Cowboy, Samurai, Kangaroo, Philippine Eagle, Pho, Elephant, Kiwi, Etc.

[JasonJ]

F-35 can have charming paint too

Couple more in the spoiler

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/gotam5435872/status/992206742443315200

 

 

[JasonJ]

There's been emergency landings of a few helicopters in the past few months around the Okinawa area, no accidents, just emergency landings. Defense Minister said a team from the SDF would be dispatched to Futenma, US initially accepted but then declined SDF to visit on the day they were to come.

 

 

Japan’s plan to send Self-Defense Force personnel to a U.S. Marine base in Okinawa following U.S. helicopter mishaps earlier this year has hit a snag due to U.S. reluctance, a Japanese government source said Saturday.

The move to send SDF members to U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma was aimed at allaying safety concerns fanned by a spate of emergency landings involving U.S. military helicopters since January, the source said.

But a senior Defense Ministry official said they have not heard from the U.S. side since receiving a request for postponement of the plan, indicating that talks to proceed with the deployment are proving difficult.

An AH-1 attack helicopter belonging to Futenma made a forced landing on Jan. 8 in the village of Yomitan, and another AH-1 chopper made a forced landing in Tonaki village on Jan. 23, both in Okinawa.

In response, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said on Jan. 30 that SDF members would be sent as part of the central government’s measures to ensure safety during U.S. military operations.

SDF members with technical expertise in maintenance were scheduled to be dispatched on Feb. 1.

The U.S. side initially agreed to the plan, but on the day of the dispatch had asked that it be put off because they needed more time for preparation. Since then, both sides have continued trying to arrange the deployment, the defense ministry said.

But the source said the U.S. military sees the deployment as a form of inspection, as was reported in Japanese media, and is opposed to a probe of this nature, as the helicopters only made precautionary landings to prevent accidents.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said that “ensuring the safety of local residents is the basic premise (in base) operations,” and urged the U.S. side to “see that safety is ensured, the cause is investigated and measures are taken to avoid the same thing happening again.”

 

 

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/05/06/national/japans-planned-sdf-dispatch-u-s-base-okinawa-amid-copter-mishaps-hits-snag/#.Wu8Z9qSFPcs

Edited May 6, 2018 by JasonJ

[JasonJ]

Open base and airshow for "Friendship Day" at Iwakuni Base on May 5th.

 

Golden knights drop from MV-22B with national flags and anthems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBCx_5A4nME

 

PACAF F-16 flight demo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM-OipqWTJE

 

F-2 flight demo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGKVjlUJMKc

 

MV-22B flight demo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owMsPZbJEAs

 

F-35B, F-18, C-130 tanker, MV-22B flight and combat demo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH2QGOwojGk

[JasonJ]

Balikatan 2018 has started, going from May 7th until May 18th. About 5,000 from the Philippines, 3,000 from the US, and some from Australia and Japan.

 

 

 

About 8,000 Philippine and American troops began annual military exercises on Monday with a focus on "mutual defense, counter-terrorism and humanitarian and disaster response."

The opening ceremony for the 34th iteration of the bilateral exercise dubbed Balikatan was held at the AFP Commissioned Officers Club in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Approximately 5,000 soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will join their 3,000 American counterparts for the exercises.

The Australian Defense Force and Japan Self-Defense Force will also participate under the ambit of the US alliance system.

The Balikatan 2018 will focus on "mutual defense, counter-terrorism and humanitarian and disaster response (HADR), sharing tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) to enhance readiness and response capabilities addressing real-world challenges particularly during HADR and counter-terrorism."

In a speech, US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said the training "also will incorporate training identified in the post-Marawi action reports such as military operation in urban terrain."

He was referring to last year's five-month military operation in Marawi City after it was occupied by the pro-ISIS Maute terrorist group.

Northern Luzon Command Lieutenant General Emmanuel Salamat and Lieutenant General Lawrence Nicholson, commander of the 3rd US Marine Expeditionary Forces, are both exercise directors for this year's Balikatan.

"By the end of Balikatan, we expect our respective troops — both from the AFP and US Armed Forces — to learn from each other not only from the training itself but also from hard-earned experience of both our forces," Salamat said in his speech.

The Balikatan would be divided into three distinct sections, including "individuals participating in a fictional scenarios which will improve the planner's ability to command and control forces from a headquarters level."

Operational events include activities such as the amphibious landing at the Naval Education Training Command in San Antonio, Zambales, the combined arms live fire exercise at Colonel Ernesto Rabina Air Base in Tarlac (Crow Valley), among others.

Civic activities, which focus on building schools as well as medical and dental education, and spiritual enhancement activities, have already started and will be further conducted in selected areas in Cagayan, Isabela, Tarlac and Cabanatuan City.

Salamat clarified that members of the media would be able to cover the Balikatan in a limited capacity as reporters will not be able to access the combined arms live fire exercise.

"We don't have official declaration that we do not want [the media] to cover the exercises... you can cover all the exercises, including the amphibious exercises, except those who are restricted area that requires security nature," he said in a press briefing.

Asked on how challenging this year's exercises will be as China has reportedly installed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems on three of its outposts in the South China Sea, Nicholson said the "exercise was scheduled whether those missiles were [there] or not."

"And again this is a region of change, there are constant things developing within the region but the exercise has long been planned, probably two weeks from now we are talking about next year's Balikatan and you can imagine all the things that will occur in the theater between now and then," Nicholson said. —KBK, GMA News

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/652481/us-phl-begin-annual-balikatan-military-exercises/story/

 

 

 

 

A U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II, from the 25th Fighter Squadron out of Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, sits on the flight line at Clark Air Base, Philippines as a U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk flies overhead May 7, 2018. Exercise Balikatan, in its 34th iteration, is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training exercise focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, and other combined military operations held from May 7 to May 18. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders)

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4367094/balikatan-18-10-operations

[JasonJ]

Japan and India conducted joint-training that included ASW on May 5th in the waters west of Goa, India. Two P-1s from Japan and from India, a P-8I, INS Trishul, and one sub.

 

 

And..

 

The two P-1s then made a friendship visit to the Philippines and the two sides conducted joint-training in search and rescue on May 8th in the waters around Palawan Island (both SCS and Sulu Sea). From the Philippines side was a C-90 and a patrol boat. This appears to be separate from the Balikatan exercise going on.

http://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/release/201805/20180509.pdf

[RETAC21]

P-1 is larger than it appears with those oversized windows.

