diplomatic source told Sputnik on Friday.
• Russian Helicopter Crashes in Baltic Sea, Both Pilots Dead - Baltic Fleet Sputnik 13 Apr 2018 -- A Russian helicopter with two crew members crashed in the Baltic Sea, one body was found, a source in the emergency services told Sputnik on Friday.
• China, Russia's Sophisticated Anti-Satellite Capabilities Alarms US Sputnik 13 Apr 2018 -- Russia and China have developed increasingly sophisticated space countermeasure weapons to destroy US satellites, according to a new report.
• President Xi reviews navy in South China Sea People's Daily 13 Apr 2018 -- President Xi Jinping reviewed the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in the South China Sea Thursday morning, saying that the need to build a strong navy "has never been more urgent than today."
• Chinese PLA Navy to conduct live-fire drill in Taiwan Strait on April 18 People's Daily 13 Apr 2018 -- Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy will conduct a live-fire drill in the waters of the Taiwan Strait on April 18, People's Daily reported citing a navigation warning issued by Fujian maritime administration on Thursday.
• China's Xi attends huge naval drill in South China Sea Press TV 13 Apr 2018 -- China's President Xi Jinping has attended a massive military drill by the country's naval forces in the South China Sea, underlining that the need for a strong navy has "never been more pressing."
• China Reportedly Ramps Up Testing of New Long Range Air-Launched Missile Sputnik 13 Apr 2018 -- The People's Liberation Army's new weapons system is said to be analogous to the Kinzhal, a new, highly maneuverable, hypersonic air-launched Russian missile system whose existence was unveiled last month.
• BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missiles Receive Cost-Effective Indian-Made Seeker Sputnik 13 Apr 2018 -- The seeker, along with a solid propellant booster locally developed by India, will reduce the overall cost of production while taking the BrahMos closer to Mach 3 speeds in the cruise phase.
• Ukraine Offers Maintenance for Indian Navy's Aircraft Carrier Vikramaditya Sputnik 13 Apr 2018 -- A Ukrainian defense industry enterprise has also offered to jointly produce gas turbine engines with India apart from signing contracts with an Indian firm for the modernization and localization of production components for armored vehicles of the Indian Army.
• Spain, Saudi sign $2.2bn warship deal amid outcry over Yemen war Press TV 13 Apr 2018 -- Spain has signed a €1.8 billion ($2.2 billion) framework deal with Saudi Arabia to sell warships to the kingdom amid outcry over Riyadh's deadly military aggression against Yemen.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders The White House 13 Apr 2018
• Department Press Briefing - April 13, 2018 US Dept. of State 13 Apr 2018

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for April 13, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 13 April 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 13 Apr 2018
• Yemen targets Jizan industrial region with ballistic missile IRNA 13 Apr 2018 -- The missile unit of the Yemeni army and popular committees targeted Jizan industrial region in southwest Saudi Arabia with 'Badr 1' ballistic missile Thursday night, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.
• Yemeni missile targets Saudi Arabia IRNA 13 Apr 2018 -- The Yemeni army and popular committees fired missiles at Al-Faysal city in south of Jizan in Saudi Arabia.
• President Donald J. Trump Has Taken Action to Stop Syrian Chemical Weapons Use The White House 13 Apr 2018
• United States Government Assessment of the Assad Regime's Chemical Weapons Use The White House 13 Apr 2018
• Putin warns Macron against any 'dangerous actions' in Syria Press TV 13 Apr 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has cautioned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron against any "dangerous actions" in war-torn Syria, as the West ponders possible strikes on the Arab country in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack near Damascus last week.
• US Holds Syria, Russia Accountable for Chemical Weapons Attack in Douma VOA 13 Apr 2018 -- U.S. officials are expressing "high confidence" that Syria carried out last week's chemical weapons attack in Douma, promising the West will respond and that all options remain on the table.
• Foreign secret service behind Syria chemical attack: Russia FM Press TV 13 Apr 2018 -- Russia says it has "irrefutable" evidence that the recent alleged chemical attack near the Syrian capital of Damascus was staged with the help of a foreign secret service.
