Brunei
Protecting The Abode of Peace AMR 23rd Jan 2014
The Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace, as the country is officially known, is located on the northwest coast of Borneo. This Southeast Asian nation is small, only 5,765 square kilometres (2,226 square miles) in area, and it hosts a population of just 412,000. The Malaysian state of Sarawak not only surrounds Brunei, but also divides it in two. Brunei’s eastern segment of Temburong is home to only three percent of the country’s population, with the majority residing in the larger western portion. Malay is the official language, with Malays comprising 67% of the population. Brunei Darussalam, as the country is also known, is an Islamic absolute monarchy ruled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. This British protectorate did not obtain independence from the United Kingdom until 1984, although it has maintained good relations with its former colonial master. Despite its size, the Abode of Peace is immensely wealthy thanks to oil resources that bring in 90 percent of government revenue. It is the fourth-largest oil producer in Southeast Asia, as well as the world’s ninth-largest liquefied natural gas producer. Oil and gas facilities are predominantly found in the south near the coastal town of Seria. Most of Brunei’s interior is covered in primary jungle, with the Sungai Belait River providing the main means of transport in the interior.
Cambodia
Cambodian Security Forces Clash With Protesters WSJ 26th Jan 2014
Cambodian security forces clashed with hundreds of workers and opposition supporters who took to the streets in defiance of a ban on protests in the capital on Sunday, leaving at least 10 people injured. The skirmishes occurred as military police and riot-control officers tried to stop protesters from entering Freedom Park in central Phnom Penh, the main rallying point for opposition supporters in recent months. The clashes were the first since the government violently cracked down on labor and opposition protests in early January, and fueled concern that Prime Minister Hun Sen is trying to quell growing political unrest by curbing civil liberties. Led by labor unions and rights groups, protesters had gathered to urge fresh wage talks for garment workers and demand the release of 23 people detained by police during the Jan. 2-4 crackdown. Organizers had sought permission for their demonstration but municipal authorities rejected their request, citing public-order concerns. It wasn't immediately clear how Sunday's clashes started, but rights activists say law-enforcement personnel—equipped with batons and electric prods—used force to keep out protesters, who retaliated by throwing rocks and other objects. At least 10 people were hurt during these clashes, which occurred after 9 a.m. local time, said Am Sam Ath, an investigator with the nonprofit Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights, or Licadho. "We regret that the authorities are banning people from gathering and expressing their opinions peacefully," said Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions. Even so, the demonstrators hope to put pressure on authorities to consider their demands, he said. Government and police officials said Sunday's security operations were meant to preserve public order, and denied trying to suppress civil liberties. "We banned the gathering to protect social order. They can do it after the country returns to normalcy," Phnom Penh deputy police chief Chuon Narin said.
Indonesia
TNI Asks Govt to Keep Promise of Weapons, Welfare Jakarta Globe 28 Jan 2014
Indonesia’s top soldier has called on the government to fulfill its promise of providing better weapons and welfare for his subordinates in order to enhance the nation’s defense capabilities. Gen. Moeldoko, chief of the Indonesian Military (TNI), said the Army needed at least 50 new tanks to replace the old ones, which could no longer operate properly. “What we need is not just an upgrade of the Alutsista [primary weaponry defense system] but to purchase the new ones,” Moeldoko said. The Ministry of Defense handed 37 Russian-made BMP-3F amphibian tanks to the TNI on Monday. With this addition, the armed forces now have 54 modern tanks after receiving 17 in December. According to Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, the tanks are testament of the government’s commitment to creating a world-class navy, which is expected to adequately protect the nation’s sovereignty.
Indonesian Firm Wins PAF Aircraft Supply Deal Defense Studies 27th Jan 2014
The Air Force is acquiring two new light lift aircraft from Indonesia to boost the delivery of supplies and personnel to remote areas. Indonesian firm PT Dirgantara Indonesia has won the bidding for the light lift fixed-wing aircraft acquisition project, worth P814 million. The STAR learned that the defense department issued the notice of award for the project early this month. Air Force spokesman Col. Miguel Okol said the aircraft could land even in areas that do not have airstrips. Larger planes like the C-130 and medium lift fixed-wing planes require long runways. “The light lift fixed aircraft can bring more goods than helicopters. It can operate in areas with small runways,” Okol told The STAR yesterday. He said the plane is more flexible, particularly during disaster response operations.
Indonesia and Saudi Arabia Sign Defense Cooperation Agreement The Diplomat 25th Jan 2014
On Thursday, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia signed a defense cooperation agreement (DCA) – the first of its kind – between the two of them. The agreement was signed by Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Salman bin Sultan Abdulaziz Al Saud and Indonesian Lt. Gen. (ret.) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin. The DCA covers training, education, counter-terrorism, and defense industry cooperation. The agreement is significant for Indonesia in a few ways. It is the first agreement of its sort that Indonesia has signed with a Middle Eastern country and the first between it and Saudi Arabia – the two countries have had diplomatic relations since 1950. Lt. Gen. Sjafrie told the Jakarta Post that “This is the first time a Saudi deputy defense minister has visited Indonesia.” The cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia is underscored by both nations’ common Islamic identities, although this wasn’t a driving factor in the signing of the DCA. In fact, both Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, in agreeing to cooperate on counterterrorism, noted that terrorism should not be linked to any ideology or religion, in particular Islam. Indonesia’s interlocutor adds that “No religion in the world teaches violence.” The Indonesia Defense Ministry said in a press release that terrorist incidents in recent years have cast a poor light on Islam and that Saudi Arabia is one of the countries most damaged by terrorism. Indonesia has also suffered terrorist attacks conducted by Islamist groups. An Indonesia-Saudi Arabia joint exercise on counterterrorism will follow from the DCA. According to Sjafrie, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia “have agreed to fight terrorism by holding joint exercises [that involve] members of both countries’ special forces.”
Indonesia, Radical Islam & America's Pivot to Asia RealClearDefense 24th Jan 2014
A wide-ranging partnership between the U.S. and Indonesia will be crucial to ensuring peace, stability, and an equitable balance of power in the region, but Indonesia must first be stable domestically to fulfill its partnership role regionally and internationally. Consolidating democratic principles and institutions, eradicating government corruption, and electing strong leadership through free and fair elections are the building blocks Indonesia must establish to defeat religious extremism, ensure domestic stability and effectively participate in a partnership critical to both our national security interests. Islamic extremism is not new to Indonesia. Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations have taken advantage of our vast archipelago nation of 17,000 islands and porous borders to use as a base of operations since the fall of the dictatorial Suharto regime in 1998. Many experts also believe much of the terrorists’ ideology is homegrown rather than imported from abroad. However, despite several potent terrorist acts in the years following September 11th, Indonesia has remained committed to being a secular society. And the moderate, pluralistic, and inclusive beliefs of the world’s largest Muslim population have held the growth of Islamic radicalism in check – until recently.
A New Regional Strategy for Indonesia’s Next President Carnegie 24th Jan 2014
The rest of Southeast Asia will look to Indonesia for leadership and guidance in adjusting to accommodate these changes in the world order. The country’s size, democratic institutions, and economic performance have given it considerable heft in regional and world affairs. As a result, Indonesia’s strategic choices in the region today will extend far beyond its borders and have ramifications that will echo for generations to come. The next Indonesian leader must therefore choose the country’s priorities for the coming decade carefully. In addition to addressing five vital economic priorities, the new president would do well to focus on three strategic regional priorities—increasing defense cooperation and defense diplomacy with key strategic partners, improving the nation’s and the region’s human rights records, and overhauling the secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the most important regional institution. These three priorities reflect an overarching vision that Indonesia should shape its geostrategic environment in a way that guides the country and the region toward long-term peace, stability, and development.
Tension with OZ escalates as RI deploys warships Jakarta Post 23rd Jan 2014
With Canberra pressing ahead with its hard-line policy of turning back asylum seekers to Indonesian waters, Jakarta told its neighbor on Wednesday the policy could lead to violations of Indonesia’s sovereignty and that it had increased security on its borders to prevent incursions. A number of Indonesian Navy warships have been deployed and four Air Force defense radars have been programmed to closely monitor the southern border, military officials told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. “We are watching four radars in Timika, Merauke [in Papua], Saumlaki [Maluku] and Buraen [East Nusa Tenggara], which all face Australia,” Air Force chief spokesman Air Commodore Hadi Tjahjanto said. “If we notice any border violations, our air base in Makassar will be ready. Australia is reachable from there.” Hadi was referring to the Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base in the South Sulawesi provincial capital, which is the base of the 11th squadron, consisting of 16 Russian-made Sukhoi Su-27/30 Flankers.
Indonesia's PT PAL Looks to Foreign Partner for Submarine Repair Strategy Page 23rd Jan 2014
State-run naval shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia is planning to collaborate with a foreign counterpart to carry out the repair and overhaul of one of Indonesia's two ageing Cakra Type 209/1300 attack submarines, it has been announced. A PT PAL official told IHS Jane's on 22 January that KRI Cakra (401) is scheduled later in 2014 to undergo a programme of maintenance and repair to address what was described as extensive corrosion. He added that a group of nominated foreign companies had been approached to undertake the work in collaboration with PT PAL. IHS Jane's understands that Germany's Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), whose subsidiary Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) built the Cakra submarines in the late 1970s, is regarded as the partner of choice.
