Asia-Pacific Allies

[Corinthian]

More on US assistance:

 

https://news.usni.org/2016/04/18/the-philippines-at-forefront-of-new-pentagon-maritime-security-initiative

[Josh]

Anyhow, I'm reminded of the blimp-that-escaped incident that happened in recent memory....

Chris Christie?

[JasonJ]

Two USMC MV-22 Ospreys stationed at Air Station Futenma transported 20 tons of water and food supplies to the earth quack hit Minami Asomua in Kumamoto Prefecture on April 18th. The Ospreys took off from Air Station Iwakuni and first went to JGSDF Takayubaru Camp to load up on the aid goods. After that, the Ospreys went to deliver the goods to Minami Asomura.

 

 

 

 

The Osprey's activities were limited to food delivery and the transportation of SDF personnel according to US defense official Davis. Also on April 18th, an MV-22 Osprey landed on JS Hyuga to load up on aid materials. The US sent four Ospreys to Air Station Iwakuni.

 

[Corinthian]

*fap* *fap* *fap*

 

A-10s doing maritime patrol at South China Sea

 

The U.S. Air Forces venerable A-10 Warthog has been a lot of things. A Cold-War Soviet tank-killer. A slow-flying escort for rescue helicopters. A heavily-armed counter-insurgency plane. Even a specialized hunter of rotorcraft.

Now add maritime patrol plane to the twin-engine attackers resume. Thats because the Pentagon has sent four A-10s and their crews and maintainers to fly sea patrols west of The Philippines, in a mineral-rich region of the South China Seas that Manila and Beijing both claim.

[urbanoid]

BBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTT!

[Panzermann]

BBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTT!

Does the USAF use HE-I or APHE or something like that for the GAU-8/A? Uranium is not really the ammunition of choice against ships.

 

edit: PGU-13/B HEI-T

Edited April 22, 2016 by Panzermann

[Josh]

I hope that for the most part DU isn't used any more...heavy armor is almost never the target and besides being more effective, HEI would be slightly less of a mess to clean up. If you used DU on a ship it would just come out the other side...

[BansheeOne]

*fap* *fap* *fap*

 

A-10s doing maritime patrol at South China Sea

 

The U.S. Air Forces venerable A-10 Warthog has been a lot of things. A Cold-War Soviet tank-killer. A slow-flying escort for rescue helicopters. A heavily-armed counter-insurgency plane. Even a specialized hunter of rotorcraft.

Now add maritime patrol plane to the twin-engine attackers resume. Thats because the Pentagon has sent four A-10s and their crews and maintainers to fly sea patrols west of The Philippines, in a mineral-rich region of the South China Seas that Manila and Beijing both claim.

 

 

Ah, another Clancysm.

[Corinthian]

 

*fap* *fap* *fap*

 

A-10s doing maritime patrol at South China Sea

 

The U.S. Air Forces venerable A-10 Warthog has been a lot of things. A Cold-War Soviet tank-killer. A slow-flying escort for rescue helicopters. A heavily-armed counter-insurgency plane. Even a specialized hunter of rotorcraft.

Now add maritime patrol plane to the twin-engine attackers resume. Thats because the Pentagon has sent four A-10s and their crews and maintainers to fly sea patrols west of The Philippines, in a mineral-rich region of the South China Seas that Manila and Beijing both claim.

 

 

Ah, another Clancysm.

 

 

 

Indeed. Actually, there's a scene in the The Hunt for Red October book where an A-10 pilot doing patrols idly wonders what his 30mm cannon could do to the Kirov.

 

The Prophet Clancy's prophecy has come true again!

 

[BansheeOne]

In fact they were flying a mock attack on Kirov with illumination flares.

 

https://books.google.de/books?id=xz2LhK79I3gC&pg=PT230&lpg=PT230&dq=hunt+for+red+october+thunderbolt&source=bl&ots=TSQ8ymBZR8&sig=uV1bD3Fh8s_HJGyP5GZoaKJsL0E&hl=de&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjOx_HGi6TMAhVG1RoKHZTGCywQ6AEINjAC#v=onepage&q=hunt%20for%20red%20october%20thunderbolt&f=false

[Corinthian]

That's it.

