Current Events in Asia-Pacific

From DefenseNews U.S. Should Butt out of China’s Bilateral Relations By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, BEIJING On June 30, China blasted interference by the United States in its relations with other countries and urged the European Union and Israel to ignore Washington’s concerns over arms sales. ”We believe that the United States should not point fingers, make irresponsible remarks and place obstacles in the way. We are firmly against it,” foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said. ”The U.S. should discard its Cold War mentality and stop obstructing normal cooperation between China and other countries ... we ask relevant parties and sides to adhere to the prin…

U.S. Moves to Boost Japan’s Missile Shield By REUTERS, WASHINGTON defensenews The Pentagon notified Congress June 29 of a proposed sale to Tokyo of nine more sea-based missiles and related gear valued at up to $387 million to strengthen Japan’s fledgling ballistic missile shield. The nine SM-3 Block IA Standard missiles, built by Raytheon Co., are the second batch requested by Tokyo in recent months. They would be used on Japanese ships equipped with high-technology AEGIS combat systems built by Lockheed Martin Corp. One such Aegis weapon system would be upgraded for ballistic-missile defense under the new proposed sale, the Defense Department said. …

From Jane's Defence Weekly Indonesia aims for 'green water navy' capability By Riefqi Muna JDW Special Correspondent London Chief of the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) Admiral Slamet Soebijanto has outlined plans to develop the service's overall capabilities. Earlier this month Adm Soebijanto reiterated his intention to implement a major restructuring of naval forces. This would serve as the prelude to a broader development programme unveiled three years ago - an internal plan known as the 'TNI-AL Blueprint 2004-2013'. Adm Soebijanto previously stated that the long-term aim was to establish an effective 'green water navy' by 2020. "A green water navy repre…

Taiwan to Get U.S. Early Warning Radar By JIM WOLF, REUTERS, WASHINGTON DefenseNews The U.S. Defense Department said on June 23 it would supply Taiwan with key elements of a missile and air defense capability, a move aimed at defusing the threat from China. Raytheon Co. won a U.S. Air Force contract worth up to $752 million to supply the Early Warning Surveillance Radar by September 2009, the Pentagon said. In a move bound to anger Beijing, which views Taiwan as a renegade province, the system will let Taiwan’s air force detect and track long- and short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, enemy aircraft and surface ships with “no doubt” reliability…

From Defense Aerospace Korea to Develop Super-Fast Flying Boats (Source: Korea Information Service; issued June 23, 2005) The Korean government plans to invest 170 billion won to develop a large-sized watercraft that can cruise at a maximum speed of 250 kilometers per hour just above water, starting 2006. It will also spend about 70 billion won to establish an Antarctic research center by 2011, in addition to the existing King Sejong Station. The ambitious plans were endorsed on Thursday (June 23) at a meeting of science-related ministers, presided over by Science-Technology Minister Oh Myung. To build watercraft, called wing-in-ground (WIG) veh…

Taiwan frigates sent into disputed waters By Kathrin Hille in Suao and Reuters Published: June 22 2005 01:31 | Last updated: June 22 2005 01:31 FT.com Taiwan yesterday sent two navy frigates armed with anti-ship missiles to disputed waters in the East China Sea after its fishermen complained of harassment by Japanese patrol boats. The unprecedented move, aimed at silencing domestic criticism that the government is too timid in enforcing the island's fragile sovereignty, risks disturbing relations with Japan, Taiwan's most important unofficial ally in Asia. The trip to waters close to the archipelago called Diaoyutai in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanese and c…

Chinese Submariners Are Different StrategyPage Opinion June 9, 2005: Chinese submariners are different. In the United States, submarines have crews that stay with the boat, just like on any other warship. The only exception is the SSBNs (ballistic missile subs), which have two crews, so that the boat can spend the maximum amount of time at sea. The Chinese do it differently. Each class of subs has crews trained for different types of missions, and these crews are assigned to a sub in order to train in their specialty (mine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and anti-submarine warfare). Another reason for the multiple crews (usually two per sub) is also to increase the nu…

New destroyers too expensive June 8, 2005 - 1:34PM TheAge Australia is running the risk of buying expensive navy destroyers it doesn't need, forcing cuts to other key defence programs, a top defence analyst warns. Former defence official Hugh White said the most likely tradeoff for commissioning the $6 billion air warfare destroyers (AWDs) would be cuts to an RAAF plan to buy 100 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSFs). Such a cut would have serious strategic costs, he said. Mr White said the navy maintained it needed the AWDs to defend amphibious landing forces against air attack. However, there were few credible scenarios where such defence would be requ…

DefenseNews Taiwan Successfully Test Fires First Cruise Missile By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, TAIPEI, TAIWAN Taiwan has successfully test fired its first cruise missile, which would allow the island to hit major military targets in southeast China, a newspaper here reported June 5. The Hsiung Feng cruise missile, developed by the military-run Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, has a range of 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) and could be used to attack military bases in southeast China, the China Times said. “Once deployed, it would mark the first time that Taiwan is able to put ‘strategic weapons’ into use. Its political and military impact would be fa…

From Jane's Defence Weekly Taipei embroiled in defence budget row By Wendell Minnick JDW Correspondent Taipei The Republic of China (Taiwan) is coming under increased pressure from Washington to resolve internal political debate over a $15.19 billion special budget for 12 P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), six Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) low- to high-altitude air-defence system batteries and eight diesel-electric submarines (SSKs) promised by the Bush administration in 2001. The political battle is being waged within the Legislative Yuan (parliament) between the pro- independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the pro-unification Chi…

