Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin Photo
Two forms of nationalism — one seeing Moscow as the centerpiece of a Eurasian civilization, different from the West and the other defining itself as ethnically Russian — are shaping political discussion inside and outside the Kremlin and influencing actions far away from its borders, two experts on Russia said Wednesday. Read More
An aerial photo taken on Sept. 25, 2015 from a seaplane of Hainan Maritime Safety Administration shows cruise vessel Haixun 1103 heading to the Yacheng 13-1 drilling rig during a patrol in South China Sea. Xinhua Photo
China has made clear that it refuses to accept an international arbitration panel’s ruling against its territorial claims in the South China Sea, but whether that stance leads to increased military tensions between Beijing and the United States or opens the door for broader negotiations is an open question. Read More
China’s Ambassador to U.S. Cui Tiankai in 2012. USDA Photo
The Chinese ambassador to the United States said Tuesday’s ruling against Beijing in its dispute with the Philippines by an international tribunal was “a clear attempt use legal instruments for political purposes” and has “taken place with military coercion” as a backdrop. Read More
A naval soldier of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) views through a pair of binoculars onboard China’s first aircraft carrier Liaoning as it visits a military harbour on the South China Sea. Xinhua Photo
Long before Tuesday’s ruling by an international arbitration panel against it, China has been moving toward turning an international waterway such as the South China Sea “into a Caribbean” where Beijing exerts its peacetime dominance, a leading Japanese defense expert said. Read More
As law enforcement, the intelligence community and the private sector work more closely together to bring cyber attackers to ground, a senior Justice Department official said some nations and terrorist groups are marrying with organized crime to continue stealing what they want. Read More
Military parade in Red Square in Moscow on May 9, 2016. Kremlin Photo
The Soviet Union’s old doctrine was: You deter World War III with nuclear weapons. Now Russia’s new doctrine: Threaten to use nuclear weapons against any major power that may try to block Moscow from having its way in a regional conflict, a specialist in Russian nuclear strategy said on Monday. Read More
Speed of acquiring new technology – rather than lowering cost – is the driving force behind U.S. military acquisition reform, a panel of defense spending experts said Monday. Read More
DoD Photo
Just how the most comprehensive reform law covering the federal government’s largest department needs to be overhauled should start with eliminating the unintended duplication that the Goldwater-Nichols Act created 30 years ago. But where other changes should be made is subject to sharp debate on Capitol Hill, inside the Pentagon and at think-tanks all over Washington. Read More
A stumbling Russian economy does not signal any shift in Kremlin spending less on its military and internal security forces, or the beginning of widespread political upheaval, a leading Moscow economist said Monday. Read More
A Jan. 24, 2016 image of Cuarteron Reef in the South China Sea with what is likely a high frequency radar array. CSIS Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative, DigitalGlobe Image used with permission.
This post has been updated to include additional comments from the Department of Defense.
A possible new Chinese radar installation in the South China Sea could put American and allied stealth aircraft at risk as part of a wider detection network similar to U.S. efforts to find Russian bombers in the Cold War. Read More
