Chinese ships operate off the coast of Japan on May 2, 2022. Japanese MoD Images
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) dispatched an eight-ship carrier group, led by the carrier CNS Liaoning (16) and accompanied by five destroyers, a frigate and a replenishment ship, into the Pacific Ocean via transit of the Miyako Strait Monday, marking the first time since December 2021 that the carrier has operated in the area. Read More
Soldiers from the 1st Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) conduct individual and small-unit maneuver exercises during Iron Fist at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, February 6, 2019. US Marine Corps Photo
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presented its national security strategy proposals Wednesday to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, calling to increase in Japan’s defense budget to 2 percent or more of GDP along with the development of “counterattack” capabilities able to strike at not only at missile launch sites but also the command and control capabilities of the opposing nation which would serve as both a pre-emptive measure and deterrence capability for Japan. Read More
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) on April 12, 2022 in the Sea of Japan. US Navy Photo
The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force ships are drilling in the Sea of Japan, U.S. 7th Fleet announced. Read More
Operations Specialist 2nd Class Nicholas Gonzales, from Lotulla, Texas, stands port lookout watch as the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) pulls into Manila bay, Philippines, for a port visit on March 25, 2022. US Navy Photo
Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) is on a Manila port visit in Manila after operating in the South China Sea while Expeditionary Support Base USS Miguel Keith (ESB-6) is in the Philippines for the upcoming U.S-Philippines joint exercise Balikatan 2022, while U.S destroyers conducted firing exercises in the Philippine Sea on Thursday. Read More
Chinese sailors at the People’s Liberation Army Navy base in Djibouti in 2019. Xinhua Photo
This post has been updated to correct where Russian mercenaries have been operating in Africa.
China’s ambitions in Africa are long-term and range from power plants and port investment to new military bases, but Russia, through its use of mercenaries like the Wagner Group, is propping up autocratic regimes and strives for immediate influence across the continent from Libya to Central Africa, the Pentagon’s top commander for the continent said Tuesday. Read More
The following is the March 8, 2021, Congressional Research Service Report, China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities—Background and Issues for Congress. Read More
An F-35C Lightning II, assigned to the ‘Argonauts’ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, launches off the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on Jan. 14, 2022. US Navy Photo
ABOARD AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS CARL VINSON, OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA – USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) pulled into its homeport of San Diego, Calif., on Monday after a six-and-a-half month deployment that saw the carrier operating exclusively in the Indo-Pacific region. Read More
Landing Helicopter Dock HMAS Adelaide sits alongside Nuku’alofa to deliver humanitarian stores and medical supplies as part of OP TONGA ASSIST 22. Australian Defence Department Photo
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Landing helicopter dock HMAS Adelaide (L01), currently engaged in humanitarian and disaster relief operations in Tonga, has suffered a power outrage, the Australian Department of Defence confirmed today. Read More
March 27, 2020 image of a Chinese Installation on Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea. Maxar Image
The State Department’s “Limits in the Seas” is the legal underpinning for Washington to debunk China’s extensive maritime claims in the South China Sea, department officials said. Read More
Russian Navy guided-missile destroyer Admiral Tributs in the Indian Ocean. Russian Navy Photo
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The Russian Navy will conduct a series of exercises in the next few months with all of its fleet commands throughout their respective areas of operations, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday. Read More