[JasonJ]

The U.S. Navy USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE-10) provided fuel and replenishment cargo to the guided missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106), fuel to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH 182), and cargo to Australian Navy frigate HMAS Anzac (FF 150), in South China Sea, April 19, 2016

 

[Corinthian]

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/563858/news/nation/phl-warship-to-join-brunei-singapore-maritime-exercises

 

 

The Philippine Navy will send one of its two warships to Brunei and Singapore to participate in counter-terrorism and maritime exercises next month.

The warship, BRP Gregorio del Pilar, a former US cutter, will depart the country this week, according to Lt. Cmdr. Marineth Domingo, the Navy's acting public affairs officer.

Domingo said BRP Gregorio del Pilar will leave Manila South Harbor's Pier 13 on Wednesday following a send off ceremony. It will be joined by a Navy helicopter and about 120 troops, among them personnel from the Naval Special Operations Group

The warship will first participate in a counter-terrorism exercise in Brunei and Singapore from May 1 to 12, then proceed to another naval exercise with Brunei from May 10 to 17.

[JasonJ]

On April 26th, a JMSDF large type destroyer equipped with a wide deck similar to that of an aircraft carrier made a port call to the Philippines, thus advancing efforts in strengthening relations between the SDF and the Philippine military that is in opposition to China regarding territorial rights in the South China Sea.

 

Making the port call is the JMSDF large destroyer "Ise" that belongs to Kure Naval Base.

This month on the 12th, Ise was dispatched to a naval review held in Indonesia, and along with 30 other countries including Japan, America, and China, participated in joint training that is presumably based on humanitarian assistance activities. After that, on April 26th Ise arrived at the port in Subic Bay which is in Luzon island that faces the South China Sea.

Because of Ise's feature of having a wide deck similar to that of an aircraft carrier, it can load many patrol helicopters, and thus it has high capabilities in observation and guard against submarines.

With a JMSDF training submarine making a port call to a Philippines that is in confrontation with China regarding the South China Sea on April 3rd, the relation between the SDF and the Philippine military is strengthening, and it is seen that these port calls also aim to restrain China's growing advancement into the ocean.

Large destroyer Ise's Captain Masaki Takata said that "now we have plans to have friendly training with the Philippine Navy and I want to continue advancing relations building."

 

 

 

空母のような広い甲板を備えた海上自衛隊の大型護衛艦が２６日、フィリピンに寄港し、南シナ海の領有権を巡って中国と対立するフィリピン軍と自衛隊の関係強化に向けた取り組みが進んでいます。

 

フィリピンに寄港したのは海上自衛隊呉基地所属の大型護衛艦「いせ」です。

「いせ」は今月１２日にインドネシアで行われた観艦式に派遣され、続いて日本やアメリカ、それに中国など３０か国余りによる人道支援活動などを想定した共同訓練に参加したあと、２６日、南シナ海に面するルソン島のスービック地区にある港に到着しました。

「いせ」は空母のような広い甲板を備えているのが特徴で、複数の哨戒ヘリコプターを搭載でき、潜水艦に対する高い警戒・監視能力を持っています。

南シナ海の領有権を巡って、中国と対立するフィリピンには今月３日に海上自衛隊の練習潜水艦が寄港するなど、自衛隊とフィリピン軍との間で関係の強化が進められていて、一連の寄港は海洋進出の動きを強める中国をけん制するねらいもあるとみられます。

大型護衛艦「いせ」の艦長の高田昌樹１佐は「今回はフィリピン海軍との親善訓練も予定しており、関係構築を進めていきたい」と話していました。

 

 

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20160426/k10010499021000.html

 

Edited April 26, 2016 by JasonJ

[Simon Tan]

Glubglubglub.

[JasonJ]

Ships assigned to the United States Navy John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG) and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships JS Ise (DDH-182) and JS Akebono (DD-108) sail in fleet formation.

 

 

[Josh]

Man, those are some big <cough> destroyers.

[JasonJ]

Not directly related but worth noting.

 

This week the Ministry of Education and Training signed agreements with 17 Japanese universities to boost student mobility and lower tuition fees during a visit from Hiroshi Hase, Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Welcoming Hase, the prime minister said education is the two countries’ strongest area of collaboration, noting that in recent years the flow of students has grown in both directions.

