| ASEAN
Japan, Asean pledge to boost security, economic ties Straits Times 16th Dec 2013
Japan and some South-east Asian nations yesterday pledged to boost economic and security ties, a day after Tokyo and all 10 Asean countries agreed on the importance of ensuring freedom of the skies, as concerns grew over China's recent declaration of an air defence identification zone (ADIZ). Last Saturday, the second day of a three-day summit between Tokyo and Asean, Japan pledged US$20 billion (S$25 billion) in aid and loans to South- east Asia, the latest step in its bid to court global opinion as it bickers with China over islands in the East China Sea, Agence France-Presse reported. The countries also agreed on the importance of "freedom of overflight and civil aviation safety".Beijing has said all aircraft entering the zone have to submit flight plans and obey orders issued by its authorities.
Brunei
Brunei military chief makes farewell call on Singapore's defence minister Channel News Asia 30th Dec 2013
Brunei's armed forces commander Major-General Aminuddin Ihsan Abidin called on Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the defence ministry on Monday. Earlier, he called on Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant-General Ng Chee Meng and inspected a guard-of-honour. The Bruneian armed forces commander is on his farewell visit to Singapore from 29 to 31 December 2013. A ministry statement on Monday said the visit underscores the strong and long-standing bilateral defence ties between Singapore and Brunei. Under Major-General Aminuddin's leadership, interactions between the armed forces of the two countries have grown in scope, with the two sides being engaged in a wide range of activities including bilateral exercises, regular visits and professional exchanges. The interactions have enhanced the professionalism of the two armed forces, said the statement. In recognition of his significant contributions towards strengthening ties between the two armed forces, Major-General Aminuddin was conferred Singapore's highest military award, the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera), in April 2012.
Hi-tech surveillance improves aerial security measures Brunei Times 11th Dec 2013
In a bid to efficiently conduct security monitoring and maritime enforcement in Brunei waters, Brunei is among the countries in the region looking for an upgrade in their surveillance systems and operations. BRIDEX 2013 saw significant increase in trade deals for maritime surveillance, training simulator solutions and combat tactical training solutions. And exhibitors from participating countries were on cue with their projections of Brunei’s needs in looking to the range of joint exercises and operations the country has been involved in.
Cambodia
MLRS RM-70 Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Showed "100% Accuracy" Defense Studies 6th Jan 2014
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (Royal Cambodian Armed Forces - RCAF) successfully conducted test firing of new MLRS RM-70, in the exercise were also involved new tanks BMP-1, reports cambodiadaily.com December 31, 2013. Armed forces commander Gen. Paul Sarouen (Pol Saroeun) said that newly acquired tanks and MLRS RM-70 Czech production hit targets with "100% accuracy." "Carried today firings performed in order to protect the country that is our duty. We do not attack other countries, but will not allow any country to attack us, "- said P. Sarouen. The exercise was held in Kompong Speu province. According to the general, combat exercises conducted as part of the annual celebration training of personnel. Lieutenant General Sarath Ith (Ith Sarath) reported that for 35 minutes was released a total of 145 rockets. Each PU RM-70 is equipped with 40 rockets, which it can release within 20 seconds.
Military to Test New Rocket Launchers Defense Studies 25th Dec 2013
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces troops will become familiar with a variety of new weapons during a five-day military exercise beginning on Friday. Lieutenant General Eth Sarath, RCAF’s deputy commander in charge of military training, said the exercise will focus on practising using the newly purchased multi-rocket BM-21 launcher and tanks. The exercises will employ about 20 of the BM-21s and 19 tanks. “Military exercises are like sport,” Sarath said. “We need to train and exercise monthly or yearly, particularly with new equipment.” In a statement, RCAF warned people in Phnom Srouch district, where the base is located, and nearby Borseth and Samrong Tong districts to stay clear of the exercise and to expect loud explosions.
China Pays To Play In Cambodia Strategy Page 12th Dec 2013
China recently delivered twelve Chinese made Z-9 helicopters to Cambodia. The Z-9 is a license built version of the French AS 365N Dauphin. It's a four ton chopper with a two ton payload that Cambodia will use to train helicopter pilots and handle transportation tasks best carried out by helicopters. This delivery was quite fast as it was only 11 months ago that China approved a $195 million loan for Cambodia so that the poverty stricken country could buy new military equipment. Cambodia used some of that money to order the Z-9s and China delivered in less than a year. China has built over 200 of the Z-9s and many have been armed (with twin 23mm cannon, torpedoes, anti-tank missiles, and air-to-air missiles). These are the Z-9WE which is an export version which is modified to more easily accept Western electronics and weapons. Cambodia is initially receiving the transport version of the Z-9, but this version can be armed as well. Export orders for the Z-9 have been hard to come from, which may account for the fast delivery and loans.
Indonesia
Indonesia needs Leopard tanks to secure borders: Mily commander Antara News 28th Dec 2013
A regional military commander has called for deploying Leopard battle tanks to protect Indonesias borders in Kalimantan. Major General Dicky Wainal Usman, the commander of the 6th Mulawarman Military Command, said here on Saturday that Kalimantans security was vulnerable because it borders Malaysian and Singapore. "Illegal logging, illegal mining and poaching of fish still happens in the border areas. People from outside seem to want to swallow the areas around our borders. With the presence of the Leopards, it is hoped enemies would be discouraged," he said, while meeting with journalists from Jakarta at the Infantry 623 Battalion Command headquarters in Sungai Ulin, Banjarbaru city.
SBY Orders Police to Guard Christmas Celebrations from Terrorist Threat The Jakarta Globe 13th Dec 2013
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has warned of the possibility of terrorist attacks during the Christmas season that could be compounded by political tensions ahead of next year’s elections, saying he has ordered security forces to be on high alert in the coming weeks. The president said at a conference in Jakarta on Thursday that he had received a report from Gen. Sutarman, the National Police chief, of “entities who have designed plans to disrupt security and order in certain places.”
Japan, China Ties ‘Critical’ for Asia: Indonesia The Jakarta Globe 13th Dec 2013
A working relationship between Tokyo and Beijing, embroiled in a bitter territorial row, is “critical” for the region, the president of Southeast Asia’s largest economy said Friday. Indonesia’s Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said China needed “an open line of communication to avoid miscalculation” in its various sovereignty disputes, including that with Japan over a chain of islands in the East China Sea. Speaking in Tokyo, where he is due to attend a special summit hosted by Japan, Yudhoyono said disagreements in Northeast Asia are “pertinent” for the rest of the continent. “In particular, it must be said that good relations between China and Japan are critical to the future of our region,” he said.
