| Regional Affairs
China withdraws oil rig from waters disputed with Vietnam, but warns it could return WP 16th Jul 2014
China said it was towing away a giant oil rig from waters disputed with Vietnam on Wednesday, ahead of the onset of the typhoon season and after finding signs of oil and gas, but insisted it stood firm on maritime claims that have sparked a bitter dispute between the neighboring countries — and warned it could be back. China deployed the $1 billion rig in early May in waters close to the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, in waters Vietnam considers to be within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. That move sparked deadly riots in Vietnam, and a tense standoff in the waters themselves, with Vietnamese and Chinese ships ramming each other on a regular basis, and one Vietnamese fishing boat sunk in May. China occupies the disputed Paracel Islands, and says it has “historical claims” to around 90 percent of the South China Sea, including waters much closer to other nations, but has refused to submit those claims to international arbitration.
US admiral in China for top-level navy talks CNA 15th Jul 2014
The chief of the US Navy met his Chinese counterpart Tuesday for talks aimed at improving cooperation between their fleets following concerns over regional territorial disputes and potential armed conflict. Admiral Wu Shengli, commander in chief of China's navy, welcomed Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the US chief of naval operations, with a red-carpet ceremony and an honour guard at his headquarters in Beijing. They did not speak to reporters but a US navy official said the visit was meant to "look at ways to increase the cooperation between our navies". It was the two men's "fourth interaction" over about the past year, he said, adding: "It obviously improves our understanding of each other also." Greenert's trip is set to last until Friday and will include a visit to China's sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. Tensions are mounting over maritime disputes in the East China Sea between Beijing and Tokyo, as well as in the South China Sea between Beijing and Hanoi, Manila and others.
US must back up words in South China Sea remark Cambodia Herald 15th Jul 2014
On Saturday, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael Fuchs called on the parties in South China Sea territorial disputes to agree to a 'voluntary freeze' on provocative behavior. Fuchs appealed for a concrete development of principles laid out in the 2002 Declaration of Conduct (DoC) signed between China and ASEAN. Couched in diplomatic pleasantries, the DoC affirms universal principles of non-interference, peaceful resolution to conflicts and “promotion of economic prosperity.” The beautiful-sounding points require parties to operate on the basis of existing international laws governing operations on the seas and diplomacy, and also affirm the right to free navigation as well as overflight. It is evident to all, though, that those principles have been violated repeatedly since then.
China tells U.S. to stay out of South China Seas dispute Reuters 15th Jul 2014
China told the United States on Tuesday to stay out of disputes over the South China Sea and leave countries in the region to resolve problems themselves, after Washington said it wanted a freeze on stoking tension. Michael Fuchs, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Strategy and Multilateral Affairs, said no country was solely responsible for escalating tension in the region. But he reiterated the U.S. view that "provocative and unilateral" behaviour by China had raised questions about its willingness to abide by international law. China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, which is believed to contain oil and gas deposits and has rich fishery resources. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also lay claim to parts of the sea, where about $5 trillion of ship-borne trade passes every year. China's Foreign Ministry repeated that it had irrefutable sovereignty over the Spratly Islands, where most of the competing claims overlap, and that China continued to demand the immediate withdrawal of personnel and equipment of countries which were "illegally occupying" China's islands. "What is regretful is that certain countries have in recent years have strengthened their illegal presence through construction and increased arms build up," the ministry said in a statement.
The US Will Make More Strategic Mistakes Than China The Diplomat 15th Jul 2014
As the competition between China and the United States intensifies, an interesting question is who is going to make more strategic mistakes or be more likely to make grave strategic mistakes. The answer to this question will partly determine who is going to win the competition and thus be able to shape international order according to their will. The surprising answer, however, is that the United States is more prone to a fatal strategic error. It is surprising because the U.S. is still the only superpower and much more powerful than China is. Being the more powerful side means that it has more room for strategic errors, and in this case, the U.S. might have more breathing room than China does. Nonetheless, the U.S. is still going to make more strategic mistakes than China does. Why? Let us first examine the records of both countries’ foreign policies in the last 20 or so years since the end of the Cold War. The record of the U.S. foreign policy is not pretty after the end of the Cold War. As Stephen Walt points out, bad decisions often are made by states, especially great powers. The Iraq War is a big mistake for the U.S., as is the Afghan War. These two wars combined have cost the U.S. between $4 to 6 trillion , according to one study from Harvard University. More importantly, despite such huge costs and tens of thousands of lives lost during the wars, Iraq and Afghanistan are still a mess, as the emergence of ISIS in the former clearly demonstrates. Unfortunately, the U.S. foreign policy establishment does not seem to have learned the lessons yet, as hawks are again calling for intervention. And recently the U.S. is antagonizing both China and Russia simultaneously, which would be the biggest strategic mistake if China and Russia were to form an alliance against the U.S. U.S. foreign policy suffers from two major structural problems: fragmentation, with certain key players and/or interest groups having too much influence as a result, and an expansionist liberal ideology.
US Surrenders Naval Logistics Supremacy The Diplomat 14th Jul 2014
If the United States wants to escape the danger zone in its strategic competition with China — disproving Beijing’s fancy that it can rule the Western Pacific — decommissioning the U.S. Navy’s fastest, most capacious combat logistics ships is no way to do it. Just the opposite. It telegraphs that America is no longer serious about fighting far from North America for long spans of time. Competitors will take note. Yet budget-cutters in Washington are compelling naval leaders to consider narrowing this competitive advantage. And they’re doing so at a time when China finally appears to be putting its own combat logistics house in order after decades of neglect. Over at Defense News, Chris Cavas reports that U.S. Navy officials are considering decommissioning — or laying up, a halfway status between active service and the boneyard — the workhorse Supply-class T-AOEs. T-AOEs are big, fast ships. In effect they’re mobile, floating warehouses that deliver fuel, ammunition, and stores of myriad types to task forces underway at sea. They displace about the same as a big-deck amphibious carrier such as USS America, a newcomer to the active fleet. And unlike their slower, smaller brethren, they can keep up with the speediest non-nuclear ships in the U.S. Navy fleet. The picture at the top depicts USS Sacramento, one of the Supply‘s forebears, rearming not one but two Iowa-class battleships at the same time, in the Persian Gulf in 1991. That gives you an idea of the size and capability of these vessels.
Japan, U.S. admirals say naval cooperation deepening Military Times 14th Jul 2014
U.S-Japan naval cooperation is deepening, top U.S. and Japanese admirals said Monday as they met on the sidelines of the world’s largest maritime exercises. Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, the head of Japan’s navy, told reporters before a meeting with U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Harry Harris that the two navies have been sharing more information and having more personal exchanges. More than 25,000 military personnel from 22 nations are participating in the Rim of the Pacific exercises, which last through early August. Japan sent two destroyers, a helicopter, a dive unit, a submarine surveillance plane and land forces to the exercises in Hawaii waters. Harris said cooperation between the two navies keeps improving, adding that he has personally seen the relationship evolve since he was first stationed in Japan in 1983. A July 1 decision by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet to pursue a new law that would allow Japan to help defend its allies is an example of their close relationship, Harris said. The policy reinterprets Japan’s war-renouncing constitution to say Japan may help defend countries with which it has close ties. For example, a Japanese ship would be able to legally shoot down a North Korean missile heading for U.S. territory. Japan may not legally do this currently. “I think that’s a bold decision, a landmark decision, and I welcome anything that would bring us even closer together — and this certainly will,” Harris said.
