Current Events in Asia-Pacific

From Flight Global [excerpt]

I am working on creating a new scenario and was wondering, how does China group its surface ships? Do they have groups similar to US destroyer squadron? Or carrier battle groups? I understand they just commissioned their first carrier so they probably have not completely established their naval strategy, but with other surface ships, is there any methodology the PLAN uses? Thanks for any help, this site and forum has been such a blessing

From Jane's Defence Weekly Indonesia aims for 'green water navy' capability By Riefqi Muna JDW Special Correspondent London Chief of the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) Admiral Slamet Soebijanto has outlined plans to develop the service's overall capabilities. Earlier this month Adm Soebijanto reiterated his intention to implement a major restructuring of naval forces. This would serve as the prelude to a broader development programme unveiled three years ago - an internal plan known as the 'TNI-AL Blueprint 2004-2013'. Adm Soebijanto previously stated that the long-term aim was to establish an effective 'green water navy' by 2020. "A green water navy repre…

From Defence Aerospace Seoul to Buy 20 More F-15Ks (Source: Korean Overseas Information Service; dated May 19, 2006) The Air Force will purchase 20 more F-15K multi-role aircraft beginning in 2009, following the scheduled introduction of 40 F-15s by 2008, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday (May 18). The $2 billion plan was approved during a meeting on Wednesday as part of the ministry's mid-term arms acquisition project between 2007 and 2011, ministry officials said. Final endorsement of the plan is to be made by President Roh Moo-hyun, they said. AND From DefenseNews S. Korea Cuts Back on U.S. F-15s: Report By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE,…

From Defence Talk Japan Launches First Defense Ministry Since WWII Agence France-Presse | Jan 10, 2007 Tokyo (AFP): Japan launched its first full-fledged defense ministry since World War II on Tuesday as part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to build a more assertive nation. Abe, Japan's first premier to be born after the war, made the creation of a defense ministry one of his top priorities. He aims eventually to rewrite the US-imposed 1947 constitution that declared Japan a pacifist country. "Since the Cold War ended, the national security situation facing Japan has changed dramatically," Abe said at a ceremony to mark the creation of a cabinet-level …

From Defense Aerospace [excerpt]

From Defense Aerospace Boeing Rolls Out First F-15SG to Singapore (Source: Boeing; issued November 3, 2008) Boeing has rolled out the first of 24 F-15SG fighters ordered by Singapore. Deliveries are scheduled for mid-2009 to 2012. (Boeing Co. photo) ST. LOUIS --- The Boeing Company today rolled out the first F-15SG jet fighter to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). The F-15SG is a variant of the highly capable, combat-proven F-15E. "The rollout of F-15SG1, on schedule, demonstrates that we're off to a great start as the RSAF builds to a procurement of 24 F-15SG aircraft," said Mark Bass, Boeing F-15 Program vice president. "The F-15SG has sig…

From DefenseNews U.S. Should Butt out of China’s Bilateral Relations By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BEIJING On June 30, China blasted interference by the United States in its relations with other countries and urged the European Union and Israel to ignore Washington’s concerns over arms sales. ”We believe that the United States should not point fingers, make irresponsible remarks and place obstacles in the way. We are firmly against it,” foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said. ”The U.S. should discard its Cold War mentality and stop obstructing normal cooperation between China and other countries ... we ask relevant parties and sides to adhere to the prin…

Global Security

Taiwan to get warships from US by year-end Taipei: Taiwan will begin taking delivery of four US Kidd-class destroyers before year's end to boost its defences against China, a military official said Tuesday. NewKerala "Two of the four vessels are undergoing testing and training in the US," Rear Admiral Lee Hao said at a news conference. "Both have passed the tests by the US Atlantic Fleet. Test-firing of Standard II anti-air missiles on the vessels will be held in October." "The two warships will depart from the Charleston port in South Carolina for Taiwan via the Panama Canal in November and are expected to arrive in Taiwan before the end of the year," L…

Chinese attack sub encounter puts Taiwan's navy on alert Mainichi Daily News TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's military was investigating a news report Saturday that a nuclear submarine from rival China surfaced and nearly collided with a patrol of navy vessels off a Taiwanese-held island. The Chinese attack sub -- a Han-class nuclear-powered vessel -- suddenly surfaced and appeared to be heading for five Taiwanese ships near Kinmen island on July 25, according to Saturday's edition of the Apple Daily, which didn't cite any sources. The Taiwanese ships spotted the submarine and prepared for a confrontation. Three speedboats equipped with missiles were called in to a…

China Military Power 2018 (pdf)

From Defense Aerospace Korea to Buy 20 Foreign Fighter Jets Next Year (Source: Korea Overseas Information Service; dated Jan. 18, web-posted Jan. 17, 2007) Korea has decided to choose a foreign contractor through open bidding to supply 20 "next-generation" fighter jets in the coming years, a project to cost around 2.3 trillion won ($2.4 billion), defense officials said Wednesday (Jan. 17). The project follows Seoul's contract with the U.S. company Boeing Co. in 2002 to buy 40 F-15K jets for $4.6 billion. Eighteen jets have been delivered so far, with the remainder to be introduced by next year. "We plan to draw up a detailed plan for the procurement p…

From Aviation Week At Matsushima: 18x F-2B fighter trainers, only 6-9 of which might be capable of being repaired 5x UH-60J helicopters 5x T-4 jet trainers 2x Hawker 800XPs

From DefenseNews Posted 12/07/06 11:37 North Korea Says U.S. Has Nuclear Bomb in South: Tass By REUTERS, MOSCOW North Korea believes Washington has atomic weapons deployed in South Korea and it will not halt its nuclear program as long as this threat persists, Itar-Tass news agency quoted a North Korean source as saying on Dec. 7. "(North Korea) has practically no doubts that there are U.S. nuclear weapons in the south of the Korean Peninsula," the source told Tass. "North Korea is forced, in the interests of self-defense, to enhance its nuclear capability." "Without eliminating the threat from the United States and without relevant guarantees being offered, P…

From DefenseNews N. Korea Says No Point in Nuclear Talks with U.S. By JON HERSKOVITZ, REUTERS, SEOUL North Korea said Jan. 17 it was unthinkable for it to return to nuclear disarmament talks that include the United States because it believes Washington wants to bring down its communist rulers with financial sanctions. Pyongyang has already threatened to boycott the talks until the sanctions are lifted, but the fresh remark from the official KCNA news agency came as media reports suggested North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was in Beijing for discussions with Chinese leaders about the stalled six-way talks. Talks among the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and…

International Herald Tribune January 31, 2006 An Aircraft Carrier For China? By David Lague BEIJING--As China builds a military to match its growing economic power, its neighbors and potential rivals including the United States have puzzled over a key question: When will the Chinese Navy launch an aircraft carrier? For decades, senior Chinese military and political officials have argued that for the country to become a great power, the People's Liberation Army Navy needs to add these potent warships to its fleet. However, the major obstacle to this ambition is that aircraft carriers are hugely expensive. The two 50,000-metric-ton conventionally p…

China Daily

India Test Fires Nuclear-Capable Missile India Test Fires New Nuclear-Capable Missile Agni III, State Government Official Says By MUNEEZA NAQVI The Associated Press NEW DELHI - India test fired a new missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads across much of Asia and the Middle East, a state government official said Thursday. An earlier test firing of the Agni III missile had failed when it plunged into the Bay of Bengal short of its target in July last year. There was no immediate comment whether the current test was successful. The missile was launched from Wheeler Island off the eastern state of Orissa, the state government official said on condition o…

There are at least one boatload of sailors in the Royal Canadian Navy who can fully empathize with their Australian counterparts. Sub 20 seconds from death By Cameron Stewart July 23, 2005 News.com.au AN Australian submarine carrying 55 sailors was seconds from sinking to the bottom of the Indian Ocean following a catastrophic on-board flood off the coast of Perth. The near-tragedy has forced the navy to permanently reduce the diving depth of its fleet of six Collins-class submarines for safety reasons - a move that has weakened their military capability. An investigation by The Weekend Australian has revealed that an accident on board HMAS Dechain…