[JasonJ]

The big windows give it a cute look. Maybe a design inspired by big eyed female characters in anime

[JasonJ]

JS Setogiri visited Visakhapatnam port, India from May 11th to May 13th, and conducted joint-training in ASW, AAW, etc. with INS Ranjit, as well as an Indian submarine and aircraft on the 13th and 14th of May.

http://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/release/201805/20180515-01.pdf

[JasonJ]

12 C-130Js of the 36th and 459th Airlift Squadrons trained together at Yokota Air Base.

Text and four more pictures in the spoiler.

 

 

 

Members of the 36th Airlift Squadron and 459th AS completed the first 374th Airlift Wing Generation Exercise, referred to more commonly as an Elephant Walk, since 2014 at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 4, 2018. Both squadrons combined to have 12 C-130J Super Hercules, three C-12 Huron’s and two UH-1N Iroquois participate in the event.

An Elephant Walk exercises the maximum generation of all aircraft on Yokota while the formation flight enabled the aircraft to gain necessary training for future scenarios. The formation flight took place throughout the Kanto Plains and Mt. Fuji.

“We used the Elephant Walk, a large-scale generation exercise, as a way to test our capabilities to ensure we are ready to provide any kind of assistance to any location throughout our area of responsibility if needed,” said Maj. Johnathan Slottje, 36th Airlift Squadron pilot. “It was an amazing event, especially since the maintainers ensured our final two Super Hercules were ready to go within a week of arriving.”

During the formation flight, the aircrews flew over the ocean, through mountainous terrain and dropped sand bags on Yokota’s airfield to test and improve their capabilities while flying together.

“Even though we had two of our aircraft performing another mission, this exercise tested our capabilities in case we have to complete a task like this at a moment’s notice,” Slottje said. “The capabilities of the new J-model [C-130s] have helped expand our abilities of how we use the aircraft to complete our mission.”

Even though aircraft personnel completed the missions, they couldn’t accomplish it by themselves. Multiple agencies including airfield operations, air traffic control, and aircraft maintenance came together to ensure the exercise was successful.

“It showcases our abilities to have multiple agencies respond to meet our commitments out here in this region,” said Senior Master Sgt. Eddie Ybarra, 374th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron lead production superintendent. “We have put in a lot of hours this week to ensure we can continue our regular training sorties along with making sure all of our aircraft are fully capable for this training exercise.”

Both training scenarios allowed base personnel to have a first-hand view of Yokota’s aircraft proficiencies when it comes to launching the base’s aircraft at a moment’s notice.

“I think all of the hard work that was completed by everyone in preparation for this event has been awesome,” Ybarra said. “Being able to have all of our aircraft ready to participate in the exercise was a great way for us to test our capabilities to ensure our pilots can launch all of the aircraft at once.”

This was the first time the base has completed an Elephant Walk and formation flight with the new C-130J models. With Yokota having a full fleet of Super Hercules aircraft, the base is able to provide rapid mobility from the Pacific’s premier power projection platform.

 

 

 

http://www.yokota.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1515701/yokota-airmen-team-up-for-airlift-surge/

 

Japan and Malaysia inked defense equipment transfer agreement on April 18th.

 

 

 

Japan and Malaysia have concluded an agreement on the transfer of defense equipment and cooperation in defense technology.

This comes as Japan has been signing similar deals with the United States, European and Asian countries to transfer patrol planes, radars and other defense hardware and technology.

Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Makio Miyagawa and Dato' Sri Abdul Rahim bin Mohamad Radzi, Secretary of General of the Malaysian defense ministry, attended the signing ceremony in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

Malaysia is reportedly considering introducing maritime patrol planes from Japan to deal with pirate assaults on freighters in the South China Sea and kidnappings by Muslim extremists.

Tokyo apparently aims to counter China's expanding maritime activities in the region by having closer ties with Kuala Lumpur.

Ambassador Miyagawa says Japan's export of defense equipment has been slow partly due to public opinion in the country, which favors caution on the matter.

He says he has a sense that the 2 countries will have closer cooperation in security through the new deal, amid the rapidly changing security situation in East Asia.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180418_34/

[JasonJ]

Balikatan 2018 has concluded

 

 

 

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine and US armed forces ended yesterday the 34th Balikatan exercises which officials said resulted in increased inter-operability and improved military skills.

Approximately 8,000 service members from the US military and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) completed the annual joint military exercises that lasted for 12 days.

A senior US embassy official said the Balikatan was the bedrock of Philippine-American alliance.

“This relationship we forged and the trust we built when we worked together form the bedrock of our alliance,” US Charge d’Affaires Michael Klecheski told the closing ceremony.

He said the joint exercise honed the critical skills of Filipino and US soldiers to allow both countries’ forces to respond more quickly and effectively together to natural or man-made disasters or any other future challenges.

“These training events strengthen the US-Philippines military partnership and ensure a more effective combined joint response in future operations,” Klecheski said.

In preselected areas in Northern Luzon, American, Filipino, Australian and Japanese soldiers took part in five projects, including the construction of new school buildings, renovation of existing structures, as well as beautification projects.

They also conducted several health engagements by teaching the local community basic lifesaving skills, disease prevention strategies, as well as physical and dental hygiene.

“Through Balikatan, the forces built upon a long and productive history of joint military exercises that enhance interoperability, strengthen partnerships and improve disaster response and counterterrorism capabilities,” Klecheski said.

“As we look to the future, there is no doubt that our two nations will continue to face many complex challenges. The challenges of terrorism are forever rising in new ways and those are the ones that we’re working together very effectively to counter,” he said.

Klecheski said that while this year’s flag of the joint Phl-US Balikatan military exercises has been folded, he is looking forward to next year’s joint drill.

“I look forward to all of the other training activities that will be done jointly as we do each year as we continue to work more closely and learn to cooperate even closer,” Klecheski said.

AFP chief Gen. Carlito Galvez declared the just concluded annual joint military drills as a huge success and one of the best ever as objectives set have been achieved as planned with no untoward incident incurred by any participants.

He said the execution phase of the programmed activities, including live-fire exercises and amphibious drills, was carried out smoothly and methodically.