America’s Dangerous $5 Trillion Dollar Bet in the South China Sea TNI 11th Jul 2014
Over $5 Trillion dollars of goods move across the hotly disputed waters of the South China Sea on an annual basis—and China seems focused on turning the area into its special sphere of influence. Tensions have been steadily rising over the last few years in what Robert D. Kaplan has dubbed Asia’s Cauldron, and so far Washington has been unable to find the magic formula to get Beijing to back off. A new U.S. plan reported by the Financial Times will do little to change Beijing’s calculus. In fact, it could make matters far worse. This supposed new strategy will focus heavily on surveillance flights and what might be dubbed a simple “shaming” strategy. FT reports that Washington will step up its use of surveillance assets in the area which “could be coupled with a greater willingness to publicize images of videos of Chinese maritime activity.” It goes on to note, “some US officials believe the Chinese might be given pause for thought if images of their vessels harassing Vietnamese or Filipino fisherman were to be broadcast.”
Pentagon plans new tactics to deter China in South China Sea FT 10th Jul 2014
The US is developing new military tactics to deter China’s slow but steady territorial advances in the South China Sea, including more aggressive use of surveillance aircraft and naval operations near contested areas. The rethink comes in the wake of the series of low-level incursions China has used to shift the status quo in one of the vital waterways of the global economy. High quality global journalism requires investment. The challenge for the US military is to find tactics to deter these small-scale Chinese moves without escalating particular disputes into a broader military conflict. Every year, $5,300bn of goods cross the South China Sea by ship. “Our efforts to deter China [in the South China Sea] have clearly not worked,” said a senior US official. The growing tensions in the South China Sea, which include disputes between China and Vietnam and the Philippines, cast a shadow over the annual meeting between senior US and Chinese officials, known as the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, which started in Beijing on Wednesday. The US delegation, led by secretary of state John Kerry and Treasury secretary Jack Lew, face the delicate task of trying to shore up an increasingly fragile relationship with Beijing, while laying out American concerns about Chinese maritime expansionism and cyber theft. For their part, the Chinese are irked by US moves to prosecute Chinese military officials over alleged cyber-hacking and by American alliances in Asia which Beijing views as a form of containment. One element of the emerging US strategy was evident in March when the US flew P-8A surveillance planes over the Second Thomas Shoal, an uninhabited atoll in the South China Sea. Chinese ships there were trying to prevent the Philippines from supplying marines who were trying to get essential supplies to a ship that in 1999 was deliberately run aground on a land-feature claimed by both countries. The US planes flew at low altitude to make sure they were visible to the Chinese.
Rebalancing as the Rorschach inkblot test EAF 9th Jul 2014
Since it was first announced in late 2011, the US rebalance to Asia has become the great foreign policy ‘Rorschach test’ — what one sees in the rebalance says more about the observer than it does about the policy itself. One school sees the rebalance as an effort to realise the goals laid out in President Obama’s 2009 National Security Strategy: it aims to tap the dynamism of the world’s most productive region to revitalise the US economy, sapped by a decade of war. It embraces the thinking outlined in the president’s West Point commencement address last month that it is important to diversify the forms of US engagement with Asia, relying less on ‘the hammer’ of US military force and more on diplomatic and business resources. For others, the rebalance is a crafty strategy to contain China. They see the strengthening of US alliances and partnerships — a response to new security challenges and tightening fiscal constraints — as aiming to throttle a rising power seeking its rightful place in the region and the world. In this interpretation, Washington uses the rebalance to embolden nations on China’s periphery — which have disputes with Beijing — to distract and check a regional competitor. But a third school sees the rebalance as a means to gradually disengage the US from Asia — as the US further supports multilateral institutions and thickens the weave of security relationships among allies and partners. According to this logic, Washington aims to offload security responsibilities on to Asian nations and assume the role of offshore balancer, watching as regional governments tie themselves down in local disputes and intervening only when they threaten to get out of hand.
Littoral Combat Ship’s Survival in an Attack Questioned Bloomberg 9th Jul 2014
The Navy’s $23 billion Littoral Combat Ship is less able to survive an attack than other U.S. warships, according to the Pentagon’s top weapons tester. Revised standards adopted for the vessel intended to operate in shallow coastal waters “continue to accept the risk the crew would need to abandon ship under circumstances that would not necessitate that action” on other vessels, Michael Gilmore, the Defense Department’s director of operational testing and evaluation, said in a letter to Senator John McCain. Gilmore, rebutting the Navy’s contention that he’s misstating the ship’s requirements, said they are “significantly different” from those for other ships that may face enemy forces. His stance adds to previous questions about the future of the vessel being built in two versions by Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) and Austal Ltd. (ASB) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in February that he was limiting purchases to 32 vessels, instead of the 52 originally planned, until the Navy developed alternatives for a more survivable ship. He has called for a more “capable and lethal” option that could include an upgraded Littoral Combat Ship or a different design. Recommendations from defense contractors are due by the end of this month.
Australia and Japan Sign Defence Technology Accord Defense Studies 9th Jul 2014
Defence Minister David Johnston has hailed as “an important milestone” the signing today of an agreement with Japan deepening bilateral defence science and technology cooperation. Australia’s Prime Minister, the Honourable Tony Abbott MP, and Japan’s Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr Shinzo Abe, signed the Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Japan Concerning the Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology at a ceremony in Canberra today, attended by the Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon. David Johnston. “This is an important milestone in the Australia-Japan defence relationship, and an integral part of the broader efforts to strengthen our strategic partnership,” Senator Johnston said. The Agreement will facilitate deeper bilateral defence science, technology and materiel cooperation, allowing Australia and Japan to work together more closely to identify potential areas of future research interest and mutual benefit. The Australia-Japan defence relationship, which is based on shared values and interests, continues to represent an important contribution to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific. Security and defence ties between Australia and Japan have grown considerably since the 2007 signing of the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation.
Recent Tanker Hijackings Add to Problems in the South China Sea NYT 8th Jul 2014
Add another problem to the rising tensions in the South China Sea this year: a mysterious spate of tanker hijackings since late April, as armed bands of men have boarded and commandeered the ships, siphoned their cargos of diesel and gasoline onto barges or other tankers, and fled into the night. Complicating matters is the fact that two of the hijackings took place near the heart of Malaysia’s offshore oil and gas production, in waters where China is making an increasingly forceful claim to sovereignty. Interpol, intelligence agencies and military forces in the region are investigating the eight attacks — the most recent of which was last Friday — and are trying to figure out how to stop further ones, said Noel Choong, the head of the Asia office here of the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Center. One goal of the investigation is to determine whether the diesel fuel and gasoline are being sold for profit by criminals or are being used to finance political activities, possibly even terrorism. In one incident in late May, “they were wearing ninja-type clothes, black, so they looked professional,” Mr. Choong said. In contrast to the military assault rifles sometimes carried by pirates off Somalia and Nigeria, the pirates in the South China Sea have tended to be armed with handguns or even machetes. No one is known to have been killed in any of the hijackings, but three tanker crew members were abducted in one of the episodes and have not been seen since. The hijackings raise geopolitical issues. Seven have taken place close to Malaysia and one close to the Anambas Islands of Indonesia. But two of the hijackings close to Malaysia occurred in waters near James Shoal, a disputed, submerged reef near the north coast of Malaysian Borneo.
