12 June 2018 Military News

Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

Afghan Taliban attack police HQs despite govt. truce Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- Taliban militants in Afghanistan have launched an attack on a district in southeastern Ghazni Province, killing five police officers on the first day of a ceasefire declared by the government.
Dozens Killed In Afghanistan Despite Government-Declared Truce RFE/RL 12 Jun 2018 -- At least 27 people have been reported killed in several attacks across Afghanistan on the first day of a cease-fire unilaterally declared by the government.
Pakistan's Army Chief Visits Afghanistan Amid Renewed Peace Push VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- Pakistan's military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, traveled to Afghanistan Tuesday, where his delegation held talks with President Ashraf Ghani on bilateral issues and matters related to Afghan peacemaking efforts.
Taliban Overruns Afghan District as Government Cease-fire Takes Effect VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- The Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan overran a district and threatened another Tuesday after a unilateral government ceasefire went into effect.
Afghan Taliban Chief Renews Call for Direct Talks with America VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- The leader of Afghanistan's Taliban, Hibatullah Akhundzada, renewed his call Tuesday for direct talks with the United States to end the war, dashing renewed hopes the insurgent group might be mulling to engage in a peace dialogue with the Kabul government.

Defense Policy / Programs

In Singapore, Trump Says He Will Halt US-South Korea 'War Games' VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- The Singapore summit ended Tuesday with the United States and North Korea committing to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Trump Says Joint US-S. Korea Military Exercises to End KBS World Radio 12 Jun 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to end joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea.
DoD Welcomes Positive News From Summit, Spokesperson Says AFPS 12 Jun 2018 -- The Defense Department welcomes the positive news coming out of today's summit meeting in Singapore between President Donald J. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White said.
Trump says to end 'expensive', 'provocative' war games with South Korea Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- US President Donald Trump says the United States was stopping "very provocative" and expensive military exercises with South Korea to facilitate denuclearization negotiations with North Korea.
Pentagon: US Alliances Still Ironclad Despite Halting Drills With S Korea Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- The American alliances in the Asia-Pacific remain steadfast despite the US decision to suspend military drills with South Korea, Pentagon spokesperson Christopher Logan said in a statement on Tuesday.

Future USS Indiana to be Commissioned in September NNS 12 Jun 2018 -- The Navy's newest fast-attack submarine, USS Indiana (SSN 789), will be commissioned at the Navy Port at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Port Canaveral, Florida, Sept. 29, 2018. It will be the sixteenth Virginia-class submarine to join the fleet.
BALTOPS 2018 Daily Update: June 11 NNS 12 Jun 2018 -- Vice. Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet and commander, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), traveled to Karlskrona Naval Base, Sweden, to meet with Rear Adm. Gens Nykvist, chief of the Swedish Navy. Franchetti also met with Rear Adm. Torben Mikkelsen, chief of the Royal Danish Navy at the Royal Danish Defense Academy.
US Air Force 'Nuke Sniffers' to Be Upgraded With Special Radiation Sensors Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- The US Air Force's aging WC-135 Constant Phoenix aircraft will soon be able to freshen up their nuke-sniffing capabilities, thanks to new "harvester kits" with the ability to detect microscopic nuclear particles in the atmosphere.
Commander Describes Exercise Trident Juncture Effort, Planning AFPS 12 Jun 2018 -- NATO is preparing for its largest military exercise since 2002, with more than 40,000 personnel from 30 NATO and partner counties participating.
Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade Sets Sail NNS 12 Jun 2018 -- Marines and Sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) service members completed training with the newly formed JGSDF Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) in Sasebo, Japan, May 24. The ARDB combines Japanese air, ground and sea forces, similar to a U.S. Marine Corps Marine Air-Ground Task Force.
USS New York, 26th MEU depart Piraeus, Greece NNS 12 Jun 2018 -- The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21) and embarked Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) departed Piraeus, Greece, June 10, following a scheduled voyage repair and port visit.
US Abrams Tanks Receive Israeli-Made Active Protection System Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- Systems of active protection for tanks and other armored vehicles are growing in popularity around the world.
National Guard Units Train to Defend Against Cyber Attacks AFPS 12 Jun 2018 -- More than 400 eyes stare at a sea of laptops in a series of rooms here. These eyes belong to the participants of Cyber Yankee 2018, an exercise in which National Guard cyber units and civilian agencies train to react and defend some of the area's critical networks against domestic cyberattacks.

