• 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

• Afghan Official: US Diversion of Funds Not to Undermine Security Cooperation VOA 12 May 2019 -- Afghan officials are downplaying the significance of the United States diverting funds from its military mission in Afghanistan, as a senior American diplomat has arrived in Kabul for high-level discussions.
• Pentagon chief visits US-Mexico border, vows long-term troop stay Press TV 12 May 2019 -- Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has revisited the US-Mexico border, vowing to develop a longer-term plan to support President Donald Trump's immigration policies and maintain troops in the area until the border is secured.
• Acting Defence Sec Shanahan Vows Military Won't Leave "Until Border is Secure" Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- On Friday the Pentagon transferred $1.5 billion from other programs including funding for an Afghanistan-program to fund the construction of a US-Mexico border wall, to stop the surge in numbers of migrants arriving at the US border that Donald Trump has called a crisis and declared a national emergency over.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Chinese guided missile destroyer suitable for mass production: experts Global Times 12 May 2019 -- China is expected to build even more guided missile destroyers, Chinese military analysts said on Sunday as China launched two Type 052D guided missile destroyers on Friday in Dalian, a coastal city in Northeast China's Liaoning Province.
• US Suggests India Ditch Russian S-400s for Patriot, THAAD Systems − Reports Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- After failing to bully Turkey into backing out of a Russian air-defence deal, the United States has embarked on an attempt to discourage another country from buying Russian missile defence systems.

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• UN: Houthi Withdrawal From Key Yemen Ports on Track VOA 12 May 2019 -- The U.N. said Sunday that the redeployment of Houthi forces from key ports in Yemen "went in accordance with established plans:.
• UN Says Withdrawal Of Iranian-Backed Huthi Rebels From Yemeni Port Facilities Going As Planned RFE/RL 12 May 2019 -- The United Nations says the first day of the withdrawal from western Yemen of Iranian-backed Huthi rebels from two of the three Red Sea port facilities they've vowed to evacuate under a peace deal has gone according to plan.
• UN confirms Houthis withdrawing from ports in Yemen's Hudaydah as planned Press TV 12 May 2019 -- The United Nations says the withdrawal of Houthi forces from key ports of Yemen's western province of Hudaydah is proceeding "in accordance with established plans" for a second day, as the Saud-backed former government still refuses to pull out its besieging forces from Hudaydah in line with an accord the two sides reached in Sweden last year.
• Several soldiers killed, injured as Yemenis launch drone strike on Saudi army: Report Press TV 12 May 2019 -- Several Saudi soldiers have been killed and dozens of others sustained injuries when Yemeni army soldiers, backed by allied fighters from Popular Committees, launched an airstrike against a military position in the kingdom's border region of Asir.
• Syrian army takes Takfiri targets in Idlib under heavy fire Press TV 12 May 2019 -- The Syrian army has taken targets belonging to the Takfiri Jabhat Fateh al-Sham terrorist group in the country's east under heavy retaliatory fire for another day.
• Syrian Army Liberates 3 Villages From Nusra Terrorists - Reports Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- The Syrian army liberated three more villages on the border with Idlib Province from militants of the Nusra Front terrorist group, Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen reported on Saturday.
• Militants Continuously Shell Syria's Latakia Over Past 24 Hours - Russian MoD Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- Militants attacked several settlements in the Syrian province of Latakia over the past 24 hours, Russian Centre for Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria said on Saturday.
• Britain's air force hunting Daesh leader al-Baghdadi in Libya: Report Press TV 12 May 2019 -- After entering Syria to allegedly fight Daesh, Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) is now in Libya on a mission to "capture or kill" the leader of the Takfiri terrorist group who has apparently fled to the North African country, according to a new report.
• Pakistani forces kill all militants involved in Gwadar attack Press TV 12 May 2019 -- All the three attackers who stormed a five-star hotel in the restive Pakistani province of Balochistan on Saturday have been killed by security forces, military sources have announced.
• Pakistani Hotel Cleared After Insurgent Attack Kills Five RFE/RL 12 May 2019 -- The Pakistani prime minister has condemned a deadly assault by insurgents in a luxury hotel in southwestern Pakistan, saying the attack was part of an effort to "sabotage" the country's economic development.