Evolution, not revolution, for Japan’s military posture EAF 7th Jul 2014
On 1 July the Abe Cabinet announced that the Japanese government would change the conditions for the mobilisation of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) for the first time since their establishment in 1954. This change is likely to result in the SDF being able to use force in situations that in theory could constitute the exercise of the right to ‘collective self-defence’ under international law. Some certainly think so. The New York Times immediately declared that this was a ‘military shift to thwart China’ that would free Japan’s military ‘for the first time in over 60 years to play a more assertive role in the increasingly tense region’. On the other hand, the Chinese edition of the Global Times expressed concern that Japan can now ‘start going overseas for its killing spree again’. China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei in a much more measured tone questioned whether Japan was ‘deviating from the path of peaceful development that it has been upholding since the end of WWII’. It is important to note that under the new conditions for defence mobilisation the SDF will only be dispatched to support allies under attack on the condition that the attack poses a clear danger to Japan and threatens to overturn the foundation for the enjoyment of Japanese citizens’ rights. ‘True’ collective self-defence (honrai no shūdanteki jieiken), though, is a right which allows a nation to deem an attack on an ally or partner that presents no danger to itself as equivalent to an attack on itself and respond with the use of force. This means the range of situations in which ‘defence mobilisation’ can be invoked by the Japanese government will be somewhat limited from the outset.
China’s rise and Asian tensions send U.S. relations into downward spiral WP 7th Jul 2014
Hundreds of rocky islands, islets, sandbanks, reefs and cays lie scattered across Asia’s eastern waters, unimportant-looking to the naked eye but significant enough to spark what may be the most worrying deterioration in U.S.-China relations in decades. China’s military rise, and its increasingly assertive claims to sovereignty over these largely uninhabited lumps of rock, coral and sand, have set it on a possible collision course with its neighbors, which also make various claims on the archipelagos, and with the United States, which has important alliances with three of the rival claimants and would be obliged to defend them in the event of an attack. As Chinese and Vietnamese ships ram each other in the contested waters, and Chinese and Japanese fighter jets play games of chicken in Asia’s disputed skies, the risk of military escalation is growing. Even more significantly, the standoff is generating bad blood between Washington and Beijing and could torpedo cooperation on important global issues, including the Middle East, climate change and nuclear proliferation. Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will visit Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday for the sixth annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue. And while Washington has been focused more on Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and Russia, some say the U.S.-China relationship is facing its stiffest test since President Richard M. Nixon traveled to Mao Zedong’s China in 1972.
After China: The Proliferation of Cruise Missiles The Diplomat 3rd Jul 2014
The recent monograph by Dennis Gormley and Andrew Erickson on the development and relevance of China’s cruise missile force has received just acclaim from all quarters. Over the past two decades, China’s armed forces have developed a formidable array of cruise missiles to threaten U.S. and allied forces. Launched from land, surface ships, aircraft, and submarines, the cruise missiles can strike American ships and land installations, potentially rendering them unusable in case of conflict. As Gormley and Erickson point out, the cruise missile array may be even more impressive than the development of anti-ship ballistic missiles. But what happens when other states start adopting China’s model? Cruise missiles aren’t exactly weapons of the weak; they require a significant infrastructure to maintain and operate. A cruise missile system as sophisticated as China’s requires a huge investment over a long period of time. At the same time, states such as Iran, Iraq, and even Hezbollah have managed to use cruise missiles effectively in the past. If they can do so, then the deployment of an effective cruise missile force would fall well within the means of Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines. This has long been the double-edged sword of China’s A2/AD system-of-systems. As China develops more effective tools for power projection, other states will begin to see the appeal of anti-access systems.
Japan's New Defense Posture WSJ 2nd Jul 2014
Japan's cabinet reinterpreted the constitution Tuesday to allow the country to exercise its right to collective self-defense, a momentous and long overdue decision that strengthens the security of Asia's democracies. Perhaps as important, it will force Beijing to contemplate how its aggressive behavior in the East China Sea invited Japan to take a more active role in the region. While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is hawkish and pushed hard for the move, changes to Japan's security environment made it necessary and inevitable. These include China's rapidly improving military capabilities and Beijing's use of force to alter the status quo on the disputed Senkaku Islands. Beijing's foreign ministry reacted with suspicion Tuesday, and the state-run Xinhua news agency published a commentary accusing Japan of "dallying with the specter of war." But over the past five years China's bellicose rhetoric and unilateral actions have alarmed the entire region.
Japan and the Limits of Military Power NYT 2nd Jul 2014
With the reinterpretation, Japan’s military would still face restrictions on what it could do, but it would be allowed for the first time, for example, to help defend an American ship under attack, destroy a North Korean missile heading toward the United States or play a larger role in United Nations peacekeeping operations. Mr. Abe has long argued for changing the Constitution on the grounds that Japan should assert itself as a “normal” country, freed of postwar constraints imposed as a consequence of its wartime atrocities and defeat. He now has another argument for expanding the military’s role: Japan, the world’s third-largest economy after the United States and China, needs to be a fuller partner with the United States in countering China as it increasingly challenges the conflicting claims of Japan and other countries in the South China and East Asia Seas. Washington has long urged Tokyo to assume more of the regional security burden. What stood in Mr. Abe’s way was Article 9 of the Constitution. It says the Japanese people “forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.” Any change should have required a constitutional revision, which would mean winning two-thirds approval in both houses of Parliament, followed by a referendum. Instead, Mr. Abe circumvented that process by having his government reinterpret the Constitution. This is not the first time Japanese leaders have gone this route. Past governments have reinterpreted the Constitution to allow the existence of a standing military and permit noncombat missions abroad. But this step goes further.
China's Most Dangerous Missile (So Far) War On The Rocks 2nd Jul 2014
Buried on page 40 of the Pentagon’s latest annual report on China’s military power is a brief mention of the YJ-12, a recent addition to China’s portfolio of anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM). The report notes that, “The new missile provides an increased threat to naval assets, due to its long range and supersonic speeds.” True, but in an understated way. In fact, the YJ-12 is the most dangerous anti-ship missile China has produced thus far, posing an even greater risk to the U.S. Navy’s surface forces in the Western Pacific than the much-discussed DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile. The arrival of the YJ-12 is one more indication of how the U.S. Navy is falling further behind in the missile competition against China, exposing flaws in operating concepts that U.S. and allied commanders and policymakers have relied on for years. According to a 2011 study that appeared in Naval War College Review, the YJ-12 ASCM has a range of 400 kilometers, making it one of the longest-ranged ASCMs ever fielded (and much longer than the 124 kilometer limit of the U.S. Navy Harpoon). Crucially, at 400 kilometers, Chinese attack aircraft will be able to launch the YJ-12 beyond the engagement range of the Navy’s Aegis Combat System and the SM-2 surface-to-air missiles that protect U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups. In the past, when adversary ASCMs were limited to 100 kilometers or less, a carrier strike group had more time to react with its own aircraft and defensive missiles. It also had the option of engaging enemy aircraft before they launched their ASCMs, and more redundancy to cope with such attacks. With its 400 kilometer range, the YJ-12 will greatly erode these previous advantages.
Pentagon Urged to Focus on ‘Great Power Conflict’ to Save Budget Defense One 2nd Jul 2014
Forget terrorism. The Pentagon’s best chance to field the best military with the smaller budget imposed by sequestration may just lie in preparing for nuclear war with Russia and China. According to a new study, United States defense leaders should focus more on a “great power conflict” reflective of a newly aggressive Russia and rapidly modernizing China. Doing so would force the Defense Department to modernize its existing force and invest significantly in maintaining technological advantages at the expense of unlikely-to-be used ships, aircraft and soldiers. Among the arsenal the U.S. should keep: the full triad of bombers, submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles meant to deter or carry out nuclear warfare.