Malaysia
US official in Malaysia for political-military consultations New Straits Times 12th Dec 2013
United States (US) Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, Tom Kelly is currently in Malaysia for consultations with senior officials on a wide range of political-military issues, including peacekeeping, security cooperation and defence trade. A statement issued by the US embassy here said during the Dec 10-14 trip, Kelly would meet with senior policymakers and defence officials to discuss regional defence and security cooperation issues. On Dec 13, he is scheduled to attend a ceremony at the Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre to mark its successful achievement of full training capability. It constitutes self-sufficiency to provide advanced specialised training for military and civilian personnel from across Southeast Asia to serve in international peacekeeping missions.
Myanmar
British training for Burma army to begin after okay from Suu Kyi Kachin News 26th Dec 2013
In early January a delegation from the British military will travel to Burma to begin training their counterparts from the Burma army known in Burmese as the Tatmadaw. The delegation from the British Defence Academy will instruct a combined group of 30 individuals from the Tatmadaw and the Burmese civilian government for a two week course, the London based Daily Telegraph reported. The course entitled “Managing Defence in a Wider Security Context" is being conducted in partnership with Cranfield University which has a long-standing relationship with the Defence Academy. The Telegraph's defence correspondent Ben Farmer citing unnamed government sources reported that the training course will not include battlefield military training but instead cover “college type education including teaching in human rights, humanitarian law and accountability”.
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.
Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement to be Signed says Thein Sein Eleven Myanmar 7th Jan 2014
President Thein Sein said in his Independence Day message that the government is planning to hold a nationwide ceasefire agreement ceremony in the near future.He made the remark on the occasion marking the 66th anniversary of the country's Independence Day, which fell on January 4. "It is high time all national peoples seek every possible ways to reach genuine and eternal peace after ending the decade-long internal conflicts. Coordination is being made for signing a nation-wide ceasefire agreement," Thein Sein was quoted as saying in the New Light of Myanmar yesterday.
KNU Air Grievances to Thein Sein Ahead of Ceasefire The Irrawaddy 6th Jan 2014
Leaders of the KNU, which signed a ceasefire with the government in 2012, said Thein Sein assured them that he was committed to convening a political dialogue with Burma’s ethnic armed groups as the only means of achieving a permanent peace. That dialogue would be inclusive and based on equal rights for all, the president said, according to KNU leaders who attended the meeting. The KNU responded with suggestions on how to reinforce the durability of current ceasefire arrangements and the ethnic Karen leaders even requested that Thein Sein allow the military to participate in the peace process, which they said was important given the outsized role the institution has played in decades of conflict.
Asia Metal rejects US accusations of N Korean arms dealing DVB 20th Dec 2013
Asia Metal Co Ltd has rejected accusations by the US government that it has been involved in arms deals with North Korea. The US Treasury Department earlier this week added three Burmese firms – Asia Metal Co Ltd, Soe Min Htike Co Ltd and Excellence Mineral Manufacturing Co Ltd – and a military official, Lt-Col Kyaw Nyunt Oo, to its sanctions list, saying that those in question had assisted the Burmese government in importing materials from North Korea for weapons manufacturing. The US accuses Asia Metal of constructing buildings and supplying construction materials at a Directorate of Defence Industries (DDI) compound where approximately 30 North Koreans were working. The DDI is alleged to have purchased military equipment and materials from North Korea.
U.S. blacklists Myanmar entities for ties with N. Korea Yonhap News 17th Dec 2013
In a new measure aimed at blocking illicit arms trade between North Korea and Myanmar, the Obama administration imposed sanctions Tuesday on a Myanmar military official and three Myanmar firms. The Treasury said its action does not "generally target" the Myanmar government as it targets those linked to the Southeast Asian nation's Directorate of Defense Industries (DDI), "which has been involved in purchasing military equipment and related material from North Korea." “The revenues from these continuing military sales directly support North Korea's illicit activities,” Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen said in a statement.“We will continue to target this activity in Burma, and the region, as we work with our international partners to shut down North Korea's dangerous and destabilizing weapons proliferation.” Lt. Col. Kyaw Nyunt Oo and Myanmar firms Asia Metal Co., Soe Min Htike Co., and Excellence Mineral Manufacturing Co. had been involved in buying arms from North Korea despite strict international sanctions on the Pyongyang regime over its nuclear program, according to the Treasury.
US blacklists Myanmar firms for NKorea arms trade Post Bulletin 17th Dec 2013
The United States imposed sanctions Tuesday on a Myanmar military officer and three companies it accuses of involvement in the continuing, illicit arms trade with North Korea. The designations do not directly target Myanmar's government but will deepen doubts over the nation's compliance with U.N. Security Council resolutions. Cutting Myanmar's military ties with North Korea has been a key goal of the U.S. policy to end Myanmar's long international isolation after its democratic reforms. In response to the reforms in the country also known as Burma, Washington has eased its longstanding restrictions on trade and investment, although not on export of arms. In a sign of enduring U.S. concerns, Treasury has periodically expanded the blacklist of individuals and companies it considers to be bad actors.
Armed forces chief defends military’s role in politics Mizzima 17th Dec 2013
The Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has defended the military’s role in politics and demanded that armed ethnic groups lay down their arms before negotiating a nation wide ceasefire. “The military’s role in Myanmar politics is to guard and protect democratic practices in compliance with the constitution,” was quoted as saying in a speech at Kya-in-seikkyi, Kayin State, on December 15 by Myawaddy Daily, an army-run newspaper. “The military becomes involved in national politics so that people will abide by the law in harmony with democratic practices,” he said. The commander-in-chief was on a goodwill visit to military personnel and their families. The previous day, National League for Democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi suggested that the military should play no role in Myanmar’s emerging democracy, and criticized the 2008 Constitution, which guarantees the military 25 per cent of the seats in parliament.
Nuclear inspectors, welcome to the jungle? New Mandala 16th Dec 2013
Since Myanmar’s 2010 general election, the Thein Sein government has been preoccupied with significant economic and political reforms. Its policies can be considered as part of an overarching strategy for stability, unity and peaceful development. Naypyidaw’s international relations agenda has been influenced by years of sanctions from the West. Myanmar’s policies are now part of a complex web of maneuvers to consolidate regime and state security through close economic and political relationships, especially within Southeast Asia. Rightly or wrongly, the international community tends to be much more concerned about weapons of mass destruction (WMD) issues than other humanitarian and internal human rights issues. North Korea and, more recently, Syria provide excellent examples of this phenomenon. Compared with Myanmar’s ongoing ethnic conflicts and corruption, progress on the nuclear issue is relatively achievable and it could be a good starting point for improving diplomatic relations with the rest of the world.
