• 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

• Bombings Hit Shi'ite Area Of Afghan Capital As More Districts In Provinces Fall To Taliban RFE/RL Gandhara 12 Jun 2021 -- Officials in the Afghan capital reported dual bomb attacks that killed at least seven people on June 12 as reports from the provinces said two more districts had fallen to Taliban militants.
• Taliban Reject Foreign Military Role in Guarding Kabul Airport After Troop Exit VOA 12 Jun 2021 -- The Taliban warned Saturday that it would be "unacceptable" to them and a "mistake" on the part of any nation to retain a military presence in Afghanistan to guard airports or other installations after the departure of U.S.-led NATO troops from the warn-torn country.

Defense Policy / Programs

• BALTOPS 50 Site For Experimental Mine Hunting Equipment US Navy 12 Jun 2021 -- Exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS), the premier maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic region, has been underway since June 6, 2021.
• Pentagon to redirect $2.2 billion in border wall funds back to military projects Press TV 12 Jun 2021 -- The Pentagon says it will restore $2.2 billion to military projects that were cancelled by the Trump administration to pay for a wall along the US-Mexico border to prevent immigrants from coming to the United States.
• Iran's sky safest in region: Commander IRNA 12 Jun 2021 -- The commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Joint Air Defense Command said on Saturday that Iran's sky is the safest in the region due to joint endeavor of Iran's military and Islamic Revolution Guards Corps air defense forces.
• South Korea can now build missiles able to reach Beijing, Moscow as US lifts range limits Press TV 12 Jun 2021 -- South Korea can now build ballistic missiles capable of striking Beijing, Moscow or anywhere else thanks to the US' lifting of its 40-year restriction on the Asian country's missile program, the Wall Street Journal reports.
• Royal Navy delivers 75 tonnes of aid to Caribbean island UK MOD 12 Jun 2021 -- RFA Wave Knight carried 139 pallets of food, water, toiletries and other essential supplies to St Vincent to help residents who fled the volcanic eruption.
• Coast Guard adds teeth to its aviation arm by inducting ALH Mk-III India PIB 12 Jun 2021 -- In line with Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar today inducted Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Mk-III in Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The state-of-the-art helicopters are indigenously designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bengaluru.
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh approves policy on archiving, declassification & compilation of war/operations histories India PIB 12 Jun 2021 -- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has approved the policy on archiving, declassification and compilation/publication of war/operations histories by the Ministry of Defence.
• Pentagon announces $150 million in military aid to Ukraine Press TV 12 Jun 2021 -- The US Defense Department has announced a 150-million-dollar military aid package to Ukraine saying it will help the country bolster its borders against Russia, amid rising tensions between Kiev and Moscow.
• Readout: Trilateral Meeting of Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom, President Joe Biden, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia The White House 12 Jun 2021
• Readout of President Biden's Meeting with Prime Minister Mario Draghi of Italy The White House 12 Jun 2021
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on President Biden's Meetings at the G7 Summit The White House 12 Jun 2021
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on President Biden's Meetings at the G7 Summit The White House 12 Jun 2021
• Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials Previewing the Second Day of the G7 Summit The White House 12 Jun 2021
• Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Chung US Dept. of State 12 Jun 2021
• Readout of President Biden's Meeting with Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide of Japan The White House 12 Jun 2021
• Readout of President Biden's Meeting with President Emmanuel Macron of France The White House 12 Jun 2021
• Remarks by President Biden and President Macron of the French Republic Before Bilateral Meeting The White House 12 Jun 2021

Defense Industry

Other Conflicts

• Laotians Still Affected by Wartime Use of Agent Orange, Study Finds Radio Free Asia 12 Jun 2021 -- The U.S. wartime use of Agent Orange and other defoliants in Laos more than a half-century ago is still causing dioxin-related congenital disabilities, according to a recent survey by an NGO that is urging Washington to help those who have suffered birth defects.
• Azerbaijan Says 15 Armenian Military Prisoners Swapped For Land-Mine Map RFE/RL 12 Jun 2021 -- Azerbaijan said it handed over 15 Armenian prisoners of war in exchange for a map showing the location of land mines in part of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
• UN: Thousands of Tigray Children Risk Death from Starvation, Malnutrition VOA 12 Jun 2021 -- United Nations agencies are warning that tens of thousands of children in Ethiopia's northern Tigray province are at risk of death from starvation and malnutrition-related illnesses because aid agencies cannot reach the region with humanitarian relief.

News Reports

• US-Russia relationship 'deteriorated to its lowest point' in years: Putin Press TV 12 Jun 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin says that Washington-Moscow relationship has "deteriorated to its lowest point" over the past years.
• The Joe And Vova Show: Biden, Putin To Meet Face-To-Face In Geneva. Few Expect Breakthroughs. RFE/RL 12 Jun 2021 -- The last time Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden met was after Biden made a quick 10-minute drive across central Moscow from the Ritz-Carlton hotel to attend a group meeting at Russia's White House, overlooking a bend in the still icy Moskva River.
• White House: Biden To Go 'Solo' For Post-Putin Press Conference RFE/RL 12 Jun 2021 -- The White House says U.S. President Joe Biden will hold a "solo press conference" after his summit in Geneva next week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the latest indicator of the tensions swirling between Moscow and Washington.
• Putin Signs Law To Protect Personal Info Of Russian Security Officials RFE/RL 12 Jun 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a bill into law imposing penalties for disclosing the personal data of security officials or their relatives, a move that could further hamstring efforts to expose corruption or hold Russian officials accountable.
• Putin Gives Thoughts On Biden, Evades Questions About Killed Kremlin Opponents RFE/RL 12 Jun 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said relations with the United States have plummeted to their lowest point in years, in a wide-ranging interview in which he also addressed allegations that he is "a killer."
• G-7 Split on Biden's Anti-China Push VOA 12 Jun 2021 -- G-7 leaders appear to be split on U.S. President Joe Biden's call to take more aggressive action against China, including on its forced labor practices, unwillingness to play by international trade rules and problematic global infrastructure financing mechanism.
• US to Offer Alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative VOA 12 Jun 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden's administration said it will announce an infrastructure financing mechanism for low- and middle-income countries, designed to rival China's Belt and Road Initiative.
• Chinese diplomat urges US to get ties back on right track PLA Daily 12 Jun 2021 -- China urges the United States to honor its commitment to abide by the one-China principle, properly handle issues related to the Taiwan question and take real actions to uphold the overall development of bilateral ties as well as cross-Straits stability, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Friday.
• Demonstrations Mark Second Anniversary of Hong Kong Uprising VOA 12 Jun 2021 -- Rallies rang out in dozens of cities across the globe Saturday to commemorate two years since pro-democracy activists surrounded Hong Kong's legislature in a failed effort to thwart passage of a national security law.
• China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi stressed China's stern position on Xinjiang, HK related issues in phone conversation with Blinken Global Times 12 Jun 2021 -- Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, reiterated China's stern position on issues related to Xinjiang and Hong Kong, urging the US to not interfere with China's domestic affairs under any excuse.
• U.S. Secretary of State urges China to stop pressuring Taiwan CNA 12 Jun 2021 -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged China to halt its "pressure campaign" against Taiwan during a telephone meeting on Friday with the Chinese government's top diplomat and Politburo member Yang Jiechi (楊潔篪).
• Top military officer says U.S. capable of defending Taiwan CNA 12 Jun 2021 -- Mark Milley, chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed earlier this week during a congressional hearing that the country is capable of defending Taiwan in the event of a People's Liberation Army invasion from China.
• N Korea's Kim calls for boosting military power: Report Press TV 12 Jun 2021 -- North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has said the country's military power should be boosted, state media KCNA said on Saturday.
• Putin dismisses as 'fake' Washington Post report on Russia's plan to give Iran advanced satellite system Press TV 12 Jun 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed as "fake news" a report by the Washington Post that Moscow is preparing to supply Iran with an advanced satellite system that would enable Tehran to track potential military targets across the Middle East and beyond.
• Putting aside maximum pressure policy the main test for US's genuine will: Ravanchi ISNA 12 Jun 2021 -- Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi stressed that putting aside failed maximum pressure policy is the main and real test for US' genuine political will.
• Iranian deputy FM arrives in Vienna for nuclear talks ISNA 12 Jun 2021 -- Iranian deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs and the head of Iran's negotiating team in the Vienna talks Abbas Araghchi arrives in the Austrian capital to resume the JCPOA negotiations.
• Iran Nuclear Talks Resume; German Foreign Minister Urges 'Flexibility, Pragmatism' RFE/RL 12 Jun 2021 -- Negotiators from Iran and five world powers have resumed talks to try and revive the landmark deal that curtailed Tehran's nuclear programs but was later put in doubt when U.S. President Donald Trump's administration abandoned it.
• Iran restores UN voting rights after paying dues: Envoy Press TV 12 Jun 2021 -- Iran has regained its voting rights in the 193-member United Nations General Assembly after paying off some $16.2 million in arrears it owed to the UN operating body.
• Barred Big-Name Candidate Publicly Challenges Iran's Election Vetters RFE/RL 12 Jun 2021 -- The influential political scion and former speaker of Iran's parliament, Ali Larijani, has demanded an explanation from the country's vetters as to why he was excluded from running in next week's Iranian presidential election.
• Armed Conflict Spreading Across Myanmar as Violence Escalates VOA 12 Jun 2021 -- U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michele Bachelet says armed conflict is intensifying and spreading across parts of Myanmar in opposition to the military coup in February and could result in the heavy loss of life.
• Myanmar Border Gun Seizures Stoke Fears of Illicit Post-Coup Arms Trade VOA 12 Jun 2021 -- Guns and ammunition bought under Thai police and army discount plans and siphoned into the black market have been seized by Thai customs on the Myanmar border, stoking fears of a new illicit arms trade driven by Myanmar's post-coup collapse into chaos.
• 'Always Nearby': Belarusian Ruler's Right-Hand Man, Rumored To Run Death Squads, Abruptly Resigns RFE/RL 12 Jun 2021 -- Viktar Sheiman, one of Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka's closest allies and a figure believed to have run death squads in the past, has abruptly resigned.
• Algeria Holds First Parliamentary Elections Since Popular Revolt in 2019 VOA 12 Jun 2021 -- Commentators reported low turnout Saturday in parts of Algeria, which was holding its first parliamentary elections since a 2019 popular uprising swept away veteran President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika.