Current Events in Asia-Pacific

First P-8I touches down in India (Flight Global)

From Flight International DATE: 21/03/08 SOURCE: Flightglobal.com Russia flies first production MiG-29 for Indian navy By Graham Warwick RSK MiG has flown the first production MiG-29K/KUB carrier-based multi-role combat aircraft for the Indian navy. The two-seat MiG-29KUB flew on 18 March from the company's Lukhovitsky test centre near Moscow. MiG is producing 12 single-seat MiG-29Ks and four tandem-seat MiG-29KUBs under a contract signed in January 2004. The aircraft are to equip the former Soviet navy aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, which is being refitted in Russia for delivery to the Indian navy as the INS Vikramaditya. The first of two pre-pr…

From www.defence-aerospace.com (Source: Tenix Defence; issued Feb. 22, 2005) Tenix Defence began cutting steel for the NZ$500m Project Protector naval shipbuilding contract at its Williamstown, Melbourne shipyard today. NZ Secretary of Defence, Mr Graham Fortune, switched on computerised cutting equipment to begin manufacturing plates for two 85m, 1500 tonne Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Royal New Zealand Navy. The ships are being constructed as part of Royal New Zealand Navy seven-ship order, which includes four 55m Inshore Patrol Vessels and a 131m Multi-Role Vessel, as well as the Offshore Patrol Vessels. Tenix Defence CEO Robert Salteri said the ceremony at …

CV32: So quiet that he didn't notice ... From RIA Novosti [excerpt]

War and Conflict Flying Tigers strike Jaffna military base Apr 24, 2007 Separatist Tamil Tiger rebels flying light aircraft bombed a military airbase on Sri Lanka's northern peninsula of Jaffna on Tuesday, killing at least six people, officials and the guerrillas said. If confirmed it would be the second air attack in two months by the Tigers, although it was denied by the defence ministry who said the rebels only fired artillery. Guerrilla spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiriyan said two light aircraft from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) headed toward the Palaly military air field in the Jaffna peninsula just after midnight. "We have carried out o…

On the presence of both UK and Chinese carriers in the zone: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41752/british-and-chinese-aircraft-carriers-both-underway-in-the-tense-south-china-sea To follow the steaming of USS Tulsa LCS-16, apparently armed with only 1xNSM and perhaps "something" in the combat module after the gun: https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/Media/News/Article/2713202/uss-tulsa-lcs-16-sails-in-the-philippine-sea/ https://www.facebook.com/TulsaBlue/ Just here: https://scontent.fvlc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/201997926_1132684547227946_3551401952423554092_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=KNsC5f80kWIAX_thJHI&_nc_ht=sc…

Nice choice of namesake ... From Defense Aerospace [excerpt]

FORMIDABLE CLASS MULTI-MISSION FRIGATES, SINGAPORE Naval-Technology.com Six Formidable Class multi-mission frigates are being built for the Singapore Navy. The first of class, RSS Formidable, was launched on 7 January 2004 at the Lorient dockyard in Brittany, France. The Republic of Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) awarded the contract in March 2002 to DCN in France for the design and construction of the frigates. The contract includes a technology transfer program under which the construction of the first frigate is carried out in France and then five further frigates are built in Singapore by Singapore Technology Marine (STM) at the Benoi shipyard. The fri…

Korea Herald article

Fourth Stealth Destroyer for Korean Navy English.Chosun.com The Navy will launch another Korean Destroyer Experimental (KDX) II class destroyer armed with the latest anti-ship and anti-air missiles on Wednesday, when the "Wang-geon" steams out of the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan. The 4,200 ton stealth destroyer, the fourth KDX-II class destroyer after the Chungmugong Yi Soon-shin, Munmudaewang and Daejoyeong, takes its name from the founder of the ancient Korean kingdom of Goryeo. It's 150 meters long with a beam of 17 meters and height of 9.5 meters and has a top speed of 30 knots. The Wang-geon packs a powerful punch with its Harpoon anti-ship mis…

From Defense Aerospace Launch of RSN's Fourth Frigate (Source: Singapore Ministry of Defence; issued July 15, 2005) The Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) fourth frigate, RSS Tenacious was launched on 15 July 2005, by Mrs Lalitha Jayakumar, wife of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law, Prof S. Jayakumar, at Singapore Technologies Marine yard. Prof Jayakumar officiated at the launching ceremony. The launch of RSS Tenacious marks another milestone for the Formidable-class frigate programme. She is the third frigate to be built locally. In the next phase, RSS Tenacious will undergo harbour and sea trials. The RSN stealth frigates’ sophisticated sen…

France's DCNS Wins Australia's $50 Billion Future Submarine Contract (The Diplomat)

US House approves frigate sale to Taiwan (The Diplomat, China Power)

Here's something interesting, for future South China Sea scenarios: From 2013-2018, Vietnam Will Receive a New Submarine Annually The submarines will be equipped with Klub-S, anti-ship/anti-submarine missile with max range 300km. According to some unofficial sources from the Russian media, from the beginning of the month 6/2011 the Russian side has begun work on two Kilo 636M project class submarines, for the Vietnam Navy. The first will be delivered in 2013. Expected that Russia will hand over to Vietnam annually to a submarine in 2018. Source: http://nosint.blogspot.com/2012/01/from-20...eceive-new.html FWFS, Greg Emerson, DM1(SW), USN-Retired Renton, …

Full THAAD Battery in Place in South Korea After Police Clash With Protesters (Defense Tech) Hmmm. THAAD, X-37B put into orbit from Canaveral just ahead of an advancing hurricane, Reagan CSG at sea from Yokosuka, Bonhomme Richard ESG moving north from the Coral Sea, National Day tomorrow (9 Sept) in the DPRK ... Anyone watching the pizza joints in DC?

From Australian ABC news service: By Tom Lowrey Germany's defence minister is continuing his tour of Australia, taking the opportunity to check out some of Australia's newest military hardware. Boris Pistorius will join Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy at RAAF base Amberley this morning near Brisbane, checking out Australia's 'Ghost Bat' aerial drones. Last year, the federal government signed contracts to acquire six Australian-made Ghost Bats from Boeing Australia. More than $2.34 billion has been committed to the ghost bat program since 2019. Ghost Bats are designed to operate as wingmen for manned Australian fighter jets, such as the F-35 or F-18. They are fully…

From DefenseNews Germany Stands Firm on Lifting China Arms Embargo By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BERLIN German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in an interview released March 30 that he has no plans to drop his support for the lifting of a European Union arms embargo on China. “I have no intention of changing” my position, he said, as quoted in Die Zeit weekly. Schroeder’s ruling Social Democrats and their junior coalition partners, the Greens, disagree over whether the ban should be lifted on China, which is one of Germany’s major trading partners. Most of parliament opposes his stance and the conservative opposition has also urged him to change tack. …

German Freighter Nordlake sinks Indian Frigate Vindhyagiri source "Times of India" .....

Guam hosts talks on military buildup The Associated Press Posted : Friday Aug 24, 2007 8:30:09 EDT HAGATNA, Guam — U.S. representatives and business leaders converged on Guam this week as preparations for a $15 billion military buildup of the U.S. island territory kick into high gear. About 1,200 businessmen and women from Australia to Japan and New York to San Francisco gathered in Guam hotels to learn how they could profit from the buildup. The U.S. and Japanese governments plan to spend a combined $10 billion moving 8,000 Marines to Guam from the southern Japanese island of Okinawa by 2012. The Navy and Air Force also plan infrastructure upgrades o…

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