Myanmar deploys warships for SEA Games security Eleven Myanmar 13th Dec 2013
Myanmar has deployed five warships and fighter planes for the security of the 27th SEA Games, said an official from the security subcommittee on Thursday. Besides the deployment of those warships and fighters for the security of Myanmar's water routes and airspace, the Navy Police Force also has four ships on constant patrol. "To ensure security from the beginning to the end of the SEA Games, one warship is patrolling at the mouth of the sea while four others are being deployed near Ngwe Hsaung Beach. We are also using fighter planes for our airspace security," said Police Colonel Aung Myat Moe, the head of the office of the subcommittee. He also urged the public to cooperate with authorities and to inform about any suspicious behaviour. According to police sources, Myanmar has bought sophisticated security equipment worth over Ks 3 billion from China, Singapore, Japan and some other countries.
Myanmar Army Chief calls on President Mukherjee Business Standard 12th Dec 2013
Myanmar's Vice Senior General Soe Win, who is his country's army chief and deputy commander-in-chief of defence services met President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday. Welcoming General Win, Mukherjee said: "India-Myanmar bilateral relations have seen accelerated growth and expansion over the last two years. India stands ready to build on this, particularly at a time when Myanmar is engaged in far-reaching political and economic reforms. India has in the last two years sought to extend and broaden defence cooperation with Myanmar." The President recalled that during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Myanmar in May 2012, both countries had emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation between security forces and border guarding agencies for securing peace, security and stability in the border areas, which is was crucial for overall development. He expressed appreciation for the fact that in 2012, Myanmar had received all three service chiefs of India.
ICRC to carry out police training in Rakhine State Eleven Myanmar 11th Dec 2013
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced today that it had launched a four-day seminar in Sittwe, Rakhine State, on international policing standards and the exercise of police powers. It is the ICRC’s first seminar for police officers in Rakhine State. Running from December 10 to 13, the seminar will bring together 35 senior police officers from the rank of captain to lieutenant colonel. John-Erik Jensen, the ICRC's regional police expert with more than 30 years of policing experience, is running the seminar. "We are delighted to continue expanding our dialogue with the Myanmar Police Force," said Jürg Montani, the ICRC's head of delegation in Myanmar. "Through its work with police forces around the world, the ICRC has gained expertise in addressing the challenges that face law-enforcement officers in various situations. We look forward to fruitful exchanges of experience this week and in the future." The seminar in Sittwe follows a similar event held in Nay Pyi Taw in September, the first seminar for police commanders ever held by the ICRC in the country.
Myanmar Prepares to Ratify Chemical, Biological Weapons Treaties Radio Free Asia 11th Dec 2013
Myanmar is making preparations to ratify the international treaties banning the use, production, and stockpiling of chemical and biological weapons, a spokesman for President Thein Sein said Wednesday. The spokesman, deputy information minister Ye Htut, told RFA's Myanmar Service that ratification documents were being prepared for parliament's approval. Myanmar signed the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in 1993 and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in 1972 but is among a few signatory countries which have not ratified the key treaties. The head of the world's chemical watchdog said Wednesday that Myanmar was among three of six countries not covered by the CWC which are close to joining the agreement. Speaking in Oslo the day after the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) formally received the Nobel Peace Prize, director general Ahmet Uzumcu said Myanmar together with Angola and South Sudan "are very close" to joining the pact, Agence France-Presse reported. The Chemical Weapons Convention—which outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons —entered into force in 1997 and has 190 member countries including Syria, the latest nation to join in October this year. Ye Htut said the Myanmar government was also holding discussions with the OPCW on measures it should take after the ratification process, including staff training prospects. Myanmar has come under pressure to ratify the international treaties to underline its seriousness about reforms.
Philippines
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.
Philippines military to expand counter-terrorism unit Channel NewsAsia 7th Jan 2014
The Philippine government is to triple the size of a special forces military unit that operates against Islamist militants responsible for deadly bombings and kidnappings of Westerners, officials said on Tuesday. The Light Reaction Battalion is to be built up to regiment size, Philippine Army chief Lieutenant-General Noel Coballes said, an increase from about 500 soldiers to as many as 1,500. "We have seen how effective they are, so we are strengthening the unit in terms of anti-terrorism. From a battalion we'll increase it to a regiment," he said. The unit is fighting the Abu Sayyaf, a group of several hundred Islamist militants who are behind the country's deadliest attacks as well as kidnappings of Western targets. Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the battalion had taken substantial casualties during a three-week battle against gunmen in the southern port of Zamboanga in September last year.
Philippine Army Displays Drones to Public Defense Studies 4th Jan 2014
The Philippine Army showcased to the public its drones at a static display at Camp Aguinaldo as part of the anniversary of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Thursday. This finally confirmed reports that the military used unmanned aerial systems (UAS) during the Zamboanga crisis last September. The UAS provides real time imagery intelligence and video feed from a particular area with a range of three to seven kilometers and can extend up to 50 kilometers, Army spokesman Captain Anthony Bacus said. “It complements the existing Human Intelligence/ Signals Intelligence capability of the Army which is used in surveillance operations and also in humanitarian assistance and disaster response,” he added.
Navy Pilots Trained for ‘Power’ Choppers Defense Studies 30th Dec 2013
A military spokesman on Saturday disclosed that the Philippine Navy (PN) has a sufficient number of pilots and flight crew to man its three newly-acquired AW-109 “Power” helicopters, and two more that are due to arrive in 2014. PN spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic said that at the moment, there are seven pilots assigned per helicopter. He added that an equivalent number of AW-109 trained co-pilots and crewmen are also available. “More (pilots and crewmen) are now undergoing training to ensure that the aircraft can be manned at all times,” said Fabic. The Naval Air Group (NAG), the unit tasked to operate and maintain the Navy’s aerial assets, currently has more than 50 pilots on its roster, according to the Navy spokesman. Prior the arrival of the AW-109s last December 8, the inventory of the NAG consists of one Robinson R-22 helicopter, Blohm B0-105 helicopter, two Islander aircraft, and four Cessna light utility planes. The firm’s representatives added that the AW-109 is very maneuverable, and very ideal for shipboard deployment.
