Current Events in Asia-Pacific

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…

Korea Herald December 22, 2005 Navy Successfully Tests Ship-To-Ship Missile By Jin Dae-woong The Navy successfully completed test-firing the first domestically-made ship-to-ship missile, the Defense Ministry said yesterday. The 150-km-range missile was developed in 2003 by a domestic defense institution, the Agency for Defense Development. Brig. Gen. An Jung-hun, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said the ministry and Navy together conducted the final test-firing of the indigenous missile on the East Sea before the military begins mass-production of the weapon in 2006. During the test firing, the military also successfully tested the capabilities…

Washington Times December 22, 2005 Pg. 15 Official Sees China As 'Considerable Threat' TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso told a press conference early today that China is beginning to pose a considerable threat, referring to its military buildup. China is "a neighbor equipped with nuclear bombs and has expanded its military outlays for 12 years in a row," Mr. Aso said. "It is beginning to be a considerable threat." The remarks appeared to signal a new approach in the way Tokyo looks at its giant neighbor. Japan normally emphasizes accommodation, not criticism, in its comments on China. Mr. Aso's remarks come against a rapidl…

Initial 2 Kidd-class Destroyers Take Their Places in ROC Fleet (Source: Taiwan Information service; issued Dec. 19, 2005) (Edited for content) The first two of four Kidd class destroyers purchased from the United States arrived at the Suao naval base on the northeast coast of Taiwan Dec. 9 after a month-long journey from Port Charleston in South Carolina. The addition of the destroyers to the ROC Naval fleet is expected to be a shot in the arm to Taiwan's ability to defend itself against China. A formal ceremony to commission the two destroyers has been scheduled for mid-December when President Chen Shui-bian is expected to officiate in his capacity …

Walking softly and sticking to big carriers The U.S. military is more cautious than wary as China rearms and challenges for regional dominance 2005-11-20 / The Christian Science Monitor / By Robert Marquand TaiwanNews An F/A-18C Hornet attempts an arrested landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) in this file photo. The Kitty Hawk is based in Yokusuka, Japan. / Knight ridder This 30-mile-long volcanic island appears on a map like stray bit of tropical spackling flung out in the Pacific. Honolulu is eight hours east, Tokyo four hours north, Hong Kong and Jakarta four hours west and south. The rest is ocean. Guam has been a sleepy supply …

From DefenseNews U.S. Navy To Shift Carrier George Washington to Japan By ANDREW SCUTRO A newly overhauled aircraft carrier George Washington will be home-ported in Asia. “The Navy has slotted George Washington to relieve Kitty Hawk in 2008 in Yokosuka,” a senior U.S. defense official told Navy Times. The official announcement from the U.S. Navy is expected in the next few weeks, pending shifts in the massive restructuring plan known as the Quadrennial Defense Review. “Navy is waiting until there’s closer understanding of how the QDR is coming until they make a final carrier force distribution,” the official said. News of the move ends speculation abo…

From Defense Aerospace New Torpedoes and Combat System for Collins Class Submarines (Source: Australian Department of Defence; issued Nov. 14, 2005) Australia’s Collins-Class Submarines are undergoing a major capability boost with work about to start fitting out the first submarine with a new tactical combat system and upgraded state-of-the-art Heavyweight Torpedoes. Defence Minister Robert Hill said the design and installation of the Replacement Combat System and Heavyweight Torpedo System are on schedule and on cost. Senator Hill said the $857 million capability investment will significantly boost the combat effectiveness of the Collins Class making…

I wonder if this might have the same implications as the sale of manufacturing equipment by Toshiba to the Soviet Union? It gave them huge advances in the quieting of their SSNs. Chinese Nationals Held in Alleged Scheme By GILLIAN FLACCUS The Associated Press Monday, November 7, 2005; 10:57 PM WashingtonPost SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A federal judge on Monday denied bail for two Chinese nationals accused of conspiring to steal sensitive documents on U.S. Navy warship technology and smuggle them to China. Tai Wang Mak, a broadcast and engineering director for the Phoenix North American Chinese Channel, and his wife, Fuk Heung Li, were arrested Oct. 28 in …

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…

China's navy not yet a threat to Japan and US Taipei Times A former Japan Maritime Self Defense Force Fleet Air Wing commander, retired Rear Admiral Sumihiko Kawamura, spoke to 'Taipei Times' Staff Reporter Rich Chang on the Chinese navy's abilities - especially its submarine fleet - as well as the potential for military cooperation between the US, Japan and Taiwan Monday, Oct 31, 2005,Page 3 Taipei Times: It is widely believed that China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has been making substantial progress, particularly with their submarine force. What is your evaluation of PLAN? Rear Admiral Sumihiko Kawamura: I see PLAN's capability as still bei…

