Current Events in Asia-Pacific

India launches first-of-class Project 15B destroyer (Jane's)

Wall Street Journal April 9, 2007 Pg. 4 A Thaw For China And Japan? As Economies Become Intertwined, Nations Soften Stances By Sebastian Moffett and Jason Leow The complex and rocky relations between China and Japan these past few years have been neatly summed up in both countries by four Chinese characters: "politics -- cold; economy -- hot." Bilateral trade has doubled over the past four years, and exports of machinery and chemicals to China helped drag Japan's economy out of a slump. But there was little love lost between the governments and people. Japan's last prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, insisted on visiting Yasukuni, a shrine to Jap…

From ARES Canadian Def. Minister Slams NATO Posted by Paul McLeary at 2/17/2009 10:54 AM CST It looks like the United States isn’t the only NATO member getting frustrated with the way its allies are conducting themselves in Afghanistan. Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay—whose troops are in the thick of the fight in Kandahar, having lost 108 troops in the war thus far—recently called out the rest of the alliance, giving voice to his frustrations in a speech in London: "Afghanistan tests the ability of the alliance to execute its most basic mission in the 21st century and in a global context…If NATO cannot deter or defeat the real physical threat facin…

Modified J-20 seen being prepared for maiden test flight (Jane's)

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/16/politics/chinese-warship-underwater-drone-stolen/index.html All civilian crew? http://gcaptain.com/usns-bowditch-little-known-critical/ Seems less inflammatory than collecting towed arrays. What do you all think?

On the presence of both UK and Chinese carriers in the zone: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41752/british-and-chinese-aircraft-carriers-both-underway-in-the-tense-south-china-sea To follow the steaming of USS Tulsa LCS-16, apparently armed with only 1xNSM and perhaps "something" in the combat module after the gun: https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/Media/News/Article/2713202/uss-tulsa-lcs-16-sails-in-the-philippine-sea/ https://www.facebook.com/TulsaBlue/ Just here: https://scontent.fvlc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/201997926_1132684547227946_3551401952423554092_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-3&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=KNsC5f80kWIAX_thJHI&_nc_ht=sc…

Seems to be their Tomahawk.

Airsea Battle VS Offshore Control: Can the US Blockade China? (The Diplomat)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-30/royal-navy-chief-confident-of-australian-warship-program-success/104155910?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other

From Defense Aerospace MND Mulls US$4b Budget for 66 Fighters (Source: Taiwan government news; issued July 13, 2006) While Taiwan is planning to increase its defense budget to cope with military threats from China, the Ministry of National Defense is assessing a plan to buy sixty-six F-16 C/D fighters from the United States for NT$130 billion (US$4 billion) in order to strengthen its air defense capabilities. The deal was proposed in response to President Chen Shui-bian's plan to increase the percentage of the defense budget from 2.4 percent to 2.85 percent of Taiwan's GDP in fiscal year 2007, a local Chinese-language newspaper quoted sources in the MND as …

From Flight International DATE:11/09/07 SOURCE:Flightglobal.com Australia's Boeing C-17 fleet passes operational milestone By Emma Kelly The Royal Australian Air Force is ready to put its first two Boeing C-17 strategic transports into operational service, after achieving initial operating capability with the type following eight months of intensive introduction to service activities. Australia received its first of four C-17s in December 2006, with its second having followed in May and the remainder to be delivered by mid-2008. The aircraft, which can carry a load almost four times that of the RAAF's current Lockheed Martin C-130s, will provide “a q…

China working up first carrier group (Defense Aerospace)

This Simple Ship Could Let the Chinese Navy Circle the Globe (Wired, Danger Room blog)

China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities (CRS)

From DefenseNews Posted 07/04/07 11:12 Indonesian Minister Says Singapore Trying To Scuttle Defense Pact By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESS, JAKARTA Indonesia’s defense minister has accused Singapore of trying to scuttle a bilateral defense pact so it will not have to sign an extradition treaty as part of the deal, reports said Wednesday. The defense pact and landmark extradition treaty were signed in April between the two nations, but still need to be ratified by their parliaments to be put into effect. A scheduled signing of three implementing agreements (IAs), detailing specific areas of cooperation, was delayed at the last minute because Indonesia requested changes, S…

From Flight International DATE:10/09/07 SOURCE:Flight International Japan to halt AH-64D Apache orders after 13th airframe By Seiji Hirokawa Tokyo's planned final purchase of one Fuji Heavy Industries/Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter in fiscal year 2008 will halt orders of the type for Japan's army after just 13 airframes way short of the 60 originally sought to replace the service's current Fuji Heavy Industries/Bell AH-1S fleet. The decision to stop Apache orders has been taken due to the type's high unit cost, and as a result of Japan's annual procurement model, under which the nation would take around 20 more years to complete its plann…

Today's scheduled landing of a C-130 on North Field comes six days after the first F/A-18D Hornets from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121-MAG 12 landed for the first time on Tinian's West Field on May 23. Their landing established the effectiveness of the coral setup of the arresting gear. The goal was 10 arrestments in under an hour but they were able to do 12 in less than an hour. http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.asp...19293&cat=1 Out of room on Guam? Move to Tinian apparently. Ought to be interesting to see what ends up here especially since the Japanese are footing at least part of the bill.

China To Buy Russian Fighters, Subs (DefenseNews) 24 Su-35s and four Lada SSK.

Add This Fighter-Bomber to the List of New Chinese Warplanes (War is Boring blog)

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/07/new-light-landing-craft-for-the-royal-australian-navy/ These look good for fishing trips too. Nothing quite like a good fresh seafood banquet when away from home your port. 26 kts full load is pretty impressive.