US, Canada Firms Bag PAF Huey Deal http://defense-studies.blogspot.com/2013/12/us-canada-firms-bag-paf-huey... 29th Dec 2013
A joint venture of two companies based in North America has bagged the deal to supply 21 UH-1 combat utility helicopters to the Philippine Air Force. The joint venture of American firm Rice Aircraft Services Inc. and Canadian company Eagle Copters Ltd. won the contract for the supply and delivery of Huey helicopters, the workhorse of the military’s operations. The STAR learned that the notice of award was issued to the joint venture last week. Defense Assistant Secretary Patrick Velez said in an interview the Huey helicopters can be used for rescue and internal security operations. “The helicopters will be used to meet immediate requirements. They will be used to address the dwindling capability of the Air Force,” Velez said.
DND Seeks Release of Funds to Buy Korean Fighter Jets Defense Studies 27th Dec 2013
The Defense department has asked Malacañang to allow the release of a 52-percent down payment to the South Korean firm that offered to supply 12 fighter jets to the military. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said they have submitted their recommendation to the Office of the President, which will have the final say on the matter. “We recommended approval of the DP (down payment) and progress billing,” Gazmin said in a text message Thursday. The law permits state agencies to pay a 15-percent down payment to suppliers while the rest of the amount would be paid upon the delivery of goods. South Korean firm Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) wants the Philippines to pay 52 percent down payment to cover its manufacturing costs. Such payment scheme would require the approval of President Aquino.
DND Eyes 4 Projects to Upgrade Military Bases Defense Studies 26th Dec 2013
The Department of National Defense (DND) is set to implement at least four projects aimed at upgrading military bases under the new Armed Forces Modernization Law. The projects, amounting to over P2 billion, seek to support new military assets to be acquired by the government. The four base-related projects are the Air Force basing support systems for long-range patrol aircraft (P187 million), lead-in fighter trainer jets (P135.99 million), Air Force radar system (P825.52 million) and Navy basing support system (P1 billion). The base support project for the long-range patrol aircraft will be implemented in Lipa, Palawan and Zamboanga. The DND also bared plans to acquire two units of long-range patrol aircraft worth P5.98 billion and 12 lead in-fighter trainer jets worth P18.9 billion to boost its territorial defense capabilities and security operations. The Air Force plans to buy three air surveillance radars worth P2.68 billion to improve its monitoring capabilities.
PA Boosts Firepower with New 81-mm Serbian-Made Mortar Defense Studies 23rd Dec 2013
The Philippine Army (PA) fire support capability has gotten a significant boost with the arrival and deployment of the new 81-mm Serbian made mortar which was put into display during the AFP's Thanksgiving Day Thursday. Capt. Anthony Bacus, Army spokesperson, said their newest mortar has a bore length of 1455 mm and weighs 47.1 kilograms. When fitted with its beechring, the weapon has a weight of 16.6 kilograms. It also has a bipod weight of 13.5 kilograms. Around 100 units are now in service with various PA units.
Talks for Possible Acquisition of 3rd Hamilton-Class Cutter Still Ongoing, Says PN The Diplomat 21st Dec 2013
Philippine Navy flag officer-in-charge Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano has said that talks and discussions for the possible acquisition of a third Hamilton-class cutter is still ongoing. "This is still in the process of contention; we are still determining the operational requirements that are seen and at the same time also determining what are the necessary resources that are available to fund this requirement," he added. The PN has acquired two Hamilton-class cutters and is using these vessels to patrol and guard the country's vast maritime territories. The latest acquisition, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16), was commissioned last Friday.
Firm Wants Plane Bidding Reviewed Defense Studies 19th Dec 2013
A bidder is asking the Department of National Defense and the Government Procurement Policy Board to look into the failed bidding of November 11, 2013 and re-bidding of the P5.3 billion contract to buy new aircraft for the Philippine Air Force. In a complaint-letter, Alenia Aermachii said it was not called by the bidding and awards committee to attend the pre-bidding conference last Dec. 2. The firm said the supplemental bid dated December 6 for a December 16 bidding was not posted on the Philippine Government Procurement System nor in the official website of the DND, as required by Bidding Rules and Procedures.
In Philippines, Kerry Hopes for Progress on Troop Deal Voice of America 18th Dec 2013
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry travels on Tuesday to the Philippines, where Washington is negotiating a deal to expand its military presence. The trip follows a stop in Vietnam, where Kerry pledged over $32 million to help Southeast Asian countries protect their territorial waters amid tensions with China. Kerry denied the new assistance is in response to aggressive Chinese maritime behavior, adding that the U.S. supports diplomacy, not unilateral actions, in resolving the disputes. "Peace and stability in the South China Sea is a top priority for us and for countries in the region. We are very concerned by and strongly opposed to coercive and aggressive tactics to advance territorial claims," said Kerry.
US boosts support for Philippines security forces AP 17th Dec 2013
The United States will provide the Philippines' security forces with $40 million in new assistance in part to help the country protect its territorial waters amid rising tensions with China over disputes in the South China Sea, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday while urging all the nations involved to "lower the intensity."
Philippines narrows down frigate bidders to four UPI 13th Dec 2013
The Philippine government has chosen four foreign shipyards to proceed to the second stage of bidding to construct two frigates for the navy. Navantia Sepi - RTR Ventures of Spain is vying for the contract along with Korean shipbuilders Hyundai Heavy Industries, STX Offshore & Shipbuilding and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. The Philippine Star newspaper reported that 14 shipbuilders had bought bid documents, but only seven companies submitted bids for the project that could be worth about $408 million. The ships will boost the Philippines' security in the West Philippine Sea and also will conduct humanitarian missions, the Star report said.
US-Philippines Struggle to Reach Troop Basing Deal The Diplomat 11th Dec 2013
On November 8 Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) struck the central Philippines with devastating effect. The U.S. offered immediate assistance in disaster relief and the next day U.S. Marines began deploying to the Philippines. At a press conference on November 25, Philippines Secretary for Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario stated that the U.S. response demonstrated the need for the early conclusion of a new agreement covering the U.S. military presence in the Philippines. Rosario said, “What [we have seen] in Central Philippines as a result of this typhoon, and the assistance provided in terms of relief and rescue operation… demonstrates the need for this framework agreement that we are working out with the United States for increased rotational presence.” A week later, he reported: “We’re looking to have the remaining issues discussed. As we speak there is a fifth round that’s taking place in the United States. So we’re hopeful that there will be a final conclusion in the signing.” Currently, U.S. forces rotate through the Philippines under the terms of the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement. These include between 500 and 600 troops in the southern Philippines, and U.S. service personnel who participate in three major annual joint exercises, the Balikatan series, Cooperation Afloat and Readiness and Training (CARAT), and the Amphibious Landing Exercise (Phiblex).