From Defence Aerospace Singapore and Indonesian Navies Launch Sea Surveillance System (Source: Singapore Ministry of Defence; issued May 26, 2005) The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) officially launched Project SURPIC in Batam today. This is a sea surveillance system which allows the RSN and TNI-AL to share a common real-time sea situation picture of the Singapore Strait. It will enable the two navies to better monitor this busy waterway, so that they can exchange information, and deploy their patrol vessels in the area more effectively. Project SURPIC is a significant step forward in enhancing security and the safety…

From On War #117 May 18, 2005 War with China? By William S. Lind [The views expressed in this article are those of Mr. Lind, writing in his personal capacity. They do not reflect the opinions or policy positions of the Free Congress Foundation, its officers, board or employees, or those of Kettle Creek Corporation.] I regard a war with China – hot or cold – as perhaps the greatest strategic blunder the United States could make, beyond those it has already made. The end result would be the same as that from the 20th century wars between Britain and Germany: it reduced both to second-rate powers. In the 21st century, the real victors would be the non-state for…

Sale of Aegis Weapons Systems to Australia Proposed By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE DefenseNews The Pentagon on May 23 announced the possible sale of three Aegis naval weapons systems to Australia, saying it would increase the ability of the U.S. and Australian navies to operate together. The Defense Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) estimated the value of the sale at as high as $350 million. Aegis systems are centered on a sophisticated computerized command system that can cue air defense missiles to enemy missiles and aircraft detected by targeting radar. Using its AN/SPY-1 phased array radar, it can track more than a hundred targets simultaneously. N…

Upgrades toughen 'floating targets' Gregor Ferguson The Australian May 21, 2005 THE Navy's Anzac class frigates, famously dismissed as "floating targets" by former defence science and personnel minister Bronwyn Bishop, are being toughened up. Under a swag of overlapping upgrade projects worth over $600 million, the eight Anzacs are being re-armed with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, new Evolved Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft and anti-missile missiles, and new anti-submarine torpedoes and sonars. Defence has pioneered a new business model for these upgrades. It has created an Anzac Alliance with the ships' builders, Tenix Defence, and the designer of their combat sy…

New Chinese submarine base in Indonesia India Defence.com 14 May 2005: Deepening its “strings of pearls” strategy of acquiring bases and cultivating ties from the Middle East to Southern China, China is now planning a submarine facility on one of the Indonesian islands close to the Malacca Straits, and Australia has protested this. Diplomatic sources said that China ostensibly wants to protect the sealanes of communication in the Indian Ocean, especially the transit of oil tankers from the Persian Gulf, but it is also seen as a measure to preempt a US blockade of China’s energy sources in the event of a war with Taiwan. In January, The Washington Times publis…

From DefenseNews China Military Spending May Be Higher Than Acknowledged By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE China’s military spending is 40 to 70 percent higher than it officially acknowledges, and is likely to exceed that of any U.S. ally in two decades, according to a study released May 19 by the RAND Corporation. The study estimated China’s current annual defense spending at between 2.3 and 2.8 percent of its gross domestic product, or between $69 billion and $78 billion in 2001 dollars. That compares to U.S. defense spending of nearly $430 billion in 2004, which was 3.9 percent of GDP in 2004, it said. “China’s defense spending has more than doubled over the…

Singapore Navy Unveils Remote-Controlled Vessels By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, SINGAPORE DefenseNews Singapore on May 17 unveiled a fleet of remote-controlled vessels, which Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean said would give the city-state a high-tech boost in the battle against maritime piracy and terrorism. The two-ton Spartan Scout Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV), which can be operated from a main warship, can be individually configured to carry out a range of missions, including surveillance and anti-submarine warfare. Teo, who witnessed a “live” demonstration of the Spartan’s capabilities, said the remote-controlled vessels would strengthen Singapore’s anti-pi…

Royal Navy's new supply fleet could be built cheap in China By Clayton Hirst 15 May 2005 Excerpt from The Independent Britain could have its first fleet of naval ships built in China under plans being drawn up by shipbuilder VT Group. The company is preparing to bid to supply the Royal Navy with up to 15 support vessels, in a contract thought to be worth £2bn. But in a bit to reduce costs, VT is exploring the possibility of making the ships' hulls in China. The move would be controversial as the Ministry of Defence (MoD) insists that all warships be assembled in Britain. However, VT believes that because the ships in the so-called Mars programme will be…

Posted on: Sunday, May 8, 2005 Study lists pros, cons of basing carrier at Hawai'i By Dennis Camire Gannett News Service Honolulu Advertiser A preliminary report by a federal commission concludes it makes strategic sense to shift another Navy aircraft carrier group to the Pacific, and Hawai'i is the likely location. However, the report by the Overseas Basing Commission also warns it would be expensive to place a carrier group in Pearl Harbor because of land prices and the high cost of living. The panel does not specifically recommend a Hawai'i-based carrier, but members of the state's congressional delegation said they found the document encourag…

From DefenseNews China Seen Deploying New Missiles in 10 Years By REUTERS China is expected to deploy three new strategic missiles over the next decade as part of an aggressive military build-up seen threatening U.S. forces in the region, a U.S. intelligence official said May 3. David Gordon, chairman of the National Intelligence Council, told a commission charged with overseeing the consolidation of U.S. military bases that the arrival of new, more capable missiles coincided with China’s growing influence on the balance of power in the Taiwan Straits. “Strategic force modernization is a continuing priority, and China will likely field three new strategic mis…