By the end of March, the Philippines expects to have its first BrahMos anti-ship cruise missiles, and Japan plans to begin training its personnel to operate Tomahawk missiles.
"So looking at it from Beijing's perspective, they would want to be keeping this really strong, pragmatic relationship,” Natalie Sambhi, an Australian expert on Indonesia’s national security, told Breaking Defense.
Keep your eyes on the Second Scarborough Shoal and other atolls in the South China Sea, where China has pressed an increasingly aggressive and dangerous campaign.
Months of Chinese harassment of Philippine vessels culminated in early December with up to 135 Chinese ships swarming the Philippines around Scarborough Shoal.
"Like when you're ramming ships, when you're using water cannons, when you're using underwater sonar, lasers blinding people — not helpful, not helpful at all," said Brig. Gen. Stephen Lightfoot.
"China’s actions point to a ratcheting up of pressure in support of spurious claims over the Nine-Dash Line," one analyst told Breaking Defense.
"Right now, of course, the secretary of defense does not have a counterpart; there is no [Chinese] minister of defense. We're going to have to probably wait on that one," NSC official Sarah Beran said.
The new map sparked sharp reactions from India, Nepal, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan. The new document was released one week before the G-20 summit in India. President Xi Jinping was to attend but news reports now indicate he will not.
"To be clear: we do not seek conflict or confrontation," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the Shangri-La Dialogue. "But we will not flinch in the face of bullying or coercion."
"Whenever we fly in our own territorial waters, we are challenged by the Chinese, challenged because they say we are in their territory, when in fact it is our territory," Lt. Gen. Romeo Browner, commanding general of the Philippine Army said.
Leaders discussed what US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called "a security-sector assistance roadmap to support the delivery of priority defense platforms over the next five to 10 years, including radar, unmanned aerial systems, military transport aircraft and coastal- and air-defense systems."
Maj. Gen. Charlton Sean Gaerlan will spend several days in the US with Gen. David Berger.
“Palau is indispensable to our national security and funding the compact is key to our strategic presence in the region.” That’s what the Defense Department’s 2018 budget request says — but the House Armed Services Committee disagrees, defunding a $123.9 million payment that gains us access to the islands. Why is Palau indispensable? Look at […]
WASHINGTON: One of the more important national security jobs in this town, deputy assistant defense secretary for south and southeast asia, will be filled by a former Army officer with extensive foreign affairs and counterinsurgency experience, a well placed source tells us. Retired Col. Joe Felter, who now works at Stanford’s Hoover Institute, “led the […]
WASHINGTON: In 2016, the Defense Department flew aircraft or steamed ships through territories claimed by Albania, Brazil, Italy, Japan, Malta, and, well, China, according to the Pentagon’s annual report released today. So should Beijing be relieved it was not the sole focus of American Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPS) or should it feel slighted that it […]