DND May Spend P4.5 B for Fighter Jet Munitions Defense Studies 2nd Jan 2014
54The Department of National Defense is planning to spend about P4.5 billion to arm the 12 lead-in fighter trainer jets it is seeking to acquire from South Korea. Defense department data show that the munitions for the fighter jets are not included in the aircraft acquisition program under the revised Armed Forces modernization law. The acquisition of munitions for the fighter jets will be divided into four phases – P4.33 billion for the first two and P139 million for the other two. Details of the items to be installed in the jets were not immediately available. Previous reports, however, said the aircraft being eyed can be armed with precision guided bombs and air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles.
Recovery effort to cost P361 billion Business World 19th Dec 2013
POST-YOLANDA recovery and reconstruction efforts will cost the government P361 billion, officials yesterday said, with the entire process expected to be completed by 2017. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) yesterday unveiled the Reconstruction Assistance on Yolanda (RAY) Plan, a framework detailing the government’s recovery road map for communities devastated by the super typhoon last month. The plan was presented to the country’s development partners in a briefing at the Foreign Affairs department in Pasay. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, in a statement, said the total investment requirement would cover shelter and resettlement (P183.3 billion), public infrastructure (P28.4 billion), education and health services (P37.4 billion), agriculture (P18.7 billion), industry and services (P70.6 billion), local government (P4 billion) and social protection (P18.4 billion). These will address the estimated losses from Yolanda, pegged at an initial P571.1 billion.
US boosts support for Philippines’s security forces Business Mirror 18th Dec 2013
MANILA—The United States will provide the Philippines’s security forces with $40 million in new assistance in part to help the country protect its territorial waters amid rising tensions with China over disputes in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday. The money, from a US program known as the Global Security Contingency Fund, will be spent over three years and will be split between improving the Philippines Coast Guard’s maritime-security abilities and boosting counterterrorism capacity for the Philippine National Police in the nation’s restive southern islands, where Washington has also backed a decadelong Philippine campaign against al-Qaeda-linked local militants.
US adds $25M to typhoon aid to Philippines Philippine Star 18th Dec 2013
TACLOBAN, Philippines — The United States is providing nearly $25 million in additional humanitarian aid to help the Philippines deal with the enormous devastation and deaths wrought by Typhoon Haiyan last month, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday after touring the worst-hit region. Kerry flew to central Tacloban city, where he was overwhelmed by the vast landscape of wrecked villages that he saw. He visited a food-distribution center run by USAID and government welfare officers, talked with officials and consoled survivors. "This is a devastation unlike anything that I have ever seen at this scale," Kerry said at a temporary USAID headquarters in Tacloban. "It is really quite stunning," he said. "It looks like a war zone and to many people it is." The new food aid, shelter materials, water and other supplies he announced for typhoon-lashed families bring the total U.S. assistance package to $86 million to one of its closest Asian allies.
Regional Affairs
Blue Means Blue: China’s Naval Ambitions The Diplomat 7th Jan 2014
In a 2012 article published in The Diplomat, Andrew Erickson and Gabe Collins claim “China seeks to develop a ‘blue water’ navy in the years to come—but one that is more ‘regional’ than ‘global’ in nature,” and that China does not intend to challenge U.S. naval hegemony. However, analyzing China’s maritime identity, a concept that will be explained below, and it becomes clear that two major long-term goals of the PLAN’s blue-water modernization are to frequently deploy outside East Asia and challenge U.S. naval dominance on the high seas. Erickson and Collins cite Chinese naval technological inferiority in areas such as anti-submarine warfare and area-air defense vis-à-vis the U.S. navy as evidence that the PLAN does not intend to challenge U.S. naval hegemony, concluding that such a military imbalance would make any challenge futile. Additionally, Erickson and Collins use the small number of PLAN deployments outside of East Asia as proof that in the future Beijing does not aim to frequently outside its immediate environs. Erickson and Collins represent a popular trend within the China watcher community; many researchers rely on current PLAN armament modernization areas and recent deployment trends as a basis to predict future PLAN strategic objectives. Yet this methodology ignores the possibility that current PLAN research and development patterns may not predict future PLAN capabilities. China has bypassed generations of military technology hurdles through unorthodox means such as theft and espionage. Moreover, military capabilities are not self-deterministic. Analyzing China’s naval modernization in a purely material perspective and overly relying on current PLAN deployment trends does not provide a useful methodology for predicting future PLA
Watch the Rise of Asia's National Security Council's Financial Times 9 Jan 2014
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.
Walking the Walk on the Asia Pivot Indo-Pacific Review 7th Jan 2014
When Secretary of State John Kerry visited the Philippines and Vietnam right before Christmas, he did not arrive empty-handed. Goodies included increased U.S. funding for maritime security for both nations, as well as the Southeast Asian community as a whole. The question of who controls the seas that border Southeast Asia in the east, west to island nations like Japan, the Philippines and Australia and up along China and the Korean peninsula has become a flashpoint of both regional and global significance. According to a report by the Council on Foreign Relations, roughly $5.3 trillion (yes, trillion with a “T”) worth of traded goods pass through the South China Sea each year, a body of water that is now the subject of competing territorial claims between China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines. China, in particular, has become increasingly aggressive in asserting its claims, stirring up conflicts with nearly all of its neighbors.
China military to launch 'joint command' to reorganise forces: Report Straits Times 3rd Jan 2014
China’s armed forces plan to set up a joint operational command system to “enhance efficiency” in crisis response, state media reported on Friday. At present the People’s Liberation Army, (PLA) the world’s biggest military, which incorporates China’s navy and air force, is arranged on a geographical system with land forces at its core and dividing the country into seven regions. Now the military has “launched positive pilot programmes” for a joint operational command system and will establish the system “in due course", the state-run China Daily newspaper said, citing the defence ministry. It was not clear from the report whether the regional system would be replaced. But a more unified structure could reduce the possibility of a local commander taking unauthorised action in a crisis situation. The defence ministry said its military modernisation was not aimed at any country, the China Daily said.
