• 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

• Official: Taliban, IS Deprive Afghan Kids of Polio Vaccine VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- More than 1 million Afghan children, particularly in conflict-stricken regions of the country, were deprived of polio vaccinations in 2018 because of actions taken by Taliban and Islamic State militants, Afghanistan health officials tell VOA.
• Pakistan Refrains From Condemning Afghan Taliban's Offensive VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- Pakistan warned Thursday that an escalation in hostilities could derail U.S.-led peace efforts in Afghanistan, although it apparently refrained from condemning Taliban insurgents for unleashing their annual spring offensive in the neighboring country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Readout of Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan's Meeting with Albanian Minister of Defense Olta Xhaçka DoD 18 Apr 2019
• Department of Defense Off-Camera Press Briefing by Acting Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Charles E. Summers Jr. DoD 18 Apr 2019 -- Acting Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Charles E. Summers Jr.
• Remarks By Acting Secretary Shanahan At An Enhanced Honor Cordon And Meeting Welcoming Albanian Minister Of Defence Xhaçka To The Pentagon DoD 18 Apr 2019 -- Remarks By Acting Secretary Shanahan At An Enhanced Honor Cordon And Meeting Welcoming Albanian Minister Of Defence Xhaçka To The Pentagon
• Media Availability by Acting Secretary Shanahan Prior to an Honor Cordon Welcoming Albania's Minister of Defense Olta Xhaçka to the Pentagon DoD 18 Apr 2019
• France, UK and U.S. Navies Complete Artemis Trident 19 NNS 18 Apr 2019 -- France's Marine Nationale, the United Kingdom's Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy completed the U.S. 5th Fleet mine countermeasures exercise Artemis Trident in the Arabian Gulf.
• USS Mitscher Departs Piraeus, Greece NNS 18 Apr 2019 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57) departed Piraeus, Greece, after a scheduled port visit April 16.
• USS Porter Returns to Naval Station Rota NNS 18 Apr 2019 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, April 14, and remains in a ready condition after a four-month patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.
• NMCB 133 Conducts Quarry Demolition with Air Force Counterparts NNS 18 Apr 2019 -- Sailors assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 Det. Guam and airmen assigned to the 554th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) conducted a controlled quarry demolition at Andersen Air Force Base's quarry April 9.
• US Air Force Reveals Plans for Frequent Short Strategic Bomber Rotations Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- The US Air Force is planning shorter strategic bomber rotations in order to test its agility when deploying its heavy aircraft forces around the world, the head of Air Force Global Strike Command Gen Timothy Ray said.
• 435th AEW, AGOW collaborate in Mozambique disaster relief US Air Force 18 Apr 2019 -- Airmen assigned to the 435th Contingency Response Group and 75th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron combined their capabilities to provide disaster relief to those affected by Cyclone Idai, March 24 to April 13.
• US Inexplicably Halts Disclosure of Info on Size of Nuclear Arsenal Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- Washington began a $1.5 trillion 30-year modernisation of the US' nuclear arsenal in 2010, with President Trump's 2018 Nuclear Posture Review calling for the creation of new tactical and sea-launched weapons, and lowering the threshold for their use including the possibility of a US nuclear response to "significant non-nuclear strategic attacks."
• As Turkish-US Tensions Escalate, Ankara Looks to NATO VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- As tensions escalate between Turkey and the United States over the procurement of Russian missiles, Ankara is looking to NATO, which it sees as taking a more nuanced stance on the controversial weapons purchase.
• Russian Ships Keep Watch on NATO Naval Group in Baltic Sea - Defence Ministry Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- The ships of the Russian Baltic Fleet are tracking the activity of NATO's naval group that has entered the Baltic Sea, the Russian Defence Ministry said Thursday.
