Heck you take a Horten and add "open source" materials and techniques and voila you too can have a "stealth" bomber....
Last edited:
ALERT The Winds of War Blow in Korea and The Far East
- Thread starter northern watch
- Start date
Heck you take a Horten and add "open source" materials and techniques and voila you too can have a "stealth" bomber....
jward
passin' thru
N.Korea's Kim calls for boosting military power -KCNA
Reuters
1-2 minutes
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a plenary meeting of the Workers' Party central committee in Pyongyang, North Korea in this photo supplied by North Korea's Central News Agency (KCNA) on February 10, 2021. KCNA via REUTERS
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un chaired a Central Military Commission meeting, state media KCNA said on Saturday, where he called for boosting military power, but KCNA did not have details of any military activities planned.
The meeting on Friday called for a "high-alert posture" against the "recent fast-changing" situation on the Korean Peninsula, said KCNA, adding that it also addressed organizational issue of dismissing, transferring and newly appointing some military officers.
Kim discussed "important tasks" to make "a fresh turn in the overall work of national defence," KCNA said without elaborating on details.
North Korea's plenary meeting of the ruling party's Central Committee is planned for later in June. read more
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/7GRFWZC7FRMD3BS7A7WLTD7IXQ.jpg)
www.reuters.com
Reuters
1-2 minutes
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a plenary meeting of the Workers' Party central committee in Pyongyang, North Korea in this photo supplied by North Korea's Central News Agency (KCNA) on February 10, 2021. KCNA via REUTERS
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un chaired a Central Military Commission meeting, state media KCNA said on Saturday, where he called for boosting military power, but KCNA did not have details of any military activities planned.
The meeting on Friday called for a "high-alert posture" against the "recent fast-changing" situation on the Korean Peninsula, said KCNA, adding that it also addressed organizational issue of dismissing, transferring and newly appointing some military officers.
Kim discussed "important tasks" to make "a fresh turn in the overall work of national defence," KCNA said without elaborating on details.
North Korea's plenary meeting of the ruling party's Central Committee is planned for later in June. read more
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
N.Korea's Kim calls for boosting military power -KCNA
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un chaired a Central Military Commission meeting, state media KCNA said on Saturday, where he called for boosting military power, but KCNA did not have details of any military activities planned.
www.reuters.com
jward
passin' thru
hmm
Indo-Pacific News - Watching the CCP-China Threat
@IndoPac_Info
#US defence attaché was denied full access to #Cambodia naval base during visit This just days after Washington expressed concern about #China's military activities at the base.
View: https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1403586360787628032?s=20
Indo-Pacific News - Watching the CCP-China Threat
@IndoPac_Info
#US defence attaché was denied full access to #Cambodia naval base during visit This just days after Washington expressed concern about #China's military activities at the base.
View: https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1403586360787628032?s=20
northern watch
TB Fanatic
Australia Seeks More U.S. Marines, Warships, and Bases to Enhance Alliance
CPL Matthew Bickerton/ADF
SIMON KENT
Breitbart Asia
10 June 2021
Canberra is offering the U.S. the chance to base more marines and warships in Australia, with Defence Minister Peter Dutton declaring Thursday he wants greater military cooperation with the country’s closest ally as China works to boost its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
ABC News reports the push is based on a proposal to form a new joint U.S. marines and Australian Defence Force (ADF) training brigade based in the northern city of Darwin.
If established, the joint brigade would be the first of its kind for Australia and would likely involve a rotating command with the United States.
Dutton agreed there was scope to increase the size of the existing U.S. marine rotational force in Darwin from its pre-coronavirus level of 2,500, and to base U.S. Navy warships at HMAS Stirling near Perth, Western Australia.
The diplomatic push by Australia comes after it announced last November it will join Japan in a regional defense pact designed to strengthen their combined standing against Beijing’s increasingly belligerent foreign policy moves, as Breitbart News reported.
In his first major policy speech since taking over the defence portfolio, Dutton declared Australia’s security depended on closer military ties with its U.S. ally.