Air Force casts its eyes on borders with Australia Jakarta Post 22nd Jan 2014
The Air Force has programmed four of its air defense radars to closely monitor the southern border following the encroachment of at least one Australian naval ship into Indonesian waters to turn back asylum seeker boats. “We are concentrating on four radars in Timika, Merauke, Saumlaki and Buraen, which face Australia,” Air Force chief spokesman Air Commodore Hadi Tjajanto told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Wednesday. “So if we notice any border violation, Makassar will be ready. Australia is reachable from there.” Hadi was referring to the 11th squadron in the South Sulawesi provincial capital, which has 16 Russian-made Sukhoi Su-27/30 Flankers. The 11th squadron is based at Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base. The Flankers have a maximum range of some 3,000 kilometers while the sea border lies some 1,000 km from Makassar. With a speed of Mach 1, or the speed of sound, the Flankers would take a little over one hour to reach the border.
Govt has not discussed plan to buy special military satellite Antara News 20th Jan 2014
The government is yet to discuss a plan to use non-tax state revenues to buy a special military satellite, Communication and Informatics Minister Tifatul Sembiring stated. "It has not yet been discussed since there is no such regulation in place," he remarked at a working meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I in the parliament building here on Monday. He refused to divulge further details about the plan. The non-tax state revenues of the Communications and Informatics Ministry reached Rp13.59 trillion last year, an increase of 17 percent over the governments set target of Rp11.58 trillion, he claimed. "The Communications and Informatics Ministrys non-tax state revenues reached Rp13.59 trillion, thereby exceeding its set target," he noted. Earlier, the Jurnalparlemen.com quoted Deputy Chairman of the House Commission I TB Hasanuddin as saying that the government should procure a special military satellite to ward off any espionage.
Malaysia
Malaysia, US To Intensify Joint Military Exercises, Training Asia Sentinel 19th Jan 2014
Malaysia is to intensify joint military exercises and training with the United States in a bid to strengthen military ties and cooperation. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the cooperation was vital to build up confidence for defence in the Asia Pacific region, besides giving fresh experience and training to the military personnel of the two countries. Hishammuddin said that during his meeting with US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel in the Pentagon yesterday, the latter commended the role played by Malaysia in Southeast Asia. "He also called on Asean member countries to close ranks and strengthen cooperation to ensure stability in the region," the minister said in a statement Sunday. He said they also discussed various issues of international defence, including that involving Afghanistan and North Korea, and the role of Asean in tackling regional security issues. It was Hishammuddin's maiden visit to the United States after his appointment as the defence minister. During the visit, Hishammuddin also had a meeting with a senator from Rhode Island, Jack Reed, who is a senior member in the US Military Service Committee. They discussed regional security issues and economic developments that affected the stability of other countries.
Defence Ministry Mulls Adopting US Marines Military Model Bernama 17th Jan 2014
Malaysia is mulling the idea of adopting the United States' marines military model to further strengthen the Malaysian Armed Forces maritime capacity, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein. He said the ministry had invited United States maritime warfare experts to Malaysia to discuss the matter. "In my meeting with Chief of the US Marines, General Terry Robling in Hawaii yesterday, I had discussed steps that needed to be taken by both countries to make the plan become a reality. "I have invited them to discuss further the matter as I am confident this cooperation can further strengthen our armed forces' maritime capacity in future," Hishammuddin said in a statement issued in Kuala Lumpur, Friday.
Airbus Plans to Work With Malaysia Companies on Cleaner Jet Fuel Bloomberg 27th Jan 2014
Airbus Group NV (AIR) agreed to work with companies in Malaysia to study feedstocks in the region that may be suitable for making cleaner jet fuel. The airplane maker will work with groups such as Aerospace Malaysia Innovation Centre, Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology and Universiti Putra Malaysia, Toulouse-based Airbus said in an e-mailed statement. “Southeast Asia is a wide and productive region in terms of biomass,” Frederic Eychenne, new energies programme manager, said in the statement. “According to our latest Global Market Forecast, Asia-Pacific will lead in world traffic by 2032.”
Chinese ships patrol area contested by Malaysia Reuters 26th Jan 2014
Three Chinese ships on Sunday patrolled the James Shoal, an area also claimed by Malaysia, and soldiers and officers on board swore to safeguard its sovereignty, in the latest sign of Beijing's territorial assertiveness in the South China Sea. The group was made up of an amphibious landing craft, the Changbaishan, and two destroyers, state news agency Xinhua said. Last March, Malaysia protested against the incursion of four Chinese ships in James Shoal, about 80 km (50 miles) off Sarawak on Borneo island. Chinese sailors fired guns in the air during the visit to the shoal. In April, a Chinese maritime surveillance ship returned to James Shoal to leave behind steel markers to assert its claim.
Hagel Meets With Malaysian Defense Minister U.S. Department of Defense 17th Jan 2014
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Malaysian Minister of Defense Dato' Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein discussed a range of international security issues today during their meeting at the Pentagon, Assistant Press Secretary Carl Woog said in a statement. “Secretary Hagel underscored the U.S. commitment to deepening ties to Malaysia. The two leaders discussed a range of international security issues, including Afghanistan, North Korea, and the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in addressing regional security challenges.
Defence ministry mulls adopting U.S marines military model New Straits Times 17th Jan 2014
Malaysia is mulling the idea of adopting the United States' marines military model to further strengthen the Malaysian Armed Forces maritime capacity, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein. He said the ministry had invited United States maritime warfare experts to Malaysia to discuss the matter. "In my meeting with Chief of the US Marines, General Terry Robling in Hawaii yesterday, I had discussed steps that needed to be taken by both countries to make the plan become a reality." "I have invited them to discuss further the matter as I am confident this cooperation can further strengthen our armed forces' maritime capacity in future," he said in a statement issued here today. Hishammmuddin said this in conjunction with his six-day official working visit to the United States, which ended yesterday. Besides being taken to visit the United States marine warfare training centre in Kanaoke, Hawaii, Hishammuddin also visited the United States Pacific Command (Uspacom).
Malaysia government says it will not revive Internal Security Act Straits Times 12th Jan 2014
The Malaysian government has said it will not revive the abolished Internal Security Act (ISA) despite calls to do so in order to counter extremist acts. Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government instead will look to amend or draw up new laws to counter such security threats. "What were said by several leaders including the Inspector General of Police can be considered but it is not easy to revive the ISA," Mr Zahid was quoted as saying in a report by the Bernama national news agency on Saturday. He added that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had taken all views into account when making the decision.
Myanmar
Burmese Army Trained By U.K. Military BBC 23rd Jan 2014
For half a century, Myanmar, also known as Burma, was ruled by a military junta but, in the last three years there has been dramatic moves towards greater democracy.But it could still all come to a grinding halt. The Burmese army controls a quarter of all seats in parliament and could block any changes to the constitution.In an effort to support reforms the British army have begun a tentative and controversial engagement with their Burmese counterparts.
Burma Defenser Ministry Puts Forward Budget Request Irrawaddy 22nd Jan 2014
Burma’s Ministry of Defense has requested less funding for the 2014-15 fiscal year, although the proposed budget, if approved, would still be the biggest budget of all government ministries.Defense Minister Lt-Gen Wai Lwin on Tuesday requested a budget of 2.36 trillion kyats (US$2.36 billion) for this fiscal year, about $40 million less than his ministry’s $2.4 billion budget last year.Although the proposed defense budget is smaller this year, it is still the highest of all budget proposals for ministries, according to Ba Shein, a member of the Parliament Budget Committee who called for greater spending on social services such as education.
Kachin-Yunnan Timber Trade Hampering Peace Process in Myanmar RFA 22nd Jan 2014
Myanmar’s resource-rich Kachin state’s booming timber-led trade with China’s bordering Yunnan province is hindering the northern state’s peace process, already hampered by serious distrust between ethnic rebels and the military who have been fighting for decades, experts studying the conflict said Friday.Securing an end to fighting with Kachin rebels is a crucial part of Myanmar President Thein Sein’s goal of ending ethnic conflicts—a key test of political reforms the country has been implementing after 50 years of military rule. But progress on ending the Kachin conflict is slowed by major political disagreement between the rebel Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the government, as well as by local groups with a vested interested in fueling the illicit timber trade, researchers said at a forum at the Stimson Center, a think tank in Washington.More than two years since conflict reignited between Kachin rebels and the military in 2011, timber trade continues to roar, Stimson Center fellow Yun Sun said.
U.S. Urges Myanmar to Probe Attacks on Muslim Minority Reuters 21st Jan 2014
The United States on Friday urged Myanmar to investigate reports that security forces and Buddhist mobs attacked members of the Rohingya Muslim minority this week, killing as many as 60 people.Rights groups reported attacks by security forces and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs against Rohingya in a village in the Maungdaw township of western Rakhine state over the past three days."The United States is deeply concerned about reports of fresh violence in Rakhine state, including reports that security forces may have committed abuses," a U.S. embassy official told Reuters. "We urge the government to thoroughly investigate such reports."Chris Lewa, director of Rohingya advocacy group Arakan Project, said the numbers of unconfirmed dead ranged from 10 to 60. She said the violence appeared to have started when Rohingya villagers clashed with police on the evening of Jan 13.