• 5 Dead in Attack on Luxury Hotel in China-Run Pakistani Port VOA 12 May 2019 -- Officials in Pakistan say the death toll from the overnight militant raid on a luxury hotel near the China-run strategic port of Gwadar has risen to at least five, including four hotel employees and a Pakistani navy soldier.
• Israel demolished 41 Palestinian structures in 2 weeks: UN Press TV 12 May 2019 -- A United Nations (UN) report says Israeli forces destroyed at least 41 Palestinian-owned structures in the occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds and West Bank over the past two weeks alone.
• Daesh storms town on motorbikes in Nigeria, kills 11 soldiers Press TV 12 May 2019 -- ِDaesh terrorists, riding motorbikes, have stormed a town in northeastern Nigeria and killed 11 soldiers in barracks, the Takfiri group and local sources say.
• Al-Shabab Claims Responsibility for Targeted Blast VOA 12 May 2019 -- The Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu says a Turkish citizen was killed Sunday following an explosion near the city's busy K-4 junction.

News Reports

• Tug-of-War Continues Over Mueller Report VOA 12 May 2019 -- More tug-of-war is expected in Washington this week between congressional Democrats, who seek further information and material pertaining to the Russia probe, and the Trump administration, which is eager to turn the page and move on from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.
• Guaido calls for 'direct relationship' with US military to remove Maduro Press TV 12 May 2019 -- Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has called for "direct relationship" with the US military in his latest bid to oust the government of President Nicolas Maduro with American help.
• Juan Guaido Seeks to Establish 'Direct Relationship' With Pentagon Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- The development comes after a failed coup attempt which took place on 30 April and Guaido's subsequent statement that he would "perhaps" agree to US military intervention if it would help resolve the political crisis in his country.
• North Macedonia's New President Calls For 'Reconciliation' During Inauguration Ceremony RFE/RL 12 May 2019 -- Stevo Pendarovski has been inaugurated as the new president of North Macedonia, calling for "reconciliation" in a deeply divided society.
• New North Macedonian President Pendarovski Pledges to Prioritize NATO, EU Accession Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- North Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski pledged on Sunday to promote the country's full membership in NATO and also make effort toward accession to the European Union.
• Pompeo Heading To Moscow, Sochi To Raise 'Aggressive' Russian Actions RFE/RL 12 May 2019 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is heading to Russia - his first visit as the top U.S. diplomat - for talks with President Vladimir Putin amid persistent tensions between the two countries.
• Pompeo to Meet With Putin, Lavrov Amid Tensions VOA 12 May 2019 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov this week, as the two countries clash over a number of issues including Venezuela, Iran, and Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
• North Korean cargo ship seized by US arrives in American Samoa for inspections Press TV 12 May 2019 -- A North Korean cargo ship seized by the US over claims of having violated Washington-imposed economic sanctions has arrived in the western American territory of Samoa.
• Iran serious on nuclear deal deadline: Senior lawmaker IRNA 12 May 2019 -- An Iranian lawmaker dismissed concerns over the Tehran's international engagement policies and affirmed Iran would implement its decision on the nuclear deal after the deadline expires while sticking to its engagement policies with world.
• IRGC chief says Americans have started "psychological war" ISNA 12 May 2019 -- The United States has started a psychological war in the region, the Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami said in a parliament session on Sunday, according to a parliamentary spokesman.
• B-Team planned JCPOA exit before US quit deal: Iran FM Press TV 12 May 2019 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says US National Security Advisor John Bolton, along with anti-Iran figures in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Israel were planning to push Washington out of a multilateral 2015 nuclear deal with Iran even before Bolton was appointed to his current post.
• Americans will be 'hit on head' in case of any move: IRGC commander Press TV 12 May 2019 -- A senior commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says at the present time, US forces stationed in the Persian Gulf are in close range for the Iranian forces and "will be hit on the head" if they make a mistaken move.
• French FM warns Iran nuclear deal reactions could lead to 'bellicose spiral' Press TV 12 May 2019 -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has warned against a bellicose spiral of reactions on an international agreement on Iran nuclear activities.
• Rohani Calls For Unity As Iran Faces 'Unprecedented' Pressure From Sanctions RFE/RL 12 May 2019 -- Iran's president has called for unity among the country's political factions to counter mounting economic difficulties amid increasingly damaging financial sanctions imposed by the United States.