“I think that is in our own security interest, and I think it is in the interest of the U.S. as well,” he said. “In terms of composition and numbers and what it might look like, I will leave that for another day.
“But there is a desire by us to see a further strengthening of that relationship and that engagement.”
Speaking to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), Dutton also addressed the question of how Australia should navigate its relationship with China.
“We have a respectful relationship with China from our own perspective. We are a peaceful nation, we seek to support our neighbours particularly in a time of need, and we have a need for that in response,” he said.
The joint diplomatic efforts striving to bring Washington and Canberra even closer is seen as a crucial counterbalance to Beijing’s military which has expanded and advanced rapidly in recent years in both the Indian and Pacific oceans.
China is developing aircraft carrier strike groups and missile systems, fortified several islets in the South China Sea, launched almost continuous exercises around Taiwan and sought to crush Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.
Australians have fought alongside Americans in every major U.S. military action of the last century, including World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Somalia, East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq.
The two countries first came together under unified command at the Battle of Hamel in France in July, 1918 led by Australian General John Monash.
Australia remains one of the largest importers of U.S. arms (of both commercial and government origin) in the world, and in the past month alone the U.S. State Department has approved three potential arms deals for its ally totalling $6.8 billion.
This is destined to provide the ADF with 160 new Abram M1A1 tank structures and more air capability including additional Boeing CH-47F cargo helicopters and 29 AH-64E Apache helicopters.
Australia Wants to Host More U.S. Marines, Warships to Enhance Alliance (breitbart.com)
CPL Matthew Bickerton/ADF
SIMON KENT
Breitbart Asia
10 June 2021
Canberra is offering the U.S. the chance to base more marines and warships in Australia, with Defence Minister Peter Dutton declaring Thursday he wants greater military cooperation with the country’s closest ally as China works to boost its presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
ABC News reports the push is based on a proposal to form a new joint U.S. marines and Australian Defence Force (ADF) training brigade based in the northern city of Darwin.
If established, the joint brigade would be the first of its kind for Australia and would likely involve a rotating command with the United States.
Dutton agreed there was scope to increase the size of the existing U.S. marine rotational force in Darwin from its pre-coronavirus level of 2,500, and to base U.S. Navy warships at HMAS Stirling near Perth, Western Australia.
The diplomatic push by Australia comes after it announced last November it will join Japan in a regional defense pact designed to strengthen their combined standing against Beijing’s increasingly belligerent foreign policy moves, as Breitbart News reported.
In his first major policy speech since taking over the defence portfolio, Dutton declared Australia’s security depended on closer military ties with its U.S. ally.
“I think that is in our own security interest, and I think it is in the interest of the U.S. as well,” he said. “In terms of composition and numbers and what it might look like, I will leave that for another day.
“But there is a desire by us to see a further strengthening of that relationship and that engagement.”
Speaking to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), Dutton also addressed the question of how Australia should navigate its relationship with China.
“We have a respectful relationship with China from our own perspective. We are a peaceful nation, we seek to support our neighbours particularly in a time of need, and we have a need for that in response,” he said.
The joint diplomatic efforts striving to bring Washington and Canberra even closer is seen as a crucial counterbalance to Beijing’s military which has expanded and advanced rapidly in recent years in both the Indian and Pacific oceans.
China is developing aircraft carrier strike groups and missile systems, fortified several islets in the South China Sea, launched almost continuous exercises around Taiwan and sought to crush Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.
Australians have fought alongside Americans in every major U.S. military action of the last century, including World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Somalia, East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq.
The two countries first came together under unified command at the Battle of Hamel in France in July, 1918 led by Australian General John Monash.
Australia remains one of the largest importers of U.S. arms (of both commercial and government origin) in the world, and in the past month alone the U.S. State Department has approved three potential arms deals for its ally totalling $6.8 billion.
This is destined to provide the ADF with 160 new Abram M1A1 tank structures and more air capability including additional Boeing CH-47F cargo helicopters and 29 AH-64E Apache helicopters.