• MiGs and Rafales to Slug It Out in Largest Indo-French Naval Exercise - Report Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- French Rafale aircraft will be pitted against Indian-owned, Russian and Soviet-made MiGs atop a Russian-made aircraft carrier. The event constitutes part of the expanding strategic partnership between the two countries to counter China's footprint in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Guides Test-Fire of New-Type Tactical Guided Weapon KCNA 18 Apr 2019 -- Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the Armed Forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, supervised and guided a test-fire of a new-type tactical guided weapon conducted by the Academy of Defence Science on Wednesday.
• North Korea's Kim 'oversees test-fire of tactical weapon' Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen the test-firing of a new type of "tactical guided weapon," North Korean state media report, the first public test since the collapse of a second round of top-level negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang.
• Kim Jong Un Watches 'Tactical' Guided Weapon Test - North Korean State Media Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the testing of a "tactical" guided weapon Wednesday, an event the country's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described as "of very weighty significance."
• Japan's F-35s Made Seven Precautionary Landings Before Fighter Went Missing Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- On Wednesday, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said that Japan's F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters had made seven precautionary landings before one of the fleet's fighters disappeared from radars on April 9, 84 miles east of the Misawa Air Base in the country's northern Aomori prefecture.
• India Makes 'Emergency Purchase' of Israeli Spike Anti-Tank Missiles Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- India's Defense Ministry has moved to buy 240 Spike guided anti-tank missiles and 12 launchers from Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, part of an "emergency purchase" authorized by New Delhi following the February showdown on the Pakistani border.
• India Resumes Flight Testing of HJT36 Intermediate Jet Trainer Amid Shortage Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- Flight testing of the intermediate jet trainer, designed and developed by government-owned and run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the stage-II training of the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots, was suspended after the aircraft encountered problems during spin test flights in 2016.
• Commander: New destroyers become operational IRNA 18 Apr 2019 -- Iran's Navy Commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi announced on Thursday that the force will add several new destroyers to its fleet in current Iranian calendar year of 1398 (March 21, 2019 to March 21, 2020).
• Military forces of Iran, Oman hold joint naval rescue, relief drills Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- Military forces of Iran and Oman have held joint naval rescue and relief exercises in the waters of Oman as the two neighbors move to build stronger relations.
• Sweden Launches New 'Top Secret' Spy Ship in the Baltic Sea Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- The HMS Artemis, Sweden's new reconnaissance vessel, is meant to replace the HMS Orion, which is scheduled to retire, and carry on with intelligence activities in the Baltic Sea.

Defense Industry

• Contracts for April 18, 2019

Other Conflicts

• 18 April 2019 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 18 Apr 2019
• Yemen agreement should be implemented without delay: UNSC Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has called on warring parties in Yemen to withdraw from the embattled port city of Hudaydah "as soon as possible" in line with a ceasefire deal reached in December 2018.
• France Rejects Claims its Weapons Were Used in Yemen War Despite Leaked Report Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- The statement comes a few days after the investigative website Disclose reported the "massive use" of French-made weapons, including tanks, helicopters and fighter jets, in war-torn Yemen.
• Damascus should take control over northeast Syria: Russia FM Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- Russia says the legitimate Syrian government should immediately take control over the country's northeastern region, including the East Euphrates River, which is held by US-backed Kurdish militants.
• Satellite Photos Show Chinese Radar in Syria Restored After IAF Attack - Reports Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- Israeli F-35s reportedly carried out strikes on Damascus International Airport in January, targeting an alleged 'Iranian' presence in the area. Air defences intercepted 30 of the missiles, although some still managed to get through and damage airport infrastructure, including storehouses and a Chinese-supplied radar.
• 'Foreign children' in overwhelmed Syrian camp need urgent international help, says top UN official UN News 18 Apr 2019 -- Help is needed urgently from the international community to help some 2,500 apparently stateless "foreign children" at a camp for the displaced, in north-east Syria, a top UN official said on Thursday.
• UN Calls for Repatriation of IS Wives, Children in Syria VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is calling on countries to repatriate thousands of wives and children of Islamic State militants in Syria, who are living in dire conditions in the al-Hol camp in al-Hasakeh governorate in northeast Syria.
