• 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

• Three People Killed, 15 Wounded in 'Suicide Bombing' in Kabul Sputnik 29 Apr 2020 -- The news about the attack comes just a few days after another attack, carried out by Taliban militants, in the central part of the country claimed lives of at least four security officers.
• Suicide Bombing Near Kabul Kills 3 VOA 29 Apr 2020 -- A suicide bombing in Kabul Province close to the Afghan capital killed three people and wounded 15 on April 29, the Interior Ministry said.
• Afghans Claim Foreign Combatants Fighting Alongside Taliban In Violation Of Peace Deal RFE/RL 29 Apr 2020 -- Afghan officials say hundreds of foreign combatants are fighting alongside Taliban militants in a strategic northern province, a move that if proven true would violate the terms of the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement.
• Afghanistan Suicide Bombing Kills At Least Three, Wounds 15 RFE/RL 29 Apr 2020 -- A suicide bombing in Kabul Province close to the Afghan capital killed three people and wounded 15 on April 29, the Interior Ministry said.
• Multiple casualties as bomb attack hits near Afghan capital Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- A bomb attack has left three people dead and 15 others injured near the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Statement by Acting Secretary of the Navy James E. McPherson on Preliminary Inquiry NNS 29 Apr 2020 -- After carefully reviewing the preliminary inquiry into the events surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Mike Gilday, provided me with his recommendations. Following our discussion, I have unanswered questions that the preliminary inquiry has identified and that can only be answered by a deeper review.
• Theodore Roosevelt Prepares to Return to Sea NNS 29 Apr 2020 -- Hundreds of Sailors began the transition from quarantine and isolation to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) April 29, as the ship prepares to return to sea after a bow-to-stern deep cleaning process.
• US Navy Sailors Begin Returning to USS Roosevelt Following Month in Quarantine Sputnik 29 Apr 2020 -- After spending up to 27 days in quarantine due to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), US Navy sailors who met certain testing criteria were allowed to begin returning to the sanitized aircraft carrier on Wednesday.
• 64 sailors test positive for COVID-19 aboard U.S. Navy destroyer People's Daily 29 Apr 2020 -- The number of sailors testing positive for COVID-19 aboard U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Kidd, rose to 64 as the warship on Tuesday afternoon docked at a naval base in San Diego, California, local media have reported.
• Coronavirus cases aboard 2nd US warship still rising, reaching 64 Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- US Navy ship with over 60 sailors infected with coronavirus has sailed into San Diego, California, to decontaminate, making it the second American warship temporarily put out of service by the pandemic.
• US Navy Head Calls for Deeper Probe Into Aircraft Carrier COVID-19 Outbreak VOA 29 Apr 2020 -- The acting secretary of the Navy has called for a more thorough investigation into "unanswered questions" about events aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, as sailors who had been quarantined for weeks returned to the vessel.
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 29 Apr 2020
• DOD Details $75 Million Defense Production Act Title 3 Puritan Contract DoD 29 Apr 2020 -- "The Department of Defense will invest $75.5 million in Defense Production Act Title 3 funding to increase swab production by 20 million per month starting in May."
• Program Office for Tactical Radio Systems Puts Plan in Place to Avoid Depot Shortfalls NNS 29 Apr 2020 -- With the fleet of Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) terminals slated to grow from hundreds to over 6,000 by 2023, the MIDS Program Office (PMA-101) designed a strategy and initiated the plan to avert potential depot maintenance support shortfalls.
• Naval Sea Systems Command Continues Fleet Support Despite COVID-19 Restrictions NNS 29 Apr 2020 -- If there is a single message Vice Adm. Tom Moore shares every day with his workforce, it's that NAVSEA is open for business. Moore, as commander of Naval Sea Systems Command, leads a global workforce of more than 83,000 civilian and military personnel tasked to deliver combat power to the fleet by designing, building, delivering, maintaining, and modernizing the United States Navy's ships and systems.
• Barracks at Naval Base Guam Ordnance Annex Refurbished for Warfighter Support NNS 29 Apr 2020 -- Three unoccupied barracks buildings were refurbished at the U.S. Naval Base Guam (NBG) Ordnance Annex in Santa Rita and will soon be used to house unaccompanied Sailors, once again.
