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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• OIF / OND / OEF / OIR / OFS Casualty Update 18 May 2018 [PDF]
• Coalition Strikes Target ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq AFPS 18 May 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 May 11-17, conducting 66 strikes consisting of 80 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Defense Policy / Programs

• ACC to test new wing organization at Mountain Home AFB AFNS 18 May 2018 -- Air Combat Command officials announced the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, will test a new wing organizational structure.
• Trump, NATO Secretary General Discuss Alliance at White House Meeting AFPS 18 May 2018 -- President Donald J. Trump and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg discussed alliance unity and the upcoming NATO summit in Brussels in July during a May 17 meeting at the White House.
• Information Technology Initiatives Must be Tied to DoD's Mission, Official Says AFPS 18 May 2018 -- Dana Deasy, the Defense Department's chief information officer, spoke to members of the DoD information technology community about the importance of being mission focused and innovative during his remarks at the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association's Defensive Cyber Operations Symposium in Baltimore May 17.
• Army announces the stationing of three Security Force Assistance Brigades Army News 18 May 2018 -- The Department of the Army announced today the stationing of 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFAB) at Fort Hood, Texas; the 4th SFAB at Fort Carson, Colorado and 5th SFAB at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. SFABs are specialized units whose core mission is to conduct advise-and-assist operations with allied and partner nations.
• 6th ESB kicks off exercise Red Dagger 2018 USMC News 18 May 2018 -- Marines with 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, are partnering with the engineers of 131 Commando Squadron, British Army, to participate in exercise Red Dagger at Fort Indiantown Gap (FTIG), Pennsylvania, May 12-25, 2016.
• NAVFAC Pacific Awards $64 Million Contract for Aircraft Maintenance Hangar on Guam NNS 18 May 2018 -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific awarded a $64 million firm-fixed price contract, May 16, to Hensel Phelps Construction Co. of Honolulu, Hawaii for the design and construction of an aircraft maintenance hangar with supporting facilities at Joint Region Marianas, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.
• Destroyer Gravely Provides Medical Care to Distressed Mariner NNS 18 May 2018 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107), homeported in Norfolk provided life-saving medical support to a mariner off the coast of Bermuda while underway Thursday, May 17.
• Ronald Reagan Returns to Yokosuka After Successful Sea Trials NNS 18 May 2018 -- The forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) returned to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, May 17, after completing sea trials.
• US, French Navy Complete Historic 'Chesapeake 2018' Combined Exercise NNS 18 May 2018 -- As the Rafale Marine launched into the distant skyline becoming the last French aircraft to depart from aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), Sailors on the deck celebrated a successful training operation and a job well done, concluding the historic combined exercise Chesapeake 2018.
• Curtis Wilbur Arrives to Shimoda Black Ship Festival NNS 18 May 2018 -- The forward-deployed, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) arrived in Shimoda, Shizuoka, Japan, May 17, to participate in the 79th Annual Shimoda Black Ship Festival.
• China's Second Aircraft Carrier Heads Home After Completing Sea Trials Sputnik 18 May 2018 -- China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, Type 001A, returned to the Dalian Shipyard Friday after completing its sea trials, which began May 13.
• China's New Anti-Ship Choppers Pass Firing Tests Sputnik 18 May 2018 -- A new version of China's domestic Harbin Z-19 multirole reconnaissance/attack helicopter, the Z-19E, concluded its firing tests, state-owned developer Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) said Wednesday.
• 'Longstanding Shortfall': Trump Slams Germany for Being Slow on Defense Sputnik 18 May 2018 -- Some NATO member-states, including Germany, are far from being on track to meet the alliance's 2 percent of GDP target.
• Indonesia Gives India Military Access to Strategic Island of Sabang Sputnik 18 May 2018 -- In what could lend a major thrust to India's ambition in the Indian Ocean Region, Indonesia has agreed to allow India economic and military access to the strategic island of Sabang, located at the northern tip of Sumatra and close to the Malacca Strait
• Defence Minister visits UK flagship of NATO maritime group in Georgia UK MOD 18 May 2018 -- HMS Duncan is currently on deployment to the Black Seas
• Combat Training Center Opens in Georgia as Part of Joint Program With US - MoD Sputnik 18 May 2018 -- A combat training center opened in the Tbilisi neighborhood of Vaziani as part of the joint cooperation program with the United States called the Georgia Defense Readiness Program (GDRP), country's Defense Minister Levan Izoria said.
• Bahrain - Munitions DSCA 18 May 2018 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Bahrain of General Purpose (GP) and Penetrator Warhead bomb bodies for an estimated cost of $45 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on May 17, 2018.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for May 18, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 18 May 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 18 May 2018
• Yemeni forces fire missile at Jazan Economic City in Saudi Arabia Press TV 18 May 2018 -- Yemeni army forces, supported by allied fighters from Popular Committees, have fired a domestically-designed and -developed ballistic missile at a strategic economic target in Saudi Arabia's southwestern border region of Jizan in retaliation to the Riyadh regime's devastating military aggression against their impoverished country.
