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Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
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News Reports

Current Operations

• Update: air strikes against Daesh UK MOD 15 Jun 2018 -- The RAF are continuing to take the fight to Daesh in Syria.
• US Drone Kills Pakistani Taliban Leader in Afghan Province VOA 15 Jun 2018 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday telephoned leaders in neighboring Pakistan to confirm that a U.S. drone attack this past week in an eastern Afghan border region killed the leader of the outlawed Pakistani Taliban.
• Afghan President Says Pakistani Taliban Chief 'Confirmed' Dead RFE/RL 15 Jun 2018 -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he has confirmed the death of Pakistani Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah, calling it a "great step toward building trust" between Kabul and Islamabad.
• Pakistani Taliban Leader Killed in US Drone Strike in Afghanistan - Reports Sputnik 15 Jun 2018 -- Along with Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah, killed in a strike near the border with Afghanistan on Thursday, four more TTP commanders were killed in the attack, the TOLOnews broadcaster reported.
• Pakistan: 3 Soldiers, 5 Afghan-based 'Terrorists' Dead in Border Fight VOA 15 Jun 2018 -- Pakistan said Friday Afghanistan-based "terrorists" conducted "multiple physical and fire raids" on security outposts, killing three soldiers.

Defense Policy / Programs

• US military exercises with South Korea 'suspended indefinitely' Press TV 15 Jun 2018 -- The US military has indefinitely suspended major joint exercises with South Korea, a senior American official has said, two days after President Donald Trump said following the historic summit with North Korea that the United States was stopping "very provocative" and expensive military exercises with South Korea to facilitate denuclearization negotiations with Pyongyang.
• (U) Evaluation of Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) Sustainment DODIG 15 Jun 2018 -- Our objective was to determine whether the Navy can sustain the current Ohio-class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs) until the replacement Columbia-class SSBNs are fielded.
• Mattis: Naval War College Grads Will Tackle Today's Security Challenges AFPS 15 Jun 2018 -- Defense Secretary James N. Mattis today told this year's U.S. Naval War College graduates he is confident they'll carry forward the legacy of the school's founding officers as they take their intellectual firepower forward to tackle the security challenges of our time.
• Mattis Salutes U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Graduates AFPS 15 Jun 2018 -- The United States needs its Merchant Marine officers to employ discipline, strategic thinking and strong ethics in the often challenging and dangerous maritime transport industry, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said today during his commencement remarks to 187 graduates at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York.
• Edwards AFB squadron completes Joint Strike Missile test program AFNS 15 Jun 2018 -- A team of U.S. Air Force engineers, test pilots, and Norwegian government and industry personnel recently completed a large phase of testing for the Joint Strike Missile.
• Remarks By Secretary Mattis at the U.S. Naval War College Commencement, Newport, Rhode Island DoD 15 Jun 2018 -- Presenter: Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis
• USS Oak Hill Completes BALTOPS 2018 NNS 15 Jun 2018 -- Exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2018 came to a close June 15 after two weeks of successful training as the participants arrive in Kiel, Germany, for Kiel Week 2018.
• USS Bainbridge Arrives in Kiel, Germany NNS 15 Jun 2018 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) arrived in Kiel, Germany, June 15 to participate in Kiel Week 2018.
• BALTOPS 2018 Daily Update: June 14 NNS 15 Jun 2018 -- Vice Adm. Clive Johnstone, Royal Navy, commander, NATO Allied Maritime Command; traveled to the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) to meet with Vice. Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet and commander, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO); and Rear Adm. Guy Robinson, OBE, Royal Navy, deputy commander, STRIKFORNATO.
• USS John C. Stennis Gets Underway NNS 15 Jun 2018 -- USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) departed Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, June 14.
• Navy's Mine Warfare Battle Staff Leads 16-Nation MIW Force in BALTOPS 2018 NNS 15 Jun 2018 -- The Navy's deployable mine warfare (MIW) commander's staff completed two weeks of underway training with allies and partners during exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2018, increasing interoperability, capability and readiness among participating navies.
• US F-16s Test New Norwegian Long-Range Strike Missile Sputnik 15 Jun 2018 -- The US and Norway have completed testing their new air-launched, long-range Joint Strike Missile just two weeks after the US Navy announced that it would adopt a naval version of the Norwegian missile.
• Oregon Army National Guard Chinook helicopter unit prepares for homeland missions Army News 15 Jun 2018 -- Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, continue to diversify their skills and add capabilities to their repertoire, becoming one of the most versatile aviation assets in the state. Soldiers in the Pendleton, Oregon, based unit have been busy this spring, training and preparing their CH-47D Chinook helicopters for a variety of domestic missions that could come their way at any time.
• Secretary General, Chancellor Merkel discuss preparations for NATO Summit NATO 15 Jun 2018 -- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked Germany for its vital contributions to the Alliance in talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday (15 June 2018). Speaking at a press conference at the Chancellery, Mr. Stoltenberg praised Germany's leadership of a multinational battlegroup in Lithuania and its major contributions to NATO operations from Afghanistan to Kosovo and the Aegean Sea.
• China Working Toward Next-Gen Quantum Radar to Track Ballistic Missiles Sputnik 15 Jun 2018 -- The state-owned Chinese company responsible for developing high-end electronics has claimed that the next version of its quantum radar will be even more powerful than previously thought.
• Merkel 'Undoubtedly' Pledges to Work on Reaching 2% Defense Spending Target Sputnik 15 Jun 2018 -- Germany will definitely be taking action to reach the target of spending 2 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense in line with the standards of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday.
• S.Korean president says to carefully review joint drills with U.S. if DPRK, U.S. talks continue People's Daily 15 Jun 2018 -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that he will carefully review the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises if talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States continue.
• US Forces in South Korea Not Subject to Talks With North Korea - Seoul Sputnik 15 Jun 2018 -- The announcement by a senior official in South Korean president Moon Jae-in's office was made in the wake of the Pentagon's announcement that the US will suspend the military exercises with South Korea after the first-ever meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump.
• US, South Korea May Decide Joint Drills Future in July, Seoul Says Sputnik 15 Jun 2018 -- The United States and South Korea may decide next month whether to stop their joint war games to create favorable conditions for North Korea's nuclear disarmament, the South's military said.
• Remarks by President Trump in Press Gaggle The White House 15 Jun 2018