• Distributed Mobilization Process Accelerates Navy Reserve Support to COVID-19 Response Efforts NNS 29 Apr 2020 -- As of April 28, nearly 1,600 Reserve Sailors are supporting COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts around the world. Nearly 1,000 of those Sailors were mobilized using a new Distributed Mobilization (DM) process.
• USS Minnesota Recognized as Best Ship in Atlantic Fleet NNS 29 Apr 2020 -- The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota (SSN 783), homeported at Naval Submarine Base New London, was announced as the winner of the 2019 Battenberg Cup Award April 23.
• NAVSUP and Partners Provide Rapid Response to Future USS Tripoli NNS 29 Apr 2020 -- When Sailors assigned to Pre Commissioning Unit (PCU) Tripoli (LHA 7), transferred from San Diego to Pascagoula, Mississippi they had no way to know that only a few months later, hundreds of their shipmates would be in a Restriction of Movement (ROM) status. The nature of critical COVID-19 mitigation strategies meant that everyday tasks for Tripoli, such as laundry and meals, were suddenly much more complex. Solutions for these unusual circumstances required a high level of agility and resourcefulness from Navy logisticians, support personnel, and contracted partners.
• NEPLOs Provide Vital Link in DoD Support to State and Local Authorities NNS 29 Apr 2020 -- Navy Emergency Preparedness Officers (NEPLO) stand ready to respond to national emergencies and events when requested. NEPLOs assigned to Naval District Washington (NDW) were recently called to action to provide Defense Support of Civilian Authorities (DSCA) with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
• Marine Corps soliciting proposals for new hearing enhancement device USMC News 29 Apr 2020 -- The Marine Corps is asking for industry's help in providing enhanced hearing protection to Marines. On April 22, Marine Corps Systems Command released a Request for Proposals for a suite of hearing enhancement devices that interoperate with the Enhanced Combat Helmet and Marine Corps tactical radios. The technology will increase Marines' situational awareness in a variety of training and combat environments.
• Hill AFB to Eielson AFB: Cooperation between first, newest F-35A wing speeds stand-up, shapes future US Air Force 29 Apr 2020 -- The Air Force's first combat-coded F-35A Lightning II wing is sending aircraft to the Air Force's newest F-35A wing to help speed their stand-up.
• Special Tactics Airmen support vital training, maintain readiness through COVID-19 US Air Force 29 Apr 2020 -- Special Tactics Airmen from the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron conducted interoperability training with the 14th Weapons Squadron assigned to the U.S. Air Force Weapons School detachment at Hurlburt Field for a special operations force exercise, April 22.
• US Down to Just One Open Skies Surveillance Plane as Trump Weighs Treaty Exit Sputnik 29 Apr 2020 -- The US is down to just one of the specially certified OC-135B Open Skies surveillance planes used to participate in the mutual observation treaty. While the Pentagon is willing to upgrade the existing planes, it refuses to order replacements until the Trump administration decides it's not leaving the 1992 treaty, which remains up in the air.
• Space Force Acquisition Council looks to safeguard space industrial base from COVID-19 impacts US Air Force 28 Apr 2020 -- In response to COVID-19, the Department of the Air Force is posturing to identify and provide support to the space industrial base, assessing sectors most impacted by the pandemic while creating an environment where companies in need can compete fairly in the event of supplemental federal relief funds.
• Coronavirus response: NATO continues to support Afghan security forces and institutions tackling global pandemic NATO 29 Apr 2020 -- The NATO-led Resolute Support mission continues its support for Afghan security forces as they work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while ensuring security for the Afghan people.
• Coronavirus response: Slovenian Military Medical Unit supports EUFOR with preventive testing NATO 29 Apr 2020 -- Slovenia facilitated this month the start of COVID-19 preventive testing of EUFOR personnel at Camp Butmir in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in line with efforts to protect military and civilian personnel in international operations.
• Spain, France, UK take up Baltic air-policing mission NATO 29 Apr 2020 -- Spain, France and the United Kingdom will take up NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission starting in May, guarding the skies over the Baltic region for the next four months.
• NATO Chopper Reportedly Belonging to Royal Canadian Navy Goes Missing Near Ionian Sea Sputnik 29 Apr 2020 -- According to unspecified sources in the Greek Ministry of Defense, a Royal Canadian Navy CH-124 Sea King helicopter crashed in the Ionian Sea southeast of Italy on Wednesday afternoon.