• Army advances further in Hajar al-Aswad, southern Damascus IRNA 18 May 2018 -- Syrian Arab army's units made a further advancement against terrorists in southern Damascus, broadening their scope of control in the battle against remaining terrorist organizations.
• Army pounds terrorists in al-Hajar al-Aswad neighborhood IRNA 18 May 2018 -- The Syrian Air Force and artillery on Thursday carried out precision strikes against terrorists' positions in the remaining area in the north of al-Hajar al-Aswad neighborhood southern Damascus.
• Syria national flag hoisted over Hor Binafseh in Hama IRNA 18 May 2018 -- Internal Security Forces entered the town of Hor Binafseh in the southern countryside of Hama province and hoisted the national flag over it.
• Assad: Syria ready for diplomatic settlement of Syrian crisis IRNA 18 May 2018 -- Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday voiced preparedness for undertaking diplomatic settlement of Syrian crisis.
• Powerful explosions rock military airbase in central Syria, nearly dozen killed: SOHR Press TV 18 May 2018 -- Nearly a dozen Syrian government troops and allied fighters from popular defense groups have lost their lives when massive explosions ripped through weapons and fuel depots at a military airbase in Syria's central province of Hama.
• No Place for Assad in 'Free and Democratic Syria' – Turkey's Deputy PM Sputnik 18 May 2018 -- Turkey has called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign on a number of occasions, claiming he is unsuitable to lead the country. However there has seemingly been some progress in improving bilateral relations with Syria in recent months, as indicated by Ankara's engagement in the Sochi process.
• Syrian Army Finds Tanks, Arms Hidden by Terrorists North of Damascus – Reports Sputnik 18 May 2018 -- The Syrian Arab Army has uncovered several hidden tanks and heavy vehicles, as well as ammunition and arms while combing the Eastern Qalamoun region, SANA news agency reported.
• Notice Regarding the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Stabilization of Iraq The White House 18 May 2018
• Polish President Asks UN To Deploy Peacekeepers In Eastern Ukraine RFE/RL 18 May 2018 -- Poland's president has asked the UN Security Council to deploy a UN peacekeeping force in eastern Ukraine throughout the zone of conflict with Russia-backed separatists and along the border with Russia.
• Force used against protestors in Gaza 'wholly disproportionate' says UN human rights chief UN News 18 May 2018 -- A special session of the UN Human Rights Council has ended with a resolution by Member States to investigate weeks of violence on the Israeli border with Gaza, which has claimed the lives of more than 100 people in the enclave and left thousands wounded.
• Central Africa Republic: Violence drives thousands of refugees into neighbouring DR Congo, says UN agency UN News 18 May 2018 -- The United Nations refugee agency is calling for urgent support for thousands of people arriving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after fleeing conflict in south-eastern Central African Republic (CAR).
• Pakistan, India Military Clashes Kill 11 in Kashmir VOA 18 May 2018 -- Pakistan and India accused each other's militaries on Friday of launching unprovoked shelling across their disputed Kashmir frontier – skirmishes that officials said caused mostly civilian casualties on both sides.

News Reports

• Putin Leaves Russian Cabinet Little-Changed, Brings In Close Ally's Son RFE/RL 18 May 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a new cabinet, leaving several key officials in place and appointing a son of longtime ally Nikolai Patrushev as agriculture minister.
• Putin Three-Peat? Russian Duma Gets Proposal To Scrap Presidential Term Limit RFE/RL 18 May 2018 -- A proposal submitted to the Russian parliament would scrap the constitutional limit of two consecutive presidential terms, enabling Vladimir Putin to remain in power past 2024.
• Putin, Merkel Hold Talks In Sochi On Iran, Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 RFE/RL 18 May 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has held wide-ranging talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel over the Ukraine conflict, Europe's response to the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and the construction of a pipeline bringing gas from Russia to Germany.
• Poisoned Ex-Spy Skripal Released From U.K. Hospital RFE/RL 18 May 2018 -- Sergei Skripal, a Russian former double agent who was poisoned with a nerve toxin in England in March, has been released from the hospital, British health authorities said on May 18.
• South Korea's President Heads to Washington to Salvage Nuclear Deal VOA 18 May 2018 -- North Korea's recent threat to pull out of the upcoming nuclear summit with the U.S. has added new urgency to South Korean President Moon Jae-in's visit to Washington next Tuesday.
