• 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

• Pakistan PM to Be First Head of State to Meet Taliban VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- Pakistan's prime minister is expected to become the first head of state to meet the Taliban leadership since the militant group's ouster from power in 2001. An Afghan official confirmed, on the condition of anonymity, that the move has the Afghan government's consent.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Russia tracking NATO warships in Black Sea Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- Russia says its Black Sea Fleet is monitoring NATO warships in the sea, as the military bloc has increased its presence and boosted its activities there.
• Russia: Fire On Nuclear-Powered Submarine Started In Battery Compartment RFE/RL 04 Jul 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has disclosed that a deep-sea submarine hit by a deadly fire earlier this week was nuclear-powered, and the defense minister assured him of the containment of the vessel's reactor.
• Fire in Battery Compartment Main Reason Behind Fire on Sub - Russian Defence Minister Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- The fire broke out inside the submersible on 1 July, killing 14 crew members who died of toxic smoke inhalation; the rest of the crew were rescued and the research vessel has been towed to the Severomorsk naval base in northern Russia.
• Moscow Ready to Settle INF Treaty Dispute With Washington Based on Mutual Transparency - Russian FM Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- The director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for Nonproliferation and Arms Control, Vladimir Ermakov, said Wednesday that Moscow welcomes Washington's support to create preconditions for further moves toward nuclear disarmament.
• China revitalizes old howitzers with modern add-ons Global Times 04 Jul 2019 -- China has revitalized a type of howitzer that has been part of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) arsenal for more than half a century by updating it with equipment that suits the needs of modern warfare.
• French Reconnaissance Ship Dupuy de Lome Enters Black Sea Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- The French naval reconnaissance ship Dupuy de Lome has entered the Black Sea, according to the resource Bosphorus Observer, which tracks the passage of vessels through the Bosphorus.
• F-16V sale request under review by U.S.: MOFA CNA 04 Jul 2019 -- Taiwan's request to buy a batch of F-16V fighter jets is being reviewed by the United States, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday, amid reports that the Trump Administration could approve the sale around August.
• Taiwan monitors alleged PLA submarine movements near offshore island CNA 04 Jul 2019 -- Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Thursday that it monitors the country's surrounding waters and airspace closely at all times, after a Chinese submarine was allegedly spotted operating near one of Taiwan's offshore islands earlier in the day.
• Erdogan: US refusal to deliver F-35s would be 'robbery' Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says it would be "robbery" if the United States refused to deliver the F-35 stealth fighter jets purchased by Ankara.
• Turkey To Actively Use S-400 Systems, Deliveries To Start in Coming Days - Erdogan's Spokesperson Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu earlier this day confirmed that the S-400 deal was done and the US-Turkish spat over the acquisition of the air defence systems started to die down.
• Tensions Around S-400 Deal Subsiding After G20 Summit - Ankara Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- US-Turkish disagreements over Ankara purchasing Russian S-400 air defence systems have started to die down after the recent G20 summit in Japan's Osaka, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.
• Erdogan Accuses US of Engaging in 'Robbery' Amid Non-Delivery of Turkey's F-35s Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- Turkey is a major partner nation in Lockheed Martin's F-35 programme, investing over a billion dollars into the fighter, and voicing its intentions to purchase up to 120 of the advanced fifth-generation warplanes. Washington froze the delivery of F-35s to Turkey over Ankara's decision to buy the S-400, an advanced Russian-made air defence system.
• £85M contract to boost Type-23 capabilities UK MOD 04 Jul 2019 -- The Ministry of Defence has signed an £85 million contract with Rolls-Royce to maintain the engines of the Royal Navy's Type-23 frigate fleet.

Defense Industry

• Russian Helicopters Working on World's Heaviest Arctic Helicopter - Company CEO Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- Russian Helicopters (part of Russian state corporation Rostec) is developing the arctic version of the heaviest mass-produced helicopter in the world, Mi-26T2V, Andrei Boginsky, the holding's director general, told Sputnik Thursday.