Southeast Asian States Deploy Conventional Submarines The Diplomat 3rd Jan 2014
On December 31, Vietnamese media reported the delivery of the first Russian Project 636 Varshavyanka-class (enhanced Kilo) conventional submarine to Cam Ranh Bay. The sub was transported from the port of St. Petersburg on the heavy lift vessel Rolldock Sea. The submarine was accompanied by experts from Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg who will undertake final work before the formal handover ceremonies. The submarine will be named HQ 182 Hanoi. The last of the remaining five Project 636 Varshavyanka-class submarines is expected to be delivered by 2016. In late November, during the visit of Vietnam’s party Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong to India, it was announced that India would provide training for up to 500 submarines as part of its defense cooperation program with Vietnam. Training will be conducted at the Indian Navy’s modern submarine training center INS Satavahana in Visakhapatnam. The Indian Navy has operated Russian Kilo-class submarines since the mid-1980s. The arrival of HQ 182 Hanoi provides a timely reminder that regional navies are embarking on naval modernization programs that increasingly include the acquisition of conventional submarines. As long ago as 1967 Indonesia became one of the first Southeast Asian countries to acquire an undersea capability when it took delivery of a batch of Soviet Whiskey-class submarines. These were later replaced in 1978 by two West German diesel submarines.
Beijing's aircraft carrier returns from South China Sea Cambodia Herald 2nd Jan 2014
Beijing's first aircraft carrier has returned from a training mission in the South China Sea, state media said, completing a 37-day deployment carried out amid mounting regional tensions. The newly-commissioned Liaoning returned to its home port of Qingdao after carrying out a series of trials with "aircraft, naval vessels and submarines", China's official news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday. "China's first aircraft carrier successfully completed 37 days testing and training in the South China Sea," said the report, which the defence ministry posted on its website. The mission was carried out at a time of heightened tensions between China and its neighbours over territorial disputes. Beijing declared air defence rights over much of the East China Sea in November, provoking a furious international reaction. China also claims almost the whole of the South China Sea, even areas close to the coasts of other littoral states.
China’s PLA informed Japan on ADIZ in 2010: report SCMP 2nd Jan 2014
A Japanese government delegation was briefed by senior members of the Chinese military over China’s decision to establish an air defence identification zone in the East China Sea as early as in 2010, the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun reported, citing secret documents. “What shall we do about China’s and Japan’s overlapping ADIZ?” the daily quoted an unnamed general with the People’s Liberation Army’s Academy of Military Science asking his Japanese counterparts at an informal meeting. The report shows that China’s announcement of the zone, which covers the disputed Diaoyu Islands, in a statement seven weeks ago was less of a surprise than originally thought. The zone overlaps with Japan’s claimed territory and has not been recognised by Tokyo and Washington. The Mainichi Shimbun said on Thursday that it was provided with a classified transcript of the meeting at the China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies, a military think tank, in Beijing on May 14-15, 2010.
Corvettes and OPVs: Offshore Investments in South East Asia and Oceania Defense Studies 31st Dec 2013
The question can best be understood by looking at Malaysia. To meet its New Generation Patrol vessel (NGPV) requirement the Royal Malaysian Navy selected the Blohm & Voss MEKO 100 design as the ‘Kedah’ class. They seem to be OPVs at first sight for their armament consists of a 76mm (three-inch) gun and a 30mm (one inch) gun but they feature a sophisticated combat management system, an electro-optical director, a chaff launcher and are equipped to operate surface-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles and an electronic warfare suite. These are not installed but it was recently revealed that Kuala Lumpur now intends adding anti-ship missile systems to them. They are rated in the naval bible, Jane’s Fighting Ships as corvettes and will be joined by DCNS ‘Gowind’ class ships ordered last year from France’s DCNS with the first example to be delivered in 2017. The French Navy operates one as an OPV but the design can be used as a corvette and Malaysia intends operating them in this role.
Army’s ‘Pacific Pathways’ initiative sets up turf battle with Marines WP 29th Dec 2013
The Army, which fights on terra firma, does not usually land its helicopters on ships — the domain of the Navy and the Marine Corps — but these are not usual times in the U.S. military. As the Obama administration winds down the Army-centric war in Afghanistan, Pentagon leaders are seeking to place the Air Force, Navy and Marines in dominant roles to counter threats in the Asia-Pacific region, which they have deemed to be the nation’s next big national security challenge. Fearful that the new strategy will cut its share of the defense budget, the Army is launching an ambitious campaign to transform itself and assert its relevance in the Pacific. And that, in turn, is drawing the Army into a fight.
Japan and the United States Renew Commitments to Maritime Security The Diplomat 27th Dec 2013
In the second half of December, Japan and the United States separately made renewed commitments to maintaining maritime security in Southeast Asia. Prime Minister Abe hosted the ASEAN-Japan summit on December 14, and held separate summit meetings with the leaders of nine ASEAN states plus the Thai Deputy Prime Minister from December 12-15. U.S Secretary of State John Kerry visited Vietnam from December 14-16 and the Philippines from December 17-18. The year 2013 will be remembered for Prime Minister Abe’s renewal of Japan’s security ties with Southeast Asia. During the year he visited each of the ten member states comprising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. On October 9, Prime Minister Abe also attended the 16th ASEAN-Japan Summit in Brunei. Maritime security was listed at point twenty-three of the twenty-nine-point Chairman’s Statement. This stood in contrast to the Joint Statement issued after the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit held in Tokyo to mark the fortieth anniversary of Japan-ASEAN relations.
The U.S. Humanitarian Presence in Southeast Asia The Diplomat 25th Dec 2013
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry recently visited Tacloban in the Philippines to witness the recovery efforts following Typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 6,000 people and flattened an incomprehensibly large swath of land. With Operation Damayan, the U.S. military has once again demonstrated its unparalleled ability to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) missions, and its performance contrasted sharply with China’s failure to respond effectively to the devastation. Without viewing their responses simply as an HA/DR competition between the two countries, relief efforts have a very real and consequential effect beyond the importance of saving lives, and the U.S. cannot take for granted that it will maintain its current edge – and its accompanying influence – indefinitely. To increase its response time, effectiveness and influence, the United States should work with the Philippines to forward-deploy a hospital ship to the region to augment other U.S. rebalancing initiatives. Such a deployment would naturally complement efforts to establish a rotational troop presence and enhance maritime domain awareness and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. China undoubtedly fumbled its relief effort in the Philippines. By initially pledging a miniscule $100,000 in aid – raising its contribution only after being publicly lambasted – Beijing demonstrated that its ongoing maritime disputes with Manila trumped its renewed effort to improve relations with its neighbors. This did not go unnoticed in the Philippines or in the region.