Military ending its commerce ventures People's Daily 12 Jun 2018 -- The Chinese military will stop all of its commercial activities before the end of the year, under a new guideline unveiled on Monday.

India – Support for Direct Commercial Sale of AH-64E Apache Helicopters DSCA 12 Jun 2018 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to India of items in support of a proposed direct commercial sale of six (6) AH-64E Apache helicopters for an estimated cost of $930 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
'Evasive Measures': Indian Ships En Route to US Exercises Tailed by Chinese Navy Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- As ships from the Indian Navy traveled to Guam last week for exercises with the US Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, Chinese vessels shadowed and tailed the Indian ships, forcing them to take "evasive measures," sources informed India Today.

Iraqi Air Force receives six more KAI T-50 Golden Eagle warplanes Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- The Iraqi military has received a new batch of South Korean KAI T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic advanced trainers and light combat aircraft under a deal struck between Baghdad and Seoul several years ago.

Syrian Army Enhancing Anti-Aircraft Defenses on Golan Heights – Reports Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- The Syrian army is reinforcing its air defenses near the Golan frontier as tensions with Israel continue, a Syrian army commander said on Tuesday.
Syrian army enhances air defense near Israeli-occupied Golan Heights Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- The Syrian army has reinforced its anti-aircraft defense systems in the country's southwest near the border areas of Golan Heights against potential attacks from Israel, a pro-Syrian government commander says.

Turkey will bring S-400 missile systems into play if necessary, Erdogan says Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says Ankara will utilize sophisticated Russian-made S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, which it plans to acquire under a deal finalized late last year, if necessary.

Defense Industry

DoD News: Contracts for June 12, 2018

Other Conflicts

12 June 2018 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 12 Jun 2018

Global Peace Operations Initiative Promotes International Peacekeeping US Dept. of State 12 Jun 2018 -- The Department of State's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and the Department of Defense's Office of the Secretary of Defense are co-hosting annual Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) Worldwide Consultations at the State Department on June 11–15, 2018.

France Steps Up Efforts to Counter Beijing's Activities in S China Sea - Reports Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- At present, the majority of the Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOP) in the region are conducted by the US, despite strong protests against them from China. Beijing, however, continues to deploy more military equipment to the islands, claiming the country's moves are purely defensive in nature.
Philippines Demands Beijing Stop Seizing Fishing Boat Hauls in South China Sea Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- On Monday, the Philippine president's office demanded that China stop confiscating fish caught by Filipino fishermen in the disputed South China Sea.

Assault on key Yemeni port would endanger 300,000 children and 'choke off' aid for millions more: UNICEF chief UN News 12 Jun 2018 -- Any attack on the key Yemeni port of Hodeida would deepen one of the world's worst malnutrition crises and put the lives of an estimated 300,000 children at risk, said the head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday.
UN scrambles to avert coalition attack on Yemen port IRNA 12 Jun 2018 -- The UN Security Council met behind closed doors Monday to try to avert an attack by the Saudi-led coalition on a key port in Yemen that provides a lifeline for humanitarian aid.
Japan Protests Russian Plan To Lay Cable To Disputed Kurile Islands RFE/RL 12 Jun 2018 -- Japan has lodged a protest against Russia's plan to lay fiber-optic cables to disputed islands that lay between the two countries, calling the construction work illegal and "extremely deplorable."