Australia Wants to Host More U.S. Marines, Warships to Enhance Alliance (breitbart.com)
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So how many sea going tugs did they bring along?
jward
passin' thru
Indo-Pacific News - Watching the CCP-China Threat
IndoPac_Info
21m
Senator Rubio says #US must fight #China's 'extraterritorial reach,' citing CNN report on #Uyghur deportations "CNN reported a Uyghur man being taken from his pregnant wife in Dubai & extradited to China," Rubio said in his statement to the committee.
View: https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1403930488536854530?s=20
IndoPac_Info
21m
Senator Rubio says #US must fight #China's 'extraterritorial reach,' citing CNN report on #Uyghur deportations "CNN reported a Uyghur man being taken from his pregnant wife in Dubai & extradited to China," Rubio said in his statement to the committee.
View: https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1403930488536854530?s=20
jward
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The Diplomat
@Diplomat_APAC
19m
China’s recent overflight has raised dormant Malaysian fears about the nation’s sovereignty over its Bornean territories.
View: https://twitter.com/Diplomat_APAC/status/1403932642924535811?s=20
@Diplomat_APAC
19m
China’s recent overflight has raised dormant Malaysian fears about the nation’s sovereignty over its Bornean territories.
View: https://twitter.com/Diplomat_APAC/status/1403932642924535811?s=20
jward
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Guy Elster
@guyelster
#BREAKING #China to G7 leaders: The days when smallgroups of countries decided the fate of the world was long gone"
1:04 AM · Jun 13, 2021·Twitter Web App
jward
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zerohedge.com
Top US General Warns China Increasing Military At "Serious And Sustained Rate"
by Tyler Durden
4-5 minutes
By Jack Phillips of The Epoch Times
The top U.S. general warned Thursday that the Chinese regime is increasing its military capacity at a “very serious and sustained rate” and said it could pose a threat to worldwide stability and peace.
Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that it’s necessary the United States “retain our competitive and technological edge” over the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which comes after President Joe Biden and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin raised similar concerns in recent days about the rhetoric coming from the CCP—as the United States and China have remained intransigent over Taiwan, the CCP’s human rights violations, and disputes over territory.
Austin told senators on Thursday that Biden’s defense request of $715 billion is needed to meet the challenge posed by the “increasingly assertive” regime.
“The request is driven by our recognition that our competitors—especially China—continue to advance their capabilities,” Austin said during a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We must out-pace those advances to remain a credible deterrent to conflict around the world.”
Milley also noted that the combined total defense spending by China and Russia is greater than that of the United States, although he did not say how he reached that conclusion during the hearing. But aside from that, China poses the “number one” military threat to the United States, he added.
Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of senators visited Taiwan and said the United States would provide 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to the island nation. It prompted a series of bellicose statements from Chinese officials, including Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, who alleged the United States is “seriously undermining” stability in the region.
Wu then threatened that anyone—without providing names—who dared to “split Taiwan from China” would see a “resolute attack head-on” from the Chinese army. The CCP has long claimed that Taiwan belongs to it, while Taiwan has asserted that it is a sovereign, democratic nation. Because the regime believes Taiwan is part of its territory, it opposes any government or world body from establishing ties with the island nation.
J15 fighter jets on China’s sole operational aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, during a drill at sea in April 2018. (China OUT/AFP via Getty Images)
Milley’s comment comes months after another top U.S. commander, Adm. Philip Davidson, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, warned the same Senate panel that China’s military is threatening U.S. dominance in the Pacific.
“The military balance in the Indo-Pacific is becoming more unfavorable for the United States and our allies,” Davidson said, adding: “Our deterrence posture in the Indo-Pacific must demonstrate the capability, the capacity, and the will to convince Beijing unequivocally the costs of achieving their objectives by the use of military force are simply too high.”
The CCP is also able to project more and more naval power in the Indian Ocean, as well as the Horn of Africa, said Gen. Stephen Townsend, head of the U.S. