South China Sea

According to reports in Chinese media, the H-20 stealth bomber is nearing its first test flights — potentially suggesting that their long-range bomber may reach operational status before America’s forthcoming B-21 Raider. While long-range stealth bombers like America’s B-2 Spirit have been a facet of American force projection for decades, China’s bomber fleet remains far […]

China is emerging from the deep slumber it has been in for the past centuries. Slowly and awkwardly, the Asian dragon is exerting itself ever surer on the geopolitical chessboard. The weapons of choice are economic, diplomatic, and military—carefully and shrewdly arranged in that order. China understands that it can’t compete militarily with the United States—not […]

On Sunday, a Chinese Type 052C destroyer confronted the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Decatur in the international waters of the South China Sea. The Chinese-flagged warship attempted to assert China’s sovereignty over the waterway by crossing the Decatur’s bow in a maneuver U.S. Navy officials characterized as “unsafe and unprofessional,” forcing the Decatur to take […]

Tensions between the U.S. and China continue to escalate. On Sunday, an American warship conducting a Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) in the South China Sea was confronted by a Chinese destroyer. The Chinese vessel, aiming to enforce China’s claims of sovereignty over the geopolitically crucial waterway, closed to within just 45 feet of the […]

Over the past year, the United States has begun to shift operational strategies away from ongoing counter-terror operations and toward a resurgence of near-peer level threats presented by China’s rapidly expanding military and Russia’s aggressive use of their own limited military capabilities. Over nearly two straight decades of the War on Terror, the United States […]

Russia’s annual military exercises occur within a four year rotation, with each year within that cycle devoted to a particular facet of Russian military operations. Last year, they held their massive Zapad (meaning “West”) drills in Belarus, prompting concerns from NATO allies in the Baltics. This year, their Vostok exercises (this time, meaning “East”) took […]

China’s long-serving aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, boasts a small fleet of troubled J-15s and, as of 2016, only 25 qualified pilots. Now, as the Chinese test and expedite production of two new domestically developed aircraft carriers, they face a number of significant challenges. Their goal is to become a true “blue water” Navy. But they still have much […]

The United States Navy has been conducting regular Freedom of Navigation operations throughout the South China Sea for years now, pressing China’s aggressive claims of sovereignty over the entire expansive waterway extending thousands of miles from Chinese shores. Many nations have competing claims over portions of the South China Sea, with much of the international […]

Sometimes it can be tough to appreciate the logic behind which defense technologies the United States Government deems suitable for export. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, for instance, is regularly touted as the most advanced aircraft ever developed, but Uncle Sam is happy to distribute them willingly to paying nations with friendly relations to help […]

Last year, Russia’s held a massive series of war games they refer to as “Zapad,” or “West.” The exercises, which usually happen along Europe’s eastern flank every four years, always draw NATO’s attention, in large part because Russia has long been openly dishonest about the size and scope of the drills. In 2011, Russia signed […]

Although the breadth of American media attention has been focused on the hybrid warfare threat posed by Russia, it is widely believed that Vladimir Putin’s nation wouldn’t have the economic strength required to sustain an actual war with a nation like the United States. In fact, despite possessing a few high profile “doomsday” style weapons, […]

The South China Sea, one of the most heavily trafficked waterways on the planet, has been the site of heightening tensions between China and other Pacific powers in recent years, as China’s claims of sovereignty have grown to encompass the majority of the region, stretching thousands of miles from Chinese shores. In order to bolster […]