• UN chides EU for refusing to take back its members of Daesh Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- A UN official has called on countries to take responsibility for their nationals, including thousands of children of Daesh fighters, who are stuck at a camp controlled by US-backed militants in northeast Syria.
• UN envoy warns of 'widening conflagration' amid Haftar's push to seize Tripoli Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- The UN envoy to Libya has warned of a "a widening conflagration" in the North African country amid a Saudi-backed push by strongman Khalifa Haftar to seize the capital Tripoli.
• Armed Groups Attack Haftar-Controlled Air Base in Southern Libya - Reports Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- On Thursday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that as many as 205 people have been killed and 913 more injured since the beginning of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) offensive on Tripoli.
• As fighting in Libya escalates, so does number of children 'at imminent risk of injury or death' UN News 18 Apr 2019 -- In and around Tripoli, an increasing number of children are "at imminent risk of injury or death" two senior United Nations officials warned on Thursday, citing a surge of aggression in crisis-torn Libya.
• Assailants kill 14 people in SW Pakistan IRNA 18 Apr 2019 -- At least 14 people were offloaded from a bus on the Makran Coastal Highway in Pakistan's Balochistan and shot dead by unidentified assailants early on Thursday, local media reported.
• Gunmen kill 14 after kidnapping them from buses in southwestern Pakistan Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- Heavily-armed assailants have shot dead at least 14 people after pulling them from several passenger buses in a remote area of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, officials say.
• Fourteen Killed In Bus Ambush In Southwestern Pakistan RFE/RL 18 Apr 2019 -- Fourteen passengers have been killed after unidentified attackers halted their bus on a remote coastal highway in the restive southwestern Balochistan Province, officials said.
• Gunmen Kill 14 Bus Passengers in Pakistan VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- Suspected separatist militants ambushed a bus in southwestern Pakistan before dawn Thursday and killed 14 passengers, mostly navy personnel.
• India Suspends Cross-Border Trade With Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- Relations between India and Pakistan took a turn for the worse earlier this year. Tensions soared after a deadly attack in Kashmir on 14 February, when a suicide bomber attacked an Indian security convoy, killing over 40 troops.

News Reports

• Attorney General William P. Barr Delivers Remarks on the Release of the Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election US Dept. of Justice 18 Apr 2019
• Statement from Vice President Mike Pence The White House 18 Apr 2019
• Mueller Found Trump Sought to Remove Him as Special Counsel VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- Special counsel Robert Mueller investigated 11 instances in which he suspected that President Donald Trump had obstructed justice by trying to thwart his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election that Trump won, but ultimately he could not prove the president's intent to break the law.
• What We Know About the Mueller Report VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election concludes that Moscow used two main operations to try to impact the vote: a social media campaign that favored then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and disparaged his opponent Hillary Clinton, as well as a hacking effort targeting Clinton that published stolen documents.
• Mueller Report Lays Bare Deep US Partisan Divide VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- Democratic and Republican lawmakers had sharply differing reactions to Thursday's release of special counsel Robert Mueller's redacted Russia report and what steps, if any, Congress should take next.
• Democrats Dispute Barr's Evaluation, Seek Mueller Testimony VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- The Democratic leader of the U.S. Senate, Chuck Schumer, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi say the conclusions drawn by U.S. Attorney General William Barr about special counsel Robert Mueller's report undercut the findings of the report itself.
• Trump Declares Himself Fully Exonerated VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- Although the special counsel's 448-page report into Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign does not fully exonerate President Donald Trump he is certainly taking it that way.
• Mueller's Russia Report Released; Democrats Concerned About Obstruction RFE/RL 18 Apr 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed satisfaction after the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigative report into Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign but congressional Democrats are pointing to a series of actions by the president that could be considered obstruction of justice.
• U.S. Attorney General Under Fire Before Release Of Redacted Mueller Report RFE/RL 18 Apr 2019 -- Democrats in Washington are accusing U.S. Attorney General William Barr of attempting to shield President Donald Trump from negative findings in the special counsel's report on Russian election interference and the Trump campaign by calling a press conference just before releasing a redacted version of the report to Congress and the public.
• Trump's actions 'dishonest, unethical, immoral, unpatriotic' Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- A report by US Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been released to the public prompting condemnation of the president for his "unquestionably dishonest, unethical, immoral and unpatriotic" conduct.
• US Attorney General William Barr says Mueller report found 'no collusion' between Trump and Russia Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- US Attorney General William Barr says the Special Counsel investigation led by Robert Mueller did not discover any evidence that President Donald Trump's election campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential election.
• White House, Justice Department officials discussed Mueller report ahead of release: NYT Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- White House lawyers and Department of Justice (DOJ) officials have met recently to discuss the conclusions of a report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller on alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, according to The New York Times.
• No Collusion, Obstruction Maybe: Key Takeaways From the Mueller Report Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- The long-awaited report by former FBI Director Robert Mueller took nearly two years to complete, cost over $25 million, led to 34 indictments and five convictions, and gave President Trump's opponents ammunition to accuse him of being a Russian pawn.
• DOJ Publishes Redacted Version of Mueller's Report on Russia Collusion Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- The release followed a press conference by Attorney General William Barr, who summarised the special counsel's investigation by saying that it had found no evidence that anyone linked to the Trump campaign ever conspired with the Russian government during the 2016 election.
• Jimmy Carter Lectures Trump: US Is 'Most Warlike Nation in History of the World' teleSUR 18 Apr 2019 -- The only U.S. president to complete his term without war, military attack or occupation has called the United States "the most warlike nation in the history of the world."
• Maduro: US Sanctions on Central Bank to Strengthen Venezuela Even More Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said that new US sanctions, which are restricting the ability of Caracas to handle international financial transactions, will give the country even more strength.
• Bolton WARNS Venezuela: Monroe Doctrine 'Alive and Well' Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- Bolton made the statement as he announced that the US was imposing a new round of sanctions against Venezuela – something that he said should become a warning to "all external actors, including Russia".
• S Sudan's President Backs Sudan Transition Military Council Set Up - Reports Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has dispatched a delegation to Khartoum, sending a message of support to the Sudanese transition military council, which has been established to govern the country in the wake of the overthrow of its long-time President Omar Bashir, local media reported on Thursday.
• Supporting a Transition to Civilian Rule in Sudan US Dept. of State 18 Apr 2019 -- "The United States supports a transition to a peaceful and democratic Sudan led by civilians who represent the diversity of Sudanese society. The will of the Sudanese people is clear: it is time to move toward a transitional government that is inclusive and respectful of human rights and the rule of law."
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Yalta, April 18, 2019 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 18 Apr 2019
• The Week In Russia: Stalin, Alla Pugacheva, And A Tale Of Two Icons RFE/RL 18 Apr 2019
• North Korea's Kim to Meet with Russian President Putin VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin are to meet later this month in Moscow.
• Kremlin Says North Korean Leader To Visit Russia Later This Month RFE/RL 18 Apr 2019 -- The Kremlin has announced that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un plans to visit Russia within the next 12 days.
• North Korea: Pompeo Not Welcome at Nuclear Negotiations VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- North Korea is demanding that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo no longer take part in any further talks involving its nuclear weapons program.
• U.S. Secretary of State Slammed KCNA 18 Apr 2019 -- Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the Department of American Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, gave the following answer to a question raised by the KCNA on Thursday as regards the fact that Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of the State, is letting loose reckless remarks and sophism of all kinds against us every day:
• North Korea hints it wants Pompeo removed from US talks Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- North Korea suggests that it wants US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo disengaged from stalled negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington, blaming the top American diplomat for the derailment of bilateral talks.
• North Korea Demands Pompeo's Removal From Nuclear Talks With US Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- The highly anticipated second meeting between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Hanoi ended abruptly earlier this year without agreement after Washington refused to offer North Korea any relief from its economic sanctions while pushing for the country's complete nuclear disarmament.
