Current Events in Asia-Pacific

From Aviation Week's ARES Blog China's "Global Hawk" in Taxi Tests Posted by Graham Warwick at 10/16/2008 11:47 AM CDT This video is doing the rounds on the internet. It appears to show taxi tests of China's Chengdu Aircraft (CAC) Xianglong (Soar Dragon) high-altitude. long-endurance UAV, a model of which was displayed at the Zuhai show in 2006. Video: YouTube link The UAV clearly resembles the Global Hawk in configuration, but the relatively small size of the engine (here seen without its full nacelle) has caused some comment. Data displayed at Zuhai showed the Xianglong to be 14.3m long, with a 25m span, a takeoff weight of 7,500kg with a payload of 650…

Anti-access lessons from the past (USNI, Proceedings)

http://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/bae-systems-offers-queen-elizabeth-carrier-design-to-india

Stuff like this has gotta make you wonder if all the weapons performance in military simulations is truly accurate under combat conditions. Editorial from The China Post Armed forces botch attacks 2005/11/1 In another costly botch Taiwan's submarines fired four torpedoes in two many sea maneuvers last year. In the first mock war, two were launched to sink target ships, but neither scored a hit. President Chen Shui-bian, for whom the navy held that exercise, proffered comfort and asked for another torpedo attack. Two were fired, and one of them hit the bull's eye. One hit out of four launches certainly was a costly botch. Now it's the turn of the other two servic…

From Defense Aerospace Joint Strike Fighter (Source: Australian Department of Defence; issued Feb. 1, 2007) Australia says it may lease 24 F-18Es as a stop-gap solution pending delivery of its JSFs. Australia’s planned acquisition of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) remains on track. Initial Operational Capability of the first squadron of JSF is expected in 2014/2015. In December I signed on behalf of the Australian Government the JSF Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development (PSFD) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The full complement of JSF will be phased in over the next decade. Statements that JSF will be far less capable than initia…

From DefenseNews Posted 10/16/07 16:16 Thailand Picks Sweden’s Gripen for $1B Fighter Deal By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BANGKOK Thailand will purchase 12 Swedish-made jet fighters over the next decade for 34.4 billion baht ($1 billion), the head of the air force said Oct. 17. The first lot of six JAS-39 Gripen fighters will be bought by 2011, with a second lot of six jets purchased by 2017, air force chief Chalit Phukphasuk told reporters. The Gripens, manufactured by Sweden’s Saab, will replace aging American F-5E fighters, which will be rotated out of service in 2011, he added. "It is necessary to purchase the new jet fighters to replace the retiring fighters, …

From DefenseNews RAND Study Suggests U.S. Loses War With China By wendell minnick Published: 16 Oct 11:45 EDT (15:45 GMT) TAIPEI - A new RAND study suggests U.S. air power in the Pacific would be inadequate to thwart a Chinese attack on Taiwan in 2020. The study, entitled "Air Combat Past, Present and Future," by John Stillion and Scott Perdue, says China's anti-access arms and strategy could deny the U.S. the "ability to operate efficiently from nearby bases or seas." According to the study, U.S. aircraft carriers and air bases would be threatened by Chinese development of anti-ship ballistic missiles, the fielding of diesel and nuclear submarines equipped …

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, …

NIDS China Security Report 2016 (National Institute for Defense Studies (Tokyo), pdf)

Australia could buy F-35B (Jane's)

The 20 countries taking part in this year's exercises include New Zealand, the United States, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, India, Singapore, Germany, France, Spain, Fiji, Canada, Brunei, Malaysia, Finland and Sweden Aust abc news

Sounds like an excellent premise for a new scenario! White House May Go to U.N. Over North Korean Shipments By DAVID E. SANGER Published: April 25, 2005 New York Times ASHINGTON, April 24 - The Bush administration, facing a series of recent provocations from North Korea, is debating a plan to seek a United Nations resolution empowering all nations to intercept shipments in or out of the country that may contain nuclear materials or components, say senior administration officials and diplomats who have been briefed on the proposal. The resolution envisioned by a growing number of senior administration officials would amount to a quarantine of North Ko…

Indias Missile Defense: Is the Game Worth the Candle? (The Diplomat)

Document: China's Naval Modernization (USNI News)

China would invade Taiwan in certain circumstances: MND report (Focus Taiwan)

Australia commissions first Hobart-class air warfare destroyer (Jane's)

From DefenseNews Posted 01/02/08 11:04 Analyst: Kim Jong-Il Still Undecided on Giving up Nukes AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, SEOUL North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has still not decided whether to give up his nuclear weapons despite a disarmament pledge under an international deal, a senior analyst said Jan. 2. Nam Sung-Wook, a North Korea expert at Korea University who advises South Korean President-elect Lee Myung-Bak, said he expects Pyongyang to stall on the disarmament deal after missing a year-end deadline. “National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-Il seems not to have made a decision yet to abandon nuclear weapons,” Nam told SBS radio. Pyongyang will “drag…

From Jane's North Korea threatens to test an ICBM By Doug Richardson 06 May 2009 North Korea has threatened to test intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and to conduct further nuclear-weapon tests unless the UN Sanctions Committee apologises for decisions that Pyongyang sees as a violation of its sovereignty. On 24 April, the committee banned transactions with three North Korean organisations - the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation, the Korea Ryonbong General Corporation and the Tanchon Commercial Bank - and called on UN member states to freeze the assets of the two companies. This move followed the launch by North Korea on 5 April of what …

Exploits of the RQ-170 Sentinel in 2009. Stealth Drones Secret Pacific Missions (War is Boring)

DF-26 IRBM may have ASM variant, China reveals at 3 September parade (Jane's) Interesting development, especially as it was touted as a 'Guam killer'. Now it might be both? (keeping in mind that the ASBM concept still has some gaping holes)