“The two-week long exercise best manifested the strong ties between the Philippines and the US as well as the flourishing bond with partner nations such as Australia and Japan. We have committed to train side-by-side “The two-week long exercise best manifested the strong ties between the Philippines and the US as well as the flourishing bond with partner nations such as Australia and Japan. We have committed to train side-by-side in order to advance the security and stability of our nations and our region,” Galvez said. – With Helen Flores

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/05/19/1816630/philippine-us-balikatan-war-games-end

 

 

Philippine Army soldiers from 7th Infantry Division lay down cover fire as Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s C Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, maneuver to their objective during a combined arms live-fire exercise (CALFEX) at Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base, Tarlac, Philippines, May 15, 2018, as part of Exercise Balikatan. The CALFEX is designed to demonstrate cooperation and interoperability between Philippine and U.S. forces as the two militaries continue their commitment to train and share information to improve their ability to coordinate a multilateral response to crisis. Exercise Balikatan, in its 34th iteration, is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training exercise focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, and other combined military operations held from May 7 to May 18. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. David Beckstrom)

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4391555/balikatan-18-calfex

 

Nine more images in the spoiler

 

 

 

 

U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, clear the landing zone as U.S. Marines from Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, load into AAV7A1 assault amphibious vehicles at the beginning of a combined arms live-fire exercise (CALFEX) at Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base, Tarlac, Philippines, May 15, 2018, as part of Exercise Balikatan. The CALFEX is designed to demonstrate cooperation and interoperability between Philippine and U.S. forces as the two militaries continue their commitment to train and share information to improve their ability to coordinate a multilateral response to crisis. Exercise Balikatan, in its 34th iteration, is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training exercise focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, and other combined military operations held from May 7 to May 18. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. David Beckstrom)

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4391547/balikatan-18-calfex

 

 

 

A U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Control Party Airman from the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron out of Wheeler Army Air Field, Hawaii, maintains airspace control through communications in a combined arms live-fire exercise (CALFEX) at a training range at Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base, Tarlac, Philippines, during Exercise Balikatan, May 15, 2018. During this scenario, TACP Airmen worked together to control the air space for U.S. and Philippine air forces. Exercise Balikatan, in its 34th iteration, is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training exercise focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, counterterrorism and other combined military operations held from May 7 to May 18. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders) (Portions of this photo have been obscured for security reason)

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4395548/balikatan-18-combined-arms-live-fire-exercise

 

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4395536/balikatan-18-combined-arms-live-fire-exercise

 

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4395532/balikatan-18-combined-arms-live-fire-exercise

 

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4391521/balikatan-18-calfex

 

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4391280/balikatan-18-calfex-preparation

 

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4391322/balikatan-18-weapons-company-calfex-preparation

 

 

 

U.S. Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division gather for a group photo at the Bataan Death March Memorial at Camp O’Donnell, Philippines, May 14, 2018 as part of a cultural appreciation day during Exercise Balikatan. The Soldiers visited the memorial to honor the fallen heroes, which is estimated to be upwards of 18,000 Filipinos and Americans from World War II who were forced to march more than 60 miles under extreme conditions. Exercise Balikatan, in its 34th iteration, is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training exercise focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, and other combined military operations held from May 7 to May 18. (U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. David Beckstrom)

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4391897/balikatan-18-bataan-death-march-memorial

 

 

 

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson points to the plaque of a newly constructed school building during the dedication ceremony in support of Exercise Balikatan at Cabu Elementary School in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, May 16, 2018. Nicholson, the exercise director, is the commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force. Exercise Balikatan, in its 34th iteration, is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training exercise focused on a variety of missions, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism and other combined military operations held from May 7 to 18. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Matthew J. Bragg)

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4394927/balikatan-18-cabu-es-celebrates-new-school-building-with-dedication-ceremony

 

 

[JasonJ]

Three Indian naval ships to visit Tien Sa port in Vietnam from May 21st to May 25th which includes planned joint-training.

 

NEW DELHI: Three Indian naval ships will make a port call in Vietnam under the ongoing operational deployment of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet to SouthEast Asia and NorthWest Pacific region, officials said on Sunday.

 

INS Sahyadri, INS Shakti and INS Kamorta under the command of Eastern Fleet chief Rear Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi will be at Tien Sa Port, Danang, from May 21 to 25.

 

"On completion of the harbour phase, both the Indian Navy and Vietnam Peoples' Navy would be undertaking an exercise," said an official statement from the Defence Ministry.

 

The Ministry added that the current visit seeks to enhance maritime cooperation between the two Navies and will further bolster the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries and contribute to security and stability in the region.

 

"India-Vietnam relations have been strengthened in recent years due to a vibrant economic relationship and growing convergence on security issues," the statement added.

 

The Indian Defence Minister is scheduled to visit Vietnam in June and the Chief of General Staff of Vietnam People's Army and the Commander-in Chief of Vietnam People's Navy are scheduled to visit India later this year.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/may/20/indian-navy-ships-to-visit-vietnam-1817138.html

[JasonJ]

An article about Malaysia's defense and its new defense minister, Mohamad Sabu. As JMSDF ships have started to visit Malaysia and concluded defense transfer agreement with Japan, its worth noting an emphasis on a non-alignment policy in the article.

 

CONGRATULATIONS to our cook at Kamunting Detention Camp during Ops Lalang, Mohamad Sabu (Mat Sabu), on being appointed our new Defence Minister. He has been quoted as saying that his first task as Defence Minister is to investigate an alleged military land privatisation deal made to a company owned by three individuals. All well and good, but surely this is but one small part of the overall big defence picture that needs reviewing.

 

There are a number of systemic aspects of that big picture that demand his attention. Certainly, Malaysia has a litany of scandals surrounding arms purchase commissions, especially the Arms for Aid scandal during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s term in the 1990s and the Scorpene scandal under Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s watch. Not only do the rakyat deserve an assurance that such scandals will never happen again, they also need the Defence Minister to look afresh at Malaysia’s defence priorities.

 

No doubt the new minister’s first suitors will be the French government trying to sell him their Rafale fighter jets in a deal worth RM10bil. Remember, the French have already succeeded in selling two Scorpene submarines to Malaysia for more than RM7bil, the single largest defence purchase by our country to date. The French are desperate to sell their arms because these make up 60% of their exports! They obviously have not heeded the wise words of their littérateur Albert Camus who said, “Peace is the only battle worth waging.”

 

Our new Defence Minister will no doubt also soon be feted by British Aerospace who are competing for a slice of Malaysia’s defence pie. They are trying to flog their Typhoon fighter jets in a RM10bil deal.

 

The key question the new Defence Minister needs to ask is whether Malaysia actually needs any of these fabulous toys, considering the cost of fighter jets is spiralling way out of control and such “toys” are so quickly obsolete.

