Operations
Defense Policy / Programs
Defense Industry
Other Conflicts
News Reports

Current Operations

• US team begins establishing op center in Turkey for 'safe zone' in Syria Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- A US delegation has arrived in Turkey to set up an operation center in the country for the stated purpose of creating a "safe zone" in Syria.
• Taliban, US End Latest Round of Talks Without Announcing Outcome VOA 12 Aug 2019 -- The United States and the Taliban have concluded the eighth round of talks aimed at reaching an agreement between the two adversaries to end the 18-year-old war in Afghanistan and jumpstart intra-Afghan peace negotiations.
• Inconclusive again: US, Taliban end latest round of talks in Doha Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- The latest round of talks on a pact that would allow the United States to end its longest war and shrink the number of its troops in Afghanistan has ended without agreement, the Taliban says.
• Taliban: Afghan Peace Talks With U.S. 'Long And Useful'; Sides To Consult RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- U.S. and Taliban negotiators will consult their leaders following an eighth round of peace talks to end the nearly 18-year war in Afghanistan, the Taliban says.
• Tajik Man Emerges In Afghanistan As Leader Of IS Unit Of Central Asian Fighters RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- A little-known, 31-year-old Tajik man who grew up in a Dushanbe suburb has emerged as a unit leader of the Islamic State (IS) affiliate in Afghanistan as the extremist group tries to expand its footprint in the war-torn country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• The Corps' JLTV achieves Initial Operational Capability USMC News 12 Aug 2019 -- The Marine Corps' Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is officially ready to deploy and support missions of the naval expeditionary force-in-readiness worldwide.
• USS Gerald R. Ford's Propulsion Plant Reaches Completion NNS 12 Aug 2019 -- Sailors assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78) Reactor Department and Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS) technicians recently completed a production milestone by reaching the propulsion plant completion date (PPCD), July 22.
• USS Porter (DDG 78) Departs Varna, Bulgaria NNS 12 Aug 2019 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) departed Varna, Bulgaria, Aug. 11, 2019, after completing a scheduled port visit as part of our continued Black Sea presence and support to our NATO allies and regional partners.
• Bataan Amphibious Ready Group Completes SWATT NNS 12 Aug 2019 -- The USS Bataan (LHD 5) Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) completed its first Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise Aug. 5.
• MARMC Completes Repairs on USS Bataan's Ship's Service Turbine Generator NNS 12 Aug 2019 -- Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) received accolades from the Commanding Officer of USS Bataan for their efforts to repair the ship's number 5 ship's service turbine generator (SSTG).
• Navy Warfare Center Engineers Revolutionize AEGIS Combat System Training with CIAT NNS 12 Aug 2019 -- The Combined Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Trainer – known as CIAT – opened its doors for training and hosted an open house for numerous commands and ships, July 12.
• 1-4 CAV Bradleys prepare for multinational exercise Army News 12 Aug 2019 -- Soldiers with the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, participate in a live-fire exercise as part of exercise Combined Resolve XII, at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, August 8, 2019.
• 173 to 173: A-10 Enhanced Wing Assembly replacement program comes to an end US Air Force 12 Aug 2019 -- Workers at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base have installed the last of 173 new wings on A-10 Thunderbolt II, finalizing a project that started in 2011 with aircraft 80-0173.
• Mobility Airmen play key role in successful satellite launch US Air Force 12 Aug 2019 -- With the help of mobility Airmen from Travis Air Force Base, the Advanced Extremely High Frequency-5 communications satellite was launched into space Aug. 8 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
• US Army Sees First Use of Miniature 'Black Hornet' Recon Drones in Afghanistan Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- US Army infantry equipped with the Black Hornet pocket-sized reconnaissance drone have been deployed to Afghanistan, marking the first time the high-tech device has been tested in a combat theater.
• German MP warns US has to take away nuclear weapons if it relocates troops to Poland Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- A German lawmaker says the United States has to remove its nuclear weapons – presently kept in Germany– and take them to its own soil, in the event of relocating American troops from Germany to Poland.
• Five Russian Nuclear Scientists Buried After Rocket Explosion RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- Thousands of people have attended the funerals of five Russian nuclear researchers killed in an explosion as they tested a new nuclear-powered engine.
