Tag Archives: East China Sea

China's Coast Guard Enforcing Its Blue Water Territorial Expansion

China’s Coast Guard Enforcing Its Blue Water Territorial Expansion

Chinese Coast Guard vessel

CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, this post has been updated to change the attribution of opinions in several paragraphs from RAND’s Jeffrey Hornung to CSIS’ Greg Poling.

The rapid expansion of China’s Coast Guard gives Beijing the means to shift its sea expansion aims from aspirational to operational, a panel of security experts concurred during a Monday event detailing China’s maritime ambitions. Read More

Amphibious Ops, Air Defense Key in Philippines Exercise With U.S., Japanese Forces

Amphibious Ops, Air Defense Key in Philippines Exercise With U.S., Japanese Forces

Marine Lance Cpl. David Lancheros shares his knowledge about the engagement process of a FIM-92 stinger missile with Philippine Airman 2nd class Sherwin Faoeranga during a subject matter expert exchange as part of exercise KAMANDAG 3 at Colonel Ernesto P. Ravina Air Base, Philippines on Oct. 9, 2019. US Marine Corps Photo

U.S. Marines are sharpening their amphibious skills right alongside amphibious assault vehicle crews of Philippine Marines and Japanese sea soldiers in a series of exercises that aim to tighten cooperation between the three nations. Read More

Cutter Bertholf's Indo-Pac Deployment Highlighted Coast Guard's National Security Role

Cutter Bertholf’s Indo-Pac Deployment Highlighted Coast Guard’s National Security Role

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750), left, moves in formation with the Philippine Coast Guard vessels Batangas, center, and Kalanggaman during an exercise May 14, 2019. Bertholf is in the midst of a Western Pacific patrol under the tactical control of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet. US Coast Guard photo.

On its recent Indo-Pacific patrols, the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Bertholf (WSML-750) thwarted illegal oil and coal shipments that violated of U.N. Security Council sanctions against North Korea, transited the Strait of Taiwan amid condemnation from China and worked with U.S. allies to bolster their own coast guard forces. Read More

Former Navy Intel Officer: Chinese Navy 'Very Competent,' Getting Better

Former Navy Intel Officer: Chinese Navy ‘Very Competent,’ Getting Better

Chinese sailors watch a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warship pull into Djibouti. Xinhua Photo

Due to an editing error, a previous version of this post stated the incorrect size of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, according to James Fanell. The Chinese are on pace to reach 450 surface ships and 110 submarines by 2030, according to Fanell’s data. Those totals are not the current fleet size.

China’s rise as a naval power goes well beyond its growing number of ships and submarines but the People’s Liberation Army Navy growing capability to operate jointly with the Chinese air force and rocket corps, a maritime intelligence expert said Tuesday. Read More

Trump Heading to Tokyo to Talk Cybersecurity, Regional Threats

Trump Heading to Tokyo to Talk Cybersecurity, Regional Threats

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Aug. 18, 2017. DoD Photo

President Donald Trump will head to Tokyo later this month to discuss how to resume stalled denuclearization talks with North Korea, work more jointly on cybersecurity with the Japanese and build upon his meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in resolving trade issues between the two nations. Read More

Japanese Amphibious Soldiers Hit the Beach in the Philippines with U.S. Marines, 7th Fleet

Japanese Amphibious Soldiers Hit the Beach in the Philippines with U.S. Marines, 7th Fleet

Soldiers from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) and Marines, attached to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), stand by in the well deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48) Oct. 9, 2018. US Navy Photo

It was no ordinary beach assault when troops took off on amphibious assault vehicles from a U.S. Navy ship and raced ashore in a training exercise with U.S. Marines. Read More

PACOM Harris: U.S. Would Ignore A ‘Destabilizing’ Chinese South China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone

PACOM Harris: U.S. Would Ignore A ‘Destabilizing’ Chinese South China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone

U.S. Pacific Command commander Adm. Harry Harris on Feb. 25, 2016 addressing reporters in the Pentagon. DoD News Image

U.S. Pacific Command commander Adm. Harry Harris on Feb. 25, 2016 addressing reporters in the Pentagon. DoD News Image

A Chinese Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea would ratchet up regional tensions and be ignored by U.S. forces, said the head of the U.S. military forces in the Pacific during a press conference at the Pentagon on Thursday. Read More