Current Events in Asia-Pacific

From DefenseNews EU Keeping China Weapons Embargo: U.S. Officials By STEPHANIE GRIFFITH, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE The European Union, at the urging of the United States, apparently will keep a 16-year-old arms embargo against China, U.S. officials said April 14, adding that talks next week will seek to sway holdout countries. “We do not now believe that the EU is close to a decision to lifting the embargo itself. But we realize that we must keep this issue at the forefront of our agenda with the EU in Brussels and with all the EU governments — and we intend to do just that,” Nicholas Burns, the U.S. State Department Under Secretary for Political Affairs, told a c…

From the DEW Line [excerpt]

North Korea Tests Longest Range Missiles Since 2012 (The Diplomat, Flashpoints)

From Australian ABC news service: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-13/taipan-helicopter-fly-again-talisman-sabre-nz/105522512?utm_source=abc_news_web&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link

A nice pic from the Pitch Black '08 exercise, a biennial exercise held in Australia that focuses on offensive counter air (OCA) and defensive counter air training. Participants included Australia, the U.S., Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, France, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom and NATO. More here: http://www.defence.gov.au/pitchblack08/gal...0625b/index.htm

From Flight Global [excerpt]

Chinas Future Bomber Requirements Murky (DefenseNews)

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

China Making Some Missiles More Powerful (New York Times)

From Defense Aerospace Op-Ed: Japan & F-22: Why Not Reward a Reliable Ally? (Source: Lexington Institute; issued June 9, 2009) If there's one concept that the Obama Administration's national-security team really likes, it's partnering. Obama stressed global partnering when he was running for President, the security agenda posted on the White House web-site cites it as a key goal, and it is one of five "strategic principles" underpinning the quadrennial defense review. There's even a deputy secretary in the Pentagon's reorganized policy shop assigned to "partnership strategy." Of course, the Obama team didn't discover partnering. The Bush Administration's …

From Defence Talk Russia to lease only one nuclear sub to India Navy News — By RIA Novosti on June 23, 2009 at 5:20 am MOSCOW, June 22 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian government official dismissed on Monday media rumors that Russia planned to lease several nuclear submarines to India, saying a contract envisioned only the transfer of the Nerpa vessel. "We will lease only one submarine. In my opinion, India needs the sub more for enhancing its prestige rather than for accomplishing specific goals," Vyacheslav Dzirkaln, deputy head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, said in an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti. India reportedly paid $65…

A short but concise article in Mer et Marine (in French) about the Chinese Navy, by Bernard Prézelin, editor of Combat Fleets of the World, with photos of new submarines and a consideration about the little islands dispute, the possesion of one of the guarantees to the owner a EEZ of 200 nm: http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/focus-limpressionnante-montee-en-puissance-de-la-marine-chinoise

China's Navy Forms First Carrier-Borne Jet Force (Defense Aerospace)

Inside the Design of China’s Yuan-class Submarine (USNI News)

From DefenseNews Posted 08/14/07 20:17 U.S. Sees Looming China Threat to Satellites By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE China may be just three years away from being able to disrupt U.S. military satellites in a regional conflict, a senior U.S. military leader said Aug. 14, citing a recent antisatellite test and other advances. The warning came amid calls at a conference in Alabama for intensified efforts to ensure U.S. “space superiority” in the wake of China’s shootdown Jan. 11 of one of its own satellites with a ballistic missile. “It is not inconceivable that within about three years we can be challenged at a near peer level in a region,” said Lt. Gen. Kevin Campbell,…

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

Fascinating read on the Wikipedia entry, if true (range stated as 400 Km/216+ nm of Type 346 (CV Liaoning and DDG Type 052C), more on Type 346A (DDG Type 052D), no equivalent entry in other languages: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_346_Radar

If China Invades Taiwan, This Is What The Fleet Could Look Like (Forbes)

Its Boom Time for Naval Spy Planes (War is Boring blog)

ADIZ Update: Enforcement in the East China Sea, Prospects for the South China Sea, and Implications for the United States (US China Commission, pdf)