Looking beyond China’s Air Defence Identification Zone and the year in Asia EAF 23rd Dec 2013
The ramifications of China’s declaration of an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea are among the more complex legacies that remain to be sorted out as 2013 rapidly draws to a close. As James Manicom points out, although the move comes at a particularly volatile period in Northeast Asia’s foreign relations because most of China’s maritime neighbours are unnerved by recent Chinese behaviour in East Asian waters, and despite the swift and firm condemnation from the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia, the Chinese declaration itself is unproblematic. It adds China to the small list of countries, including Japan and the United States — around 20 in all — that enforce ADIZs beyond their national airspace. Chinese spokespeople were quick to offer assurances that ‘normal international flights’ were not affected, despite the language in the declaration that ‘all flights must follow these rules’. It has no direct implications for territorial claims between China and its neighbours in Northeast Asia.
Resolving the phony battle of the competing ADIZs EAF 22nd Dec 2013
On 23 November, China announced the establishment of its East China Sea Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). The policy, its announcement, and the prompt and selective nature of its implementation bear many of the quintessential hallmarks of Chinese statecraft. The policy is intended to deliver a shock to the adversary — that being Japan in this case. Although Beijing avers that the ADIZ was drawn with no target country in mind, the zone only marginally overlaps with Taiwan’s and South Korea’s ADIZs (the Korean ADIZ overlap area has since been enlarged by Seoul). No Chinese military aircraft has yet flown into these overlapping zones. By contrast, Chinese surveillance aircraft have flown across the breadth and (most of the) length of the overlapping portion of Tokyo’s ADIZ. The policy is intended to be a political rejoinder (in an escalating series) to an immediate provocation — the alteration of the status quo by the Noda government’s private purchase of three Senkaku/Diaoyu islands in September 2012. The purchase was officially frowned upon by even Japan’s chief ally, the United States. That Chinese coast guard vessels have also asserted an operational presence in the Senkaku/Diaoyu territorial sea 72 times since the islands’ purchase suggests that Beijing will persist in fanning the flames of a fire that it did not light.
India's homegrown supersonic fighter jet Wall Street Journal 20th Dec 2013
India’s air force is set to receive the country’s first locally-designed and developed supersonic fighter jet, the Tejas, in a significant milestone for its aerospace industry as it tries to phase out the aging and accident-prone MiG-21 jet fleet. State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. plans initially to produce eight of the single-engine multi-role fighter jets a year from 2014, and to double production rate at a later stage after consultations with the air force and the defense ministry, R. K. Tyagi, chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics said Thursday. Conceived in 1983 as the Light Combat Aircraft program, the project to develop the Tejas was delayed for several years because of difficulties related to developing the jet from scratch, which resulted in an escalation in the cost. The aircraft has been designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency among other government agencies with Hindustan Aeronautics as the principal partner. It has a digital fly-by-wire flight control system and composites were used extensively to develop its airframe to provide strength and offer lower radar visibility.
Hopes for Indian Defense Reform Fade The Diplomat 16th Dec 2013
The rout of the ruling Congress party in four recent provincial elections, including one in the national capital of Delhi, has effectively put paid to any hopes that defense reforms will proceed any time soon in India. Even at the best of times, the government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, now in the last six months of its second term, has been reluctant to alter the country’s defense management architecture. Now, with the Congress party’s moral and political authority further weakened after the severe electoral setback, Singh and his status quoist Defense Minister AK Antony are likely to put recent recommendations by a veteran group of strategic thinkers and former government bureaucrats permanently in cold storage, despite a half-hearted attempt to kickstart the process a month ago. The Naresh Chandra Task Force on National Security, given the mission of recommending changes in national security apparatus, submitted its report in 2012. More than a year later, in October this year, the Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC), comprising India’s three service chiefs, came up with a blueprint for implementing some of the main recommendations in the Task Force report and sent it to the Prime Minister’s Office for a final decision. The expectation was that by early 2014, if not by end of this year, the prime minister would restructure India’s forces to meet the mounting challenges in India’s near abroad and extended neighborhood. The recommendations are not radical. They include appointing a four-star permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff for a fixed tenure of two years; creating three more tri-service commands: Special Operations, Cyber and Aerospace; and reverting the Andaman Nicobar Command to the Indian Navy.
Japan and national security The Economist 16th Dec 2013
The timing could hardly have been better. Japan published drafts of its first-ever national-security strategy, together with a review of its future military needs, on December 11th; the final versions are due this week. The strategy is to harden the country’s defence posture, and it comes just weeks after China declared a new air-defence zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea which covers the islands that Japan administers and calls the Senkakus (which China claims for its own and calls the Diaoyus). Japan’s government had been delighted with America’s muscular response to the Chinese ADIZ. Its ally sent two B-52 bombers to fly through the zone with no notification to China. But America did not go as far as Japanese officials would have liked, in that it stopped short of demanding the ADIZ be scrapped. That hesitation played on a long-held fear that America might not commit its military might to defending the Senkakus, even if the need should arise. Though they are but a few uninhabited specks of rock, they are covered by the Japanese-American mutual-defence treaty. Now Japan must quickly “strengthen its own capabilities and expand its own roles”, urges the draft strategy paper, even as it pursues closer military ties with America.
Singapore
US army pacific commanding general on introductory visit to S'pore Straits Times 6th Jan 2014
The Commanding General of the United States Army Pacific (USARPAC), General Vincent Brooks, called on Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen at the Ministry of Defence on Monday afternoon. As part of his introductory visit to Singapore from Sunday to Tuesday, Gen Brooks will visit the Multi-Mission Range Complex, Singapore's new indoor firing range, and the Murai Urban Training Facility, an urban military training centre. The Singapore Army and USARPAC interact regularly through professional exchanges, courses, visits and military exercises such as Exercise Tiger Balm. "These interactions have enhanced the professionalism and inter-operability of the two armies, and strengthened the mutual understanding and friendship between their personnel," said the Ministry of Defence in a statement. "Both armies look forward to further enhancing bilateral training opportunities."
Singapore Airshow Preview 2013 AIN Online 3rd Jan 2014
Next month’s Singapore Airshow, to be held from February 11 to 16 at the Changi Exhibition Center, adjacent to Singapore’s Changi International Airport, promises to remain the main aerospace trade event in Asia this year. New this year will be an Aviation Training Zone, while the U.S. will be the “first ever Feature Country,” according to organizers. With the region so full of potential growth–most notably China, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian nations, as well as India–exhibitors from the Americas and Europe will be eager to develop relationships and sign deals. The last show, held in February 2012, saw 900 exhibitors from 50 countries, including 60 of the world’s top 100 aerospace companies. There were also 22 national or group pavilions. The event attracted almost 45,000 visitors from 134 countries during the four trade days (the turnstiles clicked 135,000 times over the whole six days), and there were 274 delegations from 70 countries. As the show closed, organizers claimed that some $31 billion (U.S.) worth of deals had been announced at the event–three times the sum for the 2010 event.
Singapore Airshow 2014 to feature strategic conferences on aviation, defence, technology Straits Times 19th Dec 2013
Next February's edition of the Singapore Airshow will feature three conferences that address the latest developments and challenges in civil aviation, defence and technology. These conferences will bring together hundreds of industry leaders, military and government officials, regulators and academics from around the world. For instance, the Singapore Airshow Aviation Leadership Summit on aviation issues will feature key speakers such as Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew and International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director-General Tony Tyler. The Asia Pacific Security Conference will gather defence experts, military officials and other industry leaders to discuss security topics including the emergence of China as regional military power and its impact on the East Asian security environment. The third conference is the A*STAR Aerospace Technology Leadership Forum, which will focus on aviation technologies.
U.S. Coast Guard, Navy Partners with Singapore Sailors DoD 18th Dec 2013
U.S. Coast Guardsmen and Navy sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 came together with the Singapore Navy outside of Guam for a joint operation known as Exercise Miata. This training was set to improve interoperability as well as increase explosive ordnance response times in potentially possible scenarios. - See more at: http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2013/12/u-s-navy-eod-team-partners-with...
Singapore in 'no particular hurry' for F-35 Janes 16th Dec 2013
Singapore is continuing its assessment of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter but is in "no particular hurry" to purchase the aircraft, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on 12 December. The comments followed a meeting in Washington between Ng and US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. During a joint news conference, Ng referred to a statement he made in March in which he indicated that the F-35 is being considered as a replacement for the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) Northrop F-5s and Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds. Ng said: "I've said in parliament during the last budget that Singapore is seriously looking at the F-35s to replace our F-5s.
Vietnam
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.
"Hanoi" Submarine Launched at Cam Ranh Bay Defense Studies 3rd Jan 2014
After more than 40 days beyond the sea , the evening of 1-1-2014 , Rolldock Sea freighter carrying kilo class submarine named HQ - 182 Hanoi has access to Cam Ranh port security. Vice Admiral Pham Ngoc Minh, Vice - Chief of Staff Commander Navy with the delegation of the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Navy Commander and Naval Brigade 189 in cooperation with Russian experts to examine preliminary plan implementation and handover ships launched in the near future.
"Hanoi" Submarine Visits Singapore Defense Studies 28th Dec 2013
The first of six Kilo -class submarines that the Vietnam Navy bought from Russia visits Singapore this morning on the way to the port of Cam Ranh. The ship is named HQ182 Hanoi transport by ship transport of super critical of Dutch Rolldock Sea. Departing from the port city of Saint Petersburg (Russia) 15/11 yesterday after handing over 4 days earlier techniques, Rolldock Sea vessels along the Atlantic Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern most tip of Africa and into the Indian Ocean, then cross- Straits and Singapore had, before emptying into the South China Sea to the north and to go to Cam Ranh, expected later this week .
Vietnam, the US, and China: A Love Triangle? The Diplomat 18th Dec 2013
During his visit to Vietnam this week, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced that the U.S. will provide “$32.5 million in new U.S. assistance for maritime law enforcement in Southeast Asian states.” Despite Kerry’s insistence that “this maritime announcement has nothing to do with any recent announcements by any other country or any of the tensions in the region,” it will almost inevitably be read as a response to China’s growing assertiveness in disputed territorial areas.
US offers new assistance to Vietnam to boost maritime security Straits Times 18th Dec 2013
The United States on Monday offered fresh financial assistance to Vietnam to boost maritime security on its borders, which comes as regional tension grows with China over territorial claims in the South China Sea. On his first visit to Vietnam as Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry said the United States intended to provide up to US$18 million (S$22.6 million) in new assistance to Vietnam "to enhance the capacity of coastal patrol units to deploy rapidly for search and rescue, disaster response, and other activities".
US navy commander, US President’s Deputy Assistant visit Vietnam Vietnam Bridge 13th Dec 2013
Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh received Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, Commander of the US Pacific Command, in Hanoi on December 9. Vinh noted the US Pacific Command plays an important role in the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership and the two countries’ armies in particular. He said the admiral’s visit will help strengthen friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding between the two armies. Admiral Locklear said both sides need to strengthen cooperation in the areas of mutual concern such as overcoming war aftermath, the search for US personnel missing in action (MIA), as well as coordination at multilateral forums. The US Pacific Command is willing to expand cooperation with Vietnam as agreed at the Vietnam-US defence policy dialogue in Washington DC in October 2013, said Locklear.
Vietnam ropes in stakeholders to China territorial dispute EAF 2nd Jan 2014
Vietnam’s recent granting of seven oil blocks in the South China Sea for exploration by India is part of a plan to internationalise Hanoi’s territorial dispute with China. Hanoi hopes to create more stakeholders who can withstand hegemonistic Chinese ambitions in the area. It is well known that the Indian government has made heavy investments in energy exploration in the South China Sea. Awarded through the global bidding process, India earlier had three blocks in the Vietnamese region in which about US$360 million was invested through the state-run ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL). OVL has been prospecting for oil in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone in blocks 127 and 128 (Phu Kanh Basin) in territories under dispute. It withdrew from block 127 which proved unviable and dry, while block 128 was bogged down by layers of hard rock and unfavourable geological conditions which made it difficult to penetrate. Despite these issues, India decided not to withdraw from block 128 for geo-strategic reasons, including a request from the Vietnamese to stay on for another two years. In the meantime Indian operations of extracting natural gas in block 6.1 since 2003 in the region, which is not under dispute, continues from where it got two billion cubic metres of gas in 2011–12 for its 45 per cent participating interest.
The First of the Six Submarines Arrived at Cam Ranh Base Vietnam Defense Studies 1st Jan 2014
First export of six diesel-electric submarines (SSK) Project 636, built at Admiralty Shipyards (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation), delivered using heavy lift vessel to the site based at Cam Ranh Bay, "Interfax" a source in the Russian shipbuilding industry. "December 31 ended operation sending a submarine to the site based in Cam Ranh. Ibid later will be signed the final act of reception of the order," - said the agency interlocutor. Contract to supply six submarines for Vietnam was signed in 2009 during the visit to Moscow of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. Besides the construction of submarines contract provides training Vietnamese crews, as well as the delivery of necessary equipment and technical equipment.
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