• 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 06 Jun 2018 [PDF]
• US Audit Casts Doubt on Afghan Anti-Corruption Efforts VOA 06 Jun 2018 -- Anti-corruption efforts in Afghanistan continue to face challenges of capacity, resources, lack of action against powerful individuals, and the presence of "unqualified and potentially corrupt actors" in key government institutions combating corruption.
• US Weighs Deep Cuts to Special Operations Forces in Africa VOA 06 Jun 2018 -- Tentative plans to draw down the number of U.S. special operations commandos deployed in Africa are drawing mixed reactions from American military experts.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Department of Defense Hawaii National Guard Press Briefing via Teleconference from Hawaii Army National Guard Army Aviation Support Facility #2, Hilo, Hawaii DoD 06 Jun 2018 -- Command Chief Master Sergeant Ronald C. Anderson, Air National Guard; Sergeant Major Elva Schaben, Hawaii Army National Guard
• Media Availability with Secretary Mattis en route to Brussels, Belgium DoD 06 Jun 2018 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis
• Army Secretary Esper announces 'Army Vision' for 2028 Army News 05 Jun 2018 -- A new "Army Vision" spells out how the Army intends to prepare for possible warfare against near-peer competitors such as China and Russia, while simultaneously conducting irregular warfare, said the service's secretary.
• Army to field Squad Designated Marksman Rifle in September Army News 05 Jun 2018 -- The new Squad Designated Marksman Rifle, or SDM-R, is scheduled to be fielded at the brigade level starting in September, according to the Program Executive Office Soldier.
• The Army Vision: Behind the 10-year plan to help the Army win today's and tomorrow's battles Army News 06 Jun 2018 -- In 1973, as the draft ended and America withdrew from Vietnam, the Army made it a priority to catch and keep the technological edge in weapons and equipment -- setting up the formation of Training and Doctrine Command and Forces Command.
• Kentucky Army National Guard brings the firepower to Saber Strike 18 Army News 06 Jun 2018 -- "This is a unique opportunity for the unit since this is the first time we have deployed with 100% of our organic elements," stated Capt. Paul Chandler, Alpha Battery commander.
• 449th Combat Aviation Brigade runs with the bulls Army News 06 Jun 2018 -- Soldiers assigned to the Spanish army aviation unit, Task Force Toro, fly into Camp Buehring, Kuwait, May 24 after twenty-four days at sea on the Spanish naval ship LHD Juan Carlos I (L-61), the biggest warship ever built for Spain.
• On-the-move communications system set to field this fall USMC News 06 Jun 2018 -- Marine Corps Systems Command is improving the way Marines communicate with a reliable and convenient on-the-move system.
• SPAWAR Reserve Program Provides Critical Feedback to Unmanned Maritime Vehicle Lab NNS 06 Jun 2018 -- The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) Reserve Program (SRP) recently supported the development and fielding of some of the Navy's new and emerging underwater assessment technologies during a testing event off the coast of Southern California.
• BALTOPS 2018 Daily Update: June 5 NNS 06 Jun 2018 -- A B-1 Lancer bomber laid exercise mines and decoys in the vicinity of Bornholm Island, Denmark, and Ustka, Poland.
• USS O'Kane Returns to Pearl Harbor after Deployment NNS 06 Jun 2018 -- The guided-missile destroyer USS O'Kane (DDG 77) returned to its homeport, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, June 4, after a seven-month Western Pacific deployment.
• New NATO Initiatives Aim to Boost Alliance Readiness AFPS 06 Jun 2018 -- NATO is stronger than ever and new initiatives will increase the alliance’s readiness capacity, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said today in Brussels.
• Secretary General previews meeting of NATO Defence Ministers NATO 06 Jun 2018 -- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg previewed this week's meeting of NATO Defence Ministers – the first in the Alliance's new headquarters – at a press conference on Wednesday (6 June 2018). Ministers are expected to take a series of decisions on the NATO Command Structure and military readiness, discuss plans for a NATO training mission in Iraq, and review progress in achieving more defence spending and better burden sharing. They will also discuss NATO-EU cooperation, and hold a meeting on the Resolute Support training mission in Afghanistan
• NATO Ministers Expected To Okay 'Four Thirties' Initiative: Stoltenberg RFE/RL 06 Jun 2018 -- NATO defense ministers are expected to give the go-ahead for a new U.S. initiative on June 7 that will increase the readiness of the alliance's troops in case of a crisis amid continued concerns about Russian assertiveness in Eastern Europe, alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg says.
• NATO is Not Planning to Isolate Russia – Stoltenberg Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stressed Wednesday that divergence on Iran, trade Issues between the US and other NATO countries won't undermine alliance's unity.