Fresh US-led airstrikes leave dozen civilians in northeastern Syria Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- A dozen civilians have lost their lives and several others sustained injuries when the US-led coalition purportedly fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group carried out a string of airstrikes against Syria's northeastern province of Hasakah.
Syria repels Daesh attempt to seize key border town near Iraq: Monitor Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- Following days of intense fighting, Syrian government forces have thwarted an attempt by Daesh remnants to seize a strategic town near the Iraqi border, clearing all its neighborhoods of Takfiri terrorists.
Syrian Army Defused Dozens of Explosive Devices in Yarmouk Camp Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- The Syrian army has defused a total of 18 improvised explosive devices, four mines, and seven projectiles in the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk located south of Damascus, Russia's Syrian reconciliation center said in a statement on Monday.

Turkish jets 'destroy 12 PKK targets' in Iraq Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- Turkish fighter jets have destroyed 12 targets belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, the Turkish military says, as the army steps up a campaign against militant positions in the Qandil region.

FMs of Ukraine, Russia, Germany, France hold talks on Ukraine truce, UN force Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- The foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and France have held talks in Berlin on the execution of a fragile truce deal for Ukraine as well as the deployment of UN peacekeepers there.
Germany, France Hopeful Of More Lasting Cease-Fire In Eastern Ukraine RFE/RL 12 Jun 2018 -- Germany and France are voicing cautious optimism that Russia and Ukraine will take steps to revive the long-stalled cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, but said no agreement was reached on deploying a UN peacekeeping mission there.

ICC Orders Release of Congo's Former VP Bemba VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- The International Criminal Court ruled Tuesday that former Congolese vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba be released immediately, following his stunning acquittal last week by appeals court judges at the Hague-based tribunal. Bemba still faces sentencing on separate charges of witness tampering, but his freedom may upend presidential elections in Democratic Republic of Congo that are scheduled for December.

US Official Urges Uganda, Kenya to Stop Corrupt South Sudanese Investments VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- A top U.S. official is calling on Uganda and Kenya to stop the flow of corrupt South Sudanese investments into their countries.

News Reports

Russia to respond to new US sanctions: Foreign ministry official Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- A senior Russian Foreign Ministry official has indicated that Moscow will reciprocate a move by the United States to impose new sanctions on Russia over alleged malign activity in the cyber space.
Russia Blasts 'Fruitless' U.S. Sanctions RFE/RL 12 Jun 2018 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry has angrily reacted to the latest round of U.S. sanctions targeting Russian individuals and entities, calling it another "fruitless" attempt to impose pressure on the country.

'Opposite Sides': Pakistan, India Ex-Spy Chiefs Lift Lid On Deadly Rivalry RFE/RL 12 Jun 2018 -- Pakistan and India have fought four bloody wars since their creation in 1947, and continue to engage in daily clashes in the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir.

Press Conference by President Trump The White House 12 Jun 2018
Remarks by President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Before Expanded Bilateral Meeting The White House 12 Jun 2018
Joint Statement of President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the Singapore Summit The White House 12 Jun 2018
Trump-Kim Summit Produces High Hopes, Few Details VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed Tuesday "to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" during a historic summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, who then unexpectedly said he was suspending military drills with South Korea.
Trump, Kim Make History With Singapore Summit VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made history with their summit meeting in Singapore. But beyond the handshakes, casual strolls and shared asides, many analysts and experts are already wondering what exactly the enduring substance of the summit will be and whether it could boost Trump's political rating at home.
Trump Says Kim Jong Un, a Noted Human Rights Violator, 'Has to Be a Rough Guy' VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- Following his historic meeting with Kim Jong Un, U.S. President Donald Trump said Kim "has to be a rough guy,"but is also a leader who "loves his people," despite the North Korean leader's disturbing human rights history.
Trump-Kim Summit Sparks Diverging Reactions on Capitol Hill VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- American lawmakers differed sharply in their reaction to the first-ever face-to-face meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader.
Trump to VOA: 'We're Going to Denuke North Korea' VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- President Donald Trump spoke with VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren after his summit talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore about what the two discussed and what to expect next.
World Leaders Mostly Voice Approval of Trump-Kim Agreement VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- Major leaders across Asia and the world mostly voiced approval for Tuesday's agreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to push toward ending Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, even as South Korea and others adopted a more cautious stance.
For South Koreans, Joy and Concern at Trump-Kim Summit VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- Some people in Seoul on Tuesday said they are happy just to see U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talking to each other rather than trading threats of war.
Kim Jong Un Tours Singapore KCNA 12 Jun 2018 -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, toured various places of Singapore on June 11.
Kim agrees with Trump to complete denuclearization in exchange for security guarantees People's Daily 12 Jun 2018 -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), agreed Tuesday with U.S. President Donald Trump to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in exchange for security guarantees.
Kim, Trump sign "comprehensive" pact People's Daily 12 Jun 2018 -- Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump signed a "comprehensive" agreement here on Tuesday afternoon.
Pelosi Statement on North Korea Summit Nancy Pelosi 12 Jun 2018 -- Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued this statement after President Trump concluded a summit with Kim Jong-un in Singapore
Trump, Kim end summit, but was the deal clearly worded? Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- US President Donald Trump says his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore that ended in a joint statement was "tremendous;" but political analysts say the language on disarmament in the statement was similar to that of previous agreements, which ultimately collapsed amid differences over arguments and interpretation about verification.
Trump: N Koreans very working people who love their leader Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- US President Donald Trump says North Koreans are very working and industrious people and they "love" their leader Kim Jong-un.
Fate of North Korea-US agreement uncertain: Iran official Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- An Iranian official has cast doubt on the endurance of a document signed between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, saying the fate of the agreement is not certain.
China, Russia react to Trump-Kim summit Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- China and Russia have reacted positively to the historic summit between the American and North Korean leaders, with Beijing suggesting sanctions relief for Pyongyang in light of the new diplomatic developments.
Trump: North Korea's Kim Committed To 'Complete Denuclearization' RFE/RL 12 Jun 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, promising swift progress to curb a growing threat while warning Pyongyang that sanctions will only be lifted "when we know the nukes are no longer a factor."
US to Check 'Very Strongly' Process of North Korea's Denuclearization - Trump Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- The United States will scrutinize very closely the process of denuclearization of North Korea, US President Donald Trump said after the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
US Must Sustain Maximum Economic Pressure on Pyongyang - House Speaker Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- The United States should not lift any economic pressure from North Korea because the intentions of Pyongyang will be clear only in the long term, House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a press release on Tuesday.
US Senators Troubled by Ending US-S Korea Military Drills After Kim Summit Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- US President Donald Trump's decision to stop military exercises with South Korea without receiving verifiable commitments from North Korea is troubling, US Senators Patrick Leahy and Jeanne Shaheen said in separate statements.
Trump Elevates N Korea to Level of US in Haste to Reach Deal With Kim - Pelosi Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- President Donald Trump elevated North Korea to a position that is equal to the United States because he is trying to reach an agreement as soon as possible, US House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a press release on Tuesday.
N Korea Offers Nothing as Trump Agrees to Halt US-S Korean Exercises - Hayden Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- North Korea conceded nothing when supreme leader Kim Jong-un met US President Donald Trump in Singapore, despite Trump's pledge to halt US military exercises with South Korea, former CIA Director Michael Hayden said in an interview on Tuesday.
IAEA Ready to Conduct Verification of N Korea's Denuclearization – Official Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- Yukiya Amano, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), expressed readiness on Tuesday to provide the organization's assistance to Pyongyang and Washington in the verification of North Korea's denuclearization agreed during the summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump.
US-North Korea summit 'an important milestone' towards denuclearization, says Guterres UN News 12 Jun 2018 -- Tuesday's historic summit between the leaders of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been hailed as "an important milestone" by the UN Secretary-General.
US to offer N.Korea security People's Daily 12 Jun 2018 -- The US is preparing to provide security assurances to North Korea, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday as the world anticipates Tuesday's summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump in Singapore.