Military aid to Myanmar carries reputational risks Monitor Frontier Markets 21st Jan 2014
Western military engagement with Myanmar’s long-feared military, or “Tatmadaw,” is just beginning – mostly training courses and goodwill visits, like the one by the Australian warship docked in Myanmar this week. But even those minimal efforts are facing strong pushback from human rights groups, a sign of the reputational risks, for government and companies, that still come with associating with Myanmar, The United Kingdom, for example, which recently began professional and human rights training work with the Myanmar military, has become the target of stiff criticism. “If the British government were serious about reforming the Burmese military and ending their human rights abuses, they could have used this training to elicit practical action and commitments to reforms,” Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, said in a report last week. “Instead they are giving unconditional training in a move which appears be part of a general British government policy of moving as close as possible to the government of Burma in order to secure current and future trade and investment opportunities.” Three years after a military junta stepped aside to give way to a quasi-civilian government, the army still plays a large role in politics. Concerns on Capitol Hill about Myanmar’s human rights record mean the US government has been threading very cautiously, despite calls by US Ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell to expand American ties with the Myanmar military.
Military Chief Blames Ethnic Groups for Conflict, Says Army ‘Afraid of No One’ The Irrawaddy 14th Jan 2014
Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing has said that Burma’s powerful military has only ever acted defensively in the country’s internal conflicts and cast blame for any violence on ethnic armed groups. He also warned that the military is “afraid of no one.” Leaders of ethnic armed groups on Tuesday objected to the remarks and said they could hinder nationwide ceasefire negotiations with the government. In a strong-worded speech, Min Aung Hlaing addressed the government’s ongoing ceasefire talks and the conflict in northern Burma, where the government and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) have failed to come to a ceasefire agreement despite several rounds of talks last year.
Toward a Federal Tatmadaw The Irrawaddy 13th Jan 2014
Over the past two and a half years, Myanmar has made unprecedented progress toward ending its long history of civil conflict. During the same period, however, fighting has resumed between the government army, or Tatmadaw, and the armed wing of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), demonstrating that a permanent peace is far from assured. Recently, The Irrawaddy’s Lin Thant had a chance to speak to Maj-Gen Gun Maw, the deputy chief of the Kachin Independence Army and a key negotiator in talks with the government and Tatmadaw, about what the country’s ethnic armed groups hope to achieve in the ongoing peace process—including their vision of a more inclusive federal armed forces, which many see as central to ending endemic armed conflict in Myanmar.
Military Reform Is Crucial for Lasting Change in Burma Huffington Post 12th Jan 2014
The UK is one of the very strongest supporters of democracy and human rights in Burma. This is a cause which has energised the many people in our country who have personal links to Burma, as well as those who have been moved by stories of the Burmese people's suffering over almost half a century of dictatorship and repression. But over the last three years, tentative but welcome reforms have begun. Over a thousand political prisoners have been released. Some civil and political rights have been restored. Ceasefires have been agreed. We have used our deep and historical links to encourage progress in the peace talks with ethnic groups, in the government's dialogue with Aung San Suu Kyi, and in the establishment of an embryonic parliamentary system.
How Much Has the United States Been Standing Up to Atrocities in Burma Washington Post 10th Jan 2014
U.S. policy in Burma certainly faces many countervailing pressures, from making sure the government does not adopt merely the window dressing of democracy to fostering responsible U.S. investment in the long-closed country. But the available evidence suggests that U.S. officials have rhetorically boxed themselves in so that they find it increasingly difficult to use tools they created, such as robust Treasury sanctions or the Atrocities Prevention Board, to punish perpetrators of ethnic and anti-Muslim violence. The transition from dictatorship to democracy rarely happens on a straight line, and often there are setbacks. Aung San Suu Kyi’s party recently dropped suggestions that it would boycott the 2015 elections if the constitution was not changed to make her eligible to be president. The reasons for the shift are unclear, but certainly Western governments such as the United States have invested greatly in ensuring that competitive elections take place. In any case, U.S. officials are getting ahead of themselves when they assert that the administration has been “standing up” against atrocities, given that attacks have continued almost unabated with little or no consequences for the killers. (In fact, virtually nothing has changed since Power wrote that blog post in late 2012; it could appear today with not a word altered.) Moreover, rather than applaud the release of political prisoners, U.S. officials should always highlight that they are conditionally released, subject to laws that need to be scrapped. Burma could one day be a foreign-policy success story, but without constant vigilance by the United States, both in word and deed, it could tip into failure.
Keep an eye on the people with the guns in Myanmar’s transition EAF 9th Jan 2014
I fear that Myanmar’s transition to better governance could start to go off the rails in 2014. While a serious train wreck seems unlikely, the mood in the country could sour as problems pile up, which could make the national election expected at the end of 2015 a messy affair. As a result, the new government that will likely take office in early 2016 might be less effective than the current one. A breakdown in the peace process is the problem most likely to push the transition off the rails. The efforts being made by the Thein Sein government to negotiate a durable peace with the country’s ethnic minorities, after more than six decades of civil war, are serious and commendable. By some accounts, agreement has been reached on 80 per cent of the issues. It is not unusual in such delicate negotiations, however, for the last 5 per cent of the issues to be as difficult to resolve as the first 95 per cent. Standing in the way of success in the peace process — as well as most other aspects of the transition to better governance — is the government’s apparent inability to control the guns. Has there ever been a successful transition in which the government does not have authority over the military and the police? As it stands, there is little evidence that the Thein Sein government has real control over the arms in the hands of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar’s armed forces) or the police.
Philippines
Why China and the Philippines are Battling Over Rocks, Reefs WSJ 25th Jan 2014
The Philippines cried foul this week when China announced plans to begin regular patrols of the South China Sea, known here as the West Philippines Sea. The two countries have been engaged in a tense dispute over the region since 2012, when Chinese ships took control of Scarborough Shoal, which is just one of the areas Beijing and Manila contest. Government spokesman Raul Hernandez insisted any such patrols would be illegal because the area in question is Filipino, not Chinese, territory: Under international law, he said in a statement sent by text message to reporters on Jan. 22, China’s Exclusive Economic Zone, or EEZ, “cannot extend beyond 200 nautical miles” from the Chinese mainland and Hainan Island, a province at the southernmost end of China.
NAG Gets Much Needed Boost with Reactivation of 4 Islander Aircraft Defense Studies 25th Jan 2014
The Naval Air Group (NAG), the Navy unit tasked to provide air support to the fleet, got a much needed boost following the activation on Tuesday of four Norman-Britten N2 Islander aircraft. This effectively raises the number of Islander planes operated by the Philippine Navy to six. Aside from the six PNIs, the NAG can now boast of operating three AgustaWestland AW-109 "Power" helicopter, four Cessna light utility planes, one R-22 "Raven" helicopter and one MBB-105 helicopter. Having these planes in the inventory greatly improves the Navy's capability to patrol and protect the country's vast territorial waters.
ro Finalization of the Philippines - Moro Islamic Liberation Front Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro state.gov 25th Jan 2014
The United States Government congratulates the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for concluding negotiations toward an historic, comprehensive peace agreement. This agreement offers the promise of peace, security, and economic prosperity now and for future generations in Mindanao. Both sides are moving closer to the vision of a just and peaceful solution as outlined in the October 2012 Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro. The United States also commends the Government of Malaysia, facilitator of the talks, as well as the International Contact Group, for its constructive role in helping resolve a decades-long conflict.
Peace Time: Global Hawk Over The Philippines Strategy Page 23rd Jan 2014
In November 2013 the U.S. sent a Global Hawk UAV from Guam to the Philippines three times to take over a thousand detailed photos of typhoon damage. This was because of the November 8th, 2013 typhoon that killed over 7,000 people and injured over 27,000. Worse, millions of people were cut off and it was difficult to get a handle on how much damage had been done and where it all was. This was a record breaking typhoon and the Filipino government didn’t have the kind of high powered digital sensors carried by the Global Hawk. The Guam based Global Hawks flew missions over the typhoon damage on November 14th, 16th and 20 th and their photos were very useful on the ground. An RQ-4 can survey about four-thousand square kilometers an hour. The RQ-4 that flew the Philippines missions was a Block 30. RQ-4s have been used before in disaster relief work. This included missions in 2007 (California wild fires), 2010 (Haiti earthquake aftermath) and 2011 (tracking the radiation patterns after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami wrecked a nuclear power plant).
8 Installment Payments Scheme Eyed for 2 Frigates Defense Studies 23rd Jan 2014
Should the contract for the Department of National Defense's P18-billion frigate program be awarded to a qualified shipbuilder within the year, the country will be making eight payments for the two ships which will give the Philippine Navy a much-needed boost in surveillance and firepower capability. Commodore Roland Mercado, Philippine Navy technical working group head for the frigate project, said the proposed payment scheme can be broken down as follows:
DND Building Air Force Facilities in Palawan, Tawi-Tawi Defense Studies 22nd Jan 2014
The Department of National Defense (DND) is building two Air Force facilities to upgrade the military’s maritime defense and rescue capabilities over the country’s territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea and Sulu Sea. Called the Philippine Air Force (PAF) Search and Rescue Basing and Hangarage Project amounting to about P149 million, the facilities will be constructed in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and in Sanga-Sanga in Tawi-Tawi. The department also signed an P882-million contract with an Israeli firm last week for the acquisition of 28 armored infantry fighting vehicles. The PAF is also expecting deliveries of a squadron of lead-in fighter jets and rotary aircraft under its ongoing capability upgrade projects in line with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s modernization program. “The plan is to upgrade the capability requirements of the Philippine Air Force and improve the operational effectiveness by constructing hangars and facilities as support systems to sustain the search and rescue operations and support its maritime security and protection of the Malampaya natural gas-to-power project, the Reed Bank and the future Sulu oil rig,” said Defense Undersecretary Eduardo Batac, who chairs the DND’s Special Bids and Awards Committee-2, in a published bidding invitation for the two projects.