• Qatar's Ambition For NATO Membership Firmly Rejected Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- The Qatari defense minister had previously revealed Doha's long-term ambition to join the Atlantic Alliance, claiming that the country possesses some best quality armaments in the region.
• Qatar Mulls Possibility of NATO Membership - Defense Minister Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- Qatar considers the option of NATO membership, as the country effectively cooperates with the alliance, Qatari Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah said.
• Russia's T-80BVM 'Jet Tanks' Get Cold Weather Upgrades Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- Russian Armed Forces in the Arctic have begun receiving upgraded T-80BVM tanks, dubbed "jet tanks," to protect the country's northernmost regions.
• Defense Ministry: Over 2,000 Estonian Soldiers Deployed to Saber Strike Drills Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- According to the US Department of Defense, the Saber Strike 2018, which started on Sunday, will continue until June 15 in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. About 18,000 servicemen representing 19 states are participating in the drills.
• UAE to send troops to Afghanistan on 'training' mission Press TV 06 Jun 2018 -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is to send troops to Afghanistan for what is said to be a training and support mission in the war-torn country.
• Sweden Tests Military Reserve Readiness for First Time in Decades Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- Sweden has mobilized its Home Guard military reserve to test whether its ready to respond to emergencies for the first time in over 40 years, the Swedish Armed Forces said on Wednesday.
• Japan seeks US assurances that all of North Korea's ballistic missiles will be removed Press TV 06 Jun 2018 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly plans to ask US President Donald Trump that any potential US deal with North Korea take into account Japan's "security concerns," including the removal of ballistic missiles of all ranges.
• Memory unit of crashed F-16 still missing CNA 06 Jun 2018 -- New Taipei firefighters on Wednesday failed to find the crash survivable memory unit (CSMU) in the flight data recorder of an F-16 jet fighter that crashed Monday, although they had retrieved the device's locator beacon the previous day.
• Taiwan urges cooperation in disputed waters: maritime official CNA 06 Jun 2018 -- Taiwan's top maritime official on Tuesday called for cooperation with regional partners as he proposed a way to resolve overlapping fishing rights claims in waters off Japan-held Okinotori atoll in the West Pacific and turning Taiwan-controlled Taiping Island in the South China Sea into a humanitarian rescue center.
• U.S.' reported new arms sales policy a positive move: U.S. experts CNA 06 Jun 2018 -- Two American experts on Taiwan-China relations said Tuesday that a reported shift in the United States government policies to allow processing of arms sales to Taiwan on a case-by-case basis would be a positive step.
• US sending warship through Taiwan Straits may provoke Chinese mainland response People's Daily 06 Jun 2018 -- The US sending a warship through the Taiwan Straits will do nothing to improve Taiwan's declining situation and may provoke more actions from Beijing, said Chinese mainland observers.
• US Threatens Turkey With 'Ripple Effect' for F-35 Deal Amid Row Over S-400 Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- Speaking at the Heritage Foundation event on Tuesday, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell laid out the Trump administration's strategy in Europe.
• Britain's most advanced jets touch down on home soil UK MOD 06 Jun 2018 -- The first of Britain's next-generation fighter jets have arrived home two months ahead of schedule in a major milestone for the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 06, 2018

Other Conflicts

• 6 June 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 06 Jun 2018
• Security Council calls for efforts to boost role of young people in peace efforts UN News 06 Jun 2018 -- The international community is being urged to increase the role of young people in negotiating and implementing peace agreements, in line with a resolution adopted unanimously by the Security Council on Wednesday.
• China Blasts US for Flying B-52 Bombers Near Disputed Islands VOA 06 Jun 2018 -- China blasted the United States Tuesday for flying a pair of B-52 bombers near disputed islands in the South China Sea, further fueling tensions between the two countries.
• UN court fully assumes remaining functions of tribunals for Rwanda and former Yugoslavia, officials tell Security Council UN News 06 Jun 2018 -- Despite challenges and resource constraints, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals is operating without the support of its two predecessors – criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda – and has thus assumed the full scope of their residual functions, the legal body's President told the Security Council on Wednesday.
• Army eliminates terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra in Aleppo IRNA 06 Jun 2018 -- Syrian Arab Army units carried out on Wednesday concentrated operations targeting the positions and gatherings of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists and the groups affiliated to them in the western and southwestern countryside of Aleppo province.
• Iraqi Militia Launches Operation to Clear Remaining Daesh Pockets in Kirkuk Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- The Iraqi militia said on its website on Wednesday it had launched a large-scale operation to clear the remaining cells of the Daesh* terrorist group in the northern province of Kirkuk.