 

One of the rare moments we got to use our F18 fighter bombers and Hawk 208 fighter jets was against those invaders described by then Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammudin Hussein as a “rag-tag army” in Lahad Datu a few years ago. Wouldn’t armoured cars and tanks and mortars have sufficed against that motley crew?

 

Malaysian taxpayers need to be wary of this latest and record-breaking arms deal. Let us not forget the scandal over alleged commissions in that Scorpene submarines deal.

 

Pakatan Harapan made a big deal out of the ballooning national debt during the recent election campaign. Malaysia’s external debt rose to RM883.4bil (US$215.5bil) or 65.3% of GDP at end-December 2017, according to Bank Negara Malaysia. This raises a red flag about whether we can afford such levels of defence spending at all. More importantly, is what we are spending allocated wisely on arms priorities considering our debt situation?

 

Malaysian taxpayers deserve answers to these key questions: Are multi-role combat aircraft our priority at the moment considering the latest state-of-the-art (US) F35s cost at least half a billion ringgit apiece? And if the most advanced US-made fighter jet costs more than RM500mil, should these French Rafales similarly cost that much?

 

Malaysians need to be reminded that with RM10bil, we can build at least 10,000 rural schools or 1,000 district hospitals. Note that we only have just over 1,000 Chinese primary schools and slightly over 500 Tamil schools in the whole country today!

 

The new Defence Minister must also investigate why nearly half the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) squadron of Russian MiG-29 combat planes are grounded and call for a report on the relative performances of our MiGs, Sukhois, Hawks and F18s purchased in recent years.

 

Can we also have an audit report on the compatibility of our bizarrely diverse Russian, British, US (and now French?) fighter jets and especially the compatibility of their avionic systems? What lessons do our past purchase choices hold for our future fighter jet procurements? These are questions the new Defence Minister must pose to our Air Force chiefs. They are important considerations for forging our defence policy.

 

The broader question the new Defence Minister must pose to our Armed Forces chiefs is: Who are Malaysia’s enemies and what appropriate weaponry do we need? The new Members of Parliament must ask our new government what Malaysia’s national defence policy is. This question has never been properly debated in parliament.

 

During the Lahad Datu incident, it was clear that our two submarines built by the French DCNS sitting pretty at Sepanggar Bay and our six New Generation Patrol Vessels (costing RM9bil) were not the most suitable vessels in the circumstances. It brings to mind the question of the appropriate vessels that should be the priority for our navy.

 

Before the Lahad Datu incident, the main “enemies” testing the capacity of our armed forces were the pirates in the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca. There were no bigger “enemies” than those seafaring marauders. Are state-of-the-art fighter jets and submarines the appropriate weaponry against pirates?

 

These would likewise be inappropriate if “international terrorists” and suicide bombers choose to target Malaysia.

 

We have been told that Malaysia wants to revamp its ageing naval fleet in the face of threats from rising tensions in the South China Sea. Malaysia’s navy aims to replace all 50 vessels in its ageing fleet and this will be led by the procurement of four littoral mission ships (LMS) built in collaboration with China. The deal is worth more than RM1bil.

 

One would imagine that “rising tensions” would be referring to China’s claims to the disputed islands in the South China Sea. So, if China is seen as a possible “enemy”, should China have a hand in the building of these littoral mission ships? It seems a very strange logic in justifying the purchase of these four warships.

 

Or are the Asean countries also seen as possible “enemies” since there is an unspoken arms race among them through the years? Total defence spending of the Asean states has doubled over the last 15 years in absolute terms, with countries like Indonesia and Thailand witnessing military expenditure growth rates of 10% on a year-by-year basis.

 

The Malaysian Navy is also reported to be in the final stages of negotiations with French shipbuilder DCNS to build the larger littoral combat ships (LCS), three new multi-role support ships (MRSS) and two more submarines. Knowing the bill for the two Scorpene submarines was more than RM7bil, Malaysian taxpayers should be prepared for the worst.

 

So, exactly how are decisions made in the Defence Ministry to purchase the submarines, corvettes and frigates instead of more patrol boats to guard our coastlines? MPs would do well to demand an answer.

 

It has been reported that some macho men have welcomed Mat Sabu as the new Defence Minister because of his “Rambo” image. The Mat Sabu I know is actually a person who has a strong persona yet gentle in many ways. I urge him not to fall for the Rambo model but to promote a culture of peace as the defence policy of our new Malaysia.

 

To uphold Malaysia’s non-alignment policy, we need to positively resist alignment with any superpower and display genuine independence in foreign and military policy. Asean’s Zopfan policy should emulate New Zealand’s example by denying all port facilities to any ship carrying nuclear weapons. Malaysians must take charge of creating a culture of peace in the region. There is no justification for war.

 

A culture of peace in Malaysian society is a vision that is only attainable in a society that respects human dignity, social justice, democracy and human rights. It is such an environment that can settle conflict and differences through dialogue and democracy and not through threats and repression. To achieve a culture of peace, our new Defence Minister could heed these wise words by Chinese philosopher Mozi, circa 470-391 BC: “To kill one man is to be guilty of a capital crime, to kill 10 men is to increase the guilt ten-fold. This the rulers of the earth all recognise, and yet when it comes to the greatest crime – the waging of war on another state – they praise it! So those who recognise a small crime as such, but do not recognise the wickedness of the greatest crime of all – the waging of war on another state – cannot distinguish right and wrong. So as to right and wrong, the rulers of the world are in confusion.”

 

https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2018/05/15/defence-priorities-in-need-of-mat-sabus-attention/

[Dark_Falcon]

 

Australia launches third and final Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyer

 

Australian Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett in front of Hobart-class AWD Sydney. The ship is the third and final AWD launched for the RAN. Source: Australian DoD/Russell Millard

 

Australia has launched the third and final Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) on order for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

 

Named Sydney (with pennant number 42), the 146.7 m-long ship entered the water on 19 May in a ceremony presided over by Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide.

 

The ship, which was laid down in November 2015, is set to be handed over to the RAN in December 2019 following sea trials. First-of-class HMAS Hobart was commissioned in September 2017 and is expected to be fully operational later this year, while the second AWD, Brisbane , is undergoing sea trials, with delivery to the RAN scheduled for September 2018.

 

The RAN’s Adelaide-class (US Oliver Hazard Perry design) frigates, of which only two remain in service, are being retired to make way for the Hobart-class AWDs, which provide the service with an improved war fighting capability.

 

Based on Navantia’s F-100 Alvaro de Bazan-class frigate design (with a number of Australian-specific modifications), the Hobart class deploys the Aegis combat system incorporating the AN/SPY 1D(V) phased array radar.

 

In RAN service the 48-cell MK 41 strike-length vertical launch system accommodates Standard Missile-2 medium-range Block IIIA (SM-2MR Block IIIA) and SM-2MR Block IIIB long-range surface-to-air missiles, as well as quad-packed medium-range RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles (ESSMs) Block I.

 

The Hobart class, which has a full-load displacement of 6,350 tonnes, is also equipped with two four-canister RGM-84 Harpoon Block II anti-ship/land attack missile launchers, a MK 45 MOD 4 62-calibre 5-inch (127 mm) gun, an aft-facing Phalanx Block 1B 20 mm close-in weapon system, two Orbital ATK M242 25 mm Bushmaster automatic cannons in Rafael Typhoon stabilised and remotely operated mounts, and two MK 32 MOD 9 twin-tube launchers for the Eurotorp MU90 lightweight anti-submarine torpedo.

 

The Hobart-class sets a pretty high bar for Aegis-DDGs, and they are very welcome additions to the RAN.

[JasonJ]

JASDF personnel numbering 290 along with six F-15Js, one E-767, two C-130s, and one KC-767 to participate in a Red Flag exercise in Alaska that is held in June with US forces to improve combat abilities and US-Japan joint responsivness. Training to include air defense combat, aerial refuelng, and tactical transporting. The F-15s will receive refueling from an American tanker while crossing the Pacific towards Alaska. Singapore forces will also participate.

http://www.mod.go.jp/asdf/news/houdou/H30/300525.pdf

[JasonJ]

JS Setogiri visits the Philippines, making it the fourth time JMSDF warship visited in a period of 5 months.

 

 

 

Frequent visits of Japanese warships boost Philippine bilateral relations with Japan, a Philippine Navy official said Thursday.

PN Spokesperson Capt. Lued Lincuna said the Japanese destroyer, JS Setogiri (DD-156) is on a goodwill visit to the country from May 25 to 26. The ship is expected to dock at Pier 15, Manila South Harbor Friday.

The contingent will be headed by JMSDF Escort Division 7 head, Capt. Susumi Moriyama, and JS Setogiri skipper, Commander Tokeshi Tonegawa.

JS Setogiri is the fourth JMSDF ship to visit the Philippines in a span of five months, with JS Osumi being the third, and destroyer, JS Akizuki, the second and JS Amagiri the first.

"There is nothing unusual (in) their (JMSDF) frequent visit to our country. This is a regular port visit and we welcome navies that plan to visit us," Lincuna said.

He added that the frequent calls of Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) ships enhance the country's bilateral relations with Japan through naval diplomacy.

"It will further contribute to promote peace, security and stability in our maritime region," Lincuna said. (PNA)

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1036409

https://www.facebook.com/philippinenavy/posts/10155697759722956

 

 

 

The US to supply radars for BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz.

 

 

Saab Defense and Security USA has been contracted by the US Naval Sea Systems Command to supply two Sea Giraffe AMB G-band shipborne radar systems for a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case between the US government and the Philippines.

Sea Giraffe AMB – designated as AN/SPS-77(V) by the US Navy (USN) – will be installed on the Philippine Navy frigates BRP Gregorio del Pilar (FF-15) and BRP Ramon Alcaraz (FF-16), both of which are former US Coast Guard (USCG) Hamilton-class cutters acquired through the Excess Defense Articles programme. The sale also includes Saab’s 9LV system for radar control and display for enhanced situational awareness.

http://www.janes.com/article/80269/saab-secures-fms-deal-to-supply-sea-giraffe-amb-radar-to-philippines

[JasonJ]

Growing under sea cable network in the South Pacific that Australia seems to want to maintain control, keeping it away from China.

 

 

 

SYDNEY -- They are the arteries of the modern global economy. Undersea cables, to put it simply, make the internet work. And for the most part, they are out of sight and out of mind -- though not for the governments of China, Australia and Western allies.

More than 95% of the world's telecommunications traffic flows through a mere 200 or so cables laid in the oceans. Companies from the U.S., Europe and Japan installed 85% of them, but China is eager to become a major player. This could add another dimension to Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative and, if critics are right, give the country an espionage and military edge as well.

Alarm bells are going off in the South Pacific.

China's Huawei Technologies group was set to lay a cable from the Solomon Islands to Australia -- that is, until the Australian government denied the company access to the Sydney landing station. In April, Australia confirmed it would take on the project itself.

"While Huawei is not a state-owned enterprise ... any company operating of that size in China must have some degree of government sanction," said Jonathan Pryke, Pacific Islands research director at the Lowy Institute, a think tank in Sydney. "Australia will not allow a Chinese company, even if not an SOE, to have access to a critical piece of Australian domestic infrastructure. We are funding it so we can control it, and that it can get done quickly."

Sydney is a strategically important hub for cables that connect Australia and the U.S. The landing station is sensitive because a cyberattack there could cut off vital connections, with grave economic, political and military consequences. The cables themselves are vulnerable to tapping and other tampering.

On top of this, allegations of Chinese interference in Australian politics have been surfacing one after another, fueling suspicion in Canberra.

As illustrated by U.S. sanctions against ZTE, Western-aligned countries harbor serious concern over the intentions of China's telecommunications companies. "China insists that they are a benign power in the region, but the reason we are seeing so much anxiety about their role in the region is exactly because they have not satisfactorily articulated their objectives," Pryke said.

Huawei Marine Networks, the Chinese group's subsidiary, had announced last July that it would build the 4,000km submarine line between the Solomons and Sydney. "We've been planning this submarine cable for nearly seven years," the head of the government-owned Solomon Island Submarine Cable Company was quoted as saying in a statement released by Huawei. "Thanks to our partners Huawei Marine and Huawei Technologies for providing solutions to make it possible." The Solomons' then-prime minister, Manasseh Sogavare, was also named in the statement.

The next month, reports emerged that Huawei Technologies had donated 6.5 million Australian dollars ($4.9 million at the current rate) to Sogavare.

Huawei issued an immediate denial, saying, "These allegations have no basis in fact, and we denounce this type of groundless coverage." Sogavare visited Australia to meet with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and seemed confident that the project would proceed. "The security issue was expressed to us," Sogavare said, "but we continue to have discussions with the Australian government to see how we can solve that."