• Rosatom Confirms Staffers Killed in Arkhangelsk Blast Took Part in Tests of New Weapons Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- The head of Russian nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, has confirmed that Rosatom employees who died in an explosion in Arkhangelsk Region were taking part in testing new pieces of armament, stressing that work on the weapons would be completed.
• Almost 1,000 Siberian Residents Seek Compensation After Russian Arms Depot Blasts RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- More than 800 residents of the Siberian town of Achinsk have asked for monetary compensation after two explosions at an arms depot killed one person and injured dozens more, causing as many as 16,000 residents to evacuate, TASS news agency reported.
• Two Tu-95MS Bombers Conduct 9-Hour Patrol Over Barents, Norway Seas - Russian Military Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- Two Tu-95MS strategic bombers carried out on Monday a 9-hour patrol flight over the Barents, Norwegian and North Seas, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
• Number of People Injured in Blasts at Ammo Depot in Russia's Achinsk Rises to 33 - Medics Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- The number of people wounded in a series of explosions at an ammunition depot near the town of Achinsk in Russia's Krasnoyarsk Territory has risen to 33, the local healthcare authorities said.
• Russia to Complete State Tests of Su-57 Fifth-Generation Fighter in 2019 Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- State tests of Russia's advanced Su-57 fifth-generation fighters will be completed this year, while trials of MiG-35 fighters are planned to be finalized by the end of 2021, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Lt. Gen. Sergei Dronov said.
• India Focused on Creating Laser-Based Energy Weaponry for Future Warfare - Defence Research Chief Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is now actively working on creating laser and microwave-based directed energy weapons (DEWS) for the country's armed forces.
• 13 Injured in Central Baghdad After Munitions Explode at Ammunition Depot - Report Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- A huge explosion has taken place at a weapon depot inside a Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) base near Dora in Baghdad, Al-Sumaria reported, citing a statement by a representative of the Iraqi Ministry of Health.
• South Korea Capable of Countering Missiles Tested by Pyongyang - Seoul Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- The South Korean Armed Forces are capable of countering the short-range missiles that are now being tested by North Korea, a spokesperson for the South Korean presidential administration said on Monday.
• Turkey to Receive Second Batch of Russia's S-400 Systems in August-September Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- Turkey will receive elements of the second batch of Russia's S-400 air defence systems in August-September, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Monday.
• Backing our special forces with cutting edge equipment Prime Minister of Australia 12 Aug 2019 -- Australia’s Special Forces will be better equipped to keep Australians safe thanks to a $3 billion investment in cutting edge equipment under the Coalition Government.
• Australia to spend $3 billion on military equipment in two decades Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says his government will spend three billion dollars on new weapons and military equipment over the next two decades, in a move which is believed to be taken under US pressure.
• Australia to Spend $3 Billion Over 20 Years to Bulk Up Security Forces Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- In a bid to counter looming security threats at home and abroad, Austalian officials on Monday announced that the government will be diverting some $3 billion over the next 20 years in order to strengthen the country's special forces.
• Bulgaria Pays US $1.2 Billion for Eight F-16 Aircraft - Reports Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- The Bulgarian Defence Ministry has transferred $1.2 billion to the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DCSA) under government procurement contracts to purchase eight F-16 Block 70 aircraft as well as related equipment, Bulgarian media reported, citing the Defence Ministry.
• As China Looms, Vietnam Aims to Develop a More Modern, Skilled Navy VOA 12 Aug 2019 -- A Vietnamese military official advocates developing a more modern, better skilled navy that can hold off complex threats, mainly what experts believe to be increasing pressure from China.

Defense Industry

• Contracts For Aug. 12, 2019

Other Conflicts

• Yemeni forces target mercenaries in Asir with four missiles Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- Yemeni forces have hit gatherings of Riyadh's mercenaries in the southwestern Saudi province of Asir with at least four domestically-manufactured missiles.
• Yemeni drones hit airbase in southern Saudi Arabia Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- Yemeni army, backed by allied fighters from Popular Committees, has launched a drone attack on an air base in Saudi Arabia's southwestern province of Asir.
