Current Events in Asia-Pacific

From Jane's Clock ticking for Kim's Korea By Reuben F Johnson 24 January 2008 Kim Jong-Il's regime could collapse within six months, bringing chaos to North Korea, observers and intelligence sources in Asia have told Jane's. A joint United States report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the US Institute for Peace has also revealed that China has "contingency plans" in the event of North Korea's implosion. The report, entitled 'Keeping an Eye on an Unruly Neighbor', said that China was prepared to "take the initiative" and had a military strategy for securing North Korea's "loose nukes" should Kim Jong-Il's rule fail. Any apocalypt…

India tests sea based Brahmos missile (RIA Novosti)

The PLA Navy: New Capabilities and Missions for the 21st Century (ONI)

Excellent and informative article on China's missile forces: http://geimint.blogspot.com/2009/04/dragon...lery-corps.html

Ares story Seems to have been a navigational error; the pilot would have survived had he not hit a house on landing. Could have been a defection attempt; might not have been.

Washington Times December 22, 2005 Pg. 15 Official Sees China As 'Considerable Threat' TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso told a press conference early today that China is beginning to pose a considerable threat, referring to its military buildup. China is "a neighbor equipped with nuclear bombs and has expanded its military outlays for 12 years in a row," Mr. Aso said. "It is beginning to be a considerable threat." The remarks appeared to signal a new approach in the way Tokyo looks at its giant neighbor. Japan normally emphasizes accommodation, not criticism, in its comments on China. Mr. Aso's remarks come against a rapidl…

From Janes Defence Weekly Former DoD official pours cold water on Taiwan's submarine deal with US By Gavin Phipps 01 May 2008 Taiwan's long-delayed purchase of eight diesel-electric attack submarines from the United States is unlikely to go ahead, according to a former US Department of Defense official. The US-based source - an expert on Taiwanese affairs who asked to remain anonymous - told Jane's on 28 April that elements within the US Navy (USN) and Taiwan's own legislature were looking to forestall the USD11.7 billion deal indefinitely. This comes almost four months after Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence submitted a formal letter of request to t…

Indian Sub Explodes With 18 On Board (DefenseNews)

New Chinese submarine base in Indonesia India Defence.com 14 May 2005: Deepening its “strings of pearls” strategy of acquiring bases and cultivating ties from the Middle East to Southern China, China is now planning a submarine facility on one of the Indonesian islands close to the Malacca Straits, and Australia has protested this. Diplomatic sources said that China ostensibly wants to protect the sealanes of communication in the Indian Ocean, especially the transit of oil tankers from the Persian Gulf, but it is also seen as a measure to preempt a US blockade of China’s energy sources in the event of a war with Taiwan. In January, The Washington Times publis…

Korea Herald December 22, 2005 Navy Successfully Tests Ship-To-Ship Missile By Jin Dae-woong The Navy successfully completed test-firing the first domestically-made ship-to-ship missile, the Defense Ministry said yesterday. The 150-km-range missile was developed in 2003 by a domestic defense institution, the Agency for Defense Development. Brig. Gen. An Jung-hun, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said the ministry and Navy together conducted the final test-firing of the indigenous missile on the East Sea before the military begins mass-production of the weapon in 2006. During the test firing, the military also successfully tested the capabilities…

From Jane's Intelligence Digest China-US hotline could stay cool 01 May 2008 On 10 April, Chinese General Liang Guanglie and United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates conducted their first phone conversation using the new "hotline" linking the Chinese and US defence establishments. During the call, Liang berated Gates for selling arms to Taiwan and for maintaining ties with the Taiwanese defence community. Gates in turn warned Liang that Washington would resist attempts by either Beijing or Taipei to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. The exchange epitomises why the Sino-American military hotline is unlikely to overcome the misunderstandings, …

Upgrades toughen 'floating targets' Gregor Ferguson The Australian May 21, 2005 THE Navy's Anzac class frigates, famously dismissed as "floating targets" by former defence science and personnel minister Bronwyn Bishop, are being toughened up. Under a swag of overlapping upgrade projects worth over $600 million, the eight Anzacs are being re-armed with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, new Evolved Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft and anti-missile missiles, and new anti-submarine torpedoes and sonars. Defence has pioneered a new business model for these upgrades. It has created an Anzac Alliance with the ships' builders, Tenix Defence, and the designer of their combat sy…

From DefenseNews Posted 12/08/06 16:12 U.S. Sale of Airborne Early Warning System To Pakistan Possible By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE The Pentagon said Dec. 8 it has notified Congress of a possible sale to Pakistan of three surplus P-3 aircraft with airborne early warning systems. The Pentagon estimated the value of such a sale at as high as $855 million. It said Pakistan intends to use the aircraft with the E-2C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning System for its naval forces. The refurbished aircraft would boost Pakistan’s ability to guard its shores and borders against the movement of terrorists and drug traffickers, it said in a statement.

BBC News link The new leader isn't even 30 and has next to no political experience. No wonder the South are on high alert.

From Flight Global [excerpt] Contenders are Super Hornet, JSF and Eurofighter Typhoon.

From DefenseNews [excerpt]

From Australian ABC news service https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-04/military-gift-warship-artifical-reef-illegal-dumping/105728244?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=otherp

From DefenseNews Kyrgyzstan Moves To Shut Key U.S. Base By TOLKUN NAMATBAYEVA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Published: 4 Feb 07:40 EST (12:40 GMT) BISHKEK - Kyrgyzstan's government on Feb. 4 approved the closure of a U.S. airbase on its territory used as a vital supply route for Western military operations in Afghanistan. The decision by the Central Asian state came as a snub to the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, who has singled out Afghanistan as the main front in U.S. military operations overseas and plans to deploy 30,000 more troops there over the next 18 months. Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced the closure a day earlier in Moscow…

Looks Like Chinas Sending a Stealth Fighter to Sea (War is Boring blog)

Why China’s Air Force Needs Russia's Su-35 (The Diplomat)