Mogherini: EU committed to full implementation of JCPOA IRNA 12 Jun 2018 -- EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says the European Union will remain committed to the continued and full implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Iran will quit nuclear deal if it does not benefit from it: President Rouhani Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic will quit the multilateral nuclear agreement Tehran signed with major world powers in 2015 if it does not benefit from the deal after the US pullout.
Iran taking steps to facilitate investments after US nuclear deal pullout: Larijani Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says the Islamic Republic has taken steps to facilitate investments in the country after the United States' move to withdraw from a landmark nuclear agreement signed between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015.

Agreement on Macedonia Name Issue US Dept. of State 12 Jun 2018 -- "The United States congratulates Prime Ministers Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev and welcomes the historic agreement to resolve the name dispute. This resolution will benefit both countries and bolster regional security and prosperity."
Statement by the Secretary General on the agreement between Athens and Skopje NATO 12 Jun 2018 -- I warmly welcome the agreement reached between Prime Ministers Tsipras and Zaev on a solution to the name dispute between Athens and Skopje. This historic agreement is testament to many years of patient diplomacy, and to the willingness of these two leaders to solve a dispute which has affected the region for too long.
Greece, Macedonia 'Have A Deal' On Name Dispute RFE/RL 12 Jun 2018 -- Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras says Greece and Macedonia have reached an agreement to resolve their 27-year dispute over the former Yugoslav republic's name.
Macedonia Will Now Be Known as Republic of Northern Macedonia - PM Zaev Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that he had reached a "good agreement" with Skopje on the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia, adding that it satisfied all of Athens' preconditions.
UN chief welcomes resolution to 27-year-old disagreement over renaming the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia UN News 12 Jun 2018 -- The United Nations has welcomed Tuesday's announcement by the leaders of Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) that 27 years after the dispute began, they have reached a mutual agreement over a new name for the Republic.
Greece, Macedonia Settle Long-Simmering Name Feud VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- Greece and Macedonia reached a historic settlement Tuesday to their long-simmering dispute over the name Macedonia – shared by the former Yugoslav republic and an ancient region of northern Greece.

Iraq's Sairoon, Fatah political parties announce alliance Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and head of the country's Badr Organization Hadi al-Amiri have announced a political alliance between their parties.

Japan Successfully Tests H-IIA Launch Vehicle With New Research Satellite - JAXA Sputnik 12 Jun 2018 -- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on Tuesday successfully tested a H-IIA Launch Vehicle with a new research satellite, according to the agency's live stream of the lift-off.

US opens de facto embassy in Taiwan Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- The United States has opened a de facto embassy in Taiwan, highlighting Washington's willingness to use its relations with the self-ruled island against China, which claims sovereignty over it.

Turkish Presidential Challenger Seeks Kurdish Vote as Erdogan Courts Nationalists VOA 12 Jun 2018 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a military offensive against Kurdish separatist headquarters in Iraq. The action comes as Erdogan targets nationalist voters in elections later this month.
Erdogan Seizes on Growth Figures to Persuade Skeptical Public VOA 11 Jun 2018 -- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is campaigning for re-election, seized on the latest Turkish growth figures as a vindication of his economic policies in the face of skepticism from not only voters but international investors of the country's economic strength.

Burundi President Nkurunziza Intends To Leave Office in 2020 US Dept. of State 12 Jun 2018 -- The United States welcomes President Nkurunziza's recent announcement that he does not intend to seek a fourth term, reaffirming the promise he made to the Burundian people in 2015.

Georgian Ruling Coalition Convenes Amid Reports Of Possible Reshuffle RFE/RL 12 Jun 2018 -- Georgia's parliamentary majority, dominated by the Georgian Dream party, announced a gathering in the party's office amid reports of a possible cabinet reshuffle in the wake of street protests.

Bahrain king signs off on law banning opposition figures from running in elections Press TV 12 Jun 2018 -- Bahrain's king has signed into law a contentious bill recently adopted by the parliament, which bans figures of dissolved opposition parties and organizations from running in parliamentary elections.

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