DefenceTalkRussia has deployed hundreds of troops for drills in Central Asia with its ex-Soviet allies in a show of force as anxiety grows over a surge in fighting in neighbouring Afghanistan. Around 2,500 personnel from the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) are taking part in joint exercises due to run to Wednesday in Tajikistan. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-flexes-central-asia-military-might-amid-afghan-fears-64235/

DefenceTalkThe US military might deploy warships and surveillance aircraft near artificial islands being built by China to challenge Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, officials said Wednesday. But the US officials acknowledge such a move may fail to halt Beijing’s massive land reclamation effort, recently dubbed China’s “great wall of sand” by an […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-weighs-moves-to-counter-chinas-wall-of-sand-64201/

DefenceTalkThe United States on Friday swiftly rejected a suggestion by a top Chinese military official who said that disputed South China Sea islands could be used for international rescue and relief operations. Beijing has been roundly criticized by the West for construction work on islands in the South China Sea, including the building of an […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-rejects-chinas-offer-over-disputed-islands-64082/

DefenceTalkBeijing is poised to take “de facto control” of the South China Sea, the Philippines warned Sunday, but its call for a robust Southeast Asian response at a regional summit was shot down. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei claim parts of the strategic body of water, but Beijing claims nearly all of it, and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-poised-to-take-de-facto-control-of-south-china-sea-philippines-63994/

DefenceTalkNew satellite imagery shows the extent of China’s construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea. Fiery Cross Reef could soon serve as a military-grade runway in the middle of the ocean. And despite its own military presence in the region, US officials are in panic. Dredging sand from the seafloor, the Chinese government […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-shocks-us-with-unbelievable-progress-of-airstrip-in-south-china-sea-63920/

DefenceTalkA recent report from the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) has confirmed the Chinese government’s own claims that “the newest class, the LUYANG III, destroyer is fitted with the new vertically-launched YJ-18 ASCM [anti-ship cruise missile].” The revelations about the the YJ-18 — a latest generation supersonic ASCM — are one of the major takeaways […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chinas-yj-18-missiles-a-major-threat-to-us-navy-63878/

DefenceTalkSince our last publication in 2009, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA(N)) has made significant strides in operationalizing as well as modernizing its force. Although the PLA(N)’s primary focus remains in the East Asia region, where China faces multiple disputes over the sovereignty of various maritime features and associated maritime rights, in recent years, the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/the-pla-navy-new-capabilities-and-missions-for-the-21st-century-63825/

DefenceTalkThe United States is “deeply concerned” by some of China’s behavior but the top world powers do not need to be adversaries, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Monday as he prepared to head to Asia for key talks with regional allies. Speaking at Arizona State University before a trip aimed at underscoring President Barack […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-concerned-by-china-but-not-adversary-pentagon-chief-63737/

DefenceTalkChina dismissed Japanese concerns about its defence spending as “ridiculous” on Thursday after Tokyo commissioned its biggest-ever helicopter carrier. Both sides are boosting their military budgets as they grow increasingly wary of each other’s ambitions in the Asia-Pacific region, facing off over a maritime territorial dispute and how to interpret Japan’s motivations and actions during […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-hits-out-at-japan-over-defence-spending-worries-63666/

DefenceTalkRussia on March 24 warned the United States against sending a ballistic missile defence system to South Korea, saying it could threaten regional security. Washington says it wants to deploy the system, known as THAAD, to South Korea as a deterrent to military provocation by North Korea. “Such a development cannot but cause concern about […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-warns-us-against-sending-missile-defence-to-south-korea-63627/