International pressure is mounting against China in the South China Sea

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 […]

US and Chinese destroyers almost collide in South China Sea standoff

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 […]

China will soon have 3 aircraft carriers, lots of pilots, but no aircraft

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 […]

British join the party by agitating Chinese military in South China Sea

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 […]

Russia and China team up for massive 300,000 troop war games

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 […]