 

He also welcomed support from Japan in the form of workforce training, Official Development Assistance to upgrade Vietnam’s universities and the development of academic partnerships between institutions in the two countries.

 

During his visit to Vietnam, Minister Hase also outlined Japan’s plan to establish a foundation to launch the Japanese education model in Vietnam and receive Vietnamese doctors conducting research on cancer treatment in the future.

 

The Japanese delegation’s visit followed a trade mission by UK foreign secretary Philip Hammond, who met with Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and Pham Binh Minh, Vietnam’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, in Hanoi last month.

 

“The UK is at the forefront of supporting Vietnam’s education reform plans and collaborating on science and technology”

During the visit, the two governments reiterated their shared ambition to increase two-way student mobility and to support the goals laid out in a joint statement issued by the Vietnamese government, British Council and UK International Unit at the Vietnam-UK Education Cooperation Forum last year.

 

They also agreed to accelerate the implementation of the Vietnam-UK University project – working towards the creation of a joint university by 2024 – and expand cooperation in vocational training to develop Vietnam’s workforce.

 

“The UK is at the forefront of supporting Vietnam’s education reform plans and collaborating on science and technology through the UK’s Newton Fund,” Hammond commented. “I look forward to discussing opportunities for further collaboration.”

 

Hammond also underlined the importance of economic ties between the two countries, adding that although bilateral trade has more than doubled since 2010, there is “still scope for British companies and products to do much better in this market”.

 

Meanwhile, the US deputy secretary of state, Antony Blinken, also made the trip to Hanoi ahead of a scheduled visit from President Obama later this month.

 

As well as meeting with government officials, Blinken gave a speech to students at the Vietnam National University-Hanoi, during which he underlined the two countries’ commitment to deepening cooperation in education and bolstering student mobility and heralded the opening of Fulbright University Vietnam later this year.

 

“Built on an American model of education, this university will emphasise academic independence, inspire innovation, and help new generations of Vietnamese seize the opportunities before them,” he said.

 

There are currently 19,000 Vietnamese students studying in the US – up 40% in the last seven years, he noted.

“We can imagine a future 20 years from now… where there are not just 19,000 Vietnamese studying in the United States—but 90,000, or even more,” he added.

 

https://thepienews.com/news/government/vietnam-pledges-to-boost-education-ties-with-uk-us-and-japan/

[JasonJ]

HANOI: Japan’s foreign minister Fumio Kishida arrived in Vietnam on Thursday (May 5) as the two countries step up a strategic alliance in the face of China’s increasing maritime ambitions in the region.

 

Both Japan and Vietnam have competing claims with China over distinct groups of islands in the East and South China Seas, a shared dispute analysts say has bonded the pair in a security partnership.

 

The two countries signed a defence cooperation agreement in 2011 and Japan gave Vietnam's marine police a gift of six secondhand patrol ships last year.

 

In the latest sign of cosier defence ties, Japan is now considering Vietnam's request for brand new ships.

 

The issue was raised at Mr Kishida's meetings with Vietnam's foreign minister and prime minister on Thursday evening, and the early signs are positive, Japan's foreign ministry deputy spokesman Masato Otaka told reporters in Hanoi.

 

"Japan is a maritime country with a lot of know-how, so it's perfectly understandable that countries like Vietnam come to Japan for help. We're doing our best," Mr Otaka said.

 

In April, two Japanese navy ships made a historic port call at Vietnam's Cam Ranh Bay, a strategic area for Vietnam's defence of the South China Sea.

 

Kishida’s arrival in Vietnam follows a series of high-level exchanges in recent months. Japan’s Defence Minister Gen Nakatani visited Hanoi last November, and Vietnam’s Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong was in Tokyo in September.

 

Japan is Vietnam’s largest donor in terms of preferential loans and ranks second in foreign investment, registering US$37 billion of cumulative investments in the emerging ASEAN market as of mid-2015. Both countries are involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a global trade deal that will encompass 40 per cent of global GDP if and when it is concluded.

 

In Hanoi, Kishida held talks with newly-elected Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on Thursday evening. He is scheduled to address media before meeting President Tran Dai Quang on Friday.

 

 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/japan-fm-kishida-visits/2759778.html

 

Top foreign investor to Vietnam goes to South Korea since 2014.

