Current Events in Asia-Pacific

Good morning, Seems that one of the few surviving insects that didn't make it into the daily diet of the North Korean population found itself up someones A** this morning causing DPRK forces to shell ROK forces on Yeonpyeong Island at approximately 1430 local today. ROK forces conducted counter-battery operations and fighters were vectored into the area around the island. 2 ROK Marines were killed and 10 more personnel were wounded. There was the usual amount of damage caused by approximately 200 rounds of artillery. ROK artillery fired approximately 80 rounds into North Korea. The shelling happens during the annual Hoguk military exercise. There have been …

From Naval War College Review, Winter 2012 Beijing's "Starter Carrier" and Future Steps (PDF)

Japan mulls F-15MJ upgrade (Jane's)

Air Defense Options for Taiwan: An Assessment of Relative Costs and Operational Benefits (RAND, pdf)

From Naval War College Review, Winter 2012 The ROK's Counter-Asymmetric Strategy: Lessons from ROKS Cheonan and Yeonpyeong Island (PDF)

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 Defense Aerospace North Korea Conducts Missile Tests (Source: Voice of America news; issued July 5, 2006) WHITE HOUSE --- U.S. officials say North Korea has test fired at least six missiles, including a long-range missile that failed shortly after launch. High level consultations are underway. White House officials call the series of launches a provocation, but add there is no immediate threat to the United States. All the tests occurred early Wednesday morning local time within the span of hours. Most involved short to medium range missiles that landed in the Sea of Japan. But one, the failed missile, was a Taepodong 2, the intercontinental missile th…

India to launch BrahMos from Russian sub By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI - Staff writer Posted : Sunday Sep 9, 2007 9:36:17 EDT NEW DELHI — India’s supersonic cruise missile BrahMos, built jointly with Russia, is ready to be launched from a submarine, Defence Minister A.K. Anthony reportedly told the Indian Parliament on Sept. 5. Currently, the Indian navy’s submarines do not have the capability to launch BrahMos missiles. Sources in the Indian Defence Ministry said the BrahMos will be tested on an unspecified Russian submarine later this year. Versions of the BrahMos have been developed for the Indian army, navy and air force. The air version will be integrated on …

From Navy Times Kitty Hawk returns to Japan after China snub By Eric Talmadge - The Associated Press Posted : Tuesday Nov 27, 2007 6:58:19 EST YOKOSUKA, Japan — The aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk and its battle group returned to Japan on Tuesday after being refused entry for a port call in Hong Kong, where the ships were set to mark Thanksgiving. The Kitty Hawk, which has its home port in this city just south of Tokyo, was forced to return to Japan early when Chinese authorities at the last minute refused to allow the warship and its escort vessels to enter Hong Kong harbor. “We are befuddled at this point,” said battle group commander Rear Adm. Rick Wren. …

Here is interesting fodder for scenario designers. I do not believe that it has been posted previously. A Question of Balance Pete

From Defense Aerospace Problems with Malaysian Scorpene (Source: Forecast International; issued February 15, 2010) KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia --- The Malaysian Navy reports that Malaysia's first Scorpene class submarine, delivered in September 2009, has developed problems that have left it unable to submerge. "The submarine can still dive but when we detected the defects, we were advised that it should not dive," Defense Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said. "The defects are still covered by warranty, so the supplier and contractor are repairing them," he added. This is the third fault found with the Scorpenes built for Malaysia. Malaysian Navy commander…

PLA Officer: China Must Establish South China Sea ADIZ (The Diplomat, Flashpoints)

Pacific Armadas Growing Far East Navies Mean New Challenges For U.S. By Arthur Herman SOMETHING new and menacing has entered the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, and it's not the great white shark. On Aug. 23, Japan launched its first aircraft carrier since World War Two. The Hyuga only displaces 13,500 tons, compared to the 100,000 tons of an American Nimitz-class behemoth, and it will only carry 11 or so SH-60 anti-submarine helicopters instead of the 90 aircraft and choppers on the USS Nimitz or Eisenhower - at least for now. But as Richard Dorn, naval analyst at the U.S.-based AMI International, notes, "it cannot be denied that the launch of Hyuga is …

F/A-18s intercept Russian bombers near carrier By Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press Posted : Monday Feb 11, 2008 17:08:47 EST WASHINGTO — U.S. fighter planes intercepted two Russian bombers flying unusually close to an American aircraft carrier in the western Pacific during the weekend, The Associated Press has learned. A U.S. military official says that one Russian Tupolev 95 buzzed the aircraft carrier Nimitz twice, at a low altitude of about 2,000 feet, while another bomber circled about 50 nautical miles out. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because the reports on the flights were classified as secret. The Saturday incident, w…

Now we're living in a very changing and multipolar world, indeed (something similar to pre-WWI ?). In short, a Chinese/Brazilian accord to train chinese naval pilots in the Brazilian CV Sao Paulo, previously to the delivery to the chinese navy of the CV ex-Varyag. In correspondence, Brazil obtains (at least) the Chinese support to obtain a permanent membership in the UN Security Council: http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=112412

From The Diplomat [excerpt]

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…

Sri Lanka: War is Over but Tensions Run High (The Diplomat)

Satellite imagery reveals mystery 'supergun' in Chinese desert (Jane's)

The “Long Pole in the Tent”: China’s Military Jet Engines (The Diplomat)