China stealth jet enters service, navy building ‘first class’ fleet

China has put into service its new generation J-20 stealth fighter, a warplane it hopes will narrow the military gap with the United States, as senior naval officers said the country was building a “first class” navy and developing a marine corps. Chinese President Xi Jinping is overseeing a sweeping modernization of the country’s armed […]

Here’s how the US military is sticking it to Beijing in the South China Sea

China has for years been whittling away at the US military’s asymmetrical advantage in conventional military strength with a naval buildup, building and militarizing artificial islands in the South China Sea, and creating systems and weapons custom built to negate the US’s technological advantage. By all indications, China is building aircraft carriers and getting ready to […]

China seeks to change maritime law within contested waters

China is introducing significant new measures for foreign vessels traveling through its territorial waters. While that would normally be no cause for alarm, the Chinese are seeking to apply these rules to vast stretches of the South China Sea it has independently laid claim to, in direct conflict with the wishes of its neighbors and […]

Navy fleet commanders: The next conflict hotspot is going to be in Korea

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Two top Navy fleet commanders said Tuesday that the next potential conflict hotspot would likely be in Korea. “If there’s a fight tonight, it’s probably going to happen on the Korean peninsula,” said Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, commander of 7th Fleet, in a panel discussion at the AFCEA West 2017 conference. […]

US carrier and missile destroyer enter South China Sea

The South China Sea has been at the center of recent tensions between the United States and its allies and their economic, political, and possibly even military opponent, China.  The waterway sees an estimated $5 trillion in trade on an annual basis, nearly thirty percent of the global economy, and is said to contain large […]

China’s military is approaching ‘near parity’ with the West

China’s military is fast approaching “near parity” with western nations, according to a new report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies. In its 2017 Military Balance report, which focuses on global military capabilities and defense spending, IISS experts say that China has made significant progress in research and development and improved its military capabilities, […]

Philippines strengthen relationship with Russia through intelligence, training

In a sign of continuing closeness between Russia and the Philippines, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council has offered President Duterte access to Russian intelligence and tactical training for his security forces. Rodrigo Duterte has stoked international controversy since assuming the presidency of the Philippines last summer by launching a violent police campaign focused on […]

The US Navy may be about to check Beijing in the South China Sea

US President Donald Trump may reverse an Obama administration by challenging Chinese claims in the South China Sea with a handful of US Navy destroyers. A report from the Navy Times cites US Navy officials as saying that ships from the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group, currently headed to the Pacific, will carry out freedom […]

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, […]