• Iran's IRGC Commander: 'If America Makes a Move, We'll Hit Them in the Head' Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- This comes after Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claimed that the US is waging psychological war in the Middle East amid ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington.
• Pakistan 'Bows Before' US Pressure, Ditches Joint Pipeline With Iran – Report Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- The move comes after the US slapped fresh sanctions on Iran related to the Islamic Republic's iron, steel, aluminium, and copper sectors, with Washington threatening to impose more restrictive measures on Tehran.
• Iranian President Says US Waging 'All-Out War' as Pompeo Issues New Threats Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- Washington's efforts to exert pressure on Iran have so far resulted in the country partially curbing its commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal and vowing not to back down before US sabre-rattling.
• Pompeo Says Iran is 'Major Destabilizing Influence' the US 'Aims to Fix' Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- The US Secretary of State, while speaking on CNBC, said that the Islamic Republic of Iran is an active threat to American interests as it spreads chaos in the Middle East, however, the White House would "of course" welcome the opportunity to negotiate with Tehran.
• Chinese vice premier urges China-US cooperation, vows no compromise on major principles Global Times 12 May 2019 -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said Friday that cooperation is the only right choice for China and the United States, but China will not compromise on major issues of principle.
• President Tsai warns of China's influence on Taiwan's media CNA 12 May 2019 -- A call by a top Chinese official for media outlets across the Taiwan Strait to promote peaceful unification demonstrates that China has put pressure on Taiwanese media organizations, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said Sunday.
• Chinese official bashes U.S. at cross-strait media gathering CNA 12 May 2019 -- In a message the government-controlled Chinese media has played down, a top Beijing official has warned Taiwan that the United States will not be able to preserve Taiwan's security and that time is on China's side in cross-Taiwan Strait affairs.
• India's Election Turns Bitter as It Holds 2nd to Last Round of Polling VOA 12 May 2019 -- Undeterred by the soaring summer temperatures across the plains of India, millions of voters lined up in seven states on Sunday to cast ballots in an election that has turned increasingly bitter as the race appears to be getting tighter.
• Daesh Reportedly Claims it Has Established a "Province" in India Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- This comes after a series of deadly blasts hit Sri Lanka in April, leaving hundreds of people dead and injured. The Daesh* terrorist group claimed responsibility for the wave attacks which rocked the island nation.
• Pakistan, IMF Reach Deal On $6 Billion Bailout Package RFE/RL 12 May 2019 -- Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have reached a staff-level agreement on a new three-year, $6 billion bailout package following months of negotiations.
• Lebanon-Based Media Claims Blasts Rock Fujairah Port, UAE Officials Deny Reports Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- Several heavy explosions occurred early on Sunday in the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, a number of media reports say. The reports, citing eyewitnesses, further suggested that American and French warplanes have been seen flying over the port at the time of the incident.
• Commercial Spaceflight: Virgin Galactic Announces 1st Public Suborbital Visits Sputnik 12 May 2019 -- Spaceflight company Virgin Galactic is preparing for the transfer of its development and testing activities from Mojave, California, to New Mexico, where Spaceport America is located, signifying that its first commercial flights are just around the corner.
• Ex-Armenian President Kocharian Faces Trial Over Deadly 2008 Crackdown RFE/RL 12 May 2019 -- Former Armenian President Robert Kocharian is set to go on trial on May 13 on charges of overthrowing the constitutional order during the final weeks of his decade-long rule that ended in April 2008.
• Critics of Indonesian President Face Treason Charges VOA 12 May 2019 -- The lead-up to the May 22 official announcement of the results of the Indonesian presidential and legislative elections has been colored by disbelief, attempts at de-legitimization and denials of loss.
• Four commercial ships subjected to sabotage operations near UAE territorial waters, no fatalities or injuries reported SPA 12 May 2019 -- Four commercial ships were subjected to sabotage operations today, 12th May, near UAE territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of Fujairah, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has announced.
• UAE: Sabotage on 4 Commercial Ships in Gulf of Oman VOA 12 May 2019 -- The United Arab Emirates says four commercial ships were subjected to "sabotage operations" Sunday near its territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman.