Vietnam finally has a new weapon against the Chinese maritime expansion after receiving its first Kilo-class submarine from Russia on the last day of 2013, according to the Washington-based Strategy Page on Feb. 20. The submarine is the first of six 2,300-tonne Kilo-class submarines to arrive in Vietnam after the country signed a US$2.1 billion […]
Over the last month and a half, seven significant developments indicate that tensions in the South China Sea are set to rise in both the short and long term. The five short-term trends include: Philippine defiance of China’s fishing ban; continued inaction by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); the Chinese navy’s repeated assertions […]
As US Secretary of State John Kerry held talks with Chinese leaders, state media blamed Washington for failing to calm “flaring regional tensions” in East Asia. Many US and Asian observers point the finger at China’s rapid military modernisation and increasing assertiveness. But the official Xinhua news agency said Kerry’s visit took place “amid formidable […]
WASHINGTON – Adm. Samuel Locklear, head of the US Pacific Command, said America will continue to build and buy the most advanced defensive and offensive military weapons systems to maintain its edge in the Indo-Asia Pacific, which he described as the most militarized region in the world. He said there were now many weapons developers […]
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 […]
BEIJING — Chinese naval vessels including an island landing ship began drills Monday in the South China Sea, where China and several other nations are locked in territorial disputes. Two destroyers and China’s largest amphibious landing craft started the exercises after sailing from the naval base on the southern island province of Hainan, the official […]
MANILA, Philippines – The bidding for the upgrade of the Navy’s patrol ship BRP Artemio Ricarte failed as the lone bidder for the project failed to meet some documentary requirements. The STAR learned that Keppel Marine Philippines Inc., the only firm that submitted a bid, was declared ineligible during the bidding for the P216-million project […]
(Reuters) – China is building its second aircraft carrier, which is expected to take six years, and the country aims to have at least four such ships, Chinese and Hong Kong media reports said on Sunday. After two decades of double-digit increases in the military budget, China’s admirals plan to develop a full blue-water navy […]
The Philippine navy hopes to add two more warships to its fleet as Southeast Asian countries continue to expand their militaries in response to the Chinese government’s increasingly assertive territorial ambitions in the South China Sea, also known as the West Philippine Sea. Armed forces chief of staff General Emmanuel Bautista said the new acquisitions […]
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines wants to acquire two more navy ships from the United States to boost its maritime defense capability amid threats from China, Armed Forces chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista said yesterday. The new acquisitions would come under the fresh US military assistance announced by US Secretary of State John Kerry when he […]