But Australia's misgivings ran deeper than Sogavare may have realized.

Back in 2012, Huawei was caught off guard when Australia's security agency advised that the company be disqualified from bidding for a national broadband project. When it comes to the Solomons, Canberra clearly wants to keep them in its orbit. Australia led a Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands for more than a decade, through last year, as a buffer against ethnic tensions.

Last November, Turnbull announced that his government was in "close discussions" with the Solomons about laying a cable to the tiny country's capital, Honiara. A few days later, Sogavare, who had been ousted in a vote of no confidence triggered by the donation allegations, was replaced as prime minister by Rick Houenipwela, a former central bank governor and World Bank employee.

Now Australia is poised to build not only the Solomon cable but also another one to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, announced at the same time in April. China has been actively increasing its influence there, too, with Huawei Marine proposing a 5,457km undersea cable network to provide the country with "backbone telecommunications."

 

Again, Huawei appears to have been sidelined by an Australian government unwilling to cede nearby communications markets. Huawei's cable project for Papua New Guinea, unveiled in 2016, included a link to Jayapura, Indonesia. The plans "could have been a factor" in Australia's decision to swoop in, acknowledged Papua New Guinean diplomat Kapi Maro. "Now that this Australian one we have is already in progress, probably the Huawei one, in my view, may not progress."

Unlike the open-ended Chinese project, the Australian government's cable is to be finished by the end of next year, with Canberra covering two-thirds of the cost.

China's defenders argue the security concerns are much ado about nothing. "Attacks on the Chinese government are nonsense," said Tian Xiaohong, associate professor at the Research Center for Pacific Islands Countries at Liaocheng University.

As for Huawei, she cited insiders in explaining that "the company just bids for the projects [in the Pacific islands] and competes with telecom companies from all over the world." She said the insiders had "never heard" of any backing or monitoring by the Chinese government.

Tian said Huawei overcame stiff competition for a $22.5 million project to upgrade Samoa's telecom network. According to the professor, other bidders included Sweden's Ericsson and U.S. player Cisco, as well as ZTE and other smaller companies.

Still, Western experts say there is good reason to be cautious about letting China build telecom networks. "Owning the telecom infrastructure enables China's intelligence services access to their neighbors' communications in bulk, as the U.S. reportedly has done in the past," said Bryan Clark, a former U.S. Navy strategist and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a defense think tank in Washington.

The potential for spying is only part of the story. "If Chinese companies are the telecom provider," Clark added, "they establish a monopoly that yields continuous income into the future." Just as Russia has a stranglehold on energy supplies to its neighbors, telecommunications dominance offers "leverage with host nations, because China can degrade their telecom services [and] target specific actors, such as a company allied with the host nation's leaders."

Matthew Dornan, deputy director of development policy research at Australian National University, suggested Canberra's concerns about espionage involving Huawei are understandable. "Given the very extensive espionage activities of the Chinese government, I don't think this is entirely unfounded," he said.

Those very concerns, plus fears of hackers from Russia and North Korea, are spurring initiatives to strengthen cybersecurity cooperation spanning the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Small Pacific islands, meanwhile, remain caught in the tug of war, and not only over submarine cables. China is penetrating these markets in multiple ways.

Huawei is emerging as a core provider of e-government systems, funded by China's soft loans, in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. Chinese-French joint venture Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell is handling e-government systems in Fiji. More recently Huawei has ramped up its sales pitch to include cloud hosting services, with the Solomon Islands as its first customer.

As China advances, Australia is pushing back hard by enhancing its own relationships with its island neighbors. "Australia's strong support is a reflection of its stepped-up engagement in the Pacific and commitment to promoting economic cooperation and integration in the region," Turnbull and Prime Minister Houenipwela of the Solomon Islands said in a joint statement issued at a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in April.

The U.S. is watching the South Pacific developments closely. Clark said America, too, may need to become more engaged.

China's growing technical ambition "is cause for concern for the U.S. and other traditional interests in the Pacific," Clark said. "This makes clear the need for the U.S. to get more aggressive in pursuing these opportunities, and the U.S. government may need to help by financing projects or by providing grants to countries to afford the infrastructure."

For now, though, it is difficult for Pacific island states to reject Chinese advances. Beijing knows what they need and is willing to provide it.

Vanuatu is another island impatient for its own undersea link to strengthen its feeble communications network. "For security, and because the one we have has almost exhausted its capacity ... we may soon be in big trouble," Prime Minister Charlot Salwai told the Nikkei Asian Review. Bidding for a planned line to the Solomon Islands is to open soon.

A cable is only one item on Vanuatu's wish list. "We don't have infrastructure. We need roads, we need more schools ... we need wharves," the prime minister said. "Everyone is blaming us" for cooperating with China, he said, "because we are trying to progress."

 

Vanuatu is another island impatient for its own undersea link to strengthen its feeble communications network. "For security, and because the one we have has almost exhausted its capacity ... we may soon be in big trouble," Prime Minister Charlot Salwai told the Nikkei Asian Review. Bidding for a planned line to the Solomon Islands is to open soon.

A cable is only one item on Vanuatu's wish list. "We don't have infrastructure. We need roads, we need more schools ... we need wharves," the prime minister said. "Everyone is blaming us" for cooperating with China, he said, "because we are trying to progress."

Vanuatu found itself in a storm of controversy in April, when an Australian newspaper reported it was in early discussions about China opening a military base at a recently built, Chinese-funded port. Both governments issued vehement denials, but the rumors were a reminder of how Beijing might use its growing leverage over the beneficiaries of its assistance.

Even so, an official from Papua New Guinea's government explained the enduring appeal of working with China. "In some areas in our country, Japanese cannot go for security reasons. But Chinese will go everywhere. They take risks."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Asia-Insight/China-Australia-friction-intensifies-deep-in-the-South-Pacific

[JasonJ]

14 F-22s to deployed to Kadena, Okinawa temporally for about 1 month. USS Ronald Reagan has departed from Yokosuka for patrols throughout the area.

 

 

 

NAHA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The U.S. military's advanced stealth F-22 fighter jets were temporarily deployed to Kadena Air Base in Japan's southern island prefecture of Okinawa on Wednesday, in what could be seen as a move linked to a U.S.-North Korea summit that is being arranged.

The aircraft are expected to be stationed at the base for about a month, according to Japanese government sources. Four of them arrived at Kadena at around 3:10 p.m., to eventually form an air fleet of 14 F-22s, the sources and the Okinawa government said.