South Korea accounted for over 30 percent of nearly US$19.3 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in January-October, according to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

 

Total newly-registered and additional capitals of South Korean investors topped $6.22 billion in the period.

 

The newly-registered capitals of 583 projects reached $2.27 billion while the investors added $3.94 billion to 257 existing projects, the agency said.

 

This means that Korean businesses are increasingly confident in the domestic investment climate so they decided to expand their investment in Vietnam, the FIA said.

 

Korean firms focus on manufacturing and processing, covering over 90 percent of total registered capital.

 

Their investment is mainly in the form of 100 percent foreign-owned firms, with 96 percent of total FDI projects registered in this fashion.

Apart from South Korea, Vietnam also attracted huge Japanese investment with a total of $1.48 billion in 258 new projects and 137 existing ones in the first 10 months, according to the FIA.

 

The capital of Japanese enterprises in manufacturing and processing accounted for 51 percent, followed by construction (24 percent) and real estate (10 percent).

 

According to the FIA, total newly-registered and additional FDI capitals nationwide hit $19.29 billion in January-October, up 40.8 percent against the same period last year.

 

In January-August 2014, South Korea topped the list of foreign investors, with total investment of $3.22 billion for its Vietnam projects, while Japan fell to second place, with $1.27 billion worth of newly, and additionally, registered capital.

Korean businesses have maintained their top spot ever since.

 

http://tuoitrenews.vn/business/31615/south-korea-continues-to-be-biggest-foreign-investor-in-vietnam

[swerve]

Not directly related but worth noting.

 

This week the Ministry of Education and Training signed agreements with 17 Japanese universities to boost student mobility and lower tuition fees during a visit from Hiroshi Hase, Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Welcoming Hase, the prime minister said education is the two countries’ strongest area of collaboration, noting that in recent years the flow of students has grown in both directions.

 

https://thepienews.com/news/government/vietnam-pledges-to-boost-education-ties-with-uk-us-and-japan/

 

I've recently been working on stuff related to the Japanese push towards attracting foreign students to Japanese universities, & encouraging foreign language learning & overseas study by Japanese students. Translation of the rules & guidance for students into English for one university, for example, & degree programmes which include a compulsory spell abroad. It looks as if universities are responding to government pressure. There's also the little matter of lacking opportunities for growth within Japan: the potential student population isn't going to increase in the next 18 years, at least, & mid & upper-ranked universities don't want to damage their brands by competing with the bottom-feeders for marginal students & running sub-degree courses.

[JasonJ]

 

Not directly related but worth noting.

 

 

This week the Ministry of Education and Training signed agreements with 17 Japanese universities to boost student mobility and lower tuition fees during a visit from Hiroshi Hase, Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Welcoming Hase, the prime minister said education is the two countries’ strongest area of collaboration, noting that in recent years the flow of students has grown in both directions.

 

https://thepienews.com/news/government/vietnam-pledges-to-boost-education-ties-with-uk-us-and-japan/

I've recently been working on stuff related to the Japanese push towards attracting foreign students to Japanese universities, & encouraging foreign language learning & overseas study by Japanese students. Translation of the rules & guidance for students into English for one university, for example, & degree programmes which include a compulsory spell abroad. It looks as if universities are responding to government pressure. There's also the little matter of lacking opportunities for growth within Japan: the potential student population isn't going to increase in the next 18 years, at least, & mid & upper-ranked universities don't want to damage their brands by competing with the bottom-feeders for marginal students & running sub-degree courses.

Labor shortage is another incentive. Vietnam potentially offers a big help in this regard and in a mutually beneficial way. India is another place that has potentially a lot of temporary workers for Japan.

 

One of the nursery schools that I teach English at used to be an elementary school. So for a nursery school, the building is very big with some rooms that are normally not used. Outside school grounds is very specious for the 3 to 5 year olds as well.

[Colin]

I take it Indians or Vietnamese are more favourable than Koreans for historical reasons and to make sure no one population is to large in country?

[JasonJ]

I take it Indians or Vietnamese are more favourable than Koreans for historical reasons and to make sure no one population is to large in country?