• Russia Threatens Massive Response if US Deploys Low-Yield Nukes on Subs VOA 29 Apr 2020 -- Russia is warning that any U.S. attempt to use a low-yield nuclear weapon against a Russian target would set off a massive nuclear response.
• US tells UN to renew Iran arms embargo in breach of nuclear deal Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- The United States claims that it will not allow Iran to purchase conventional arms after UN sanctions expire in October, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says.
• Any measure to extend Iran's arms embargo in breach of Resolution 2231: UN envoy Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations has called US efforts to extend Iran's arms embargo in contravention of Security Council Resolution 2231, which has endorsed the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal, saying the claim that the United States is still a party to the agreement allowing it to invoke a sanctions snapback under certain pretexts is nothing but "an unprecedented joke."
• U.S. Seeks To Extend Iran Arms Embargo, Setting Stage For Clash Over Nuclear Deal RFE/RL 29 Apr 2020 -- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the United States will not allow Iran to buy or sell conventional arms after a UN embargo expires in October, in a move that could prompt Tehran to pull out the 2015 nuclear deal and a major nonproliferation treaty.
• US to Ensure Iran Cannot Buy Conventional Weapons When Embargo Expires in October, Pompeo Says Sputnik 29 Apr 2020 -- The United States will "make sure" that Iran will be unable to purchase conventional weapons when an international arms embargo imposed on the country expires in October, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a press briefing on Wednesday.
• 'Any US infringement of Iran territorial waters will draw tough response' Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- Iran's Armed Forces has warned that the United States is sure to be dealt with a more severe blow than before if it takes the slightest action against the Islamic Republic's interests, including its territorial waters.
• India Keeps Navy, Air Force on Standby to Evacuate Stranded Citizens from Gulf States Sputnik 29 Apr 2020 -- India has been considering preparations for a relaxation of lockdown norms if it decides to lift them after the current period ends on 3 May. New Delhi has also been looking at requests from a large number of Indians stranded in foreign countries, especially in the Gulf region, to bring them back home.
• RAF chief taunts Russian air force after routine encounter Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- A routine encounter between British Fighter jets and two long-range Russian reconnaissance aircraft has elicited an unprecedented reaction from the head of the Royal Air Force (RAF).
• Secretary Michael R. Pompeo At a Press Availability US Dept. of State 29 Apr 2020

Defense Industry

• Contracts For April 29, 2020

Other Conflicts

• 29 April 2020 - Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General United Nations 29 Apr 2020
• Two FONOPS in Two Days: U.S. Navy Moves Through South China Sea Radio Free Asia 29 Apr 2020 -- A U.S. guided missile cruiser sailed Wednesday through the Spratly Islands, the U.S. Navy's second freedom of navigation operation in two days amid heightened tension in the South China Sea.
• Beijing slams Washington over trespass by warship People's Daily 29 Apr 2020 -- China on Tuesday condemned trespassing by a United States warship in China's territorial waters and urged Washington to cease military operations detrimental to regional security, peace and stability.
• Mousavi: Iran supports Yemeni solidarity, territorial integrity IRNA 29 Apr 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said unity among Yemeni groups and holding comprehensive political talks among different groups is the only way to establish stability in Yemen, adding that Iran supports united Yemen and preserving its territorial integrity.
• Iran backs united Yemen, its territorial integrity as UAE-aligned separatists declare self-rule Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi says Tehran backs a united Yemen, warning against insurgency attempts there, after separatist groups allied with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) declared self-rule in the south of the war-torn country.
• Saudi Arabia, US urge UAE-aligned separatists to rescind self-rule in southern Yemen Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- Saudi Arabia has urged the separatists allied with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to end the self-rule rule they have newly announced in Yemen's south and return to cooperation under a Riyadh deal, as a rift in the Saudi-led coalition waging war on Yemen cracks open again.
• Humanitarian Group Warns Yemen Fighting Threatens COVID-19 Containment VOA 29 Apr 2020 -- The International Rescue Committee said Wednesday fighting has escalated in Yemen, despite an announced peace agreement, disrupting efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Arab world's most impoverished country.
• Turkey, Russia conduct 6th joint patrol in Idlib of Syria Global Times 29 Apr 2020 -- Turkish and Russian troops on Tuesday held their sixth joint patrol along key M-4 highway in northwestern Idlib province of Syria, Turkish Defense Ministry said.