With a flurry of diplomatic activities seen as the United States and North Korea gear up preparations to realize their first-ever summit in Singapore on June 12, attention is also focusing on the activities of U.S. forces in Japan.

Earlier in the week, the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan left its home base in Yokosuka, near Tokyo, on a long-term patrol in the surrounding ocean area.

In Hawaii on Tuesday, Japanese and U.S. defense chiefs agreed to maintain pressure and sanctions on North Korea to make sure that the North will completely surrender its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180530/p2g/00m/0fp/081000c

[JasonJ]

Malabar 2018 - USA Japan India

To be held at Guam from June 8th to June 16th.

http://www.mod.go.jp/msdf/release/201805/20180531.pdf

[Dark_Falcon]

Welcome back to Japanese flattops:

 

 

LDP calls for scrapping 1% cap on Japan’s defense budget

 

The ruling party endorsed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's call to remove a 1 percent psychological cap on defense spending against gross domestic product that has been in place since the 1970s.

 

In line with the more ambitious spending policy, Abe's Liberal Democratic Party on May 25 also gave its blessing to refit the helicopter carrier Izumo into a full-fledged aircraft carrier.

 

The LDP’s new position on spending adds yet another dimension to moves by Abe to radically alter Japan’s longstanding exclusively defense-oriented policy.

 

The proposal was aired ahead of government efforts to outline new National Defense Program Guidelines and Mid-Term Defense Program by the year-end.

 

It noted that Japan “faces its biggest crisis in the postwar period,” a clear reference to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and China's growing maritime presence in the region.

 

The introduction of an aircraft carrier with multiple uses would be a valuable boon to Maritime Self-Defense Force operations, officials said.

 

Among other proposals mooted were Japan gaining the capability to attack missile bases in hostile countries and to possess cruise missiles.

 

[JasonJ]

Izumo > Liaoning

[JasonJ]

Japan and the Philippines make agreement on transfer of spare helicopter parts.

 

 

During his vist to Singapore on the 2nd, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera held talks with Defense Minister Lorenzana of the Philippines and made an agreement on a transfer grant of JGSDF multi-purpose helicopter (UH-1H) parts to the Philippine Air Force. The aim to support the improvement of the Philippine Air Force serves as a check to China's militarization of the South China Sea.

 

The UH-1H is a model that has already retired from the Self-Defense Force. The Philippine Air Force uses them for things like observing over waters. Parts that can still be used such as engines and bearings will be handed over later in the year. Because the parts can also be used as civilian parts, the approval from the National Security Counsel (NSC) on the basis of The Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology is not needed.

 

The Defense Ministry already has a history of granting JMSDF TC-90s to the Philippine Air Force.

 

 

【シンガポール＝加藤晶也】小野寺五典防衛相は２日、訪問先のシンガポールでフィリピンのロレンザーナ国防相と会談し、陸上自衛隊の多用途ヘリコプター「ＵＨ１Ｈ」の部品をフィリピン空軍に無償譲渡すると合意した。フィリピン軍の能力向上を支援し、南シナ海の軍事拠点化を進める中国をけん制する狙いがある。

　ＵＨ１Ｈはすでに自衛隊で退役した機種。フィリピン空軍は海上監視などに使用している。エンジンやベアリングなど、まだ使用できる部品を年内にも引き渡す。民生品としても使える部品のため、防衛装備移転三原則に基づく国家安全保障会議（ＮＳＣ）での承認は必要ない。

　防衛省はすでにフィリピン海軍に海上自衛隊のＴＣ90を無償譲渡した実績がある。

 

https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO31305730S8A600C1EA3000/

[Nobu]

Nothing fills Japan and Japanese with more rage than the thought of Chinese having as much of anything as they, nevermind more or better. I once received fairly severe backlash for telling one of my Chinese classmates in grade school about a small, good Japanese restaurant in the area owned by a friend of my father's. She took my well-intentioned recommendation to heart and convinced her parents to bring her there for dinner.

 

A few weeks later, my father relayed the essence of a recent conversation he had with his friend the owner: "Why is your son telling Chinese people to come to my restaurant?"

[JasonJ]

Nothing fills Japan and Japanese with more rage than the thought of Chinese having as much of anything as they, nevermind more or better. I once received fairly severe backlash for telling one of my Chinese classmates in grade school about a small, good Japanese restaurant in the area owned by a friend of my father's. She took my well-intentioned recommendation to heart and convinced her parents to bring her there for dinner.

 

A few weeks later, my father relayed the essence of a recent conversation he had with his friend the owner: "Why is your son telling Chinese people to come to my restaurant?"

 

Well.. in Osaka, there are many tourists from many places in some parts such as the shopping area in Namba. Filipinos, Koreans, Chinese, English speakers, or some other European flavor. The noisiest tourists I have seen were speaking Chinese. Doesn't mean that Chinese tourists are all noisy. But some give a sense of me me me. I think it partly comes from gorwing up in the PRC where they fight for themselves. It will naturally not fit in well with Japanese culture, one of the least me me me (for lack of a better term) kind of culture mentality, AFAIK. I have seen a fairly quickness to bring up Japanese war time atrocities during discourse on a few occasions. But aside from that, part of it is just plain racism though from old people. Well some from younger too probably but in a none deep way because of cultural differences. Chinese can come off as rude, but Japanese culture in the eyes of many people from other countries is overly polite. Sometimes the westerner just "wants them to be more direct". So different flavors of the racism. The genuine one from old people and the light one that is really just out of differences. Granted, I'll add that many Chinese people are very hard working and can be very committed partners. And even if there are Chinese that hate Japan, they don't go doing things like shouting "Allahu Akbar!" in the streets of Japan trying to kill people.

 

The general sentiment of racism does drive away good people and capable people. All nationalities have them. Part of the problems that come from Chinese people is the CCP government though. Today's geopolitical situation is going to be a driving force of the two not liking each other and it is the CCP side that doesn't have the elections, doesn't have the free internet, doesn't have the freedom of speech, and etc. So I have difficult in finding much blame on the Japanese side for this divide.

 

But going back to individuals, naturally there are going to be naturally born intellectuals, some good thinkers. Those people give could inspire people to learn Chinese. If those people had greater capacity and to not be so held back, China could really be an intellectual center. I think the limits that the CCP government has on China is so much that it is really hard for some to imagine. I spend time listening to many talking heads on CSIS or similar programs on the Japanese side. Any Chinese sort of program would be interesting.. if the premise that they would be speaking from isn't so out of place such as the claim on the 9 dash line, claim on Senkaku islands, etc.