Other Conflicts

• Yemen's Stalled Peace Process Compounds Country's Acute Humanitarian Crisis VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- The International Committee of the Red Cross is calling for the urgent revival of Yemen's stalled peace process to end the conflict that is deepening the country's already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
• Yemen's Houthis Conduct Drone Attack Against Saudi Arabia's Abha Airport - Report Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- Yemen's Shia Houthi rebels claimed on Thursday to have launched a second consecutive attack against a Saudi Arabian airport, this time targeting the high-altitude Abha Airport, Reuters reported, citing the Al Masirah TV broadcaster.
• Saudi-led Coalition Says Foiled Houthi Drone Attack Against Jizan Airport - Report Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- Yemen's Shia Houthi rebels on Thursday launched another attack on Saudi Arabia's Jizan airport. The Houthi faction in Yemen is claiming that they are targeting military sites, Reuters reported, citing the Houthi-run Almasirah TV channel.
• 28k Syrian refugees 'hostage' of US-controlled militants Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- The Russian and Syrian coordination headquarters have raised alarm at the situation in the Rukban "death camp," saying about 28,000 Syrian refugees have been taken "hostage" by US-controlled militants there.
• 18 IS militants killed in Iraq in anti-IS operations, airstrikes People's Daily 04 Jul 2019 -- A total of 18 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Wednesday in operations by Iraqi security forces and airstrikes by international U.S.-led coalition aircraft, the Iraqi military said.
• UN chief "outraged" by attacks on Libyan detention center People's Daily 04 Jul 2019 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "outraged" by the overnight airstrikes that hit a detention center east of Tripoli, the capital of Libya, his spokesman said on Wednesday.
• UN envoy slams EU blindness to plight of migrants in Libya after strikes on detention center Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- The UN has lambasted the EU's "blindness" on the plight of refugees in Libya, urging a rethink of returning Europe-bound migrants intercepted at the Mediterranean to the North African country.
• Libya's Eastern Forces Deny Targeting Civilians VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- A spokesman for one of Libya's two rival armies has denied targeting civilians after an airstrike blamed on the armed group killed as many as 55 people in Tripoli on Tuesday night.
• Turkey FM accuses Washington Post of terror propaganda over PKK article Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has censured major American daily newspaper The Washington Post for promoting "terrorist propaganda," after it published an article penned by a founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group.
• Remarks by White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner at the Peace to Prosperity Workshop The White House 04 Jul 2019
• Most Political Observers Pan US Economic Framework for Mideast Peace VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- A recent (June 25-26) U.S.-sponsored workshop in Bahrain aimed to showcase the purported economic benefits a Mideast peace deal could bring. Spearheaded by White House adviser Jared Kushner - President Trump's son-in-law - it proposes an international fund to lift the West Bank, Gaza and neighboring Arab state economies by $50 billion, half for investments or loans to the Palestinians over 10 years. But analysts say introducing economics divorced from a realistic political plan is a non-starter for Palestinians and Israelis.
• Abbas: Deal of century will not succeed just like Manama workshop Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says US President Donald Trump's controversial proposal for "peace" between the Israeli regime and Palestinians, dubbed "the deal of the century," will fail just like a recently concluded US-backed economic workshop in Bahrain.
• Netanyahu threatens Gaza with 'large-scale military operation' Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened a "large-scale" military offensive against the Gaza Strip.

