Current Events in Asia-Pacific

From Aviation Week China Asat Test Called Worst Single Debris Event Ever By Frank Morring, Jr. Chinese delegates will have some explaining to do in Vienna later this month, when they sit down with representatives of other spacefaring nations to adopt international guidelines designed to mitigate the growing problem of man-made space debris in Earth orbit. The document drafted by a technical subcommittee of the U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space is aimed at preventing the sort of accidental events that have gradually engulfed Earth in a cloud of potentially destructive high-speed debris since the flight of Sputnik 1 kicked off orbital spaceflig…

From Air Force Times U.S. gauges China’s anti-satellite plan By Vago Muradian - Staff writer Posted : Friday Feb 2, 2007 11:10:30 EST As worldwide attention focuses on China’s first successful anti-satellite missile test, U.S. officials are questioning why some Chinese spacecraft are in orbits that bring them close to key U.S. satellites, according to military sources. The big question is the scale and progress of the Chinese anti-satellite program, including whether the Chinese spacecraft are benign or time bombs that can someday be used to threaten the space assets on which the U.S. military and economy depend for everything from reconnaissance and droppin…

From Defence Talk US offers advanced missile system to India IANS | Jan 30, 2007 NEW DELHI: The US is offering India one of the world's most formidable shipboard missile systems that has the potential of being integrated with the country's indigenous missiles. There was "some interest" in the Indian defence establishment in the Aegis system but neither has the US made an offer nor has India made any formal request for it, says Royce Caplinger, managing director of Lockheed Martin India, whose US parent manufactures the system. "I am sure though that if you ask for it, you will get it," India Strategic defence magazine quotes him as saying. The feelers…

From Defense Aerospace India Ready to Fire BrahMos from Submarine (Source: ddi Indian Government news; issued Jan. 29, 2007) India is almost ready with its undersea launch version of the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile and wants the Navy to help in preliminary test trials by the end of the year. The Navy's help is being sought as the DRDO lacks a platform to undertake tests of the submarine launch Brahmos missile which will put India among the few countries who have the capability to launch underwater supersonic missiles. The Indian Navy's present fleet of just upgraded Kilo class submarines do not have the capability to test fire such missiles, Bra…

From American Enterprise Institute China's Defense White Paper What It Does (and Doesn't) Tell Us By Dan Blumenthal, Christopher Griffin Posted: Thursday, January 25, 2007 China Brief (vol. 7, no. 2) Publication Date: January 24, 2007 Credit should be given where it is due, and if one reads between the lines, the four Chinese defense white papers released every even year since 2000 have provided clearer insight into Beijing’s strategic aims and defense planning than ever intimated by Zhongnanhai through the 1990s. While the China’s National Defense in 2006 white paper should be primarily read as a piece of propaganda--part of China’s public campaign to assur…

From Aviation Week Chinese Test Anti-Satellite Weapon By Craig Covault/Aviation Week & Space Technology 01/17/2007 07:45:59 PM U. S. intelligence agencies believe China performed a successful anti-satellite (asat) weapons test at more than 500 mi. altitude Jan. 11 destroying an aging Chinese weather satellite target with a kinetic kill vehicle launched on board a ballistic missile. The Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, NASA and other government organizations have a full court press underway to obtain data on the alleged test, Aviation Week & Space Technology will report in its Jan. 22 issue. …

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 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 Air Force Times January 08, 2007 Holloman squadron bound for Korea The Associated Press ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — About 300 airmen with Holloman Air Force Base’s 49th Fighter Wing and a squadron of F-117A Stealth fighters will begin a four-month deployment to Korea on Monday, base officials said. The regularly scheduled deployment is not related to a particular threat or event but part of ongoing measures to maintain a credible deterrent and presence in the Western Pacific, said base spokesman Tom Fuller. The deployment will keep the “pilots and crews on their toes” and practice moving men and equipment over a long distance and operate in a forward area, F…

From Defense Aerospace Antony Favours Brahmos Model to Develop World-Class Defence Products (Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued Dec. 28, 2006) Defence Minister Shri AK Antony has favoured more BrahMos-type cooperation with industry to develop world class defence products for the country. Speaking to a large number of scientists, industrialists and service personnel from both Russia and India after his maiden visit to the missile centre here today, Shri Antony said the fastest supersonic cruise missile BrahMos has given a boost to the country's defence preparedness with its speed, precision and power. He desired the quick development of the air versi…

