• 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

• North Atlantic Council Statement on Afghanistan NATO 24 Apr 2020
• Afghan Taliban reject government offer of Ramadan ceasefire Press TV 24 Apr 2020 -- The Taliban militant group in Afghanistan has rejected a government offer for a ceasefire in the country during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
• Taliban Rejects Afghan Cease-Fire Offer During Ramadan RFE/RL 24 Apr 2020 -- The Taliban has rejected a Ramadan cease-fire offer from the Afghan government, saying such a move is "not rational" amid disagreements over the peace process.
• PA Guard prioritizing safety at Wilkes-Barre COVID-19 test site Army News 24 Apr 2020 -- While the goal of the COVID-19 testing site at Mohegan Sun Arena is to test members of the Luzerne County community, the safety of those operating the testing site is a high priority.
• West Virginia Guard conducts testing at state hospitals Army News 24 Apr 2020 -- The West Virginia National Guard (WVNG) tested about 500 patients and staff at four state hospitals for COVID-19 April 23.
• Michigan National Guard supports COVID detection effort Army News 24 Apr 2020 -- While almost 750 Michigan National Guard Soldiers and Airmen continue to distribute food, manage supplies and support alternate care facilities to fight COVID-19, two specially trained Guard members are assisting the state's Bureau of Laboratories.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Navy Accepts Delivery of USS Zumwalt NNS 24 Apr 2020 -- The Navy accepted delivery of USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), the lead ship of the Navy's next-generation of multi-mission surface combatants, on April 24.
• Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Delbert D. Black NNS 24 Apr 2020 -- The Navy accepted delivery of the guided missile destroyer Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) from Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) Ingalls shipbuilding division, Apr. 24.
• Navy Statement on Status of Preliminary Inquiry NNS 24 Apr 2020 -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday has presented recommendations to the Acting Secretary of the Navy James McPherson. Secretary McPherson is continuing discussions with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. No final decisions have been made.
• Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Hoffman Updates Reporters on DOD Operations DoD 24 Apr 2020 -- Jonathan Rath Hoffman, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
• USS Kidd Evacuates Sailor, Embarks COVID-19 Medical Response Team NNS 24 Apr 2020 -- A Sailor assigned to USS Kidd (DDG 100) tested positive for COVID-19 after being medically evacuated to the United States from operations at sea, April 23.
• 840 sailors on USS Theodore Roosevelt test positive for COVID-19: US Navy Press TV 24 Apr 2020 -- A total of 840 US sailors have tested positive for the coronavirus on the virus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt, according to the United States Navy.
• Readout of Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper's Phone Call With Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono DoD 24 Apr 2020
• DOD Plans for Resumption of Normal Operations After Pandemic DoD News 24 Apr 2020 -- Defense Department planners are working on how to resume normal military operations following the coronavirus pandemic, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said.
• Undersea Warfare Center Begins Producing Safety Equipment for Naval Hospital NNS 24 Apr 2020 -- The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division, Keyport has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Naval Hospital Bremerton (NHB) to produce safety equipment for the hospital during the Coronavirus pandemic.
• NRL-developed Ocean Prediction System Steers Ice-Bound Antarctic Vessel to Open Waters NNS 24 Apr 2020 -- The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's Global Ocean Forecast System (GOFS) provided valuable environmental information on March 18 that helped a research icebreaking ship navigate out of Antarctic's ice-laden waters.
• 6th Fleet Ships, Aircraft Conduct a Photo Exercise with the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea NNS 24 Apr 2020 -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Porter (DDG 78) and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) and a P-8A Poseidon from Patrol Squadron (VP) 4, conducted a photo exercise (PHOTOEX) with Italian Navy frigate ITS Federico Martinengo (F 596) in the Mediterranean Sea, April 23.
• Navy takes delivery of final Block II Super Hornet, looks ahead to Block III NNS 24 Apr 2020 -- Since 2005, F/A-18 Super Hornet Block II aircraft have been rolling off Boeing's production line and serving as the U.S. Navy's multi-mission capable workhorse. The service took delivery of the final Block II Super Hornet, closing out a run of 322 one-seater F/A-18Es and 286 two-seated F/A-18Fs, on April 17.
• USNS Richard E. Byrd Conducts Replenishment-at-Sea with USS Blue Ridge NNS 24 Apr 2020 -- Military Sealift Command's (MSC) Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4) conducted a replenishment-at-sea (RAS) with U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) in the Philippine Sea, April 17.
• Army moves to reclaim lost time in modernization programs Army News 24 Apr 2020 -- Signature modernization programs remain on track to deliver capabilities to Soldiers, despite facing delays due to the coronavirus, Army leaders said Thursday.
• Denmark blasts US 'insult' of military buildup in Greenland Press TV 24 Apr 2020 -- Danish politicians have decried the United States' offer to provide financial aid to Greenland – the autonomous Danish territory – in an effort to boost US military presence in the Arctic region.
• U.S. warship transits through Taiwan Strait CNA 24 Apr 2020 -- The USS Barry, an American Arleigh-Burke class guided missile destroyer, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Thursday, according to a Facebook post by the U.S. Seventh Fleet.
• US Warship Transits Taiwan Strait For the Second Time in One Month Sputnik 24 Apr 2020 -- China has repeatedly criticized the US for sailing its warships through the Taiwan Strait, characterizing the transits as "dangerous" behaviour that "severely harms peace and stability" in the region.
• China launches second amphibious assault ship PLA Daily 24 Apr 2020 -- China's second amphibious assault ship was launched in Shanghai on Wednesday, according to footage published on Chinese websites.
• South Korea claims 'unusual' rise in military plane activities by North Press TV 24 Apr 2020 -- The South Korean defense minister says North Korea has recently shown an "unusual increase" in inspecting the country's combat readiness and carrying out air force flight operations.
• German Defence Minister Reveals Reason to Buy US F-18 Jets - Reports Sputnik 24 Apr 2020 -- Last year, Berlin scrapped plans to buy Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth combat aircraft in order to replace the Tornado fighter-bombers that have been in service in the German Armed Forces since the early 1980s.
• Iran vows to target U.S. warships if security threatened People's Daily 24 Apr 2020 -- Iran will target the U.S. military vessels in the Gulf if they threaten Iran's security, the chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said Thursday, Tasnim news agency reported.
• Zarif: Neither US nor Europe can lecture Iran on its missile program Press TV 24 Apr 2020 -- Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says neither the United States nor its European allies, with their 'flimsy' misreading of the landmark nuclear deal of 2015, is allowed to 'lecture' the Islamic Republic on its missile program.
• UK: Iran's Ballistic Missile Programme is Destabilising for Middle East, Threatens Regional Security Sputnik 24 Apr 2020 -- On 22 April, the Iranian military said that its first military satellite Noor (Light) had been successfully placed into an orbit located 425 kilometres (265 miles) above the Earth's surface, using a Qassed (Envoy) carrier. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo doubted the launch's compliance with UN resolutions.
• IRGC's Noor-1 satellite: A new chapter in Iran's defense power Press TV 24 Apr 2020 -- Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) successfully placed the Islamic Republic's first ever military satellite in its designated orbit on Wednesday, using a rocket which is also the country's first three-stage launch vehicle to successfully deliver its load.
• Iran receives signals from military satellite, vows new surprises Press TV 24 Apr 2020 -- The Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Aerospace Division has said that the country is receiving signals from its recently launched Noor satellite and that it plans to launch a future satellite in higher orbit.
• US Allies Condemn Iran's Satellite Launch As Russia Defends The Move Radio Farda 24 Apr 2020 -- Following strong condemnation by the Unites States two of its major European allies, France and Germany, have also criticized Iran's launch of a military satellite into space.
• U.K. Says Iranian Military Satellite Launch 'Of Significant Concern' RFE/RL 24 Apr 2020 -- Britain says it is concerned over Iran's launching of a military satellite and urged Tehran to uphold a United Nations resolution on refraining from such activities.
• Thailand Postpones Purchase of Chinese Submarines Amid New COVID-19 Budget Cuts Sputnik 24 Apr 2020 -- Forced to make substantial military budget cuts, Bangkok is moving to suspend a number of arms deals, including the Royal Thai Navy's (RTN) anticipated procurement of two additional S26T submarines from Beijing.
• Briefing With Acting Assistant Secretary Michael Kozak, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs On Developments in the Western Hemisphere US Dept. of State 24 Apr 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 24, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 24 April 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 24 Apr 2020
• UN Security Council adopts China-sponsored resolution on peacekeepers' safety and security PLA Daily 24 Apr 2020 -- The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2518 (2020) on the safety and security of peacekeepers, which was initiated and submitted by China recently. The resolution was co-sponsored by 43 countries, including Russia, Vietnam, and Indonesia, which is a first of its kind on the safety and security of peacekeepers since the implementation of the UN peacekeeping operation in 1948. It aims to systematically respond to the growing traditional and non-traditional security threats faced by UN peacekeepers.
