Current Events in Asia-Pacific

Breaking news, folks, doesn't look good ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8589507.stm http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/26/south...h-korea/?hpt=T2 http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2...000100315F.HTML

Apparently, the "Shipwreck" VLS cells are still there... I'm looking forward to this actually getting a new name; I don't like "ex-Varyag". [The title is a pun on "MGM Grand"; a reference to the 'casino' this was apparently being sold to become]

Good morning, Seems that one of the few surviving insects that didn't make it into the daily diet of the North Korean population found itself up someones A** this morning causing DPRK forces to shell ROK forces on Yeonpyeong Island at approximately 1430 local today. ROK forces conducted counter-battery operations and fighters were vectored into the area around the island. 2 ROK Marines were killed and 10 more personnel were wounded. There was the usual amount of damage caused by approximately 200 rounds of artillery. ROK artillery fired approximately 80 rounds into North Korea. The shelling happens during the annual Hoguk military exercise. There have been …

No need to link to a report on this- it's making many front pages. What were those short-range missiles they were testing?

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/06/re...e-of-junk/all/1 'Cause Shi Lang is a navalized version of "Potyomkin villages? Points in article: - Chinese have no experience whatsoever in conducting naval air ops - It is just a one carrier against entire Pacific Fleet, augmented by its allies - Chinese have only J-15 naval fighter (possibly with limited antisurface capabilities) and some helicopters for ASW and (possibly) AEW role, but nothing more. No EW planes, no AEW planes, no carrier cargo planes - Chinese fleet have insufficent number of modern warships and submarines, comparable to Tico's, Burke's, improved Los Angeles, Seawolves and Virginias. So chinese f…

From Defense Aerospace Government Approves First Stage of Amphib Ships Project (Source: Australian Department of Defence; issued Aug. 11, 2005) The Federal Government has approved the first stage of the $2 billion Amphibious Ships project which will provide Navy with a world class capability to deploy land forces on operations. Defence Minister Robert Hill said the project will provide Navy with two new amphibious ships to be used on operations such as combat operations, regional disaster relief, humanitarian aid, peacekeeping and peace monitoring, and assistance to policing or military operations. Australian shipbuilders will be invited to tender for…

From Defense Aerospace Brahmos Crosses Another Milestone, Vertically Ship-Launched (Source: Press Information Bureau India; issued December 18, 2008) The BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile was launched from a Naval Warship in the Bay of Bengal today. The DRDO said the launch from the mobile platform was successful and all mission objectives have been met. This is the first time the missile was launched from a universal vertical launcher fitted in a new ship. All earlier launches of BrahMos missile were carried out from inclined launchers. With this, the BrahMos missile development programme achieved a milestone as most present day warships are fitted with …

From Navy Times 2 carriers in W. Pacific ahead of Taiwan vote Kyodo News Service Posted : Thursday Mar 20, 2008 8:07:03 EDT TAIPEI, Taiwan — Two U.S. aircraft carriers and accompanying vessels have been deployed to the Western Pacific just days before Taiwan’s presidential election amid heightened regional tensions, a U.S. military spokesman told Kyodo News on Thursday. Aircraft carriers Kitty Hawk and Nimitz are both “conducting scheduled, routine operations in the Western Pacific,” said Master Chief Shane Tuck, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii. “With the Nimitz, that carrier’s deployment includes its entire carrier strike group. For t…

I am not certain if a topic like this is welcome here. I have been asking myself this question every other day the past week and would like to hear your opinion.

Roughead says Chinese carrier would be concern By Ken The - The Associated Press Posted : Tuesday Apr 21, 2009 12:56:10 EDT QINGDAO, China — A future Chinese aircraft carrier may worry neighboring navies because Beijing has not specified what role the warship would play in the region, the U.S. chief of Naval Operations said Tuesday. China, meanwhile, said a more powerful navy would not pose a threat as it mulls adding its first aircraft carrier to an increasingly sophisticated fleet. The comments by Adm. Gary Roughead came amid growing signs that China plans to build a carrier as the country puts on a major display of naval weaponry this week in the north…

Kinda scary . . . this would definitely be the main nightmare for US planners in the event of any US/Chinese confrontation over Taiwan I think. Wonder what really happened, really good Chinese skipper? US pickets asleep at the wheel? Equipment breakdowns? Really lucky Chinese Skipper? Really good Chinese diesel sub tech? Probably combination off all these things.

From Defense Aerospace China’s Military Capabilities Continue to Grow, Report Says (Source: U.S Department of Defense; issued March 25, 2009) WASHINGTON --- Transformation of the Chinese military has gained speed, but U.S. officials would like to see China become more transparent about military and security affairs, according to a report to Congress released today. The report, called “Military Power of the People’s Republic of China,” provides some new details, “but there are no new, major strategic insights revealed or capabilities revealed,” Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today. In the report, officials said that Chinese transparency has im…

From Jane's China considers next-generation Su-33s for aircraft carrier programme By Reuben F Johnson 28 October 2008 China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is close to reaching a decision on the procurement of aircraft for its aircraft carrier programme, Russian industry sources have told Jane's. Negotiations between the PLAN and the Komsomolsk-na-Amure Aviation Production Association (KnAAPO) in Russia have been held intermittently for several years, with the Chinese military said to be unsure whether to purchase a version of the Sukhoi Su-33 carrier-capable fighter or develop its own carrier aircraft based on the Chengdu J-10. Russian sources ha…

Wired.com report This one's getting some serious traction on the aviation forums and is even getting into the mainstream aviation press now.

From DefenseTech [excerpt]

From Foreign Affairs Pyongbang! Washington’s Korea Conundrum Victor D. Cha April 7, 2009 Summary -- What North Korea hoped to gain from its failed missile launch -- and how Washington can avoid falling into its negotiating trap. VICTOR D. CHA is Associate Professor, Director of Asian Studies, and D. S. Song-Korea Foundation Chair in Asian Studies and Government at Georgetown University. From 2004 to 2007, he served as Director of Asian Affairs on the staff of the National Security Council and Deputy Head of the U.S. delegation to the six-party talks. On Sunday, North Korea launched a Taepodong-2 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that went farthe…

Is it just like everything else, that since we all have more opportunity to hear/read it, the more it "appears" to be happening. Reading navytime.com today, two more skippers have either been relieved, or have a good chance, in this case ground Arliegh Burke outside of Norfolk. CO of Arliegh Burke ran around, oh soft aground, so that's ok. CO of USS Helena (SSN) CO of USS Constitution And more than one or two over the past weeks that I am not currently able to pull up on the site. What's going on? Is it OPTEMPO? I'm not saying that there are not leadership failures in both the Army and Marines, but those forces are currently "engaged".

From DefenseNews Russia Wants $1.2B Boost to Refit Carrier By vivek raghuvanshi Published: 30 Apr 11:37 EDT (07:37 GMT) NEW DELHI - Russia has asked India to increase the price of refitting the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov by as much as $1.2 billion above the contracted amount. Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony officially provided the escalated figure for the first time April 30 in replying to a question in Parliament. "The price escalation proposed by the Russian side is $1,202 million," Antony said. "The process of examination of the scope and necessity for additional work projected by the Russian side has been initiated." Under a contract worth…

There's been a massive earthquake off the coast of Japan, triggering a tsunami that's caused a lot of damage there; there's tsunami warnings out for most of the Pacific Rim. Stay safe, people.

From DefenseNews RAND Study Suggests U.S. Loses War With China By wendell minnick Published: 16 Oct 11:45 EDT (15:45 GMT) TAIPEI - A new RAND study suggests U.S. air power in the Pacific would be inadequate to thwart a Chinese attack on Taiwan in 2020. The study, entitled "Air Combat Past, Present and Future," by John Stillion and Scott Perdue, says China's anti-access arms and strategy could deny the U.S. the "ability to operate efficiently from nearby bases or seas." According to the study, U.S. aircraft carriers and air bases would be threatened by Chinese development of anti-ship ballistic missiles, the fielding of diesel and nuclear submarines equipped …