• UAE Crown Prince Meets with Saudi King, Mohammed Bin Salman to Discuss Yemen VOA 12 Aug 2019 -- The Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates met in Mecca Monday with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman over the latest developments in Yemen. Yemen's southern separatists have seized control of the southern capital, Aden, from the internationally recognized government of President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi, but say they will continue to work with the Saudi-led coalition.
• Coalition of legitimacy support in Yemen refers one of results of targeting operations to Joint Accident Assessment Team to consider the possibility of accident SPA 12 Aug 2019 -- Col. Turki Al-Maliki, the official spokesman of the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen, said that the coalition's joint forces command referred one of the results of the targeting operations in the area of operations to the Joint Accident Assessment Team to consider the possibility of an accident.
• Forces of Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen intercept and shoot down drone launched from Sanaa province by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist militia SPA 12 Aug 2019 -- Colonel Turki Al-Maliki, the spokesman of the Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen, said that on Sunday evening, the coalition forces managed to intercept and shoot down a drone lanced by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist militia from Sanaa province Towards the Kingdom.
• Houthi terrorist militia fired two ballistic missiles Saturday evening from Amran / Harf Sufyan Directorate using civilian facilities, missiles fell inside Hajjah province SPA 12 Aug 2019 -- Further to the statement issued by the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen dated August 8, 2019 on the Houthi militia's continued launching of ballistic missiles using civilian installations, including the ballistic missile launched from Al-Iman University (June 20, 2019) in Sana'a and landed in the governorate of Al-Jawf, and the ballistic missile that was launched from Souk al-Rubou (August 7, 2019) in Hajjah province and landed inside the governorate, the coalition's official spokesman Colonel Turki Al-Maliki said that the Iranian-backed terrorist Houthi militia on yesterday evening Saturday, August 10, 2019, launched two ballistic missiles from Governorate (Amran / Harf Sufyan Directorate) using civilian installation for the place of launch and fell after its launch inside the Yemeni territory in the province of (Hajja / Hiran Directorate).
• Leader of South Yemen Separatists Says Ready to Work with Saudi-Led Coalition, Commited to Ceasefire - Reports Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- Yemen's separatist Southern Transitional Council are committed to the ceasefire in Aden and are willing to work with the Saudi-led coalition, their leader said on Sunday, according to media reports.
• Russia shoots down six drones launched by Syria militants in Latakia Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- Russia has downed six drones launched by Takfiri militants against the country's Hmeimim air base in Syria's western province of Latakia.
• Turkish Military Confirms Arrival of 6 US Servicemen for Creation of Safe Zone in Syria Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- Earlier on Monday, the Haberturk broadcaster said 90 US military personnel had arrived in the province of Sanliurfa and had been delivered to the centre's premises in the town of Akcakale on the border with Syria. US troops were flown to Turkey's Sanliurfa Province and taken to the border city of Akcakale, the channel said.
• Turkey Expects Steps From US on Expansion of Safe Zone in Syria's North Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- Turkey insists that the width of the safe zone in Syria's north should amount to 30-40 kilometres (18.6-24.8 miles) and is waiting for Washington's steps, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Monday.
• Israel approves construction of 641 new settler units in Jerusalem al-Quds Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- Israeli officials have approved plans for the construction of hundreds of new housing units in occupied Jerusalem al-Quds in defiance of international outcry against the Tel Aviv regime's land expropriation and settlement expansion policies in the occupied Palestinian territories.
• France, Italy, UAE, UK, US, Call on Conflicting Sides in Libya for Immediate Ceasefire Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement in connection with the situation in Libya and called on the conflicting sides for an immediate ceasefire and the investigation into the recent attack in Benghazi, which had resulted in the deaths of three UN employees.
• Pakistan Won't Give India Opportunity to 'Cover Up Crimes in Kashmir', Army Chief Claims Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- General Qamar Javed Bajwa was addressing army troops during his visit to the Line of Control (LoC) in the Bagh sector of Pakistan-administered Kashmir on the occasion of the Eid ul Adha festival.
• India vows charter amendment won't change Kashmir's Line of Control Global Times 12 Aug 2019-- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Beijing on Monday, during which the Indian diplomat pledged that India's constitutional amendment won't create new sovereignty claims and won't change the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kashmir region.