China Escalates Its Demands Strategy Page 21st Jan 2014
A Chinese attempt to impose fishing restrictions in the South China Sea areas off the Philippines resulted in all the other nations in the area refusing to cooperate. The Chinese are demanding that all non-Chinese fishing boats ask permission to fish in the South China Sea except in waters very close (within 22 kilometers) to shore. This demand violates several international treaties and even the United States has accused China of illegal activity here. Now it’s up to China to try and use force to make their new rules work.
PAF to Acquire 3 Modern Flight Simulators for P246-M Defense Studies 20th Jan 2014
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is acquiring three modern flight simulators for P246.4 million to help pilots operate efficiently the soon-to-be-delivered T-50 fighter jets from South Korea. The Department of National Defense (DND) said it is bidding out the project designed to enhance the operational capability of the PAF. “This will allow pilots an almost full sensory experience that can aid improving flight instruction, enhancing proficiency, minimizing risks associated with emergency procedures training, reducing accidents, filling up downtimes, and saving on aircraft operational and maintenance costs,” Defense Undersecretary Efren Fernandez, chair of the Bids and Award Committee for the project, said. “The DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines now invite bids from eligible bidders for the Full Motion Flight Simulator Acquisition Project. Delivery of the goods is required within a period of 600 calendar days from the opening of the Letter of Credit (LC),” Fernandez said. Sources said the government is set to acquire more fighter jets from other countries. Prior to the opening of the bid for the simulator project on Feb. 10, a pre-bid conference will be held on Jan. 27 at the DND BAC Conference Room at Camp Aguinaldo.
PN Confirms 2 More Frigates to be Acquired Defense Studies 17th Jan 2014
The Philippine Navy (PN) on Friday announced that it is planning to acquire two more frigates, aside from the two units which the Department of National Defense (DND) is now bidding out. "(Other than the two frigates that are undergoing bidding, there are two more acquisitions that are being planned," Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic said. No other details are available yet on this projects as it is still on the planning stage. Fabic said that once this program comes into fruit, the PN will boost a force of seven frigates. This includes the two Gregorio Del Pilar frigates (formerly the US' Hamilton class cutters) and the BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11), the last active duty World War II era destroyer escort in PN service. A PN study revealed that it would need around P497 billion to fully upgrade its fleet. Once it has this money, the Navy can now acquired the abovementioned items along with four sealift vessels, 18 landing craft utility vessels, three logistics ships, 12 coastal interdiction patrol boats, 30 patrol gunboats, and 42 multi-purpose assault crafts that can be equipped with torpedoes and missiles.
DND Inks Contract for 28 Israeli-Made 'Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles Defense Studies 17th Jan 2014
The Department of National Defense (DND) has formally signed the contact for the delivery of 28 "armored infantry fighting vehicles" which will boost the inventory of the Army's light armored units. DND Assistant Secretary Patrick Velez said that this project is worth P882 million. He said the contract was already signed last week. He added that the contract was awarded to Israeli's leading defense manufacturer, Elbit Systems Land and C4I. Four of the 28 "armored infantry fighting vehicles" are recovery models which can be used to tow units damaged or incapacitated in the battlefield. For security reasons, Velez declined to give specifics of the vehicles' armament, speed and armor but stressed that these armored infantry fighting vehicles "are very capable." Full delivery of these vehicles is expected within a year or around January 2015. The PA, which has around 10 infantry divisions, is equipped with 343 AFVs (armored fighting vehicles). Capt. Anthony Bacus, Army spokesperson, said earlier that these AFVs are distributed to the various infantry units to provide them with mobility and additional firepower.
Gov’t spent P41B for AFP modernization since 2010 Inquirer News 15th Jan 2014
The Aquino administration has spent a total of P41.2 billion for the military’s modernization since 2010, the defense department said on Tuesday. “We are steadily addressing our Armed Forces’ capability upgrade. Our bids and awards committees at the DND (Department of National Defense) are doing their best to fast-track our acquisitions, while fully adhering to the established rules and procedures set by law,” Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said in a press statement. The capability upgrade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines is one of the centerpiece programs of President Aquino, whose six-year term will expire in 2016. The new regional security landscape is forcing the government to improve the country’s military’s capability. China’s increasing belligerence over territorial rows in the West Philippine Sea has heightened the need to modernize the military to allow the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Navy to guard the national territory, officials said.
Philippines seeks more US navy ships amid China threat Channel NewsAsia 15th Jan 2014
The Philippines wants to acquire two more navy ships from the United States to boost its maritime protection amid threats from China, the country's military chief said on Wednesday. The new acquisitions would come under the fresh US military assistance announced by US Secretary of State John Kerry when he visited the Philippines last month, armed forces chief of staff General Emmanuel Bautista said. "Within the last year, we realised that there is a real threat out there in terms of securing, defending our territory," Bautista told ANC television. He said that ideally the country needed about six more frigates to guard its long coastline effectively. "In fact, we are bidding now for two frigates, hopefully we will be able to acquire them in (a) couple of years," Bautista said. He said he has made "maritime domain awareness" and protection a key concern of his leadership. The funds used to boost maritime defence, he said, would come from the $40 million military assistance pledged by Kerry in December.
Army to Boost Fire Support with 14 APCs Defense Studies 9th Jan 2014
The Philippine Army will acquire 14 M113 armored personnel carriers in 2015 to boost its fire support capabilities. Army spokesperson Capt. Anthony Bacus said the M113 vehicles will be installed with 76-mm turrets among others from decommissioned Scorpion combat vehicle reconnaissance (tracked) units. "It will be fitted with modern fire control and thermal imaging equipment. Once it is completed, the 76mm cannon armed M113s will be quite lethal," Bacus added. The Army is currently operating over 100 M113 units, and the would-be acquisitions are manufactured by BAE Systems Land and Armaments. In the United States Army, the M113 series have been replaced as front-line combat vehicles by the M2 and M3 Bradley. The Department of National Defense had said that more than P85 billion is needed for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from 2014 to 2018.
Regional Affairs
Rocky waters between China and Japan could buffet America Washington Post Jan 2014
You can see the danger signs from Richmond, Va., to Harbin, Manchuria: The major powers of East Asia are increasingly angry with each other. That could bring trouble to the region and, while we’re not paying much attention, to the United States, too. The skirmish at the Virginia General Assembly might seem comical to most Americans. Trying to please their Korean-American voters, Northern Virginia legislators introduced a bill requiring Virginia textbooks to note that the Sea of Japan is also known as the East Sea. Japan’s government is lobbying to kill the measure. Honestly, you might say, who cares? But like many long-standing disputes, the argument over place names has taken on new urgency in the context of China’s rise, Japan’s resurgence and uncertainties in the region about the United States’ staying power. Bitterness spilled out a few days ago when China opened a “memorial hall” — really a small museum — honoring a Korean activist at the Harbin railway station where, in 1909, he assassinated a former Japanese prime minister. A Japanese official denounced China for glorifying a “terrorist.” A South Korean politician responded, “If Ahn Jung-geun was a terrorist, then Japan was a terrorist state for having mercilessly invaded and plundered countries around it.”
China's nuclear missile drill seen as warning to US not to meddle in region SCMP 27th Jan 2014
The People's Liberation Army has for the first time released photos of its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in action - a move seen as a response to US military moves in the region. The 17 photos published on the PLA Daily's website on Tuesday provided the first glimpse of a live drill involving the Dongfeng-31 since its delivery to the Second Artillery Corps in 2006. SCMPThe missile has an estimated range of nearly 10,000 kilometres - enough to deliver a nuclear warhead to the capitals of Europe or the west coast of the United States. Military experts said the release was a warning to the US not to interfere in the country's territorial disputes with Japan over the Diaoyu Islands, or Senkakus, in the East China Sea. Macau-based military observer Antony Wong Dong cited the Pentagon's decisions to send a dozen advanced F-22 fighter jets to Okinawa and replace the USS George Washington with the younger USS Ronald Reagan at Yokosuka Naval Base near Tokyo.
From Submarines To C4ISR: Southeast Asian Naval Procurement Continues To Increase Defense World 27th Jan 2014
From Submarines To C4ISR: Southeast Asian Naval Procurement Continues To Increase Naval procurement in Southeast Asia continues to grow as countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand forge contracts to better equip their naval forces. Vietnam has recently entered into an agreement with India to receive training for up to 500 submariners. The two countries are also negotiating for Vietnam to purchase the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, pilot training and upgrading port facilities in the south-central port of Nha Trang. The provision of used Indian patrol craft is also under discussion, according Indian press reports. Hanoi has year took delivery of two Gepard class guided-missile frigates equipped with anti-ship missiles with a range of 130 kilometres and two Svetlyak class missile patrol boats from Russia. As well as the first four of 20 more Su-30 jet fighters with advanced anti-ship cruise missiles and second Bastion ballistic missile system to buttress Vietnam's coastal defences arrived in 2013.