North Korea, Beware of Seoul's Mighty Missiles National Interest 2nd Jul 2014
More missile news from the Korean peninsula, where North Korea's state media claimed on June 27 that the military had completed testing "cutting-edge ultra-precision tactical guided missiles," adding for good measure that the tests were overseen by leader Kim Jong-un. Footage of the missile launch that appeared on the state-run Rodong Sinmun website on June 30 suggested they were either Nodong or Scud-derived Hwasong-6 ballistic missiles, which have been around for a number of years.
Japan PM to overturn pacifist defence policy The Guardian 30th Jun 2014
Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, is to defy public opinion and announce a dramatic shift in the country's defence policy that would make it easier for its troops to fight in overseas conflicts. Abe's cabinet is expected to adopt a resolution on Tuesday that would end Japan's long-standing ban on exercising collective self-defence, or coming to the aid of an ally under attack even if Japan itself is not threatened. Japan's postwar constitution prohibits the use of force to settle international disputes – a restriction Abe and his supporters say inhibits the country's ability to protect itself and its allies, despite growing fears over North Korea's nuclear programme and China's aggressive territorial claims in the region. Abe's decision to introduce legislation that would reinterpret the pacifist clause in the constitution, which has prevented Japanese forces from fighting overseas since the end of the second world war, came after opinion polls indicated he would struggle to win enough support in parliament and among voters for outright constitutional reform. The change to be approved on Tuesday would require a simple majority in both houses; his ruling Liberal Democratic party [LDP] has a comfortable majority in the lower house and controls the upper house with the support of a junior coalition partner. Changing the wording of the constitution, however, would require a two-thirds majority in both houses and a simple majority in a nationwide referendum.
Chinese Territorial Claims Driving Asia Closer to U.S. WSJ 30th Jun 2014
Muscle flexing by the Chinese in the South China Sea is driving Asian neighbors into closer alliance with the U.S. and feeding regional insecurity, warned one of Australia's most senior government ministers. In one of the bluntest assessments yet from Canberra of Chinese territorial claims in the East and South China Sea, Australian cabinet minister Malcolm Turnbull —a key lieutenant of Prime Minister Tony Abbott —said Beijing's recent tussles with Vietnam and the Philippines were "singularly unhelpful" to regional security confidence. "What the Chinese policy has been, and I think it's curious that it has been so counterproductive, it has been to muscle up to one or other of its neighbors, or all of its neighbors at different times," said Mr. Turnbull, Communications Minister in Mr. Abbott's inner circle and a conservative leadership contender.
Revisionist powers are driving the world’s crises Financial Times 30th Jun 2014
The headlines are dominated by regional crises – in Ukraine, in Iraq and in the South China Sea. But is there a common thread that ties together these apparently unconnected events? One global theory is advanced by Walter Russell Mead, a professor at Bard College, in a recent piece for Foreign Affairs, entitled “The Return of Geopolitics”. Prof Mead’s piece, together with a rejoinder by Professor John Ikenberry of Princeton University, offers a way of thinking through current patterns in world politics. The shape of the world order that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union is fairly easy to define. Its key characteristics included a globalised economic system, functioning multilateral institutions and – most important of all – an unchallenged role for the US as the most powerful player. The debate is about whether that system is now under threat. Prof Mead asserts that “China, Russia and Iran never bought into the geopolitical settlement that followed the Cold War and they are making increasingly forceful attempts to overturn it”. The crisis in Ukraine, which was taking shape as Prof Mead wrote his article, provides a vivid illustration of his thesis. Russia’s anger with the post-1991 settlement has led it formally to annex Crimea. China’s increasingly assertive territorial claims and Iran’s obvious dissatisfaction with the regional order in the Middle East form the other pillars of the argument. Prof Mead calls these three countries “revisionist powers” and argues that while “they haven’t overturned the post-Cold War settlement . . . they have converted an uncontested status quo into a contested one.”
While China’s territorial disputes drag on, Xi Jinping tells others to seek peace WP 28th Jun 2014
Chinese President Xi Jinping deployed an unusual defense Saturday of China’s foreign and military policies: the celebration of an obscure, decades-old treaty called the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.” Alongside Burma’s president and India’s vice president, Xi presided over an event replete with lofty ideals. Ostensibly, the ceremony’s goal was to commemorate the treaty’s 60th anniversary. But it also served as an attempt to rebut criticism and concern from Asian and U.S. leaders over China’s recent territorial claims. In a speech about the principles, Xi outlined China’s basic framework for foreign policy. Much of his speech stressed that China is peaceful by nature and focused on the concept of noninterference in the affairs of other countries. But Xi also declared that “no infringement upon the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a country is allowed.”
Shock After The Lull: Southeast Asian Terrorists (ISIS) In The Middle East The Establishment Post 27th Jun 2014
Ahmad Tarmini Maliki, a 26-year-old Malaysian factory worker from Selangor, allegedly blew up 25 elite Iraqi soldiers at Iraq’s SWAT headquarters in al-Anbard on 26 May. He is believed to be Malaysia’s first suicide bomber and is linked to militants of the group called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS). While a suicide bombing by a Malaysian may be unprecedented, this is not the first time Southeast Asians have engaged in terrorist activities related to Middle East conflicts. Malaysia, for example, has recently been cracking down on militant activities. Last year, the police set up the Special Task Force (Operations and Counter Terrorism), recognising the growing threat from home-grown extremists. In April, Malaysian police arrested 11 people who planned to send fighters to Syria; earlier this month, they arrested another three men, including a Navy officer, who also planned to launch attacks in Syria and Iraq. One international security expert has said that said more than 100 Southeast Asians, mostly from Indonesia and Malaysia, have travelled to fight in Syria and Iraq. The rest are from southern Thailand, the Philippines, with a few from Singapore. The rising involvement of Southeast Asians in Middle Eastern terrorist groups, ISIS in particular, could be extrapolated into a worrying trend. ISIS has capitalised on the political turmoil of the Syrian and Iraqi civil wars to strengthen its existence.
Brunei
Brunei to Buy C-130J Military Aircraft Defense Studies 14th Jul 2014
Brunei has confirmed that it will be buying a number of C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft from aerospace firm Lockheed Martin. Pehin Datu Perkerma Jaya Major General Dato Pahlawan Mohd Tawih Abdullah, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), told The Brunei Times that the military is set to order the American-made aircraft sometime in the future. “We will be buying the aircraft, but it won’t be a lot,” he said, adding that the planned quantity and date of order will be revealed in due time. Latest figures estimate the average cost of the C-130J Super Hercules at US$100 to 120 million per unit for international sales. A total of 300 units have been ordered by 15 nations, including Brunei, of which 250 aircraft have been delivered as of February 2012.
Brunei military spending on the rise Brunei Times 1st Jul 2014
TERRITORIAL disputes in the South China Sea have highlighted the ongoing tensions between China and countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan, with the US also weighing in recently with its proposals for a bigger military presence in the region. Both Vietnam and Malaysia are undergoing regional military build-ups, and the Philippines doubled its defence budget in 2011 after pledging to conduct joint military exercises with the US. Meanwhile, Brunei has not been complacent, with additional spending and partnerships shaping the defensive posture of both the nation and the region for coming years. In late May, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) took a step closer towards establishing a formal arrangement for a regional defence industry collaboration during the eighth ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. The defence ministers of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam met to discuss regional defensive needs and future defensive cooperation and concluded the conference by agreeing to a three-year programme.
