Current Events in Asia-Pacific

From DefenseNews [excerpt]

Turkey Plans To Build up to 8 Frigates (DefenseNews)

From www.defence-aerospace.com (Source: Tenix Defence; issued Feb. 22, 2005) Tenix Defence began cutting steel for the NZ$500m Project Protector naval shipbuilding contract at its Williamstown, Melbourne shipyard today. NZ Secretary of Defence, Mr Graham Fortune, switched on computerised cutting equipment to begin manufacturing plates for two 85m, 1500 tonne Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Royal New Zealand Navy. The ships are being constructed as part of Royal New Zealand Navy seven-ship order, which includes four 55m Inshore Patrol Vessels and a 131m Multi-Role Vessel, as well as the Offshore Patrol Vessels. Tenix Defence CEO Robert Salteri said the ceremony at …

Reporting name "Musudan", looks like a SS-N-6 conversion.

Chinese aircraft carrier expands capabilities (Flight Global)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhxc7fhDOtA

I am working on creating a new scenario and was wondering, how does China group its surface ships? Do they have groups similar to US destroyer squadron? Or carrier battle groups? I understand they just commissioned their first carrier so they probably have not completely established their naval strategy, but with other surface ships, is there any methodology the PLAN uses? Thanks for any help, this site and forum has been such a blessing

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…

From Aviation Week Indian Navy Pursues Fixed-Wing Carrier AEW Jun 16, 2010 By Asia-Pacific Staff New Delhi The Indian navy is trying to move ahead with an effort to buy four carrier-based fixed airborne early warning and control aircraft, and a request for information is now on the streets. The request for information (RFI) calls for aircraft capable of providing “airborne surveillance, detection and tracking of airborne and surface contacts and control.” The navy presently operates a fleet of nine Kamov Ka-31 airborne early warning (AEW) helicopters. The comparatively limited range and time-on-station of an AEW helicopter, however, continues to drive t…

China's Soar Dragon UAV reappears (DefenseNews' Intercepts blog)

China’s Artificial Islands Are Bigger (And a Bigger Deal) Than You Think (War on the Rocks) Great article if you're considering a South China Sea scenario!

From Jane's Defence Weekly China develops anti-ship missile By Ted Parsons JDW Correspondent Virginia, US The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is in the advanced stages of developing a revolutionary anti-ship ballistic missile to supplement its well known Ying-Ji family of anti-ship cruise missiles. The development programme has been confirmed by both US government and Asian military sources, with the latter estimating that the PLA may be able to deploy the space targeting systems needed to make its anti-ship ballistic missile operational by 2009. PLA efforts to provide terminal guidance capabilities to both its 600 km-range DF-15 (CSS-6) short-ran…

From Aviation Week China Appears To Regret Asat Test May 12, 2008 By Frank Morring, Jr. and Amy Butler/Washington China's leaders miscalculated the international reaction to the country's antisatellite (Asat) weapon test last year, and likely regret that they let their research-and-development bureaucracy carry it out, says a top U.S. expert on the Chinese space program. "The Chinese took very careful aim and shot themselves in the foot with that test," says Joan Johnson-Freese, chairman of the National Security Decision-Making Dept. at the U.S. Naval War College. "I think they now are now recognizing that the international condemnation due them was actually…

Breaking news, folks, doesn't look good ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8589507.stm http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/26/south...h-korea/?hpt=T2 http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2...000100315F.HTML

Whether under her own power or under tow, Varyag left the Port of Dalian according to Xinhua News. A quick search of the various Chinese forums shows an empty bearth where Varyag was supposedly tied up. Visibility was quite poor at the time which assists in a quiet/covert departure. Xinhua reports that the initial trial won't be long and that the vessel will return to complete her 'refit' soon. Hopefully we'll be seeing some periscope photos in the near future, hopefully they'll include the tug. Later D

Suspected to be a nuclear submarine shipyard, in the analysis is more probably a merchant ship module mounting installation: Original article in The National Interest: http://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-everyone-wrong-about-chinas-next-gen-submarines-21631 Expanded article (24 pages) in The Admiral Trilogy website: http://www.admiraltytrilogy.com/pdf/Bohai.pdf

From Australian ABC news service: By Tom Lowrey Germany's defence minister is continuing his tour of Australia, taking the opportunity to check out some of Australia's newest military hardware. Boris Pistorius will join Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy at RAAF base Amberley this morning near Brisbane, checking out Australia's 'Ghost Bat' aerial drones. Last year, the federal government signed contracts to acquire six Australian-made Ghost Bats from Boeing Australia. More than $2.34 billion has been committed to the ghost bat program since 2019. Ghost Bats are designed to operate as wingmen for manned Australian fighter jets, such as the F-35 or F-18. They are fully…

The submarine problem - deeper than meets the eye (Australian Defence Magazine)

From Aviation Week Pacific, Korean Commanders Declare 'Overmatch' By Michael Bruno/Aerospace Daily & Defense Report The four-star chiefs of the U.S. Pacific and Korea combatant commands declared March 7 that the United States and its allies enjoy an overwhelming "overmatch" of naval and air forces in the region against any challenger, but the Korea commander noted concern with longer-term supplies of air-delivered munitions. U.S. Navy Adm. William Fallon, head of Pacific Command, and U.S. Army Gen. Burwell Bell, the military commander in South Korea, told the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) that they are not in immediate need of additional weapons, …

My favorite CSG. From Navy Times Reagan, strike group preparing to deploy Posted : Tuesday May 13, 2008 8:22:45 EDT SAN DIEGO — More than 7,000 sailors will leave home next week when the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group deploys from San Diego for a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific and Persian Gulf regions. The seven-ship naval force, led by Rear Adm. James Wisecup, commander of Carrier Strike Group 7 in San Diego, will leave next Monday, Navy officials announced. “This deployment reinforces the Navy’s Maritime Strategy of limiting regional conflict with forward-deployed, decisive maritime power and fostering cooperative relationships in…