The U.S. Army in Southeast Asia Rand Report 27th Jan 2014
The United States has indicated an active intent to recalibrate its foreign policy to the Asia- Pacific region as it draws down lengthy troop deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq. This RAND Corporation research report examines the implications of this reorientation for the U.S. Army, focusing on the roles and types of force postures likely to be called for over the near term and out to 2020. This research was sponsored by the U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff G-8, Quadrennial Defense Review Office, and conducted within the RAND Arroyo Center’s Strategy, Doctrine, and Resources Program. RAND Arroyo Center, part of the RAND Corporation, is a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the United States Army.
Future of the Army in Asia: Less War, More Diplomacy National Defense 26th Jan 2014
Since the Obama administration directed the U.S. military in 2012 to turn its attention to the Pacific region, Army leaders have made it known that they will not play second fiddle to their sister armed services in the so-called pivot to Asia. Army officials were irked when the Navy and the Air Force teamed up and produced an "air-sea battle" concept that suggested the United States would rely primarily on naval and air assets to fight a major war in the Pacific Rim. Army leaders have countered that most Asian powers have strong land-based armies and that ground forces would be essential in any scenario. A new study by an influential think tank suggests the Army will have a role in Asia, but mostly a peaceful one, at least through the next decade. The immediate priorities for the Army in Asia should be to establish and nurture relationships with friendly militaries, and assist in natural disaster relief and humanitarian operations, says Peter Chalk, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corp. The study, titled, “The U.S. Army in Southeast Asia: Near-Term and Long-Term Roles," was funded by the U.S. Army deputy chief of staff in preparation for the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review.
Experts Wary Over News Of China's 2nd Carrier Defense News 25th Jan 2014
Experts on China’s Navy are sounding cautionary tones after news surfaced last week that China is reportedly constructing a second aircraft carrier. The Chinese-language report from Hong Kong-based Ta Kung Pao, known as a veteran pro-Beijing newspaper, stated that Wang Min, a Communist Party secretary of China’s northeastern province of Liaoning, has confirmed the construction of the ship, which unlike its first carrier, is homegrown.
China To Build World's Largest Marine Surveillance Ship The Diplomat 24th Jan 2014
The Chinese-language newspaper Beijing Daily reported this week that China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC) has signed contracts to build a 10,000 ton marine surveillance ship, which would be the largest such vessel in the world. The ship will be built by the CSIC’s “704 Research Institute,” along with another 4,000 ton vessel. English language sites Global Times and South China Morning Post also picked up on the story. Notably, the current owner of the world’s largest marine surveillance ship is Japan, China’s rival in a bitter territorial dispute over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. Japan’s Shikishima, which was commissioned in 1992, displaces 7,175 tons. Japan recently added a second Shikishima-class patrol ship, dubbed Akitsushima, which launched in July 2012 and was officially commissioned in November 2013. According to Navy Recognition, both ships are 150 meters long and are equipped with Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannons and two M61 Vulcan cannons, with the latter being used as part of a remote weapons system. China’s new marine surveillance ship is one more piece of the tit-for-tat escalation in the East China Sea. As of now, China’s largest surveillance vessel, the Haijian-50 (“haijian” literally meaning “marine surveillance”), displaces around 4,000 tons. The new marine surveillance vessel would dwarf that, while also responding to Japan’s recent construction of a new Shikishima-class ship. Given that the Haijian-50 is often assigned to patrol the East China Sea, we can assume the new 10,000 ton ship will be patrolling the same waters. Still, there’s no detail yet as to what sort of weaponry will be outfitted aboard the new Chinese patrol ships.
Locklear: PACOM Keys Capabilities to 21st-century Asia-Pacific PACOM 23rd Jan 2014
America's rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region is on track, and U.S. Pacific Command is staying on top of the growing sophistication of today's weapon systems in what PACOM commander Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III calls “the most militarized region in the world.” Locklear briefed the press at the Pentagon this morning on PACOM’s progress in leading the Defense Department’s rebalance to the Indo-Asia-Pacific and the United States’ relative dominance in the region with such systems heading into the 21st century. “The rapid technological advancement of warfare capabilities and the proliferation of these capabilities across the globe will challenge us in the future,” Locklear said. “We must also ensure that we invest in the proper mix of defensive and offensive capabilities for our ships,” he added, “… and that the [ships’] capabilities are both lethal and dominant.” The security push in the region comes with the growth of economies and because of the increasing defense requirements of Asia-Pacific nations. “They’re buying … 21st-century weapons. They're not the same weapon systems we dealt with 30 years ago … so it stands to reason that our relative dominance in those technologies and weapons systems will have diminished over time,” the admiral said.
Chinese ships leave Paracel Islands after landing drills Inquirer 23rd Jan 2014
A fleet of three Chinese ships, one of which has an “advanced weapons system,” has completed patrols and landing exercises in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea Wednesday, Chinese state media reported. “The three-ship flotilla, consisting of amphibious landing craft Changbaishan and destroyers Wuhan and Haikou, left from a military port in south China’s Hainan Province on Monday,” Xinhua news agency reported Wednesday. “The flotilla undertook a ‘three-dimensional’ patrol of several islets, using surface vessels, hovercraft and shipboard helicopters. Marines with the flotilla conducted a 20-minute landing training on Wednesday,” it said. The ship Changbaishan was described as China’s largest landing ship and has an “advanced weapon system.” The fleet also has three helicopters and one company of Marines onboard, the report said.
Okinawa’s sacrifice is Abe’s victory for the US-Japan alliance EAF 23rd Jan 2014
On 27 December 2013 Okinawa governor Hirokazu Nakaima approved the relocation of the Futenma Air Base, housing about 100 planes and helicopters of the US Marine Corps, from a densely populated district in Ginowan City to Nago City, in the north-eastern part of Okinawa. Construction of a new base is likely to be a decade-long operation. Nakaima’s approval clears the last hurdle in the relocation of Futenma, which has been a stumbling block in relations between Tokyo and Washington for the last 17 years, and the implementation of which may bolster Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s credentials in America after years of friction over the issue.
Locklear: Asia-Pacific is Becoming ‘Most Militarized Region in the World’ USNI 23rd Jan 2014
American allies and potential adversaries in the Pacific are busily amassing formidable stockpiles of advanced military hardware, just as American commanders are doubling down on U.S. presence in the region. Aside from China’s aggressive efforts to buildup its military arsenal, countries like Japan, Australia and Singapore are quickly following suit, Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Locklear said Thursday. As a result, the seas and skies of the Asia-Pacific is rapidly evolving into “the most militarized region in the world,” the four-star admiral told reporters at the Pentagon. The ongoing weapons buildup in the Pacific could, at some point, lead to several regional powers superseding the United States as the dominant military force in Asia, Locklear warned. It is not only the quantity of weapons being stockpiled by China and others in the Pacific that is causing concern among Navy leaders, but also the types of advanced weapons systems being sought by regional powers, Locklear said.
Obama’s Asia rebalance turns into headache as China, Japan relations spiral down WP 23rd Jan 2014
China and Japan are not talking any more, and the United States is hardly being listened to. A dispute over a remote chain of islands in the East China Sea has spiraled into an increasingly dangerous standoff between Beijing and Tokyo in the last few weeks, deeply complicating President Obama’s attempts to forge closer partnerships in the region. Beijing recently announced that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was simply not welcome there. At the same time, the media in both countries have stoked the fire with speculation about a possible military confrontation that could even suck in the United States, which is bound by treaty to defend Japan in case of attack. U.S. officials and experts say conflict between the Asian powers remains unlikely, with both sides keen to preserve economic ties, and neither likely to emerge as a clear winner.
Singapore To Focus On Cyber Security, Missile Procurement; Defense Market To Expand By $13 Billion Before 2018 Defense World 23rd Jan 2014
Considered to be the most advanced military force in Southeast Asia, Singapore’s defense market is set to be worth $13.4 Billion by 2018. The country’s military expenditure, which stands at US$9.9 billion in 2013, grew at a CAGR of6.75% between 2007 and 2012 primarily to counter the threat posed by terrorist organizations, such as Jemaah Islamiah. The acquisition of automated equipment and overseas training for its armed forces are expected to drive the growth in country’s defense expenditure. Earlier in January, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) outlined the details on Singapore’s upgrade programme for 60 Lockheed Martin F-16 C/D Block 52 fighters. The proposed package is worth $2.4 billion and includes 70 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, an avionics upgrade, and a small number of guided weapons for testing and integration purposes. In December 2013, Singapore revealed it would be is acquiring two new submarines from German defence contractor ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems with delivery to take place in 2020.
Is America Pacific “Dominance” Up For Grabs? The Diplomat 22nd Jan 2014
Recent comments by U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel Locklear III set the internet afire (well, at least for strategic studies followers) in suggesting that the United States was losing dominance in the Pacific Ocean. While no news to those of us who follow events closely in this part of the world, such remarks are a stark reminder of the challenges Washington and its allies face in Pacific and larger Indo-Pacific, especially in the years to come. The comments themselves, not the first from senior naval officers over the last several years concerning the rise of China’s military capabilities, were blunt and to the point. “Our historic dominance that most of us in this room have enjoyed is diminishing, no question,” explained Locklear, head of U.S. Pacific Command, last Wednesday at a conference in Virginia. Locklear may have been reflecting on the last few weeks — essentially blowing off some steam — but also presenting a warning to those who would listen. Beijing has dominated the news cycle with some impressive defense and geostrategic achievements. From launching an ADIZ in the East China Sea and recent military exercises in the South China Sea and promises of permanent patrols to reports that China is working on more carriers and testing hypersonic weapons, it would seem Beijing is set to exert increasing dominance in a ring expanding from its coastline all the way to the now infamous first island chain. Some could even bravely make the statement that in some areas of the Pacific, thanks to large advances in ballistic and cruise missile technology, allied forces in times of conflict would be foolish to enter such areas given near-certain losses. These areas include most of the islands China and its neighbors are contesting. A no man’s land from Shanghai to Guam thanks to China’s growing military might? It’s looking more and more likely every day.
First Indian Ballistic-Missile Sub to Start Sea Trials Soon NTI 22nd Jan 2014
The Indian navy announced on Tuesday that the nation’s first ballistic-missile submarine is anticipated shortly to begin sea trials. "We expect INS Arihant to finish its harbor trials in a few weeks, a month or so, and then head for sea trials," Rear Adm. L.V.S. Babu, an assistant chief of naval staff, was quoted by the Times of India as saying. Once the indigenously developed submarine is deployed, India will possess a full strategic triad -- the ability to deliver nuclear weapons by air, land and sea. The Indian navy envisions wielding a fleet of at least three ballistic-missile submarines. The second vessel, INS Aridhaman, is already under construction at the Visakhapatnam shipyard. The INS Arihant was expected to begin its sea trials last summer after its shipboard nuclear reactor became operational, but got delayed. "Everything has to be done in a methodical, careful, sequential manner," Babu said in an interview. "INS Arihant is in the terminal phase of the [harbor-acceptance trials] now."
Multilateral ties drive America's Pacific rebalance Straits Times 22nd Jan 2014
Having visited Singapore often throughout my 35-year naval career, I am always impressed with this vibrant nation. As I complete my first visit this week as commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, it is worth noting that Singapore remains a leading partner with Washington on regional issues. Multilateral cooperation with partners is an important component of America's strategic rebalance to the Pacific. This whole-of-government effort is based on the wide range of shared issues with East Asia, including economics and trade, educational exchange, good governance, and security collaboration, which is my area. The rebalance recognises that US security and economic prosperity are intertwined with the peaceful development of East Asia. America has a national interest here: neither revanchist nor imperial, but rather in fostering security, stability and prosperity. Given its location near one of the world's busiest maritime crossroads, Singapore understands that freedom of the seas is linked to economic prosperity. America is in the same boat. This drives the US commitment to open access by all nations to the shared international commons of sea, air, space and cyberspace. No one should doubt this commitment, just as no one should doubt America's long-term commitment to the rebalance. The security aspect of the rebalance brings the newest and most capable platforms to the region. Thanks to great support from Singapore, America's first littoral combat ship, USS Freedom, just completed an eight- month deployment to South- east Asia, conducting numerous exercises and exchanges with regional navies. Increased presence in this region will continue with a 16-month deployment by another littoral combat ship later this year.
Is it Time to Create an ‘Asian NATO’? IPR 16th Jan 2014
China’s new president, Xi Xinping, has discarded former leader Deng Xiaoping’s cautious foreign policy of “bide our time, hide our capabilities,” by mounting increasing military challenges to America’s Asian allies and to U.S. leadership. China’s bullying tactics in the East China Sea and South China Sea will only increase with its expanding military might despite President Obama’s much-heralded pivot to Asia. The pivot is not enough. Washington must elevate regional military cooperation if China is to be deterred. Coming on the heels of China’s declaration of an air-defense identification zone over the East China Sea, Beijing continued its bullying tactics in its Dec. 5 direct challenge to the USS Cowpens, an Aegis guided-missile cruiser, exercising its freedom of navigation rights in the East China Sea. The Cowpens was forced to take immediate evasive action to avoid a collision with a Chinese naval ship that “stopped” dead ahead of the cruiser. According to reports, the Chinese navy was trying to enforce a 28-mile moving “exclusion zone” around its first operational carrier, the Liaoning. Such action is totally unacceptable. Likewise, China’s attempt to force all aircraft entering into its declared identification zone to provide preflight routing plans even if just transiting the area is also unacceptable. Our current strategy of not confronting China directly and hoping China will change its aggressive tactics is clearly not working. Therefore, a new strategy is required if we are to retain our leadership position as the key element in maintaining peace and stability in the Western Pacific and to force China to change direction from its path of increasing military belligerence. Such a new strategy will require an evolutionary approach. Currently, while many Asian states prefer to cooperate militarily with the United States on a bilateral basis, long-standing enmities between many of them have prevented the building of formal intra-Asian military arrangements. An “Asian NATO” would be ideal, but it is simply unrealistic today.
U.S.-China Relations and the Western Pacific The Diplomat 16th Jan 2014
The middle of 2013 brought the possibility of a reset in U.S.-China relations, as new Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of his desire for a “new kind of great power relations” as he enjoyed relaxed, heart-to-heart talks with U.S. President Barack Obama at a California resort. The year ended, however, with further evidence that strategic friction between Beijing and Washington is serious and long-term. The Chinese declaration of an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea, a new demand that foreigners get China’s permission before fishing in the South China Sea, and the incident involving the U.S. Navy cruiser Cowpens and a Chinese naval vessel reinforced the suspicion that despite explicit denials, Beijing intends to impose a sphere of influence over the seas off the Chinese coast. That intention is not surprising; it is typical behavior for a great power, and China sees itself as a rising great power in a region where the long-dominant power, the United States, is declining. Furthermore, China is a returning great power that for centuries dominated or attempted to dominate its periphery. This sets expectations and provides a familiar pattern for modern-day Chinese, who view the Sinocentric tributary system of the past as a confirmation that China’s destiny is to lead the region in the future. Neither, however, is China’s apparent intention a cause for celebration for most of the region. Most Chinese have a sanitized view of China’s historical leadership in the region: that China exercised influence through cultural, scientific and economic prowess rather than through coercion or expansionism. Neighboring states – like Vietnam, forcibly occupied for a thousand years by the Chinese – often have a different, darker view of historical Chinese pre-eminence.
Philippines, Vietnam condemn China's fishing law AP 15th Jan 2014
The Philippines and Vietnam condemned a new Chinese law that requires foreign fishermen to seek Beijing's approval to operate in much of the South China Sea, but China's Foreign Ministry insisted it has the right do so. China's assertiveness in pressing its claims in the strategic waters, which are believed to have significant seabed gas and oil deposits, has unnerved its smaller neighbors and created a potential military flash point. Anger is especially acute in the Philippines and Vietnam, which believe they have strong claims on waters off their shores. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday that the new Chinese regulation "escalates tensions, unnecessarily complicates the situation in the South China Sea, and threatens the peace and stability of the region."
China’s Neighborhood Bullying Increases Asia Sentinel 14th Jan 2014
Now Hainan’s provincial government demands that foreign fishermen get its approval to be in the South China Sea If anyone had any doubts about China’s aggressive attitudes towards its neighbors, they should be swept away by the Hainan provincial government’s demand that foreign fishing vessels must get its permission to fish in the waters of the South China Sea, which it claims are part of China. China’s ramping up of the Daioyu/Senkaku islets issue and declaration of a huge air defense zone near Japan and South Korea must be seen as part of a broader nationalist policy and increased focus on military preparedness under President Xi Jinping. (For sure, Japan’s Premier Shinzo Abe hasn’t made things easier with his provocative visit to the Yasakuni shrine, but the threat to regional peace now goes far beyond China-Japan issues.)
Does America Have Any Naval Strategists Anymore? The Diplomat 12th Jan 2014
Mahan, we hardly knew ye. Does America still have any maritime strategists? Not so according to former U.S. State Department official and International Assessment and Strategy Center analyst John Tkacik. Washington Free Beacon reporter Bill Gertz contacted Tkacik to comment on China’s new restrictions on foreign fishing in much of the South China Sea. What he says is largely exceptional, but Gertz closes by tossing out a morsel of red meat. “As China’s navy grows stronger — and the U.S. Navy shrinks — Washington’s options will run out in a few years,” notes Tkacik. “I don’t know that anyone in Washington, either at State or the Pentagon, is thinking this challenge out beyond a year,” he added. “It is America’s misfortune that it no longer has any real maritime strategists.” Zounds!! Chances are this was an off-the-cuff remark that Gertz reproduced to boost web traffic. It happens. Still, it is a serious charge, with a big enough truth quotient to justify parsing it in some detail. In one sense doing so is a trivial task. Tkacik makes a categorical statement, that this fine republic of ours is home to zero real maritime strategists. To rebut such a stark claim, all you have to so is produce one contrary example. I’d like to think I look at a real maritime strategist in the mirror each morning. (Otherwise, why confront this face made for radio??) Or, my department houses around forty strategists, some of a nautical bent. Outside Newport, there’s Paul Kennedy down at Yale, Bernard Cole at the National War College, Admiral Mike McDevitt at the Center for Naval Analyses, or Bryan McGrath and Seth Cropsey over at the Hudson Institute. Harumph.
China asserts control over vast sea area, angering neighbors, U.S. LA Times 10th Jan 2014
Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines and the United States have criticized China for imposing new access rules for the vast South China Sea, saying Beijing's demand that foreign vessels get approval to enter the disputed maritime area is provocative and potentially destabilizing. But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying retorted Friday that the rules that went into effect at the start of the year are simply "technical revisions" of existing laws governing the resource-rich waters off China's Hainan province. She said foreign governments' complaints that Beijing is courting trouble spring from "ulterior motives." The latest maritime dispute among the neighbors with overlapping claims to islands and resources in the busy East Asian waterways has ratcheted up tensions in the region, coming less than two months after China proclaimed an Air Defense Identification Zone over disputed islands in the East China Sea. Under the ADIZ, foreign aircraft flying through the zone are required to file flight plans with Beijing, although the United States, Japan and South Korea have flown military aircraft through the region without getting China's permission.
Watch the Rise of Asia's National Security Council's Financial Times 9th Jan 2014
High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://blogs.ft.com/the-a-list/2014/01/09/watch-the-rise-of-asias-nation... China and Japan have little in common these days. But in one area the two countries appear to be proceeding along similar lines: both Beijing and Tokyo are working to establish newly institutionalised National Security Councils to co-ordinate their foreign policy and national security. Why? Japan’s decision to establish a clearly defined and legislatively supported National Security Council has been long in coming. There had been several attempts in the past to establish such an entity, but this effort has more heft and strategic design than any previous push. In China the recently concluded third plenum of the Chinese Communist party also outlined a prospective National Security Council-like entity at the centre of the Standing Committee to help facilitate the work of the Leading Groups and augment the daily responsibilities of the foreign and defence ministries. Chinese diplomats explain that the normal practices of Standing Committee meetings are overwhelmed with backed up decision-making, and there is a profound need for greater co-ordination at the centre, including to provide guidance on urgent and rapidly developing situations such as maritime disputes.
The Battle Over the Littoral Combat Ship Heats Up The Diplomat 20th Jan 2014
Whoa. The Naval Diplomat attempts to go on travel, and gets whiplash from the maritime news cycle. Attempted travel? You know the routine. Nighttime flight, broken airplane, every 15 minutes a sorrowful agent comes on the speaker to announce departure is 15 minutes off. Etc. Eventually I clambered into the Diplomatmobile, fired up the rocket assist, and hurtled back down I-95 to my undersea lair somewhere on Narragansett Bay. Fuggedaboutit. So I was offline for a few hours Wednesday and missed out on big yet seemingly contradictory news from the Littoral Combat Ship world. The first LCS-related story came out of the Surface Navy Association National Symposium in Crystal City, Virginia, just outside Washington. The great and powerful from the U.S. Navy surface-warfare community assemble periodically to deliberate about weighty matters facing the service. LCS is one such matter. The proceedings were upbeat by most accounts. Reporter Sandra Irwin assures us, for instance, that “After years of battling naysayers, Navy leaders are confident that the much-maligned Littoral Combat Ship has left its troubles behind. They insist the ship is no longer an experiment and will become a linchpin of the Navy’s Pacific pivot,” Irwin goes on to catalog statements from senior leaders to the effect that the LCS has proved itself — silencing its detractors. Take that!!!
Understanding Security Competition in Asia The Diplomat 24th Jan 2014
Growing geopolitical tensions in East Asia, particularly between China and Japan, have increased concern that the world may be on the verge of a new crisis that could quickly and inadvertently spiral out of control. At the very least, the world looks set for a prolonged period of peacetime security competition between major powers for the first time since the Cold War. The main driver of this security competition is China’s innovative strategy to revise the regional order in Asia. As a senior Chinese diplomat put it to me, while the United States is rebalancing to Asia, China “is trying to rebalance the status quo.” Beijing is avoiding outright aggression but is digging deep into the coercive diplomatic tools available to it to get its way. China’s seizing of the Scarborough Shoal and its declaration of an Air Defense Identification Zone in the East China Sea are two of the most prominent (and in China’s view successful) examples. If this trend continues, Japan, the United States and others will have to step up their balancing efforts and regional security competition will intensify.
Singapore
US-Singapore partnership dialogue officials hold meeting in S'pore CNA 27th Jan 2014
The US-Singapore Strategic Partnership Dialogue held its second meeting in Singapore on Monday. The co-chairs -- Singapore's Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Mr Chee Wee Kiong, and US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Mr Daniel Russel -- reviewed the many initiatives undertaken and sought new areas of cooperation in bilateral, regional and global matters of joint interest. They also reviewed bilateral areas of engagement including economic, trade and defence, as well as the US-Singapore Third Country Training Programme. They also discussed new areas of cooperation under the training programme, such as energy, climate change and sustainable development. The co-chairs discussed recent developments in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and regional institutions such as ASEAN, East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and APEC, and how to use these institutions to address shared challenges confronting the region, including water management and the environment. They affirmed the importance of regional peace and stability, maritime and aviation security, freedom and safety of navigation and overflight, as well as unimpeded, lawful commerce. They emphasised the importance for countries in the region to resolve their disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and urged all parties to exercise self-restraint during the conduct of activities.
Airbus prepares to put A350 XWB model centre stage at Singapore Airshow Bristol Post 27th Jan 2014
Plus size models don’t tend to be centre stage but Airbus is making much of its latest extra wide number. The planemaker is showing off its newest model - the A350 XWB (extra wide body) – at the Singapore Airshow next month. The plane, for which wings are designed at Filton where the firm employs 4,000 people, is making its first full display at an international air show. The flight test aircraft participating in Singapore will be MSN 003, which will be on static display on February 11 and 12 and will also take part in the flying display on both days. Read more: http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Airbus-prepares-A350-XWB-model-centre-stage...
Singapore Selects Airbus A330 MRTT Defense Studies 26th Jan 2014
Concordant government and industry sources, Singapore has signed in 2013 a contract for the purchase of six A330 MRTT tanker. The device supplied by Airbus Defence & Space, was preferred by the island state to its American and Israeli competitors. If confirmed, this good news will mark another commercial success for the European aircraft-refueling already delivered four countries. Asked Airbus Defence & Space did not wish to comment on the information. Singapore had expressed several years there is a need to replace its four KC-135R Stratotanker current. Facing the MRTT, the Israeli IAI proposed including its Boeing 767 MMTT (Multi Mission Tanker Transport) solution which was notably used by Brazil against the A330 MRTT because of its lower price. American side, the offer was originally on the KC-135R "renovated", although it is possible that Boeing has also highlighted its new KC-46A, with deliveries to the U.S. Air Force should not begin before 2017.
U.S. firms eye $2.43 billion Singapore F-16 order Chicago Tribune 23rd Jan 2014
The U.S. Defense Department has notified Congress that it had approved the sale to Singapore of upgrades for 60 F-16 fighter jets, setting off a potential competition for an order valued at $2.43 billion. The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, or DSCA, said Singapore had requested an upgrade of 60 aging F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp to improve their reliability and effectiveness in combat. U.S. lawmakers generally have 30 days to block a sale, although such action is rare. Lockheed, which built the original F-16s, and BAE Systems Plc , a key supplier and subcontractor, are increasingly focused on capturing upgrade orders given reductions in U.S. and European military spending. In its notification to Congress, DSCA did not name a prime contractor for the Singapore F-16 upgrades. Officials at the agency had no immediate comment on whether there would be an open competition or a sole source award.
Commander of the US Pacific Fleet Calls on Minister for Defence MINDEF 21st Jan 2014
The Commander of the United States Pacific Fleet (US PACFLT), Admiral (ADM) Harry Harris, called on Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Ministry of Defence this morning. ADM Harris, who is in Singapore on an introductory visit from 20 to 22 January 2014, had earlier called on Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Ng Chee Peng after inspecting a Guard of Honour. As part of his visit, ADM Harris will also visit the Changi Command and Control Centre at Changi Naval Base later today. ADM Harris' visit underscores the excellent and long-standing defence relationship between Singapore and the United States, and between both navies. The Republic of Singapore Navy and the US PACFLT interact regularly through a wide range of activities, including visits, bilateral and multilateral exercises, and professional exchanges. These interactions have enhanced the professionalism and interoperability of the two navies, and bolstered mutual understanding and friendship between their personnel.
Defence and healthcare spending not mutually exclusive: Ng Eng Hen CNA 18th Jan 2014
Singapore's spending on defence and health care are not mutually exclusive -- this was a point made by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen at a monthly forum at the National University of Singapore on Friday. Dr Ng was responding to a question on whether the proportion of the national defence budget to that of health is "misaligned", and how the government should justify its defence spending. The government set aside about S$12 billion on national defence last year, in comparison to about S$6 billion spent on healthcare in 2013. Speaking to some 300 staff, students and NUS alumni at the monthly U@live forum, Dr Ng said that the priority is to have an economy that produces enough wealth to satisfy not only defence and health needs, but also those of education, and to strengthen social safety nets.
Thailand
Thailand to Launch Lead-In Fighter Programme After New Government Forms Defense Studies 23rd Jan 2014
The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) expects to launch a USD400 million programme to acquire lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT) aircraft following the formation of a new Thai government, RTAF spokesman Group Captain Prapas Sonjaidee told IHS Jane's on 22 January 2014. The aircraft acquired through the LIFT programme will replace a handful of ageing Northrop F-5 trainers in service with the RTAF and eventually its fleet of Aero L-39 Albatros trainer/light attack aircraft procured in the early 1990s. The procurement programme has become pressing since the RTAF started operating a fleet of 12 JAS 39 Gripen fighters, which were delivered from 2011-2013.