• Seoul Refutes Reports About Offer to US on Removal of Nukes From North Korea Sputnik 18 May 2018 -- The administration of South Korean President Moon Jae-in has denied reports that Seoul allegedly made an offer to the United States to take out North Korea's nuclear weapons and transfer them to another country, the Yonhap news agency reported.
• Trump says "Libya model" not to be repeated on DPRK People's Daily 18 May 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday ruled out the use of the so-called "Libya model" in efforts to pursue denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, saying that was not the model for the talks with Pyongyang.
• North Korean Leader Chairs Panel to Reshuffle Military – Reports Sputnik 18 May 2018 -- North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un presided over an enlarged meeting of the central military commission for the first time in two years, local media reported Friday.
• Kim Jong Un Guides 1st Enlarged Meeting of 7th WPK Central Military Commission KCNA 18 May 2018 -- The 1st Enlarged Meeting of the 7th Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) took place.
• Speech of DPRK Permanent Representative at Geneva Disarmament Session KCNA 18 May 2018 -- The DPRK permanent representative to the UN Office and International Organizations in Geneva made a speech at the 2nd session of the Geneva Disarmament Conference on May 15.
• Briefing on Iran US Dept. of State 18 May 2018 -- Special Briefing by Brian Hook, Director of Policy Planning
• EU unveils 'statute' to protect Iran trade against US sanctions Press TV 18 May 2018 -- The European Commission says it has launched "the blocking statute" process to protect Europeans from US sanctions on Iran as part of efforts to preserve the nuclear deal with Tehran.
• Pompeo Seeks Allies' Help In Pushing Iran Back To Negotiation Table RFE/RL 18 May 2018 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is preparing a "diplomatic road map" on Iran that will call for European and other allies to help force Tehran back to the negotiating table after President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal, a U.S. official says.
• Iran Signs Oil Deal With British Group, First Since U.S. Resumed Sanctions RFE/RL 18 May 2018 -- Iran has signed an agreement with a British consortium to develop an oil field, in the first such deal with a Western firm since Washington announced it would exit the nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on Iran.
• DR Congo Ebola outbreak not yet a global 'health emergency', but strong response to disease vital - UN health experts UN News 18 May 2018 -- An emergency meeting of United Nations health experts said on Friday that the Ebola outbreak in north-west Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – where cases of the deadly disease have been confirmed in an urban area ­– does not yet meet the criteria to be deemed a "public health emergency of international concern."
• US sanctions against senior Hezbollah officials worthless: Official Press TV 18 May 2018 -- An official from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement has described the latest round of sanctions by the United States and a number of its Persian Gulf Arab allies against the leadership of the group as "worthless," stating that the measures will have no effect on the country's political structure, mainly the election of the parliament speaker and future government formation.
• French police arrest two Egyptian-born brothers suspected of terrorism Press TV 18 May 2018 -- French police have foiled a suspected terror attack and arrested two Egyptian-born brothers who were plotting the attack in France.
• Brazil charges 11 with attempting to recruit minors for Daesh terror attacks Press TV 18 May 2018 -- Brazilian prosecutors have announced charges against eleven people, who were accused of trying to establish a terror group inside the country and recruiting militants to send to Syria.
• China's giant radio telescope will soon see further into space People's Daily 18 May 2018 -- China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope, known as FAST, will shortly complete its latest upgrade. The upgrade will help the telescope see even further into space.
• China to Launch Relay Satellite to Far Side of the Moon Sputnik 18 May 2018 -- The past decades have seen China make great progress in the field of space exploration. The construction of new space launch centers, ambitious lunar and Mars exploration programs and regular spaceflights are quickly bringing the country up to par with Russia and the US.
• Republic Of Where? New Name In Play As Macedonia, Greece Seek To End Dispute RFE/RL 18 May 2018 -- Many people would have trouble finding the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on a map. Even more might struggle to remember its name, if a deal said to be proposed with Greece on what to call the country is signed.
• Treasury Targets Influential Former Venezuelan Official and His Corruption Network US Treasury 18 May 2018 -- Today the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Venezuelan national Diosdado Cabello Rondón (Cabello) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13692, for being a current or former official of the Government of Venezuela. OFAC also designated three other individuals for being current or former officials, or for acting for or on behalf of designated individuals as key figures in Cabello's corruption network.
• US slaps sanctions on Venezuelan leader's top aide Cabello Press TV 18 May 2018 -- The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on Venezuelan socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello in a bid to further pressure the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
• US Pushes Back on Reports of Fraying Ties With Europe VOA 18 May 2018 -- U.S. officials are pushing back at reports that America's ties with European allies are frayed over the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.
• The Small Changes In Uzbekistan RFE/RL 18 May 2018 -- During this week's visit to Washington, which included a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, President Shavkat Mirziyoev was praised for changes he's been making since he took over as leader of Uzbekistan in September 2016 - particularly moves to release activists and journalists imprisoned by his predecessor.