From Flight International Indian navy set to issue maritime reconnaissance aircraft shortlist within days By Siva Govindasamy New Delhi to step up contest for new reconnaissance platforms, while interest in V-22 Osprey emerges The Indian navy is poised to announce the shortlist for its maritime reconnaissance aircraft contest "any day now", says Boeing, which is offering a P-8I variant of its 737-based P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft now in development for the US Navy. Other types in contention for the eight-aircraft programme include a special mission version of the Airbus A319/A320 from EADS, a package based on Dassault's Falcon 900 business jet al…

From DefenseNews Posted 12/08/06 16:12 U.S. Sale of Airborne Early Warning System To Pakistan Possible By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE The Pentagon said Dec. 8 it has notified Congress of a possible sale to Pakistan of three surplus P-3 aircraft with airborne early warning systems. The Pentagon estimated the value of such a sale at as high as $855 million. It said Pakistan intends to use the aircraft with the E-2C Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning System for its naval forces. The refurbished aircraft would boost Pakistan’s ability to guard its shores and borders against the movement of terrorists and drug traffickers, it said in a statement.

From Defence Talk China To Use Galileo Satellite Navigation System Xinhua News Agency Dec 8, 2006 - 6:17:20 AM Nanjing, China: The European Union's Galileo satellite navigation system, a rival to the reigning global positioning system (GPS) of the United States, is expected to be operational in China in 2008. The 30-satellite system, with a navigational fix accurate to within one meter, will provide safe, reliable and accurate navigational information for Chinese users in fields of civil aviation, railway, waterway and road transportation, according to a Sino-EU technology cooperation symposium in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. China …

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 Defense Aerospace India Acquires Capability for Air Defence Against Incoming Ballistic Missile Threats (Source: Indian Ministry of Defence; issued Nov. 27, 2006) The country today achieved a significant milestone in missile defence system. It acquired the capability for air defence against incoming ballistic missile threats, at 1025 hrs this morning. A Target Missile (modified Prithvi) simulating adversary's missile was launched from Interim Test Range, Balasore. The trajectory of the target missile was continuously tracked and the information was compiled in the Mission Control Centre (MCC) and transmitted to Launch Control Centre (LCC) for launching …

From DefenseNews Posted 11/24/06 13:25 Pakistan, China Agree To Jointly Develop AWACS By REUTERS, ISLAMABAD Pakistan and China on Nov. 24 signed a memorandum of understanding for a long-term collaboration in defense production including development of an airborne early warning surveillance system. The announcement came during the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Pakistan. China has been the main supplier of military hardware to Pakistan for decades. A statement from Pakistan’s air force said the two countries agreed on collaboration and co-development of aircraft manufacturing and related fields. Pakistan, concerned over rival India’s growing defense c…

Hard on the heels of the story about the Song diesel sub getting the better of the Kitty Hawk CSG (which, although inflated in importance, does serve to remind us of the growing capability of the PRC to project power), comes more rumours of an impending sale by Russia to China of up to 48 Su-33 Flanker carrier based fighters. More here.

From Defense Aerospace [it's been (and I'm sure, will continue to be) interesting to watch Japan's shifting attitude towards its constitution, the concept of self-defence and the role of nuclear arms. See, for example, my post on Oct 31/06. Stay tuned ... ] Japan Can Hold Nuclear Arms for Self-Defence: Govt (Source: ddi Indian Government news; issued Nov. 14, 2006) Japan has said that its constitution allows it to possess nuclear weapons as long as they are kept to a minimum level necessary for self-defence. However, the country has no intention of holding such arms, the government said in a statement. The statement, written in response to a question fr…

From Defence Talk S.Korea won't join arms interdiction Reuters Nov 13, 2006 - 5:47:06 AM SEOUL (Reuters): South Korea will not join a U.S.-led plan to intercept North Korean ships suspected of carrying arms cargo as a part of sanctions on Pyongyang for conducting a nuclear test, reports said on Monday. South Korea has reviewed whether to expand its participation in the plan after the North's October 9 nuclear test, but it has been wary that such an operation near the Korean peninsula could escalate military tension with the North. "The government will express support for the goal and principles of the (plan) but will not formally join for the time being cons…

From Marine Corps Times November 01, 2006 24th MEU trains in India By John Hoellwarth Staff writer A company of infantrymen from the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit is in the middle of a three-day training exercise with the Indian army in Karnataka, India, according to a release from India’s Press Information Bureau. The exercise, which ends Thursday, is intended to streamline military cooperation between the two countries during counterterrorism and urban-combat missions by requiring each to share intelligence, communications, weapons and equipment, according to the release. It was unclear whether the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-base…