• UN inks deal with Myanmar on access to Rohingya crisis epicenter Press TV 06 Jun 2018 -- The United Nations has signed an agreement with Myanmar that would give the UN access to the epicenter of the Rohingya crisis as members of the persecuted minority fear returning to their home country.
• UN agencies and Myanmar ink agreement, setting stage for Rohingya return UN News 06 Jun 2018 -- United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the understanding reached between UN agencies and Myanmar on creating conditions that would allow hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees to voluntarily and safely return to their homes in the country's Rakhine province.
• Pakistan extends curfew in South Waziristan Press TV 06 Jun 2018 -- Authorities in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region have expanded a 24-hour curfew to avert further clashes between tribesmen and militants.
• Pakistani Tribal Area Tense After Deadly Clashes Between Activists, Militants RFE/RL 06 Jun 2018 -- Authorities in a Pakistani tribal region have expanded a 24-hour curfew to avert further deadly clashes between local militants and Pashtun rights activists.
• UN Security Council condemns 'continuous' ceasefire violations in Ukraine UN News 06 Jun 2018 -- Expressing grave concern over the recent deterioration of the security situation in eastern Ukraine and its "severe impact" on civilians, the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday underlined the need to scale up efforts to support the civilian population affected by the conflict.
• New Trial Ordered For Bosnian Muslim Wartime Commander Oric RFE/RL 06 Jun 2018 -- Naser Oric, the Bosnian Muslim commander who defended Srebrenica during the 1990s war, faces a new trial for alleged war crimes after an earlier acquittal was overturned, his lawyer says.
• Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea Reopen Border, Business Thrives VOA 06 Jun 2018 -- Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea have reopened their border six months after it was sealed to stop the movement of armed groups that fought to overthrow President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who has led Equatorial Guinea since 1979. Strict controls remain on movement across the border.

News Reports

• France Rules Out Quick Review Of Russia Sanctions RFE/RL 06 Jun 2018 -- France's foreign minister says Paris opposes any quick rethink of European sanctions imposed on Russia over its aggression of Ukraine, insisting that their lifting be conditioned on advances in the peace process in Ukraine.
• Italy's New Prime Minister Calls For Ending Some EU Sanctions On Russia RFE/RL 06 Jun 2018 -- New Italian populist Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has said top priorities for his government will be ending illegal immigration and strengthening ties with Russia.
• Putin calls on EU to remove anti-Moscow sanctions Press TV 06 Jun 2018 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on the EU to halt its sanctions imposed on Moscow over the situation in Ukraine.
• US Law Enforcement Seeks Authority Over Nonmilitary Drones VOA 06 Jun 2018 -- The proliferation of nonmilitary drones in the United States poses a growing national security threat, top U.S. security and aviation officials warned Wednesday as they pressed Congress to pass legislation that would allow agents to target and potentially take down suspicious drones.
• Japanese Politician: Moscow, Tokyo to Take Increasing Role in North Korean Issue Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- The stance of Russia and Japan on the issue of North Korean denuclearization is going to gain importance and may even turn out to be decisive, Muneo Suzuki, head of the Hokkaido-based New Party Daichi and an unofficial adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Russian affairs, told Sputnik.
• N. Korea Denuclearization Could Cost $20 Billion VOA 06 Jun 2018 -- Arms control experts estimate that the dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program could take a decade to complete, and cost $20 billion, if a nuclear agreement is reached between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when they meet in Singapore on June 12.
• Singapore FM to Visit North Korea, Ahead of Kim-Trump Summit VOA 06 Jun 2018 -- Singapore says its foreign minister will visit Pyongyang later this week, just days before the city-state hosts the leaders of North Korea and the U.S. for a highly anticipated summit,
• Iran Prepares to Resume Nuclear Enrichment Activity VOA 06 Jun 2018 -- Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency it will resume testing of a new generation of nuclear centrifuges Wednesday.
• IAEA informed of Iran producing feedstock for centrifuges IRNA 06 Jun 2018 -- Iran has informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog of "tentative" plans to produce feedstock for centrifuges, the machines that enrich uranium, Reuters quoted IAEA as saying.
• Iran's enrichment initiative within JCPOA: France Press TV 06 Jun 2018 -- France says Iran's preparatory works to resume uranium enrichment are not in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
• Iran's IAEA envoy: Tehran to restart nuclear activities if JCPOA fails Press TV 06 Jun 2018 -- Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says the country will restart its nuclear activities if the 2015 nuclear deal or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) fails.
• EU wants firms exempt from US sanctions on Iran Press TV 06 Jun 2018 -- Major European powers as well as the European Union have written a letter to the United States, urging Washington not to go ahead with its planned "secondary sanctions" against European firms doing business in Iran.