• Syria: As coronavirus threat intensifies, ceasefire more urgent than ever UN News 29 Apr 2020 -- Syria desperately needs a nationwide ceasefire to enable its war-weary citizens to access the equipment and resources necessary to combat COVID-19, the UN's top envoy for the country told the Security Council on Wednesday.
• Syrian Market Blast Kills at Least 40 VOA 29 Apr 2020 -- The Turkish Defense Ministry and rescue workers on the scene say a bomb attached to a fuel tanker truck exploded Tuesday in a market in the northern Syrian town of Afrin, killing at least 40 people.
• Mozambique forces killed 129 militants in a month Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- Security forces in Mozambique have killed at least 129 militants over a span of one month in the north of the country, which has been rocked by violent attacks over the past several years.
• Turkey censures Haftar for seeking 'military dictatorship' in Libya Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- Turkey says it will defend the internationally recognized government of Libya against the 'military dictatorship' planned by renegade General Khalifa Haftar, who has claimed to have a "mandate" to rule the African country.
• U.N. Envoy Calls for War Crimes Investigation in Myanmar Radio Free Asia 29 Apr 2020 -- The U.N.'s outgoing envoy monitoring human rights in Myanmar Wednesday called for an investigation into claims of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the government army as it carries on a brutal war against ethnic rebels in Rakhine and Chin States.
• UN Official Requests New Probes into Claims of War Crimes in Myanmar VOA 29 Apr 2020 -- A departing United Nations official has requested new investigations into claims of continuing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Myanmar, while calling on the global community to help avoid other atrocities.
• Reports: Top Russian FSB General Linked To 2014 MH17 Disaster Over Ukraine RFE/RL 29 Apr 2020 -- Open-source researchers have linked a top general in Russia's main security and intelligence agency to the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine.
• Somalia's al-Shabab Publicly Executes 3 for Spying VOA 29 Apr 2020 -- Somali militant group al-Shabab has executed three of its own members for alleged spying on behalf of Western intelligence agencies, local residents and regional officials said.
• Fighting Raises Tension Between Government, Rebel Force in South Sudan VOA 29 Apr 2020 -- New fighting in South Sudan's Central Equatoria state this week is putting a strain on the country's fragile peace agreements.

News Reports

• Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, April 29, 2020 Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 29 Apr 2020
• Prague District Mayor Says Russian Agent Sent To 'Liquidate Me' RFE/RL 29 Apr 2020 -- A Prague district mayor says he is under police protection after authorities informed him that he and two other Prague officials, including the city's mayor, were the targets of a Russian agent sent to the Czech capital to "liquidate" them.
• Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on April 29, 2020 PRC MofA 29 Apr 2020
• China Continues Slow Recovery from Pandemic as Ceremonial Congress Reschedules Meeting VOA 29 Apr 2020 -- China's parliament will hold its annual session in late May, two months later than scheduled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• China's top legislature to open annual session on May 22 People's Daily 29 Apr 2020 -- The 13th National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, will open its third annual session in Beijing on May 22.
• Two sessions to open in late May in Beijing PLA Daily 29 Apr 2020 -- This year's two sessions - China's most important annual political event – will be held in late May in Beijing, according to official releases on Wednesday.
• China may shorten 2020 'two sessions' rescheduled in late May: insider Global Times 29 Apr 2020 -- China will hold its most important political events - the plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) - also known as the "two sessions," in late May, which shows that the COVID-19 epidemic in China is fully under control.
• Annual 'two sessions' to focus on post-epidemic policies Global Times 29 Apr 2020 -- China's most important annual political meetings, the "two sessions," which have been postponed for more than a month due to the unexpected coronavirus epidemic and now set to convene in late May, will focus on post-pandemic efforts from all walks of life, participants revealed.
• HK, Hubei lawmakers, political advisors await details of travel to Beijing as 'two sessions' dates announced Global Times 29 Apr 2020 -- As China announced the widely anticipated opening date of this year's plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) on May 22, several lawmakers and political advisors especially those from the virus hardest-hit Hubei Province and Hong Kong said they are anxiously waiting for more details on how to go to Beijing to attend the country's most important political event, as strict prevention measures are still in place against the COVID-19 epidemic.
• Hong Kong Court Quashes Appeal From Protest Movement's 'Spiritual Leader' Radio Free Asia 29 Apr 2020 -- Hong Kong's Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by a jailed Hong Kong politician who advocated "separation" between the former British colony and mainland China, upholding his six-year jail term for "rioting" during the 2016 "fishball revolution" in Mong Kok.
• Xinjiang Islamic cleric calls religious persecution rumormongers delusional Global Times 29 Apr 2020 -- Senior Islamic clerical figures from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday refuted rumors that the Xinjiang regional government "detained and persecuted" unrecognized religious staff, saying that all legal religious activities are protected in the region.
• Taiwan rejects Philippine official's claim that Taiwan is part of China CNA 29 Apr 2020 -- Taiwan on Wednesday rejected a Philippine official's remarks that it is part of China, and Beijing therefore can help decide whether a Filipina caregiver in Taiwan should be deported to Manila, after she allegedly criticized the Philippine president.
• No sight of Kim, real risk of famine in N Korea: US secy of state Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he has caught no sight of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and is watching reports about his health, adding that there is a real risk of famine in the country amid the coronavirus outbreak.
• North Koreans in China Live in Fear of Repatriation: Church Members Radio Free Asia 29 Apr 2020 -- Illegal migrants from North Korea hiding in northeastern China fear immediate and violent reprisals if they are repatriated, according to missionaries working with the community.
• New satellite images suggest North Korea's leader at favorite resort Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- New satellite images of the movements of luxury boats often used by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his entourage suggest he has been staying at the country's coastal resort town of Wonsan in recent weeks.
• Rouhani to US: This waterway is called Persian Gulf, not 'New York' Gulf Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- In light of Washington's incessant acts of military adventurism in the Persian Gulf region, President Hassan Rouhani has once again reminded the United States to whom the waterway truly belongs.
• Leader approves vesting of Justice Shares owned by 49mn Iranians Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has endorsed a government request to vest restricted stocks of dozens of government-run companies that are owned by tens of millions of Iranians.
• Iran Offers Shares of Loss-Making Banks At Stock Market To Raise Money Radio Farda 29 Apr 2020 -- The Iranian government is planning to offer its shares in three major Iranian banks and two insurance companies for sale at the Tehran Stock Market.
• Khamenei Orders Iran's Guards To Make Persian Gulf Islands Habitable Radio Farda 29 Apr 2020 -- The Islamic Republic of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has tasked the IRGC with making Persian Gulf islands "habitable", IRGC Naval Force Commander Alireza Tangsiri has said in an interview with the Iranian state-run radio on Wednesday April 29.
• Pakistan sets aside $18.6 million to fence border with Iran IRNA 29 Apr 2020 -- Pakistan's Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has approved 3 billion rupees ($18.6 million) as additional fund for the fencing of border with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
• Indian Government Rejects US Commission Report VOA 29 Apr 2020 -- India has rejected the findings of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom's annual report, calling the commission's findings "biased and tendentious."
• Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Chairs Cabinet's Virtual Session SPA 29 Apr 2020 -- Under the chairmanship of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Cabinet virtually held its meeting today.
• Saudi Arabia's Budget Deficit Reaches About $9 Bln in First Quarter Sputnik 29 Apr 2020 -- The Kingdom, one of the world's major crude producers, also suffered a dropped in oil revenues, as oil prices have been extremely volatile due to the new coronavirus pandemic.
• In letter to Trump, Erdogan calls for better US understanding of strategic Turkey ties amid pandemic Press TV 29 Apr 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sent a letter to his American counterpart, Donald Trump, expressing hope that the United States will "better understand" the significance of bilateral relations between the two NATO allies during a coronavirus pandemic.
• Cambodia Using Coronavirus to Justify 'Arbitrary Arrests' of Opposition, Critics: HRW Radio Free Asia 29 Apr 2020 -- Authorities in Cambodia are using the coronavirus to carry out "arbitrary arrests" of opposition supporters and government critics, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Wednesday, noting that at least 30 people have been detained for spreading "fake news" and other offenses since the start of the pandemic.
• Tajik Lawmakers Approve Bill Banning Russified Surnames RFE/RL 29 Apr 2020 -- Tajik lawmakers have approved a bill banning the issuance of new identification documents and birth certificates for ethnic Tajiks containing Russified surnames, the latest attempt to revive traditional names.