Military spending on the rise in Brunei The Borneo Post 28th Jun 2014
Meanwhile, Brunei has not been complacent, with additional spending and partnerships shaping the defensive posture of both the nation and the region for coming years. In late May, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) took a step closer towards establishing a formal arrangement for a regional defence industry collaboration during the eighth Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Defence ministers of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam met to discuss regional defensive needs and future defensive cooperation and concluded the conference by agreeing to a three-year programme. The meeting followed a March announcement by Second Finance Minister Pehin Dato Abdul Rahman Ibrahim about the state’s proposal to increase the government’s defence budget in the 2014/2015 fiscal year. The budget for the Ministry of Defence, unanimously approved later that month by the Legislative Council, is set to rise by 39 per cent in this financial year to US$719 million. Around 45 per cent of the budget is earmarked for payroll, while recurring expenses represent nearly 24 per cent of the total.
Indonesia
Hill delivers F-16s to Indonesian government Standard-Examiner 15th Jul 2014
About 9,000 miles and six time zones separate Hill Air Force Base and Indonesia, but that distance hasn’t stopped the two entities from forming an unlikely partnership.On Monday, Hill’s Ogden Air Logistics Complex delivered three of what will eventually be 24 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft to the government of Indonesia. The delivery constitutes the beginning of a nearly $700 million aircraft acquisition and refurbishment deal between Indonesia and the U.S. where Hill maintenance workers are upgrading the avionics and overhauling the wings, landing gear and other components on each aircraft. By the end of 2015, the Ogden ALC is scheduled to deliver 21 more F-16s to the Indonesian government.
U.S. delivering refurbished F-16s to Indonesia UPI 14th Jul 2014
The U.S. government is well on its way to refurbishing and modernizing two dozen F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighters for Indonesia. The first three of the 24 planes refurbished under a 2011 contract were being delivered to the Asian country Monday (July 14). The remainder will be delivered by the end of 2015. "This F-16 program currently stands as the flagship program of the defense relationship between the U.S. government and Indonesia, as their fighter aircraft inventory grows by 24 American-made F-16 aircraft," Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Maj. Frank Taravella said. "Indonesia is receiving a completely refurbished aircraft, with astounding workmanship, and improved capabilities."
Indonesia close to ratifying Turkish defence industrial agreement IHS 1st Jul 2014
Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) is expected to ratify an accord later this year that will formalise defence industrial ties with Turkey. The ratification process commenced in the DPR on 30 June. This process has been delayed since the accord was proposed in 2010 due to administrative issues, although vice chairman of the DPR's defence commission, Tubagus Hasanuddin, indicated that the agreement will soon be sanctioned. The accord is geared to support bilateral collaboration in the fields of development, technology transfer, production, sustainability and investment. These activities are likely to hinge on Indonesian purchases of Turkish-designed military equipment.
Indonesia should install detectors at its gate with PNG: Police Antara News 29th Jun 2014
Indonesia should install a detector device at the Skouw-Wutung entry gate of its border with Papua New Guinea (PNG) to detect the entry of undesired things such as arms into the country, Papua regional police said. "We will propose the placement of detector devices at the entry gate to monitor the entry into the country of undesired things such as fire arms and ammunition," Papua Regional Police Chief Insp. Gen Tito Karnavian told ANTARA News here on Sunday. He said that the proposal needed to be realized soon because the police had learned from the investigation of three residents --who were suspected to be members of an armed group-- that their arms and ammunition were purchased in and taken from PNG. The arms and ammunition were brought to Indonesia in phases through the legal channel, namely the entry gate of the two nations, Tito said.
Malaysia
Esscom restructuring will improve Sabah security, says deputy chief minister MSN News 9th Jul 2014
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin said he was confident that the restructuring of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced yesterday, would ease the security issue in the state, including the issue of incursions. The exercise places Esscom under one commander, namely the Director of the Security and Public Order Division of Esscom, DCP Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun. "Certainly the restructuring was made based on several experiences since Esscom was created," he said when asked by reporters on the matter after the ceremony to hand over aid to the poor and Muslim converts in Putatan, near Kota Kinabalu, today. Najib yesterday announced the restructuring of Esscom by creating two major components, namely management of security and defence, and enforcement and public action.
Malaysia Gears Up For Demand In Aviation Maintenance Bernama 4th Jul 2014
Aircraft maintenance plays a vital role in airline safety. Unless an airplane is maintained properly, it could pose danger to the safety of its occupants on board. For this reason, aircraft technicians and engineers must be highly skilled when it comes to aircraft maintenance. Aircraft maintenance covers the overhaul, repair, inspection or modification of an aircraft or aircraft component. "This fast expanding sector, involving high level of technology and competency, requires highly skilled people. It also entails high value jobs", said Datuk Pang Chau Leong, the Director-General of the Malaysian Skills Development Department of the Human Resources Ministry, to Bernama recently. "That is the more reason why we need to focus more on human capital skills development. As this industry is highly regulated internationally, it also forces us to ensure the level of training and skills in Malaysia is of international and world standard," he said. "That is why we are here for the inaugural national skills competition for aircraft maintenance. It is a historical event", said Pang after launching the World Skills Malaysia (Youth) Competition at the Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology (UniKL-MIAT) at Jenderam Hulu, here, which is the centre of excellence for aircraft maintenance.
Police monitor militants alleged to be from Malaysia: Zahid New Straits Times 27th Jun 2014
The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) have always monitored the movement of militants alleged to be from Malaysia through various sources and intelligence information. Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it was a continuous effort to ensure that Malaysia would not be deemed as a terrorist nest. “The enforcement of existing laws and monitoring activity carried out by the police on militants from Malaysia are continuous efforts done through intelligence process or by gathering information from social media, Aseanapol, Interpol and authorities from neighbouring countries which claimed to have accepted the militants.” He said this to reporters after opening the National Wakaf Al Quran 2014 organised by the Home Ministry here today. The minister also called on the public to gain greater understanding on the true meaning of ‘jihad’ before joining any groups that recruit militants.
Myanmar
Myanmar beefs up security at airports Eleven News 7th Jul 2014
Myanmar has increased security at its main international airports to prevent possible terrorist attacks, according to police sources. The cited Taliban attacks on Karachi’s international airport on June 8 as sufficient reason for increasing security measures. “In order to protect against such an attack in Myanmar, airport terminals are to be guarded with high security. Foreign, as well as domestic mercenaries, might commit such a terrorist attack here,” said an official from Myanmar’s aviation police force. Jinnah Airport in Karachi, Pakistan was attacked by Taliban militants on June 8 and 9. Pakistan military eventually regained control of the airport but 28 people including 10 militants, 11 security forces and 4 airport staffs were killed.
US Military Officer Gives Speech at Burma Defense College Irrawaddy 30th Jun 2014
For the first time since the United States began its limited re-engagement with the Burmese army, a US military officer has addressed his Burmese counterparts at the Myanmar National Defense College in Naypyidaw. Lt-Gen Anthony Crutchfield, deputy commander of the US Pacific Command, emphasized human rights and the need for civilian control during a speech at the college, which trains colonels and other high-ranking military officers. “My presence here is indicative of the new chapter in our countries’ relationship,” Crutchfield told more than 100 military officers, instructors and college staff during his address last week, according to a transcript published by the US Embassy in Rangoon. Citing the US armed forces as an example of a professional military, he urged strict adherence to ethical conduct and rule of law, as well as acceptance of diversity. He said respect for human rights was not only a matter of following international laws such as the Geneva Conventions. “It is also an operational necessity,” he said. “When we commit abuses against the civilian population, we lose their support, and our adversaries gain popular support. This makes it harder for us to prevail, and ultimately places our troops in greater danger.”