• Pentagon cautions White House: Syria strike could trigger wider war Press TV 13 Apr 2018 -- US Defense Secretary James Mattis has warned that a military strike on Syria carried the risk of spiraling out of control, cautioning the White House as it weighs how to respond to a suspected chemical attack outside Damascus last weekend.
• U.S.: No Decision On Syria Strike, UN Warns Of New 'Cold War' RFE/RL 13 Apr 2018 -- U.S. officials said they had a "very high level of confidence" that the Syrian government was responsible for the alleged chemical weapons attack that has brought Washington to the verge of a new military intervention.
• US Claims Assad Allegedly Used Chemical Weapons in Syria at Least 50 Times Sputnik 13 Apr 2018 -- US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has told reporters that the president would not be 'rushed' into a military action in Syria over last week's alleged chemical attack, but added that "all nations and people" would suffer if the Syrian government was allowed to "normalize" the use of chemical weapons.
• At Security Council, UN chief pushes for creation of body to determine perpetrators of chemical attacks in Syria UN News 13 Apr 2018 -- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday again called for the creation of an independent panel that could determine who used chemical weapons in Syria, as the absence of such a body increases the risks of a military escalation in a country already riven by "confrontations and proxy wars."
• Ambassador Haley: Trump Not Yet Decided on Syria Response VOA 13 Apr 2018 -- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Friday that President Donald Trump is still weighing options in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria that Washington believes President Bashar al-Assad carried out.
• Turkey to Mediate Between US, Russia on Syria Tensions VOA 13 Apr 2018 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is assuming a mediator role, calling for a display of sensitivity by the U.S., Russia and other nations amid heightened tensions on Syria.
• Chemical Inspectors to Collect Samples in Douma VOA 13 Apr 2018 -- Inspectors from an international chemical weapons watchdog are preparing to begin collecting samples Saturday in Douma, Syria, the site of a recent alleged chemical weapons attack blamed on the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
• Missile strikes against Syria terrible, dangerous for all world countries: Iraq FM Press TV 13 Apr 2018 -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari has warned against any missile strikes against Syria, stressing that the repercussions of such a military aggression against the conflict-plagued Arab country would be "disastrous" for the entire world.
• 24 Iraqis killed, injured in graveyard blast north of Salahuddin IRNA 13 Apr 2018 -- Over twenty four Iraqi people were killed and injured in a bomb blast north of Salahuddin, an official said on Thursday.
• Conditions 'not yet conducive' for Rohingya refugee to return home to Myanmar – UN agency UN News 13 Apr 2018 -- The United Nations refugee agency and the Government of Bangladesh on Friday signed a cooperation agreement on the safe, dignified return of Rohingya refugees to their homes in Myanmar, "once conditions there are conducive."
• Duterte tells ICC prosecutor she will be arrested in Manila Press TV 13 Apr 2018 -- Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has reminded the International Criminal Court (ICC) that the Hague-based tribunal lacks jurisdiction in the Philippines, warning that its chief prosecutor would be arrested if she sets foot in the country.
• Boko Haram has kidnapped at least 1,000 girls since 2013: UNICEF Press TV 13 Apr 2018 -- The United Nations children's agency has slammed repeated attacks by the Daesh-linked Boko Haram terrorist group against children in Nigeria, announcing that at least 1,000 children have been abducted in the African country since 2013.
• More than 1,000 children in north-east Nigeria abducted by Boko Haram since 2013 – UNICEF UN News 13 Apr 2018 -- At least 1,000 children have been abducted by the Boko Haram insurgent group in northeastern Nigeria since 2013 amid repeated attacks on schools, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Friday, calling for an end to such violence and the release of those who have yet to be returned.
• UN Raises Hundreds of Millions in DR Congo Aid Dollars VOA 13 Apr 2018 -- The United Nations says it is pleased by the strong response to its appeal for life-saving aid for the Democratic Republic of Congo. A special pledging conference in Geneva hopes to raise $1.7 billion in humanitarian assistance for 13 million Congolese subject to violence and displacement.
• Donors pledge over $500 million to tackle growing needs in DR Congo; UN warns humanitarian crisis cannot be ignored UN News 13 Apr 2018 -- The first-ever international conference to help the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) opened at the United Nations Office at Geneva on Friday amid dire warnings of a growing humanitarian crisis in the vast African country.
