by MIKE YEO Not exactly unexpected news, but a senior officer with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has said that China will have more than one aircraft carrier, and its next aircraft carrier(s) will be larger and carry more aircraft, including more fighters. China has recently completed the refurbishment of the Liaoning, a...
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South Korea and US Agree to Two Year Extension of Nuclear Cooperation Agreement
South Korea hopes to negotiate a revised document allowing domestic uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.
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Shukan Bunshun: Who is Responsible for PLAN Radar Lock-On Incident?
From the Japanese weekly magazine “Shukan Bunshun“; February 21, 2013; By Satoshi Tomizaka. Translation by a JSW/ASW pal. (Regarding this incident here.) Who is responsible for the Chinese Navy’s radiation of Fire Control Radar (FCR)? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs broke their silence on 8 February and released a statement in countering Japan’s accusation...
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Will South Korea Ever Choose an FX-III Fighter?
One year later, South Korea still finds itself weighing options for a 60-plane order between Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle, Lockheed Martin's F-35, and EADS' Eurofighter
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Japanese Media: Taiwan-Japan Fishing Deal Strategically Significant
Following on from Michal Thim’s ASW post, which contains the details of the deal, the Japanese media reaction has been illuminating, and it appears to be the number one story alongside North Korean missiles on most Japanese news sites. Something appeared to be stirring in late March when it was reported in the Japanese media...
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Senkaku Breakthrough: Taiwan and Japan agree on fishing rights
Japan and Taiwan have signed a ground-breaking agreement on fishing rights that leaves China isolated in the territorial dispute over Senkaku/Diaoyutai islands. According to Taipei Times, major elements of the agreement are: intervention-free fishing zone for Taiwanese fishing boats in waters between 27° north latitude and the Sakishima Islands, Okinawa Prefecture; furthermore, Taiwan is given...
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More joy for the F-35 in Asia?
The article below is a guest post by Mike Yeo, an aviation enthusiast and Singaporean photographer specializing in photography of aviation subjects. You can check out his portfolio here. We have recruited a number of talented and enthusiastic writers like Mike to revitalize Asia Security Watch over the coming year, so keep an eye out over the...
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Taiwan’s Defence Policy under Ma Ying-jeou
Since the 1990s each ROC President has played an important role in shaping Taiwan’s defence strategy, a process that reflects differences in their cross-Strait policies, the mind-set of other important policy makers, and the growing challenge from all branches of the Peoples Liberation Army. Lee Teng-hui’s administrations introduced the concept of “effective deterrence and resolute...
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Porcupine’s Spines: Taiwan’s Indigenous Missile Program
The fundamentally transformed strategic environment in Asia has forced policy planners in Taipei, and domestic and foreign experts, to explore innovative defense options that reflect the growing asymmetry—both qualitative and quantitative—between Taiwan and China. The need to “go asymmetrical” is firmly reflected in the first Quadrennial Defense Review, released in 2009, and will likely be reiterated...
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Japanese Media Now Openly Talking about Japan-Australia Soryu Deal
Today the Nikkei featured an article (日) that raised once again the possibility of Japan transferring the technology underpinning the prized Soryu submarine to Australia. The article did not offer much additional detail about how the process from here is likely to unfold, although it did frame the technology transfer as part of a supposedly mutual...
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