Does the West Really Want a Suu Kyi Presidency? The Irrawaddy 7th Jul 2014
Having established cordial relations with Burma’s government, Western nations are now contemplating whether they should also re-establish links with the country’s military, known as the Tatmadaw. Low-key meetings have been held between representatives of the US military and Burmese officers, and Britain has conducted what it calls human-rights training with the Tatmadaw. Australia is said to be exploring the possibility of having soldiers from Burma take part in UN peacekeeping missions. Critics, among them the Burma Campaign UK, argue that this fledgling cooperation is with the same military that they say is responsible for abuses and atrocities, especially in the parts of Burma where ethnic minorities live.
State Parliament Approves General as Arakan Chief Minister The Irrawaddy 1st Jul 2014
The Arakan State parliament announced on Monday that Gen. Maung Maung Ohn has been confirmed as the state’s chief minister, against the objection of some Arakanese lawmakers and community leaders who had urged the central government in Naypyidaw to appoint one of their ethnic Arakanese brethren to the post. Saw Nyein, a state parliamentarian, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that “there was no one who proposed letters in parliament against him becoming chief minister” during the opening day of the latest parliamentary session on Monday. “Therefore, the chairman of parliament announced that he has become the chief minister, in accordance with the Constitution.”
Philippines
The Philippines Offer US$1.5bn to Modernize its Armed Forces Defense Studies 15th Jul 2014
Manila hopes by 2027 to have control of the airspace over its territories, as well as maritime patrol capabilities that include patrol and surveillance coverage for up to 200 nautical miles in its exclusive economic zone (photo : Timawa) The Philippines has offered a US$1.5 billion budget to defense contractors around the world for phase one of its three-tier armed forces modernization program. It wishes to strengthen its bargaining chips in the dispute over the South China Sea's disputed territories, reports the US Defense News Weekly. In a recent dispute over the South China Sea, the Philippines has attempted to gain international support, but was tied down by its lagging military equipment, said the Global Times, the Chinese daily newspaper under the supervision of the Communist Party. The main motivation for the program of modernization is China's assertive claims in the South China Sea that have raised alarms in the region and from the US. Tthe Philippines has decided to give the US and Japanese navies more access to Philippine naval facilities. In addition, workshops attended by senior US military officers will be held to illustrate the needs to bolster Philippine armed forces.
Letter of Credit for F/A-50 to be Opened Within 7 Days Defense Studies 9th Jul 2014
The letter of credit (LOC) for the purchase of the South Korean F/A-50 "Fighting Eagle" will be opened within seven days, Defense Undersecretary for Finance, Modernization, Installation and Munitions Fernando Manalo said Tuesday. "The LOC will be opened within seven days starting today (Tuesday)," Manalo added, without giving further details. An LOC is a document issued by a financial institution, or a similar party, assuring payment to a seller of goods and/or services provided certain documents have been presented to the bank. Contract for the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) jet aircraft, of which the Philippines has ordered 12 units for P18 billion, was signed last March 28. Upon opening of the LOC, two F/A-50 jet aircraft are expected to be delivered within 18 months. The next two units will be delivered 12 months later and the remaining eight jet planes in staggered basis within eight months.
Payment for Israeli Upgraded APCs to be Done in Three Tranches Defense Studies 8th Jul 2014
The Department of National Defense (DND) announced that the payment for the P882 million upgraded armored personnel carrier (APC), bagged by Israeli defense manufacturer Elbit Systems Ltd., will be done in three tranches. Dr. Peter Paul Galvez, Defense spokesperson, said first payment will be pegged at P405 million, the second will be P335 million and the third at P142 million. Elbit Systems Ltd., formally announced the signing of the P882 million deal (roughly USD20 million) last June 22. Upgrades include 25 mm unmanned turrets, 12.7 mm remote controlled weapon stations (RCWS) and fire control systems (FCS) for 90 mm turrets. The APCs, which are 28 in number, will be supplied over a one-year period. The contract marks a significant breakthrough for Elbit Systems, as it is the first one awarded to the company in the Philippines.
Filipino, US Troops Hold Drills Near Disputed Sea Military Times 1st Jul 2014
More than 100 Filipino and U.S. Marines in assault amphibious vehicles conducted a mock assault on imaginary enemies in military drills Monday on a beach in northwestern Philippines facing the South China Sea, where Manila is locked in a territorial dispute with China. The amphibious tanks sailed from a U.S. ship anchored a distance away, then rolled onto the beach of San Antonio, Zambales, northwest of the Philippine capital Manila, disgorging the Filipino and American sailors and marines armed with automatic rifles. The exercise is part of the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training that the U.S. conducts with its allies in Asia, including the Philippines, to address maritime security, strengthen partnerships and enhance interoperability. Officials said the maneuvers were not directed at China, which has been criticized for its increasingly assertive behavior in disputed South China Sea territories.
International Philippines to Get 1st New Fighter Jets Next Year ABC 1st Jul 2014
The Philippine president said Tuesday his country's ill-equipped military will receive its first new fighter jets in nearly a decade next year to help defend the country's territory. President Benigno Aquino III said two of 12 FA-50 multi-purpose fighters will be delivered by their South Korean manufacturer next year and the rest are expected to follow in the next three years. The Philippines has scrambled to modernize its military, one of Asia's weakest, amid increasingly tense territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. Aquino said the Philippines has had no fighter jets for territorial defense since a fleet of F-5 jets was decommissioned in 2005. The anemic air force is being strengthened with the purchase of new assault helicopters, long-range patrol aircraft and C130 cargo planes, he said. "It's saddening to think about the state of the air force that we inherited: Once regarded as among Asia's strongest, the air force seemed to have failed to take off from decades of anomalies, abuse and neglect," Aquino said in a speech at Clark freeport north of Manila marking the anniversary of the Philippine air force. Aquino said with the acquisition of the FA-50s, "we can again defend our territory in a more effective way."
Philippines To Get American Choppers, M4 Rifles By Year End Defense World 27th Jun 2014
Philippines Armed Forces get 21 renewed UH1H or Huey helicopters and 50,000 American M4 rifles by year end, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said on Thursday in a report by GMA news online. Defense Undersecretary Fernando Manalo said the UHIH helicopters would cost P1.264 billion and an additional P4 billion on 75,000 Remington M4's. Gazmin said four helicopters were already being assembled at the Clark Freeport Zone while three were already en route. The four helicopters are part of the 21 Hueys which the Philippines will acquire from a joint venture of American and Canadian firms.
Singapore
RSAF Unveils 200 Squadron Defense Studies 16th Jul 2014
200 Squadron preparing new units set up to enhance the air defense capability first public No. 200 Squadron in the Air Force air defense operations is regarded as "backbone", which was established since the early 1980s, has been playing to ensure that our air force will monitor the role of long-range air threats and, when necessary leadership to defuse the threat of other air units together. Challenge to defend our airspace sovereignty increasingly complex, Singapore Air Force decided to establish a new air defense units to enhance the operational capability of air defense. At the same time, the Air Force announced a presence for the first time about 30 years, but never disclosed the preparation of air defense units - the 200th Squadron. No. 200 Squadron in the Air Force air defense operations is regarded as "central" (nerve centre), which was established since the early 1980s, has been playing to ensure that our air force will monitor the role of long-range air threat, and if necessary, other Air Force leaders units together to defuse the threat.
Singapore and US armies in Exercise Tiger Balm CNA 15th Jul 2014
Some 300 personnel are taking part in Exercise Tiger Balm between the Singapore and United States armies in Hawaii. The annual bilateral exercise was flagged off on Tuesday morning (July 15) and focuses on peace support and stability operations. Colonel Mohamad Fadzully bin Abas who helped co-officiate the opening ceremony, says it is good platform for both armies to exchange best practices. United States Army Pacific Brigadier-General Todd B. McCaffrey said it would improve the US armed forces' interoperability with "one of Asia's most advanced and well trained armies".
RSS Intrepid Conducts Successful Missile Firing at RIMPAC Defense Studies 14th Jul 2014
The Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) Formidable-class frigate RSS Intrepid, conducted a successful live-firing of an Aster Surface-to-Air Missile on 12 July (Singapore time), as part of the multilateral Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise. Hosted by the United States Navy and held from 26 June to 1 August, Exercise RIMPAC 2014 comprises a shore planning phase and a 22-day sea phase conducted off the coast of Hawaii. RSS Intrepid, with an embarked S-70B Seahawk naval helicopter, is participating in this year's exercise alongside assets from 21 other countries, including 49 ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25 000 personnel.
Singapore Requests Sale of JDAM Defense Studies 8th Jul 2014
The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Singapore for Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $63 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on July 3, 2014. The Government of Singapore has requested a possible sale of 913 KMU-556B/B Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits for Mk-84 2000 lb bombs, 100 FMU-152A/B fuzes, and 300 DSU-40 Precision Laser Guidance Sets. Also included are containers, munition trailers, support equipment, spare and repair parts, test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering and technical support, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $63 million. This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy objectives and strategic national security objectives of the United States by supporting Singapore as a key regional partner in counter-terrorism and an important force for political stability and economic progress in South East Asia.
Thailand
Navy Launches Submarine Squadron Defense Studies 9th Jul 2014
The Royal Thai Navy’s Submarine Squadron was officially launched at Sattahip naval base in Chon Buri province yesterday. Navy chief ADM Narong Pipattanasai presided over the ceremony. The squadron also has a training centre for a submarine command team, which is intended to compile knowledge on submarine operations. The centre, which is equipped with a German-made submarine simulator, provides navy personnel with training, such as how to operate the sonar system. The submarine simulator is also linked to the anti-submarine simulator currently operated by the navy’s Fleet Training Command. The navy has also sent 18 navy officers to receive training in submarine technology in Germany and another 10 officers to South Korea to attend a training course on international diesel submarines.
Thai navy opens submarine center, but lacks subs Yahoo! 7th Jul 2014
Thailand's navy inaugurated a state-of-the-art headquarters and training center for its submarine squadron on Monday, even though it has no subs to command. The squadron and its facilities, including a submarine simulator from Germany, were established at an existing naval base in Sattahip, east of Bangkok on the Gulf of Thailand. The navy, which has had no submarines in its fleet since 1951, has been seeking for several years to acquire some, but has faced budgetary restraints. It says the new facilities are needed to be prepared for the future. Rear Adm. Panu Punyavirocha, head of the submarine squadron, told the Bangkok Post newspaper last October that the new facilities cost 540 million baht ($17.3 million). Recent maritime territorial disputes have caused several Asian nations to consider acquiring or expanding submarine fleets. The military coup that ousted Thailand's civilian government in May could help expedite the acquisition of some submarines, as the military will in practice administer the country until an election promised for October 2015 at the earliest. The military received a vast increase in its budget after its last coup in 2006, a move that drew some criticism from the press and public. In 2011, Thailand negotiated to buy six small used submarines from Germany for 7.7 billion baht ($260 million), but let the deal expire. It then considered buying two larger new submarines from South Korea for 40 billion baht ($1.35 billion), but no deal was concluded. The navy has sent submarine personnel for training in both Germany and South Korea.
Thailand's Inevitable Revolution RealClearWorld 16th Jul 2014
In recent weeks, the military junta in Thailand has been working hard on rehabilitating its image. A battalion of soft-spoken diplomats has been dispatched on an international charm offensive, lecturing policymakers and journalists on their good intentions and popular support. Just don't ask them to prove it in an election. Their efforts are aimed at promoting a distorted understanding of events -- an exercise that the United States and Europe seem all too willing to accept. They want the world to believe that the May 22, 2014, military coup is somehow a "normal" feature of Thailand's political culture, and as such, the junta should get a free pass. If things continue along this path, we are due to have a replay of the aftermath of the 2006 coup. At the time, Western governments eventually gave their support to the military's plan to introduce a new constitution that severely watered down representation and allowed them to keep appointees permanently entrenched in the Constitutional Court and Senate. It's little wonder why the situation has culminated in violence and repression once again several years later, and undoubtedly what will happen if they remain unchallenged in 2014. The military has already prepared its transition. A provisional constitution drafted by the junta will be introduced containing less than 50 sections. A cabinet will be formed in September as well as a 250-member "reform council," all filled with people exclusively handpicked by the coup, which will then be followed by an election where the military will be able to re-install their colleagues in the Democrat Party -- otherwise known as "The Party of the Army."
US may not move war games Bangkok Post 14th Jul 2014
German press agency dpa reported Monday that the US has submitted a letter to Thailand's junta saying it will resume the Cobra Gold war games, based in Chon Buri, jointly with Thailand next year. Thailand, however, has not yet responded to the letter, dpa said. Thai Air Force Air Chief Marshall Prajin Juntong told Reuters in June that moving the exercise to Australia as the US military hinted at was "no problem at all." "The Royal Thai Air Force trains with other international friends, including Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia," Prajin told Reuters.
US confirms F-16 servicing schedule Bangkok Post 10th Jul 2014
Air force spokesman AM Monthol Satchukorn said Mrs Kenney paid a courtesy call on ACM Prajin and discussed economic cooperation between Thailand and the US. The air chief marshall is the deputy chief of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) which staged the May 22 coup and ended the Yingluck Shinawatra government. Mrs Kenney said Thailand and the US had had good relations for a long time and the US valued the long-standing economic ties between both countries because American companies had huge investments in Thailand. The ambassador said she understood the human trafficking situation involving Thailand because the country was a transit point for the crime. She confirmed that relations between Thailand and the US were continuing smoothly, especially those concerning the Thai air force.
Police-station construction project to go ahead Phuket Gazette 9th Jul 2014
The Royal Thai Police have decided to go ahead with the construction of new police stations across the country. "The construction should begin in the next 70 days," Deputy National Police chief General Worapong Chewprecha said yesterday. He was speaking after he led a meeting to follow up on the project's first phase, during which 181 police stations will be constructed. Last year, the Royal Thai Police cancelled a Bt5.4-billion contract with PCC Development and Construction after the firm failed to build the 396 police stations nationwide as contracted on time.
Special Report: NCPO to continue peace talks with southern insurgent groups Pattaya Mail 9th Jul 2014
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) is still working on the process of peace talks to ease conflicts in the Deep South, based on constitutional principles and Thai laws. Speaking about efforts to deal with the southern situation, Head of the NCPO General Prayuth Chan-ocha stated that Malaysia would remain the facilitator for the peace dialogues. Case studies from foreign countries would also be considered.
Thailand builds hi-tech naval base – even though it has no submarines The Guardian 7th Jul 2014
Thailand's navy inaugurated a £10m headquarters and training centre for its submarine squadron on Monday, even though it has no subs to command. The squadron and its facilities, including a submarine simulator from Germany, were established at an existing naval base in Sattahip, east of Bangkok, on the Gulf of Thailand. The navy, which has had no submarines since 1951, has been trying to acquire some for years but has faced budgetary restraints. It says the new facilities are needed for the future.