• The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Announcing a one-month extension of a Comprehensive Ceasefire in Yemen SPA 24 Apr 2020 -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen COL Turki Al-Malki
• Suspected Militants Hurl Grenade at Security Personnel in Kashmir Sputnik 24 Apr 2020 -- The Indian government earlier claimed that the number of terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir have decreased since the abrogation of Article 370, stripping the state of its special status. However, with the onset of summer, militants have intensified their activities.
• Pakistan's Army Accuses India's Governing BJP of Spreading Hindutva Terror Sputnik 24 Apr 2020 -- Earlier on 21 April, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan used the term "Hindutva supremacist" for the Narendra Modi government, which has been in power since 2014. Khan accused India of discriminating against Muslims while imposing its "Nazi"-like policies.
• China Urged to Free Tibet's Missing Panchen Lama on Eve of 31st Birthday Radio Free Asia 24 Apr 2020 -- On the eve of the Panchen Lama's 31st birthday, religious freedom advocates called on China Friday to release the second most well-known religious figure in Tibet, believed to be languishing under house arrest in an undisclosed location.
• UN 'fully mobilized' to support the Sudanese people, Security Council hears UN News 24 Apr 2020 -- The "exceptional circumstances" of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the peace process in Sudan as well as the drawing down of the United Nations mission there, the head of UN peacekeeping updated the Security Council on Friday.
• Contradicting Myanmar Army Denials, Rakhine Pays to Rebuild 528 Houses Burned in Attacks Radio Free Asia 24 Apr 2020 -- The government in Myanmar's war-torn Rakhine state has paid to rebuild more than 500 houses that were burned in attacks by aircraft and artillery or torched by soldiers last month, disaster officials said Friday, in a revelation that appeared to undercut the national military's denial that the attacks took place.

News Reports

• The Week In Russia: How COVID-19 Is Changing The Landscape RFE/RL 24 Apr 2020 -- One of the questions people living in lockdown around the world are asking is this: Will anything ever be the same again?
• Despite Criticism, Putin Signs Bill Changing Date For End Of WWII RFE/RL 24 Apr 2020 -- Despite criticism from his human rights council, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill on marking the end of the World War II on September 3, a day later than the date recognized by most countries.
• Commissioner Starks On The Possible Revocation Of Us Operating Authority Of Chinese Telecom Carriers FCC 24 Apr 2020 -- Commissioner Geoffrey Starks issued the following statement regarding today's release of orders directing China Telecom Americas, China Unicom Americas, and Pacific Networks and its subsidiary ComNet (USA) LLC, to show cause why their FCC authorizations to operate in the United States should not be revoked
• FCC Scrutinizes Four Chinese Government-Controlled Entities Providing Telecommunications Services In The U.S. FCC 24 Apr 2020 -- The Federal Communications Commission today issued Orders to Show Cause against four companies that are ultimately subject to the ownership and control of the Chinese government: China Telecom Americas, China Unicom Americas, Pacific Networks, and ComNet. The Orders direct the companies to explain why the Commission should not start the process of revoking their domestic and international section authorizations enabling them to operate in the United States.
• FCC May Revoke Authorisation of Four Chinese-Controlled Firms to Operate in US Sputnik 24 Apr 2020 -- On 9 April, the Department of Justice said that relevant US agencies had unanimously recommended revoking the authorisations for China Telecom to provide international telecommunications services to and from the United States, citing "substantial and unacceptable" national security risks.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on April 24, 2020 PRC MofA 24 Apr 2020
• China's Economic Rebound Unlikely to Rescue Oil Market Radio Free Asia 24 Apr 2020 -- China's gradual economic recovery and available infrastructure are unlikely to come to the rescue of the world oil market this year, analysts say.
• Exile Groups Call For Muslims to End Silence on Uyghurs at Start of Ramadan Radio Free Asia 24 Apr 2020 -- Uyghur exile groups marked the start to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Friday by urging the international community to speak out on behalf of members of their ethnic group enduring persecution in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
• China's first Mars exploration mission named Tianwen-1 Global Times 24 Apr 2020 -- China's first Mars exploration mission has been named Tianwen-1, announced the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Friday, China's Space Day.