While there is the historical issue, demographically and economically speaking, they're in a similar situation as Japan. Both are 1st world, high tech, low fertility rate, and so on. Korea's population hasn't started shrinking and graying yet but that point of time is approaching fairly soon. Vietnam and India on the other hand are developing countries with a large young population proportionately. So even if there was no historical issue, South Korea really wouldn't have any workers to offer since they'll need just about everyone they can get. With that said, one thing different is that South Korean graduates have a harder time finding work these days than their Japanese counterparts. But that's because their unwilling to settle for less then top company in the goal, so they're slower to getting themselves hired at less prestigious places. I would think that they will sort it out in the coming years as the worker per senior citizen rate continues becoming more severe.

 

I'm not sure if there is any specific desire to diversify the ethnicities of foreign workers. Would make sense though.

[JasonJ]

On May 6th, Australia Collins-class submarine "Rankin" made a port call to JMSDF Hanshin Naval Base in Uozakihama, Higashinada ward, Kobe for joint-training with the JMSDF. It is the first time that an Australia naval submarine has made a port call to the prefecture.

 

According to the JMSDF this joint-training with an Australian naval vessel marks the 7th time since 2009. In 1975 and 1981, an Australian naval vessel has made a port call to the prefecture at Kobe port.

 

Rankin has a displacement of 3,100 tons, is 78 meters long, and 8 meters wide. After staying until May 10th at Hanshin Naval Base, the submarine will leave port for the Pacific Ocean and train until May 15th. While staying at Hanshin Naval Base, its said that they will exchange things like sports with JMSDF personnel and deepen close relations. They will stay in Japan until May 20th.

 

On the day of the welcoming the port call, Commanding office of JMSDF submarine fleet Vice Admiral Seiichi Doman welcomed them and said "From now on I'd like to accelerate the defense relations between the two countries." Commander of Rankin, Commander Doug Theobald, said "This joint-training will be a good opportunity to deepen the relationship between Australia and Japan."

 

 

 

　オーストラリア海軍のコリンズ級潜水艦「ランキン」が６日、海上自衛隊との共同訓練のため、神戸市東灘区魚崎浜町の海上自衛隊阪神基地隊に寄港した。豪海軍潜水艦の入港は県内で初めて。

 

　海自によると、豪海軍艦艇との日豪共同訓練は平成２１年以降７回目。県内への豪海軍艦艇の入港は昭和５０年と５６年に神戸港に入港以来となる。

 

　「ランキン」は排水量３１００トン、長さ約７８メートル、幅約８メートル。阪神基地隊で１０日まで停泊したあと、太平洋へ出航し、１５日まで訓練する。同基地隊で停泊中は海自隊員らとスポーツ交流などを行い、親交を深めるという。２０日まで日本に滞在する。

 

　この日の入港歓迎行事で、海自潜水艦隊司令官の道満（どうまん）誠一海将は「これからも二国間の防衛関係を促進していきたい」と歓迎。ランキン艦長のダグ・シオボールド中佐は「今回の共同訓練は日豪間の関係性を深めるのにいい機会になる」と話した。

 

 

 

http://www.sankei.com/west/news/160507/wst1605070027-n1.html

Edited May 7, 2016 by JasonJ

[JasonJ]

Malabar 2016 in June.

 

The Indian fleet will include two stealth frigate, one tanker and one Kirch-class corvette with integral helicopters for Malabar 2016, a set of exercises that began 24 years ago.

 

Four ships of the Indian Navy will participate in Exercise Malabar along with the navies of Japan and the US. The trilateral naval exercise, scheduled for next month, will be held in Japanese waters east of Okinawa.

 

The Indian fleet will include two stealth frigate, one tanker and one Kirch-class corvette with integral helicopters for Malabar 2016, a set of exercises that began 24 years ago.

 

Exercise Malabar has been a highlight of naval cooperation between India and the US, since BJP government came to power in May 2014. During Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the US in September 2014, the joint statement noted that the two countries had agreed to upgrade their existing bilateral Exercise Malabar. This was reiterated during President Barack Obamas visit to New Delhi in January 2015.

 

India has, however, been reluctant to take the American offer for joint naval patrols. During the visit of US Defence Secretary Ash Carter to Delhi last month, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar rejected any suggestion of joint naval patrols with the US Navy. He instead argued for deepened cooperation on naval exercises between the two countries.

 

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/four-navy-ships-to-join-trilateral-malabar-exercise-2783422/