• EU firms taking cue from US for Iran trade than own governments Press TV 06 Jun 2018 -- Italian oil major Eni says it will not seek a waiver from the returning US sanctions on Iran because it has no outstanding interests exposed to possible American penalties.
• Macron Warns Of Potential 'Conflict' As Iran Edges Away From Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 06 Jun 2018 -- French President Emmanuel Macron has warned of the potential for "conflict" after Iran announced plans to boost its uranium-enrichment capacity following the U.S. decision to withdraw from its nuclear deal with world powers.
• Lowering The Bar: Tehran 'White List' Excludes Most Lawyers From Politically Charged Cases RFE/RL 06 Jun 2018 -- Only a tiny fraction of Iran's lawyers - 20 so far - will be allowed to defend citizens accused by the country's secretive, labyrinthine judicial authorities of political crimes, according to local media and legal sources who report seeing the list and a hard-line news agency's report confirming its existence.
• France, Germany, Britain Request Exemptions From U.S. Iran Sanctions RFE/RL 06 Jun 2018 -- In a letter to top U.S. administration officials, European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran have asked the United States to spare EU firms doing business with Iran from punitive measures.
• Iran to Accept No Changes to JCPOA, Considers Talks Complete - Senior Lawmaker Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is the only agreement which determines Iran's nuclear activity and Tehran will not accept any changes or amendments as it considers the negotiation process to be completed, Ali Motahari, deputy speaker of Iran's parliament told Sputnik.
• Obama Administration Secretly Granted Iran License to Access US Banks - Report Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- The Obama administration secretly allowed Iran to access the US financial system despite sanctions and repeated promises to the Congress and the US public that it would do no such thing, the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said in a new report on Wednesday.
• Paris Says Iran Approaching 'Red Line' on Uranium Enrichment Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- Earlier, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran had informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that Tehran was planning to increase its uranium enrichment capacity.
• US Lawmakers Slam Reported ZTE Deal VOA 06 Jun 2018 -- U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday slammed a reported deal between the Trump administration and Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE, which has been crippled since the United States punished the firm in April for selling American technology to Iran and North Korea.
• Iraq lawmakers order manual recount for parliament election votes Press TV 06 Jun 2018 -- The Iraqi parliament has voted in favor of a manual recount of votes in the country's May 12 parliamentary elections.
• Iraqi Parliament Votes for Manual Recount of All Votes in May Election - Reports Sputnik 06 Jun 2018 -- The Iraqi parliament voted on Wednesday in favor of a manual recount of all votes cast in the May 12 parliamentary vote amid numerous reported irregularities registered during the election, Rudaw reported.
• Turkey court tries 22 students for spreading 'terror propaganda' Press TV 06 Jun 2018 -- A Turkish court has begun the trial of 22 students from a prestigious university in Istanbul who are accused of spreading "terror propaganda" for their opposition to Turkey's military moves in Syria.
• Students' Trial a Focal Point in Criticism of Turkish Crackdown VOA 06 Jun 2018 -- In an Istanbul courthouse, 22 students from one of Turkey's elite universities went on trial Wednesday on terrorism charges. The case has become a focal point in growing criticism of an ongoing legal crackdown under emergency rule.
• Prime Minister Says 'Don't Worry,' But Scientists Concerned About Chernobyl Wildfires RFE/RL 06 Jun 2018 -- Scientists have been concerned for decades about potentially catastrophic wildfires inside the exclusion zone around the defunct Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine -- the site in 1986 of the world's worst nuclear accident.
• 'Dingo' Arraigned: Ukraine Prosecutors Drop 'Russian Trail' In Alleged Hit Attempt On Chechen Exile RFE/RL 06 Jun 2018 -- When a Russian ex-con with a colorful past last year allegedly tried to kill a Kyiv-based Chechen man accused by Russia of plotting to kill President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine's interior minister saw a trail leading back to Moscow.
• OAS agrees to vote on suspending member state Venezuela Press TV 06 Jun 2018 -- The Organization of American States (OAS) has agreed to hold an extraordinary session to vote on suspending Venezuela from the 34-member group, under ramped-up pressure from the United States.
• U.S. Executive Testifies In Montenegro Trial Of Attempted Coup Suspects RFE/RL 06 Jun 2018 -- Brian Scott, the chief executive officer of a U.S. risk-management company, has testified in the trial of suspects in an attempted state coup in Montenegro.
• UN Condemns Egypt's Crackdown on Activists, Bloggers and Journalists VOA 06 Jun 2018 -- The U.N. human rights office has condemned the most recent crackdown against activists, bloggers and journalists in Egypt as a violation of their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.