New nuclear-capable missile test a success, North Korea says

New nuclear-capable missile test a success, North Korea says

North Korea said on Monday it had successfully test-fired a new type of medium- to long-range ballistic missile a day earlier, claiming further advancement in a weapons program it is pursuing in violation of United Nations resolutions. North Korea fired the ballistic missile on a high arc into the sea early on Sunday, the first […]

Trump and Japanese PM reaffirm ‘unshakable’ alliance in meeting at White House

Trump and Japanese PM reaffirm ‘unshakable’ alliance in meeting at White House

In a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, President Donald Trump reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to the security and defense of Japan. President Trump has been critical in the past of the expense associated with maintaining military forces in Japan as well as South Korea, but both the president and his Defense Secretary, […]

China uses Coast Guard vessels to send message to Japan, U.S.

China uses Coast Guard vessels to send message to Japan, U.S.

The Chinese Coast Guard sailed three ships within Japan’s territorial waters yesterday, likely another intentional provocation fitting a pattern of recent Chinese actions in the South China Sea. The territorial waters in question are part of the Senkaku Islands, a handful of uninhabited islands that lay roughly due east of Mainland China. Japan has claimed […]

SECDEF Mattis meets with South Korean leaders to strengthen alliance

SECDEF Mattis meets with South Korean leaders to strengthen alliance

Secretary of Defense James Mattis embarked on his first official trip since being appointed head of the Pentagon on Thursday, landing in Seoul, South Korea to assure the nation of America’s commitment to its alliance. South Korea, like many nations throughout the world, has developed concerns about its ties with the United States since Donald Trump […]

Tensions in the South China Sea National Intelligence Estimate: The Next Two to Three Years

Tensions in the South China Sea National Intelligence Estimate: The Next Two to Three Years

South China sea is a potential flash point. President Trump will have a difficult task at navigating in those waters. This article provides us with some estimates on how this will play out. Vasilis Chronopoulos  Executive Summary The South China Sea is developing at an extraordinarily rapid rate and the events that transpire in the region in […]

Japan and South Korea scramble fighters to intercept Chinese bombers in Tsushima Strait

Japan and South Korea scramble fighters to intercept Chinese bombers in Tsushima Strait

According to news sources, Japan and South Korea both deployed fighter jets to intercept Chinese military aircraft flying close to each nation’s respective airspace on Monday. Japanese and South Korean officials have both reported as many as eight Chinese jets flying over the Tsushima Strait between the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan, […]

Marine Corps in Japan Cleared to Resume Flying MV-22 Ospreys

Marine Corps in Japan Cleared to Resume Flying MV-22 Ospreys

After six days of suspended flights due to a crash the Marine Corps are back in business flying the MV-22 Ospreys. Monday Marine Corps commanders issued the order to resume flight operations in Japan. The MV-22 had been grounded after a crash in shallow waters on December 13th that injured two crew members. The crash […]

China and India up defense spending, spurring concerns about an Asian arms race

China and India up defense spending, spurring concerns about an Asian arms race

Tensions in the South China Sea have been high in recent years, due in large part to territorial disputes between Asian nations over the ocean waterways in the region.  China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines all have contradictory jurisdictional claims in the area, driven by military posturing and the possibility of massive oil […]

US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey Goes Down off Coast of Japan

US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey Goes Down off Coast of Japan

Monday night a US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey went down in shallow water off Japan’s southern island of Okinawa. No one was killed in the crash landing and all five crewmembers were rescued. All crewmembers were transported to a US Navy hospital at Kadena Air Base according to a Marine Corps statement. The extent of […]