Army sounds alert over city weapons stockpiles Bangkok Post 21st Jan 2014
The army did not identify any specific groups involved in stocking up arms or their targets. “All ill-intentioned group is mobilizing weapons and bombs to stir up violence and attack its rivals,” army spokesman Winthai Suwaree said yesterday, without giving any details. It is believed powerful weapons are being smuggled with the intention of doing harm amid Bangkok’s volatile political situation, he said. The warning has raised further concerns over the political conflict, which is turning increasingly violent. The People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) was targeted on Friday and Sunday with two grenade attacks.
Army-police rift widens The Nation 21st Jan 2014
RiftS between the police and the military appeared to be widening yesterday, as the Army commander in chief asked the national police chief to speed up investigation into recent attacks and a senior naval commander threatened to sue the police over allegations that a naval officer was behind the Sunday grenade attack. Police also failed in their earlier push for an emergency decree to be issued to deal with the growing protest movement, with military commanders saying they saw no need for the decree. Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, meanwhile, said yesterday that her government was considering whether to impose the decree, while caretaker Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchai-kul, who is in charge of the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO), said the law would be invoked if violence continued. Army commander in chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha, however, said yesterday that he had telephoned national police chief Pol General Adul Sangsingkaew and asked him to ensure that the "society gets clear facts" about the incidents. He has also said the assailants must face legal action and punishment.
Vietnam
Lessons from the Battle of the Paracel Islands The Diplomat 23rd Jan 2014
On January 16, 1974, the Republic of Vietnam Navy (RVN) discovered the presence of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the Crescent Group in the western Paracel Islands, which was held by South Vietnam. This was an unexpected development, because notwithstanding the reduced U.S. military assistance to Saigon after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973, and subsequent reduction of South Vietnamese garrisons on the islands, the Chinese had not taken unilateral actions to subvert the status quo – by which the Amphitrite Group in the eastern Paracels and the Crescent Group were respectively under Chinese and South Vietnamese control. Over the next two days, the opposing naval forces jostled with one another in close-proximity maneuvers off the islands, before a firefight erupted as the South Vietnamese troops attempted to recapture Duncan Island. The skirmish subsequently escalated with overwhelming Chinese reinforcements deployed to the clash zone, including close air support staged from nearby Hainan Island and missile-armed Hainan-class patrol vessels. Shorn of American naval support, given that the U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet was then scaling down its presence in the South China Sea following the peace accords of 1973, the RVN was utterly defeated. Beijing swiftly exploited the naval victory with an amphibious landing in force to complete its control of all the Paracel Islands.
HQ-185 Da Nang Submarine will be Launched in 28/3 Defense Studies 22nd Jan 2014
636.1 Kilo submarine of the Vietnamese Navy HQ-185 Da Nang will be launched at Verfi Admiralty Shipyards on 3/28 coming, Interfax-AVN news agency quoted sources Information in Russian shipbuilding industry said. The source also revealed that, Kilo submarines HQ-183 Ho Chi Minh was taken to a dedicated jetty in Kaliningrad on Tuesday 1/18, where it will be put on a barge prepared to carry out the implementation of Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay. According to sources, the work ahead will be a period of 6 weeks to submarines. Ho Chi Minh City completed the voyage from Kaliningrad on the mother ship to Cam Ranh military port. The time for half expected to dock early May 3/2014. Join submarine escort Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam this time 17 support staff, technical Verfi Admiralty Shipyards and transport units. The source told Interfax, in 2014, the third Kilo-184 HQ Hai Phong will also be handed over to the Vietnam Navy. Meanwhile, plans to launch, and launch the handover of the Kilo fourth, fifth and sixth in a series of six submarines for Vietnam will still maintain the specified schedule.
Missile Defense Strategy of Vietnam Covers Spratly Islands Defense Studies 22nd Jan 2014
With a range of over 400 km, covering the whole of the Spratly Islands Vietnam, combined REDUT-M missile defense strategy archipelago Vietnam. Orders alarm rang ... In less than 5 minutes, the vehicle missile launchers rumbled out into combat positions. Missile launch tubes longer than 10m rapid rise into the air direction. Officers shoot driver in the lead car quickly deploy equipment directive nosing search target, the crew informed of rang loudly determine coordinates, the target location is key enemy ships are currently marine area infringe on the sovereignty of Vietnam. Startup fuel hissed sharply blown rock grouting rear platform, P-35 missile is ready to receive commands ... " Zoom ".
Self-Propelled Gun Made in Vietnam Defense Studies 22nd Jan 2014
Observe the image, we can see here is most likely due to self-propelled guns Vietnam to design and manufacture. Artillery was placed on a truck chassis military tires (which may be the Zil car or Kamaz, Ural). Guns used 105mm caliber, high possibility that M101 105mm guns produced by the U.S., which seized our troops after 1975. Also, the Soviet artillery is most size-152mm 122-130. Size 105mm M101 howitzer designed by American producers from the 2nd World War, weighs 2.26 tons, 5.94 m long, equipped with 105mm barrel size for a range of 11.2 km. Fireworks can shoot shooting modes directly or indirectly, high accuracy, suitable for supporting infantry.
Vietnam's 'cyber troops' take fight to US, France AP 20th Jan 2014
Working on her blog in California one day, Vietnamese democracy activist Ngoc Thu sensed something was wrong. It took a moment for a keystroke to register. Cut-and-paste wasn't working. She had "a feeling that somebody was there" inside her computer. Her hunch turned out to be right. A few days later, her personal emails and photos were displayed on the blog, along with defamatory messages. She couldn't delete them; she was blocked out of her own site for several days as her attackers kept posting private details. "They hurt me and my family. They humiliated us, so that we don't do the blog anymore," said Thu, who is a U.S citizen. She has resumed blogging, but now the Vietnamese government is blocking her posts. Activists and analysts strongly suspect Hanoi was involved in that attack and scores of others like it. They say a shadowy, pro-government cyber army is blocking, hacking and spying on Vietnamese activists around the world to hamper the country's pro-democracy movement.
Vietnam takes delivery of its first 'black hole' sub UPI 17th Jan 2014
Vietnam officially took delivery of the first of six "black hole" submarines amid increasing tensions over territorial disputes and fishing rights in the South China Sea. The Varshavyanka-class submarine HQ182 Hanoi, bought new from Russia, carried out its first operational tests in Vietnamese waters, Thanh Nien news agency reported. The diesel-electric vessel -- Vietnam's first submarine -- was launched by the manufacturer Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2012. It underwent sea trials before being loaded onto a Dutch cargo ship for a journey of nearly 17,000 miles to Vietnam's Cam Ranh port.
Second of Six Submarines will be Transferred in Late January Defense Studies 9th Jan 2014
Second of six diesel submarines of Project 636 type "Varshavyanka" (NATO - Kilo) will be transferred to Vietnam until the end of January, told RIA Novosti on Thursday, a source in the military-industrial complex (MIC) of Russia. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in December 2009 announced the signing of a contract for the supply of six Russian submarines of Project 636 in the amount of about $ 2 billion. Performance of all contracts to be completed by 2016. "Varshavianka" for Vietnam are based on the "Admiralty Shipyards" in St. Petersburg. Two submarines in 2012 were launched. "In January in St. Petersburg will be signed by the technical act of Handover second submarine series. Next it will be shipped on the lighter and go by sea from the Baltic to the site based in Vietnam" - a spokesman said. He recalled that in November 2013 on "Admiralty Shipyards" act was signed technical transmission of the first boat series. Late last year, she was taken to Cam Ranh (Vietnam), and in early January, has successfully made the first out of the base into the sea.
Vietnam tests 1st Russian-made submarine in Cam Ranh Thanh Nien News 9th Jan 2014
The first of six Varshavyanka-class submarines bought from Russia carried out its first operational tests in Vietnamese waters Wednesday. All of HQ182 Hanoi's engines were tested for the first time and the vessel returned to Cam Ranh military port the same day, a source said. It had been towed by two Vietnamese Navy tugboats from Dutch heavy-lift ship Rolldock Sea and into the port last Friday. It is expected to finish tests by this Friday. An official handover ceremony will be held on January 15 instead of Friday as earlier planned. The Rolldock Sea had brought it on a 27,000-km journey from St. Petersburg that took more than six and a half weeks. HQ182 Hanoi was launched in August 2012 and several trial runs were performed at sea in Russia. It is one of the six diesel-electric submarines – considered improvements over the older Kilo-class vessels – that Vietnam agreed to buy from Russia under a US$2-billion deal signed during a visit by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to that country in 2009.
Defence Ministry aims for stronger defence diplomacy Vietnam News 9th Jan 2014
Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh has requested the entire armed forces and military attaché abroad to pay attention to relations with neighbouring, ASEAN and traditional partners when carrying out their external activities in 2014. Addressing a conference in Ha Noi on January 8 to review the Defence Ministry's 2011-2013 defence-diplomatic activities and set tasks until 2015, Minister Thanh called for the close collaboration between the army's external relations units and those from the Party, State and mass organisations in undertaking defence diplomacy. Acknowledging that defence diplomacy has maintained an environment of peace, political stability, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, the minister also asked for the dissemination of knowledge involving external relations to key officers at all levels.
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