Japan to host nuclear U.S. carrier The Navy says the move is unrelated to efforts to base such a vessel in Hawaii By Gregg K. Kakesako gkakesako@starbulletin.com The Pentagon's decision to locate a nuclear aircraft carrier in Japan for the first time is not related to the ongoing campaign to home-port one at Pearl Harbor, Navy officials said yesterday. Pacific Fleet spokesman Jon Yoshishige said no decision has been made on whether the Navy will base a nuclear aircraft carrier in Hawaii. The Navy announced yesterday that the USS Kitty Hawk -- one of its two remaining non-nuclear carriers -- will leave Yokosuka in 2008 and be decommissioned. It will be repla…

From DefenseNews Guessing Game: How Large Is China’s Defense Budget? By PETER HARMSEN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BEIJING While everyone knows China is a rising power, one can only guess at how strong its armed forces are, or how much it is spending to build its military might. The issue of the size of China’s defense budget re-emerged this week as U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited Beijing. He used every opportunity to voice concern over his host nation’s military expansion, which he said was sending “mixed signals” about China’s intentions. “Many countries … have questions about the pace and the scope of China’s military expansion,” he said a…

China raises stakes in Japan oil row By Hamish McDonald China Correspondent Beijing October 4, 2005 TheAge A CHINESE warship trained its guns on a low-flying Japanese military patrol aircraft last month in the intensifying confrontation between the two Asian powers over disputed seabed oil and gas reserves. According to Japan's Kyodo news agency, the incident occurred on September 9 when the Japanese navy sent a P-3C aircraft to look at five Chinese warships that had sailed close to a contested boundary between economic zones claimed by both countries. One of the ships trained its guns on the aircraft, Kyodo quoted Japan Self-Defence Agency officials as s…

From DefenseNews Singapore Mulling Purchase of Swedish Submarines By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, SINGAPORE Singapore’s Defense Ministry said Sept. 29 it is considering whether to buy second-hand Vastergotland-class submarines from Sweden to replace some units in its fleet. “The Swedish Navy is planning to stand down two of its submarines of the Vastergotland class,” the Ministry of Defense (Mindef) said in a statement. “Mindef is now considering whether this might provide the Republic of Singapore Navy an opportunity to enhance its submarine capabilities by replacing some of its Challenger-class submarines with the Vastergotland-class submarines.” Singapore…

Taiwan slammed on lax defense By Bill Gertz THE WASHINGTON TIMES September 20, 2005 A senior Pentagon official yesterday sharply criticized Taiwan's government for not moving ahead with an arms buildup to counter a mounting threat from China. Edward Ross, a senior Pentagon security cooperation official, also suggested in a speech that the United States might not defend Taiwan in a conflict with China unless Taipei does more to boost its defenses and national will. "As the lone superpower, our interests are plentiful and our attention short," Mr. Ross said. "We cannot help defend you if you cannot defend yourself." With U.S. troops fighting and dy…

Shifts in Pacific Force U.S. Military To Adapt Thinking New Plans Reflect Reaction To China's Growing Power By Edward Cody Washington Post Foreign Service Saturday, September 17, 2005; A01 ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- A dull-gray B-2 bomber sat poised in a typhoon-proof air-conditioned hangar, its bat wings stretching 172 feet across. The bomb bay was fitted for 80 GPS-guided bombs, at 500 pounds each, that could be delivered to any target in Asia within a few hours. The hulking stealth aircraft is a symbol of new times in the Pacific. "Having this airplane in theater sends a message to the world," said Air Force Lt. Col. Tom Bussiere, of St. Joh…

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…

From eDefense It took seven years, but Singapore has finally chosen a replacement for its aging fleet of A-4SU Super Skyhawks: the Boeing (St. Louis, MO) F-15T, a variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle. The Singapore Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) announced on Sept. 6 that it is now in the process of seeking final clarifications and contract negotiation with Boeing under its New Fighter Replacement Program (NFRP), under which Singapore aims to procure 20 (although perhaps as many as 24) new fighters to replace its A-4SUs, which "will soon be at the end of their operationally useful life," according to a MINDEF spokeswoman. The NFRP, with an estimated value of some $1 bi…

Drills put U.S. Navy on notice By RICHARD HALLORAN Special to The Japan Times HONOLULU -- Soon after Adm. Gary Roughhead took the helm as the new commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the Chinese and Russian armed forces gave him something to think about. Those two forces in the western Pacific have just completed eight days of joint maneuvers centered on the Shandong Peninsula, across the Yellow Sea from the Korean Peninsula. The drills were conducted with 10,000 military people on land, at sea, and in the air, about 8,500 of them Chinese. That's not large as those things go, but it was the first such exercise done together since the breakup of the Soviet …

For those familiar with the Harpoon Classic game, this idea sounds a lot like the Cold War concept platform, Mitchel Offshore Base, that is found in the GIUK and NACV Battlesets. Looks like what was old is new again. US and Japan plan floating runway Justin McCurry in Tokyo Monday August 29, 2005 The Guardian Japan and the US are planning to build a giant floating runway off the coast of western Japan in a bid to reduce noise pollution by US military aircraft, local media reported yesterday. The "megafloat" will be built six miles off Iwakuni, home to a US marine base, at a cost of up to ¥500bn (£2.5bn), the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said, quoting go…