• Indian Security Force Denies Rift with Local Police in Kashmir Amid Conflicting Reports of Violence Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- Amid reports of an unprecedented clampdown on communication services, India's Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Monday categorically denied reports of a serious rift with local police over the movement of people in the state.
• Pakistan Moves Military Equipment to Base Near Indian Border - Reports Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- Last week, India signed a decree depriving the state of Jammu and Kashmir of its special status granted by the Constitution. The Indian Parliament then approved the governmental initiative to bifurcate the state into two separate entities. Pakistan has strongly condemned India's moves with regard to Jammu and Kashmir.
• China Holds Sovereignty and Administrative Jurisdiction over Ladakh: Chinese FM Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- Days after India declared Ladakh a separate territory under the direct control of the central government, Beijing on Monday made it crystal clear that it does not accept this and that it will not change its position that China exercises sovereignty and administrative jurisdiction over the territories involved.
• India Favours Stable Relations With China After Beijing Criticises Kashmir Move Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- Days after China called the Indian government's move on Kashmir "unacceptable", India's External Affairs Minister has emphasised that India-China relations should be a "factor of stability" in an uncertain world.
• Belgian Company on 'Dirty List' Cuts Ties With Myanmar Military VOA 12 Aug 2019 -- A Belgian company has become the first to announce it is cutting ties with Myanmar's military after a United Nations fact-finding mission called on businesses to sever all financial links to the country's generals.

News Reports

• Press Briefing by USCIS Acting Director Ken Cuccinelli The White House 12 Aug 2019
• The Dear Leader Is Dead -- Long Live The Dear Leader: What's An Authoritarian Regime To Do When Its Leader Dies? RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- You're part of the elite governing an authoritarian regime. The regime's titular leader is ailing, possibly on death's door. Who's going to succeed him is an open question. What's a regime to do?
• Trevor Noah, John Oliver Make Hay With Turkmen Leader's Disappearance RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- Before his sudden reemergence at the Caspian Economic Forum this week, speculation had recently been swirling in Turkmenistan after the country's strongman president disappeared from public view for more than a month.
• After Weeks Of Death Rumors, Turkmen President Opens Conference RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- ASHGABAT -- Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has given the opening speech at the Caspian Economic Forum in Turkmenistan -- his first public appearance since July 5 amid rumors that he had died or had slipped into a coma during hospital treatment.
• Jahangiri: US seeking insecurity in Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz IRNA 12 Aug 2019 -- Iranian First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said Iran has always been the guardian of security in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that the US has recently been after creating insecurity in this region.
• Zarif says military coalitions already failed IRNA 12 Aug 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the military coalitions have been already failed and stressed that foreign forces cause insecurity in the region.
• Iran's Zarif: US arms sales turning Persian Gulf into 'tinderbox' Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned against an arms race in the Middle East, saying the United States has turned the Persian Gulf region into a "tinderbox ready to blow up" by selling weaponry to certain regional countries.
• Zarif: US coalition in Persian Gulf 'failure in advance' Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has strictly blasted the idea of foreign military presence in the Persian Gulf, taking a swipe at efforts by the United States to form a naval coalition to patrol the strategic waters.
• Zarif says US arms sales make Persian Gulf into 'tinderbox ready to blow up' IRNA 12 Aug 2019 -- Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif warned against an arms race in the Middle East, saying the recent US weapons sales have turned the Persian Gulf region into a "tinderbox ready to blow up".
• Zarif says economic terrorism boosts insecurity in region IRNA 12 Aug 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described as effective economic terrorism against Iranian nations, saying it has increased insecurity in the region.
• US seeks insecurity in Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz: Iran VP Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- Iran's First Vice President Es'haq Jahangiri says the United States seeks to sow insecurity in the Persian Gulf and the strategic Strait of Hormuz to use it as an excuse for military buildup in this region.
• US economic terrorism has 'no impact' on Iran, but ups insecurity in region: Zarif Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic is impervious to the US "economic terrorism," stressing that such measures taken by the United States have only stoked insecurity in the region.
• US, UK responsible for consequences of Israeli presence in Persian Gulf: IRGC Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has warned that any Israeli presence in the Persian Gulf may result in a war in the region, and the responsibility for the consequences of such illegal presence lies with the US and the UK.