Defense Industry

• DoD News: Contracts for June 15, 2018

Other Conflicts

• French, British Ships to Sail Disputed Asian Sea, Rile China VOA 15 Jun 2018 -- British and French warships will sail to the disputed South China Sea in a display of naval strength that may satisfy domestic audiences but ruffle the waterway's major stakeholder, China, and lead to more militarization, analysts say.
• Vietnam Slams China's Missile Systems Redeployment at Disputed Islands - Hanoi Sputnik 15 Jun 2018 -- Vietnam condemned the decision of China to return the missile systems, which have previously been removed from the disputed Paracel islands in the South China Sea, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said Friday.
• US Intelligence Denies UAE Request to Support New Offensive in Yemen - Report Sputnik 15 Jun 2018 -- The Saudi-led coalition's largest assault in the armed conflict with Yemen, Operation "Golden Victory," appears not to have gone as smoothly as possible after the US denied a request from the United Arab Emirates to supply intelligence, minesweeping and surveillance assets during the invasion of the key port of al-Hudaydah.
• France Not Engaged in Military Actions in Yemeni Hodeidah - Reports Sputnik 15 Jun 2018 -- France is not engaged in any military actions in Yemeni Hodeidah port city but considers participation in the mine clearance operations after the military operation ended, the Ouest-France newspaper reported on Friday, citing a source in the country's defense ministry.
• UN Determines Iran Made Missile Parts Fired At Saudis From Yemen RFE/RL 15 Jun 2018 -- The United Nations has determined that debris from five ballistic missiles launched from Yemen into Saudi Arabia since July contained components manufactured in Iran and shared key design features with an Iranian missile, a new report says.
• Yemen main war is with US, Israel: Ansarullah leader IRNA 15 Jun 2018 -- The main war of Yemen is against the Unites States and the Zionist regime of Israel; the others ate puppets, said the leader of Ansarullah Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi, according to Almasirah website.
• Dozen killed as Yemeni forces hit Saudi mercenaries in western Yemen Press TV 15 Jun 2018 -- At least a dozen pro-Saudi militiamen loyal to resigned Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi have been killed and several others injured when Yemeni army forces launched a tactical ballistic missile at their position in the country's western coastal province of Hudaydah.
• Syrian Army seizes control of a number of points in Deir Ezzor IRNA 15 Jun 2018 -- Units of the Syrian Arab Army, in cooperation with the allied forces, on Thursday restored security and stability to large areas in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, after they were completely cleared of Daesh terrorists.
• Spotlight: Terror attacks target oil region in Libya, posing new military escalation People's Daily 15 Jun 2018 -- Remnants of terrorist groups on Thursday carried out a new attack on the oil crescent region in Libya and clashed with the forces of the eastern-based army, posing a new military escalation in a vital location that contain major oil fields and ports.
• Israeli forces target Hamas observation post in southern Gaza Strip Press TV 15 Jun 2018 -- Israeli military forces have attacked the southern part of the Gaza Strip as the Tel Aviv regime presses ahead with its acts of aggression against the besieged Palestinian coastal sliver.
• South Sudan Wants New Site for Peace Talks VOA 15 Jun 2018 -- South Sudan's government says it wants a planned meeting between President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar to take place outside the countries of the East Africa bloc IGAD.