News Reports

• US Court Rejects Trump Administration Request for Border Wall Military Funding - Reports Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- The US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a freeze on using Pentagon money to build a border wall with Mexico, local media reported.
• UN Human Rights report on Venezuela urges immediate measures to halt and remedy grave rights violations OHCHR 04 Jul 2019 -- A UN human rights report published today urges the Government of Venezuela to take immediate, concrete measures to halt and remedy the grave violations of economic, social, civil, political and cultural rights documented in the country.
• UN Human Rights chief urges Venezuela to halt grave rights violations UN News 04 Jul 2019 -- The Venezuelan authorities should take immediate steps to halt widespread rights violations being perpetrated against the country's people and work to resolve "this all-consuming crisis", the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Thursday.
• Sudan's Military Council, Opposition Resume Direct Talks VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- Sudan's ruling military council and opposition groups resumed talks Wednesday after a month delay. The talks have raised hopes for a return to stability in Sudan. But the sides have yet to agree which one will hold ultimate power in a proposed transitional government.
• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, July 4, 2019 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 04 Jul 2019
• Managing To Win: Sagging Popularity Forces Russia's Ruling Party To Dig Into Its Bag Of Election Tricks RFE/RL 04 Jul 2019 -- Oleg Shein might seem like a perfect choice of a candidate to challenge the ruling-party incumbent in the race for governor in Russia's Astrakhan Oblast.
• Putin Visiting Rome To Bolster Ties With Italy, Meet With Pope RFE/RL 04 Jul 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Rome where he is set to hold talks with Italian leaders and Pope Francis, in a possible prelude to a papal trip to Russia.
• Putin Meets With Pope, Italian Leaders During Rome Visit VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Italy on Thursday for the first time in four years, at the invitation of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who was in Moscow last October.
• North Korea says US 'hell-bent on hostility' Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- North Korea has reacted to a move by the United States to urge other countries to expel North Korean workers, saying Washington's hostilities continue unabated even as US President Donald Trump seems to warm up to North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.
• North Korean Leader Says Took Note of Abe's Intention to Meet - Reports Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said that he took note of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's intention to hold talks with him, the NHK broadcaster reported on Thursday, citing sources.
• Gibraltar Seizes Iranian Oil Tanker VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- Police in the British territory of Gibraltar have seized an Iranian oil tanker suspected of carrying crude oil to Syria, violating European Union sanctions.
• UK seizure of Iranian oil tanker amounts to sea piracy: Official IRNA 04 Jul 2019 -- An official with Iran's Foreign Ministry described UK move to seize Iranian oil tanker as sea piracy, saying that Iran will use its political and legal capacities to release the tanker and regain its rights.
• Iran summons UK envoy over illegal seizure of oil tanker IRNA 04 Jul 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador to Iran over the illegal seizure of an Iranian oil tanker.
• Iran summons UK ambassador after 'illegal' tanker seizure Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- Iran's Foreign Ministry has summoned Britain's ambassador to the country after British forces seized an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar.
• UK seizes 'Syria-bound oil tanker' in Gibraltar on suspension of violating EU bans Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- The British overseas territory Gibraltar says it has seized a supertanker on suspicion of carrying crude oil to Syria in violation of European Union (EU) sanctions against the Arab country.
• Iran Summons British Envoy Over 'Illegal' Seizure Of Oil Tanker In Gibraltar RFE/RL 04 Jul 2019 -- Iran has summoned the British ambassador in Tehran over the "illegal seizure" of an Iranian oil tanker in Gibraltar, the official government news agency IRNA quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi as saying on July 4.
• Iran Summons UK's Ambassador in Tehran Over 'Illegal Seizure' of Iranian Oil Tanker - Reports Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- Earlier, British Royal Marines and officials from the British colony of Gibraltar detained a vessel suspected of transporting oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions.
• Spain Says Syria-Bound Tanker Was Seized Near Gibraltar on US Orders, Checks if Sovereignty Violated Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- Earlier, the territory's head stated that Gibraltar police and customs agencies detained a vessel suspected of transporting oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions.
• Iran FM Zarif: Multilateral agreement cannot be implemented unilaterally IRNA 04 Jul 2019 -- Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif slammed the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, saying that a multilateral agreement cannot be implemented unilaterally.
• Russia urges US to lift Iran's oil embargo IRNA 04 Jul 2019 -- Russia's envoy to Vienna-based international organizations urged the US to lift Iran's oil embargo in order to de-escalate tensions in the region.
• Europe trade channel with Iran about to operate in coming days: French minister Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- French Finance and Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire says he hopes that a special financial mechanism set up by European powers with Iran, known as Instex, will complete the first transaction in the coming days.
• Iran's enrichment limitation voluntary step: Russia's IAEA envoy Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- The Russian envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran accepted to limit the amount of its low-enriched uranium only as a voluntary step, adding that the UN nuclear agency does not enforce any limitations on the volume of the product that the Islamic Republic can keep.
