Current Events in Asia-Pacific

China's Navy Makes Strides, Work Remains To Be Done (DefenseNews) Chris Carlson, of the Admiralty Trilogy Group (and Harpoon fame), gets a quote in there.

Before and After: The South China Sea Transformed (CSIS) The environmental damage alone is terrible.

China Making Some Missiles More Powerful (New York Times)

Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2015 (pdf, US DOD)

India launches first-of-class Project 15B destroyer (Jane's)

China S-400 deal moves forward (Jane's)

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

India floats out first Scorpene submarine (Jane's)

NORAD Chief: North Korea Has Ability to Reach U.S. With Nuclear Warhead on Mobile ICBM (USNI News)

'Type 093T' sub design breaks cover (Jane's)

Maybe interesting? Until last week, when the billionaire Paul Allen began tweeting images of deep-sea wreckage — a coral-encrusted anchor, a green valve hairy with algae — the annals of vanished ships contained no entry more mysterious than that of the Musashi, a massive Japanese battleship sunk off the Philippines toward the end of World War II. To call Musashi massive, actually, doesn’t begin to do it justice. It was, and remains, one of the largest battleships ever launched — 70,000 tons of water displaced, with a crew of more than two thousand. Its nine 18.1-inch guns, the largest caliber ever mounted on a ship, were designed to fire 3,000-pound shells at a rang…

China working on second carrier (Jane's) Chinese Admirals Spill the Beans on New Aircraft Carrier (The Diplomat)

North Korea's Nuclear Futures: Technology and Strategy (pdf, 38 North)

Admiral Says China Outnumbers US in Attack Submarines (DOD Buzz)

U.S. to Aid India in Building Aircraft Carriers (DOD Buzz)

Lots of chatter lately about whether the Rafale "deal" is going to be tossed in favour of more Su-30MKI Indian defence minister hints at MMRCA cancellation (Jane's)

It was only a matter of time. Zhuhai Surprise: Chinas Third Russian Supersonic ASCM (Aviation Week, Ares blog)

Very interesting images of J-31, including 4xAAM on the open weapons bay: http://airforceworld.com/pla/j21-fighter-shenyang-j31-chinese-stealth-jet.htm

North Korea: Test Stand for Vertical Launch of Sea-Based Ballistic Missiles Spotted (38 North) Is North Korea Developing Sea-Based Ballistic Missiles? (The Diplomat)

China's Navy Is Already Challenging the US in Asia (The Diplomat)