 

It should be considered that there is a Chinese, name being Shi Ping, in the circle of Japanese right wingers, writing lots of books and talking a lot. Born in PRC, went to Peking University in 1980 and studied philosophy, graduated in 1984, went to study abroad in Japan in 1988, so during his time abroad, the 1989 Tianamen Square massacre occurred, and really damaged his feelings for China (well its government anyway) and saw greater preservation of things that are Chinese in Japan even. An example that strikes closer to the US is of course Liu Xiaobo, who was in the US during the Tienamen Square demonstrations, flew back to China to help there, got jailed for it, continued writing despite being tracked and followed, jailed more, and is now dead.

 

Well anyway back to Shi Ping, if I had time, I would go into his books, sort on the to do list.. lots of books to read, and my Japanese is still not quite at the same speed of English reading yet, but in time perhaps. But here he is with big time right winger Hyakuta Naoki in the same book published just last year; https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%95%99%E3%81%88%E3%81%A6%E7%9F%B3%E5%B9%B3%E3%81%95%E3%82%93%E3%80%82%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E3%81%AF%E3%82%82%E3%81%86%E3%81%99%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AB%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD%E3%81%AB%E3%81%AE%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A8%E3%82%89%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%82%8B%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A6%E6%9C%AC%E5%BD%93%E3%81%A7%E3%81%99%E3%81%8B-SB%E6%96%B0%E6%9B%B8-%E7%9F%B3-%E5%B9%B3/dp/4797392924

 

So being a racists simpleton would drive even people like Shi Ping away, and that would be a major loss for Japanese. But honestly, I don't think that many Japanese people are like that. They are naturally suspicious on early stages of contact. But genuine good relations can be established after passing that stage.

 

Also, for China to be held by a government like the CCP is a tragedy in my view. Sometimes people want to strike a middle ground and only offend the extreme viewpoints. But the CCP government exists as an extreme but people take it as a normalized middle ground because the dealings with CCP China has become normalized, or at least until recently (things do seem to have started steering away from a normalized relation internationally). So whenever someone tries to speak out of a sense of empathy for China, they really end up neglecting the free thinkers caught and chained by the CCP government which isn't the speakers intnetion. I guess I should still add that the tight control helped enabled China's raise. Lots of free thinking people (smart and dumb) would probably be less coordinated and so less growth rate. But that doesn't mean that steady growth couldn't still be obtained. Hard work and the natural flexes of open market economics should still enable a good economic raise for China under looser control.

[JasonJ]

US Pacific Command changes to US Indo-Pacific Command. Some details about Malabar 2018.

The U.S. Navy is hosting naval forces from India and Japan in Guam for the annual Malabar Exercise, set to start Thursday in the Philippine Sea.

 

This is the first year Guam is hosting the annual exercise in which participants will practice surface and anti-submarine warfare operations, combined carrier strike group operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, and visit, board, search, and seizure operations, according to a Navy statement.

 

The Malabar 2018 exercise represents the U.S. commitment to working with regional powers in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, Secretary of Defense James Mattis said last week when he unveiled the new name of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command at a ceremony welcoming Adm. Phil Davidson in his new role taking the helm of that combatant command.

 

“In recognition of the increasing connectivity, the Indian and Pacific Oceans, today we rename the U.S. Pacific Command to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Over many decades, this command has repeatedly adapted to changing circumstance, and today carries that legacy forward as America focuses west,” Mattis said at the ceremony.

 

While not mentioned in any public statements released by the Malabar participants, the recent activities of China, notably its program of building artificial islands in the South China Sea and sending submarines into the Indian Ocean, loom over the exercise.

 

So far this year, Chinese government officials have remained quiet about the upcoming exercise. Before last year’s Malabar, though, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said the country had no objection to cooperation among countries but that “we hope such relations and cooperation are not targeted at a third party and are conducive to regional peace and stability,” according to an English translation of the briefing released by the Foreign Ministry.

 

Yet behind the scenes, Chinese officials are suspected of expressing more concern over the exercise. In January, Australian officials sounded hopeful their naval forces would be invited to rejoin the Malabar exercise, according to Australian media reports. But the Australians, who have participated in past iterations of the Malabar exercise, were ultimately not invited. Commentators in both India and Australia suspect China pressured the Indian government to not invite Australia.

 

The U.S. Navy forces participating in Malabar include Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and its carrier air wing, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers USS Antietam (CG-54) and USS Chancellorsville (CG-62), and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Benfold (DDG-65) and USS Mustin (DDG-89).

 

India is sending two indigenously designed and built ships, the multi-purpose stealth frigate INS Sahyadri (F-49) and anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kamorta (P-28), as well as its fleet tanker INS Shakti (A-57).

 

The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force is sending Hyuga-class helicopter carrier JS Ise (DDH-182), Takanami-class destroyer JS Suzunami (DD-114), and Akizuki-class destroyer JS Fuyuzuki (DD-118).

https://news.usni.org/2018/06/06/u-s-india-japan-navies-start-malabar-exercise-on-thursday

[JasonJ]

Reclamation work for the new Henoko base at Okinawa to begin in August.

 

 

 

Work to place soil and sand in waters off a coastal area of Okinawa for a facility to replace a US Marine base may start in mid-August.

Since April of last year, the Defense Ministry's Okinawa Regional Bureau has been building 7 seawalls around the site, off the coastal district of Henoko in the city of Nago.

Ministry officials say they are planning to start connecting the 7 seawalls in early July, and begin placing soil and sand inside the walls in mid-August.

V-shaped runways are planned for the site. They are intended to replace US Marine Corps Futenma Air Station, which is located in a densely populated area of the city of Ginowan.

Next week, the regional bureau intends to notify the Okinawa Prefectural Government of the work schedule and other details of the plan to cover a 7-hectare offshore area.

The bureau initially hoped to start filling in the area with soil and sand in July. But work was slowed by concerns about the possible impact on a rare species of coral near the site.

Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga has been trying to block the base relocation. He says he will withdraw his predecessor's approval of the reclamation work.

In 1996, the governments of Japan and the United States agreed to close the Futenma air station once alternative facilities became available.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180607_36/

 

To add, the election for the Okinawa governor is coming up in the fall IIRC. LDP has it sights of having a candidate beating the current anti-base governor Onaga.