Navy launches new submarine squadron Bangkok Post 7th Jul 2014
The Royal Thai Navy's Submarine Squadron will be officially unveiled today in a move that underscores the navy's push to have submarines added to the naval fleet. The squadron and training centre will be opened by navy chief ADM Narong Pipattanasai at the Sattahip naval base in Chon Buri province, the unit said on its Facebook page. The unit commanded by Panu Punyavirocha is equipped with everything including a German-made submarine simulator except one thing: Real submarines. The construction cost of the office and equipment was estimated at 740 million baht, Rear ADM Panu said in October. The navy has over the years pushed the government to buy submarines to help navy ships protect the Gulf of Thailand. The navy initiated the idea to set up the unit in 2011 with the hope it could get second-hand submarines from Germany, but this has so far failed to come about. Thailand has not had any submarines since its fleet of four Japanese-made vessels were retired in 1952 after 13 years in service.
Navy to kick off submarine unit Monday Bangkok Post 6th Jul 2014
The squadron and training centre for submarines will be officially opened by navy chief ADM Narong Pipattanasai at Sattahip naval base in Chon Buri province, the unit said on its Facebook page. The unit commanded by Panu Punyavirocha is equipped with everything - including a German-made submarine simulator - except one thing: real submarines. The construction cost of the office and equipment was estimated at 740 million baht, Rear Adm Panu said in October. The navy has pressed the government to buy submarines for years to help navy ships protect the Gulf of Thailand - as the u-shaped gulf could be easily blocked in times of war - and Thai interest amid growing concern about the dispute over the South China Sea. The navy launched a plan to set up the unit in 2011 with expectations of having second-hand submarines from Germany. But so far the plan still remains as a blueprint.
Thailand considers medium-range SAM purchase IHS 1st Jul 2014
Thailand's military government is contemplating the procurement of a medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, a spokesman confirmed to IHS Jane's on 1 July. The programme is thought to be the first major military purchase outlined for consideration since the Thai military staged a coup d'état on 22 May. The detailed specifications of the SAM system have not been revealed.
Thailand excluded from US navy event Sky News 27th Jun 2014
Thailand has been excluded from the US led maritime warfare event Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) just as China has been welcomed. The biennial event RIMPAC commenced on Thursday 26 June, it will bring 22 navies from China, India, Malaysia, South Korea, the UK, US and others together at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. In opposition to Thailand's military coup in May, the US has barred Thailand from the naval exercise as well as suspending more than $4.7 million of security-related assistance. Relations with Bangkok were America's oldest treaty partnership but have been halted in reaction to alleged human-right abuses by the Thai military.
Vietnam
In disputed sea, Vietnam and China play high-stakes cat and mouse Reuters 15th Jul 2014
Crewmen in blue camouflage uniforms pour out onto the deck of a Vietnamese coastguard ship as an imposing Chinese vessel guarding a giant oil rig gives chase, gathering steam by the second. A plume of smoke billows out as the engines of the Vietnamese ship rev up. A message of warning in Chinese language blares out across a loudspeaker. "You must remove all vessels immediately. This is the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam," it says. The Vietnamese ship and several others on either side begin to retreat. "Withdraw your ships and remove the Haiyang Shiyou 981 oil rig." A group of Chinese ships join the pursuit, peeling away from a flotilla of about two-dozen vessels surrounding HD-981, the $1 billion rig that China deployed without notice in early May, triggering the worst breakdown in ties between the communist neighbours in three decades. Vietnam says this stretch of the South China Sea is in its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and accuses China of bullying and trying to ram Vietnamese fishing vessels in the potentially energy-rich waters. Vietnamese coastguard ship 8003, with a small group of foreign journalists on board, came within 10 nautical miles of the rig on Tuesday, but that was as far as it was willing to go. And it lingered for just half an hour.
Vietnam Successfully Made Medium-Range Radar RV-02 Defense Studies 14th Jul 2014
Radar realm midrange RV-02 is one of those products that are appreciated by superior efficiency, good anti-interference, high reliability, simple to use. Report broadcast on Quốc phòng Việt Nam (Vietnam Defense) pm on 7/10/2014, said Vietnam has succeeded in making radar medium-range planes RV-02. This project is the product of radar stations built RV-02 by the Institute of Military Engineering Non - Air Force coordinated with other units done. RV-02 Radar was born with a fully active design technology, manufacturing, processing at all stages, based on the RV-01 product design cooperation with Belarus. In the process of putting into use, the limitations of the RV-01 has been studied and overcome with the application of the most advanced production technology radar. RV-02 has achieved many breakthrough features Specifications.
If Vietnam and China Went to War: Five Weapons Beijing Should Fear TNI 12th Jul 2014
Five NATO Weapons of War Russia Should Fear, Five Russian Weapons of War NATO Should Fear, Five Chinese Weapons of War America Should Fear, Five American Weapons of War China Should Fear, Five Japanese Weapons of War China Should Fear, Five Best Weapons of War from the Soviet Union and Five Taiwanese Weapons of War China Should Fear. In 1975, the armed forces of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam defeated the Republic of Vietnam, capturing Saigon and putting to end nearly thirty years of civil war. The victory came three years after the United States, unwilling to pay the price of continued engagement, left the war. In 1979, the People’s Republic of China invaded Vietnam in an effort to punish Hanoi for its actions in Cambodia, and for its association with the Soviet Union. The war lasted a month, with Chinese forces leaving after heavy losses and without achieving any strategic objectives.
Japan preparing to finance Vietnamese patrol vessels IHS 8th Jul 2014
The Japanese government is preparing to offer financial assistance to Vietnam to support the construction of new patrol vessels for the country's coast guard, the Vietnam government announced on 8 July. Following meetings in Hanoi between Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh and his visiting counterpart Akinori Eto, the Vietnamese government outlined a plan to purchase patrol vessels funded by Japan's official development assistance (ODA) programme. The ODA, Japan's official aid policy since 1992, is aimed at enhancing international security. The government statement said: "Japan is completing the legal procedures to provide ODA for the Vietnam government [and the programme] to build patrol boats for the law enforcement forces of Vietnam."
Vietnam’s Overdue Alliance With America NYT 11th Jul 2014
Ours is a small country. We Vietnamese cannot and must not entrust our future to anyone, but we urgently need strategic allies at a moment in history when our priority is to defeat our present-day enemy: China. China’s move in May, to place an offshore oil rig on the Vietnamese continental shelf, and its arrogant statements in June, at an Asian security summit meeting known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, exposed China’s sea piracy to the world. These developments should alarm anyone in Vietnam who still clings to the myth of brotherly love between our nation and China. We cannot fight Chinese encroachment alone. Political isolation in a globalized world is tantamount to committing political suicide for Vietnam. And the key ally for Vietnam today is the United States — an alliance that the Vietnamese liberation hero Ho Chi Minh ironically always wanted. The Vietnamese people have fought for thousands of years to maintain our culture and independence, in the shadow of a giant neighbor. But continuing blindness and stupidity have poisoned generations of Vietnamese leaders, even when their Chinese “comrades” blatantly started a border war in 1979 and invaded and occupied the Paracel Islands in 1974 and the Spratly Islands in 1988 — which for centuries both belonged to Vietnam. After the revolutions in Eastern Europe in 1989, Vietnamese leaders tried to protect Communism from an embarrassing demise in Southeast Asia. At a now-infamous meeting in Chengdu, China, in 1990, Vietnamese leaders signed agreements that made our country even more dependent on China — a betrayal of our interests and a national shame.
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