• College students targeted by foreign intelligence workers Global Times 18 Apr 2019 -- The Public Security Department in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan Province, has detected foreign spies who defrauded Chinese college students to steal China's military secrets.
• China's expanding social credit system improves management efficiency Global Times 18 Apr 2019 -- China's social credit system exposed more dishonest entities in the first quarter of 2019, and a broader range of areas will be included in the evaluation of personal social credit in the future, China's top economic planner said on Thursday.
• China unveils colossal Mars imitation base camp in Gobi desert Global Times 18 Apr 2019 -- China unveiled a colossal Mars survival simulation base camp on Wednesday in the Gobi desert of Jinchang, Northwest China's Gansu Province. According to a project employee, the simulation camp will become an astronaut training facility in the future.
• Nepal, Sri Lanka Launch Their First Nano-Satellites Using US Rocket Sputnik 18 Apr 2019 -- The two satellites, one belonging to Nepal and the other to Sri Lanka, were designed and built at the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan by engineers from the aforementioned countries, with UN funding.
• EU, Canada vow to fight new US sanctions on Cuba Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- The European Union and Canada have warned of reprisals after the United States for the first time allowed lawsuits against foreign companies operating in Cuba, including EU and Canadian firms.
• 2nd Round of Indian Elections Focuses on Regional Heavyweights VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- Powerful regional parties that could play the role of kingmaker if India's ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party fails to win a clear majority were in the spotlight as millions voted in the second phase of the country's staggered election.
• Second Phase of Voting Begins in India's General Election VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- More than 150 million voters are casting their ballots in the second phase of India's massive general elections.
• Canadian Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Committing Act of Terrorism Transcending National Boundaries and Other Offenses US Dept. of Justice 18 Apr 2019 -- Amor M. Ftouhi, 51, of Quebec, Canada, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Leitman to life in prison for committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and two other offenses in conjunction with his attack on a Bishop Airport police officer on June 21, 2017.
• 'Thieves-In-Law' Syndicate Crowns New Crime Boss From Uzbekistan RFE/RL 18 Apr 2019 -- A notorious criminal syndicate that brings together mafia bosses from across the former Soviet Union has crowned a new kingpin from Uzbekistan -- bestowing 42-year-old convicted murderer Akhtam Yakubov with the title of "thief-in-law."
• Imamoglu becomes Istanbul mayor, re-run appeal still pending Press TV 18 Apr 2019 -- Turkey's main opposition party candidate in local elections has been declared mayor of Istanbul after recounts of the votes despite a pending appeal from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ruling AK Party for the vote to annulled and re-run.
• Ukrainian Presidential Front-Runner Pledges To Hold Referendum On NATO RFE/RL 18 Apr 2019 -- Ukrainian presidential front-runner Volodymyr Zelenskiy has pledged to hold a referendum on whether or not Kyiv should join NATO if he is elected president.
• Ukrainian President Criticizes Court Decision On Nationalization Of PrivatBank RFE/RL 18 Apr 2019 -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has warned that a court decision declaring the nationalization of a major bank was illegal could pose great risks to Ukraine if the bank is returned to its previous owner, oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskiy.
• Fresh Poll Shows Zelenskiy Maintains Large Lead Over Poroshenko In Ukraine Vote RFE/RL 18 Apr 2019 -- A fresh opinion poll shows Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a comedic actor with no political experience, far ahead of incumbent Petro Poroshenko just days before Ukraine's presidential runoff.
• Egypt Vote on Presidential Term Extension Begins Friday VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- "Do the right thing, vote yes!'" read signs and banners draped on buildings across Cairo. There is no noticeable public opposition.
• Authoritarian Leaders Fuel Hatred Toward Journalists Worldwide, Study Finds VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- A report released Thursday concludes disdain for journalists throughout the world has increased during the past year, due primarily to the behavior of authoritarian leaders.
• UN Helps Thousands of Displaced Malawi Flood Victims Return Home VOA 18 Apr 2019 -- The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, is helping thousands of people displaced by Cyclone Idai's floods in Malawi return home and restart their lives.