• Iran Accuses U.S., Allies Of Turning Persian Gulf Into 'Tinderbox' RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has accused the United States and its allies of turning the Persian Gulf into a "tinderbox ready to blow up" by "pouring weapons" into the region, Al Jazeera reported.
• Videos show People's Armed Police assembling in Shenzhen apparently for exercises Global Times 12 Aug 2019-- The People's Armed Police have been assembling in Shenzhen, a city bordering Hong Kong, in advance of apparent large-scale exercises, videos obtained by the Global Times have shown.
• China's armed police assembled in Shenzhen People's Daily 12 Aug 2019 -- The People's Armed Police have been assembling in Shenzhen. Numerous armored personnel carriers (APC), trucks and other vehicles of the Armed Police were seen on expressways heading in the direction of Shenzhen over the weekend and assembling there.
• Chinese Police Trucks Seen in Hong Kong-Neighboring Shenzhen Amid Protests Sputnik 12 Aug 2019 -- Fears of Beijing intervening in the Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests were raised Monday after footage emerged showing several armored trucks belonging to China's People's Armed Police traveling through Shenzhen, which borders the autonomous city.
• Tsai condemns HK violence, calls for restoration of peace CNA 12 Aug 2019 -- President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday condemned the violence that is taking place in Hong Kong and expressed the hope that peace be restored as soon as possible.
• Hong Kong at 'critical juncture' as rioters show signs of 'terrorism': China Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- China has condemned violent protesters in Hong Kong where 5,000 people occupying the Hong Kong airport's arrivals hall for a fourth day went to the departure area Monday and caused disruptions.
• Thousands of Anti-Extradition Protesters Occupy Hong Kong's International Airport Radio Free Asia 12 Aug 2019-- Thousands of anti-extradition protesters converged on Hong Kong's international airport on Monday, prompting the authorities to cancel all remaining flights from the city.
• Key US Lawmaker Warns China on Treatment of Hong Kong Protesters VOA 12 Aug 2019 -- A key U.S. lawmaker is warning China against harsh reprisals on pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong, thousands of whom occupied the territory's international airport on Monday, forcing the cancellation of all flights.
• Protesters Fill Hong Kong's International Airport VOA 12 Aug 2019 -- Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators filled Hong Kong's international airport Monday, forcing the cancellation of all flights.
• More evidence shows US diplomats' engagement in Hong Kong riots Global Times 12 Aug 2019 -- Media revealed more evidence of US diplomats' engagement in stirring the situation of ongoing riots in Hong Kong as they were reported to have met Hong Kong separatists before meeting Joshua Wong on the same day, Chinese media reported on Sunday.
• Netanyahu To Be First Israeli Prime Minister To Visit Ukraine In 20 Years RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Ukraine on August 18-20, the first foreign leader to visit the country since Volodymyr Zelenskiy became president.
• Nigeria's Sheikh Zakzaky, wife head for India to receive medical care Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- Nigeria's Muslim cleric Sheikh Ibrahim al-Zakzaky has headed for India to receive treatment as his health condition is deteriorating after spending four years in detention along with his wife, who was also injured during a crackdown by Nigerian authorities in 2015.
• Caspian Sea littoral states ink economic cooperation deal Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- Iran and four other Caspian Sea countries have signed an agreement on economic cooperation in Turkmenistan's capital.
• Guatemala's election winner hopes to change recent migrant deal with US Press TV 12 Aug 2019 -- The victor of Guatemala's presidential election, Alejandro Giammattei, has emerged to be outspoken in his opposition to a recent migration deal that his predecessor inked with the United States, saying he hopes to make changes to the controversial agreement.
• Presidential Elections in Guatemala US Dept. of State 12 Aug 2019
• Giammattei Wins Guatemala Presidential Election VOA 12 Aug 2019 -- Conservative candidate Alejandro Giammattei has won the presidential runoff election in Guatemala.
• Argentina's President Dealt a Blow in Primaries VOA 12 Aug 2019 -- Argentina's voters dealt President Mauricio Macri a crushing blow Sunday.
• North Macedonia's President Orders Action On Corruption Scandal RFE/RL 12 Aug 2019 -- North Macedonia's new president, Stevo Pendarovski, has demanded that officials return from vacation to continue a corruption investigation.