• Trump distorts Rouhani's words on uranium enrichment Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- US President Donald Trump has distorted remarks by his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, regarding Tehran's uranium enrichment plans in reciprocation of Washington's unilateral exit from a 2015 nuclear deal and the other parties' failure to keep their side of the accord.
• US weighing extension of Iran oil waiver after China's defiance Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- The US State Department is seriously considering using an Obama-era loophole to allow China to import oil from Iran, violating the Trump administration's earlier pledge to bring Iranian oil exports down to zero, a report said.
• Saudi Arabia taking Iranian oil tanker 'hostage' Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- Iranian officials have warned Saudi Arabia against holding an oil tanker "hostage," describing it as an "illegal seizure" and a case of "ransom-seeking" aimed at gaining concessions from Iran.
• Countering US unilateralism hard test for Europe: Iran's Shamkhani Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- Iran's top security official says European countries need to stand against the US' unilateralism in a bid to defend their own "identity and security."
• Trump Warns Tehran: 'Be Careful With The Threats' RFE/RL 04 Jul 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump lashed back at Iran after it said it would soon exceed maximum allowed uranium-enrichment levels, telling Tehran that such threats can "come back to bite you."
• Iranian Minister Says Country's Military Power Prevented US From Attacking - Reports Sputnik 04 Jul 2019 -- Earlier, Iran downed a US military surveillance drone flying over Hormozgan Province after it violated the country's airspace. US Central Command insists that the UAV was shot down while operating over international waters in the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iran dimisses French official's claim on JCPOA IRNA 04 Jul 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi said in response to his French counterpart that "until the time you remain committed to JCPAO, we will do so, too."
• Envoy: Uranium enrichment inalienable right of Iran IRNA 04 Jul 2019 -- Iran's representative to the international organizations in Vienna underlined Iran's inalienable right of enriching uranium, adding that it is not given by any country.
• Supporting Iraqi nation, government Iran's principled policy: Iran's defense chief Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami says supporting the Iraqi nation and government constitutes a "principled policy" of the Islamic Republic.
• Who Will Britain Side with on Hong Kong Protests? VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- Britain is facing a dilemma with China.
• Double standards on violence in Hong Kong slammed Global Times 04 Jul 2019 -- A semblance of calm descended on downtown Hong Kong on Thursday as curious citizens visited the Legislative Council, or LegCo, to check out the damage wrought by radical protesters.
• Hands off Hong Kong: China slashes UK's interference in HKSAR People's Daily 04 Jul 2019 -- China on Wednesday expressed firm opposition to the recent comments on Hong Kong made by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, urging him to stop wanton interference in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) affairs.
• Existing US tariffs must be removed if Washington wants trade deal with Beijing: China Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- China says the existing US tariffs against the country must first be removed if Washington wants any trade deal with Beijing.
• South Sudan on High Alert for Ebola Virus VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- South Sudan's health officials are ramping up efforts to prevent the deadly Ebola virus from entering the country following a confirmed case some 70 kilometers from the border, in the northern Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Pakistan Hopes First Trump-Khan Meeting Will Mean Change in Often Acrimonious Relations VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- Pakistan announced Thursday Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Washington for talks with President Donald Trump on July 22.
• Australia Plans to Stop Militant Fighters Returning Home VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- Australia is expected to introduce anti-terror laws to parliament Thursday that would ban foreign fighters from returning home for up to two years. The government has said the measures are necessary to protect Australia from extremism, but critics have insisted they would violate the rights of citizens.
• Protests Over Police Violence In Georgia Reach Two-Week Milestone RFE/RL 04 Jul 2019 -- Demonstrators rallied in the center of the Georgian capital for a 14th straight night, demanding the resignation of the country's interior minister.
• Cambodia premier censures use of rights as 'political tool' by Western states Press TV 04 Jul 2019 -- Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has strongly denounced the United States and some EU countries for using human rights as a "political tool" to meddle in internal affairs of weaker states.
• Western Balkan Ministers Meeting In Poland To Discuss EU Aspirations RFE/RL 04 Jul 2019 -- Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz has called for "stronger cooperation" between the European Union and the six Western Balkan countries that remain outside the bloc, saying it will help increase the "stability and development" of the region.
• Kosovo Bans Serbian Officials In New Diplomatic Dispute RFE/RL 04 Jul 2019 -- Kosovo has banned all Serbian officials from entering the country, in another escalation of relations between Serbia and its former province.
• US Imposes Travel Ban on Malawian Official Over Corruption VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- The U.S. government has imposed a travel ban on a special adviser to Malawi's president because of corruption charges.
• Thailand Pro-Democracy Activists Bruised, Bloodied in Spate of Unsolved Attacks VOA 04 Jul 2019 -- The blows from the men in visored helmets swinging metal pipes came fast and furious, Anurak Jeantawanich recalled.