• China's first Mars exploration mission named Tianwen-1 PLA Daily 24 Apr 2020 -- China's first Mars exploration mission has been named Tianwen-1, announced the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Friday, China's Space Day.
• China Names First Exploration Mission to Mars 'Tianwen-1' - National Space Administration Sputnik 24 Apr 2020 -- The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Friday announced that its first exploration mission to Mars will be named "Tianwen-1".
• China Sent Medical Team to North Korea For Kim Jong Un, Report Claims Sputnik 24 Apr 2020 -- Recently there has been renewed speculation on DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's health, boosted by a CNN report that he had undergone "surgery".
• Amid Health Rumors, China Sends Team to Advise on Kim Jong Un: Report VOA 24 Apr 2020 -- China has sent a delegation, including medical professionals, to North Korea to advise on Kim Jong Un, a report said Saturday, amid rumors the young North Korean leader is seriously ill.
• Rumors Fly Amid Scant Info About Kim Jong Un's Health VOA 24 Apr 2020 -- International media havе been filled with reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is seriously ill. In reality, though, nothing is known about his condition.
• This Week in Iran Policy US Dept. of State 24 Apr 2020 -- Iran has long used its naval forces to terrorize the international maritime community – this is not a new phenomenon. In 2015, during negotiations of the Iran Deal and after its adoption, the U.S. Navy recorded 22 incidents of unsafe and unprofessional conduct by the IRGC Navy (IRGCN), many that risked collision. An additional 36 incidents of unsafe and unprofessional conduct were recorded in 2016.
• Former US Officials Call On Trump 'To Double Down On Maximum Pressure' On Iran Radio Farda 24 Apr 2020 -- In an open letter to Donald Trump on Wednesday, 51 former U.S. officials and Iran experts called on the President of the United States to increase pressure on Iran.
• Iran Guards General Says Trump Planned To Attack Khamenei's Residence Radio Farda 24 Apr 2020 -- Speaking on a live program on Iran's state-run TV on Thursday the Commander of the Guard's Aerospace Force claimed the United States was planning to hit Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's residence in January.
• Brazil's Justice Minister Sergio Moro Resigns Over President Bolsonaro's Sacking of Top Cop Sputnik 24 Apr 2020 -- Earlier on Friday, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro sacked the chief of the federal police Mauricio Valeixo, appointed by Moro. The minister reportedly warned that he would step down if could not choose the successor for the federal police head himself.
• NASA Marks 30 Years Anniversary of Hubble Telescope Launch VOA 24 Apr 2020 -- Friday marks 30 years since the groundbreaking Hubble Telescope, the first optical telescope to be put into space, was sent into orbit.
• Ukraine's Job Offer To Saakashvili Angers Georgia RFE/RL 24 Apr 2020 -- The government of Georgia, led by former President Mikheil Saakashvili's longtime foes, has voiced objection to his possible appointment to the post of deputy prime minister of Ukraine, saying such a move would negatively affect relations between the two countries.
• Moldova's Pro-Moscow President Says Suspension Of Russian Loan Risks Economic Crisis RFE/RL 24 Apr 2020 -- Moldovan President Igor Dodon has accused the opposition of triggering an economic crisis during the coronavirus pandemic by blocking a 200 million-euro ($215 million) loan agreement with Russia.
• Tajikistan Tells Farmers To Avoid Ramadan Fast, Cites Disease And Need To Work RFE/RL 24 Apr 2020 -- Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has urged farmers in the predominately Muslim country not to fast during the holy month of Ramadan so they can stay healthy and work the fields.
• Put aside political agendas 'to save lives', top UN official in Kosovo urges UN News 24 Apr 2020 -- The senior UN official in Kosovo is stressing that strong leadership and political unity are needed now more than ever, as local leaders and their international partners wage war on the "enormous challenge" posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Lesotho prime minister rejects retirement offer amid scandal over ex-wife's murder VOA 24 Apr 2020 -- Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane is rejecting an offer of an immediate, dignified retirement, telling the Lesotho Times he will not be told when to leave office.
• COVID-19 Restrictions Hurt East Africa's Fight Against Locusts VOA 24 Apr 2020 -- Travel restrictions meant to slow down the coronavirus are hurting efforts to combat swarms of locusts that are ravaging crops in East Africa, posing a serious threat to regional food security.