News Reports

• US judge sends Manafort to jail pending trial Press TV 15 Jun 2018 -- A US federal judge has revoked bail conditions for former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, sending him to jail pending trial after a charge of witness tampering.
• Former Trump Campaign Chair Manafort Jailed After $10 Million Bail Revoked RFE/RL 15 Jun 2018 -- A U.S. judge has jailed Paul Manafort, who served as U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign manager during the 2016 presidential campaign, after revoking his bail ahead of a trial on charges brought by the special counsel investigating alleged Russian election interference.
• US to Leave 'Foolish, Unworthy' UN Human Rights Council Over Anti-Israel Bias Sputnik 15 Jun 2018 -- The United States' demands regarding reforming the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) have failed to be met, and as such Washington is reportedly ready to pull out over what it calls anti-Israel bias and the inclusion of alleged rights abusers.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, June 15, 2018 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15 Jun 2018
• Trump Floats Idea Of Summer Meeting With Putin RFE/RL 15 Jun 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump says "it's possible" he will meet with Russian President Vladimir this summer and has pressed again for Moscow to be allowed to rejoin the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized countries.
• Kremlin Distances Putin From Plan To Raise Retirement Age RFE/RL 15 Jun 2018 -- The Kremlin has sought to distance President Vladimir Putin from plans to raise the retirement age, saying that Putin has not been involved in recent discussions on the matter - a sensitive issue in Russia for decades.
• Russia, Saudi Arabia Agree To Expand Cooperation On Oil, Gas RFE/RL 15 Jun 2018 -- Russia and Saudi Arabia say they have agreed to expand their cooperation on oil and gas matters after having teamed up to help bolster oil prices in the past two years.
• S.Korea, DPRK agree to restore military communication lines People's Daily 15 Jun 2018 -- South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) agreed Thursday to completely restore military communication lines along the eastern and western areas after holding general-grade talks, Seoul's defense ministry said.
• Russia urges removal of unilateral sanctions against North Korea Press TV 15 Jun 2018 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry has called for a swift removal of all unilateral sanctions against North Korea in light of a recent agreement reached between Pyongyang and Washington.
• US: N Korea sanctions to remain until full denuclearization Press TV 15 Jun 2018 -- The United States says tough sanctions will remain in place against North Korea until its complete denuclearization.
• Trump Claims Has 'Largely Solved' North Korean Nuclear Crisis RFE/RL 15 Jun 2018 -- U.S. President Donald Trump claims he has "largely solved" the crisis over Pyongyang's nuclear program after his historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
• EU, China continue cooperation on Iran nuke deal: EU spokesperson People's Daily 15 Jun 2018 -- The European Union appreciates China's continued and active participation in the Iran nuclear deal, and the two parties are working to cooperate and to preserve economic relations with Iran, an EU spokesperson told Xinhua via email on Thursday.
• World must withstand White House bullying: Iran president Press TV 15 Jun 2018 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stresses the importance of boosting unity and trust, saying all countries must withstand the White House officials' bullying.
• China imposes new retaliatory tariffs on 659 US products Press TV 15 Jun 2018 -- China has announced its decision to impose further 25 percent tariffs on 659 American products worth $50 billion, in retaliation for new US tariffs on Chinese imports.
• Agreement with China void if US imposes tariffs: ministry People's Daily 15 Jun 2018 -- China reiterated on Thursday that any agreements reached on trade between China and the US will be void if the US imposes tariffs and other trade measures.
• Beijing vows fast response to Trump's China tariffs Press TV 15 Jun 2018 -- China has warned to rapidly retaliate if the United States goes ahead with tariffs that are expected to be announced by President Donald Trump; a move that could set the stage for a major escalation in an ongoing trade dispute between Beijing and Washington.
• Statement by the President Regarding Trade with China The White House 15 Jun 2018
• UN forum to explore use of outer space to improve lives, protect planet UN News 15 Jun 2018 -- Marking 50 years since the world first came together to discuss the peaceful uses of outer space, government leaders, policy makers, civil society representatives and space experts will gather at a United Nations forum in Vienna from Monday to explore the future course of global space cooperation for the benefit of humankind.
• China squeezes Taiwan's international space: U.S. Congress report CNA 15 Jun 2018 -- A report released Thursday by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) showed that China's increasing engagement with Pacific Island nations is squeezing Taiwan's space on the international stage.
• Taiwan urged to make policy adjustments in ties with China, U.S. CNA 15 Jun 2018 -- Taiwan needs to make policy adjustments if it wants to deal with China and strengthen its relations with the United States, former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Richard Bush said Friday.
• Ukraine Says Second Suspect Detained In Alleged Babchenko Plot RFE/RL 15 Jun 2018 -- The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) says a second person has been detained in an alleged plot to assassinate Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, an outspoken Kremlin critic, in Kyiv.
• Greek Lawmakers Debate No-Confidence Motion After Macedonia Deal RFE/RL 15 Jun 2018 -- Greek lawmakers are debating a no-confidence motion in the government brought by the main opposition party over a deal aimed at solving a name dispute with neighboring Macedonia.
• Nearly Two Dozen Candidates Enter Zimbabwe's Presidential Race VOA 15 Jun 2018 -- Nearly two dozen individuals have registered as presidential candidates in Zimbabwe's upcoming elections. But some who did not make the cut are crying foul.