Current Events in Asia-Pacific

From Defense Aerospace [excerpt]

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

Whether under her own power or under tow, Varyag left the Port of Dalian according to Xinhua News. A quick search of the various Chinese forums shows an empty bearth where Varyag was supposedly tied up. Visibility was quite poor at the time which assists in a quiet/covert departure. Xinhua reports that the initial trial won't be long and that the vessel will return to complete her 'refit' soon. Hopefully we'll be seeing some periscope photos in the near future, hopefully they'll include the tug. Later D

From Reuters [excerpt] CV32: One wonders where the Shi Lang and her "air wing" will head on their maiden voyage?

dont know if this is the greatest idea in the world, why pull on the tigers tail. http://news.yahoo.com/taiwan-hails-missile...-084816584.html

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 BBC News [excerpt]

From Flight Global [excerpt]

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]

BBC news report Apparently it won't sail to other countries' territorial waters... which no sensible carrier admiral would do anyway...

From DefenseNews [excerpt]

CV32: Have to take these early reports with a grain of salt, but potentially big news if true ... From RIA Novosti MiG-35 stalls in Indian fighter tender contract 10:42 10/08/2010 Russia's MiG-35 multirole fighter aircraft has failed to make the short-list in a $10 billion international tender for 126 combat aircraft for the Indian air force, according to Indian media reports quoted by Kommersant daily. The favorites to win the tender are the French Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon, Indian media say. Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the holding company for most of the Russian aircraft industry, and its fighter subsidiary MiG, hav…

From Defense Aerospace [excerpt]

Korea Herald article

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 China Builds First Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile Base? By WENDELL MINNICK Published: 5 Aug 2010 07:49 TAIPEI - China's new anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) will be deployed at the Second Artillery Corps' new missile base in Guangdong Province in southeastern China, if a new report issued by Washington-based Project 2049 Institute is correct. <snip for copyright>

Chinese Missiles and the Wal-Mart Factor

From Aviation Week [excerpt] CV32: Already in the HCDB, btw.

From DefenseNews [excerpt]

BBC reporting escalating row between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea China 'cable' cutting angers Vietnam in Spratlys row