• United States Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) US Dept. of State 13 Apr 2018 -- Today, the U.S. government announced nearly $67 million in additional humanitarian assistance for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) at the DRC Humanitarian Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland.
• World 'must nurture the courage to care – and the resolve to act,' says UN chief, reflecting on 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda UN News 13 Apr 2018 -- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urged the world to reflect on the suffering of those who perished, as well as survived, the Rwandan genocide and unite in renewing the resolve to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again.
• Gaza Ministry: Hundreds Injured as Violence Erupts Along Gaza-Israeli Border VOA 13 Apr 2018 -- The Gaza Health Ministry said more than 500 Palestinians were injured Friday by Israeli troops, who used gunfire and tear gas to repel numerous attempts by Palestinians to cross the border fence separating the Palestinian-governed Gaza Strip from Israel.
• US Presses Regional Bloc to Act on South Sudan Cease-fire Violations VOA 13 Apr 2018 -- The U.S. government is calling on East African leaders to release five unpublished reports documenting violations of South Sudan's failed December cease-fire and to punish those responsible for the violations, a senior White House official told VOA.

News Reports

• Britain says Russia spied on Skripals for five years before attack Press TV 13 Apr 2018 -- Britain says Russian intelligence agencies were spying on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, for at least five years before poisoning them in a nerve agent attack.
• Britain Says Russia Spied On Skripals For Years Before Poisoning RFE/RL 13 Apr 2018 -- Russian intelligence agencies had been spying on Sergei and Yulia Skripal for at least five years before they were poisoned with a nerve agent, Britain's National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill said on April 13.
• UK Spy Agency Says it Shut Down Daesh Cyber Networks Sputnik 13 Apr 2018 -- British intelligence officers say their cyber campaign against Daesh has made it "almost impossible" for the jihadist group to operate online by blunting their communications, according the head of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), Jeremy Fleming.
• What Does Japan Expect from Talks with US Next Week? VOA 13 Apr 2018 -- Trade and North Korea's nuclear and missile programs will be the key topics for Japan during U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe next week.
• Trump-Kim Summit Still Deemed 'Likely' by White House VOA 13 Apr 2018 -- White House officials on Friday confirmed that planning for an unprecedented summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea remains on track and also indicated Washington and Pyongyang are engaged in direct communication about it.
• Iran ready to deal with threats: Senior military official IRNA 13 Apr 2018 -- Iran is prepared to give a crushing response to any kind of aggression, a senior military officials of the country said on Friday.
• Pompeo Says Will Work To Strengthen, 'Fix' Iranian Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 13 Apr 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump's pick to become Washington's top diplomat sought to defuse fears that he might advocate withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal, saying he will continue working with U.S. allies to try to strengthen and "fix" the agreement.
• Pakistan bars ex-PM Sharif from office for life Press TV 13 Apr 2018 -- In a unanimous decision, Pakistan's Supreme Court has declared the country's deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif disqualified to hold public office for life.
• Activists Cry Foul As Russian Court Orders Telegram App Blocked RFE/RL 13 Apr 2018 -- A Moscow court has issued an order to block access to Telegram, ruling in favor of the state and against the defiant self-exiled Russian entrepreneur who created the popular messaging app.
• Russia planning manned spaceflight to moon: Putin People's Daily 13 Apr 2018 -- Russia is actively implementing a lunar program through 2030, aiming to send astronauts to the moon, President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, Russia's Cosmonautics Day.
• Turkey issues arrest warrant for 70 on-duty soldiers over 2016 botched putsch Press TV 13 Apr 2018 -- A court in Turkey has issued arrest warrants for dozens of serving military personnel on charges of involvement in the July 2016 coup attempt, which the Ankara government says was orchestrated by US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen.
• Arab states diplomatic crisis spreads to Somalia after tensions with UAE Press TV 13 Apr 2018 -- Tensions have been escalating between Somalia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after Mogadishu abandoned a military deal with Abu Dhabi and seized millions of dollars from an Emirati plane.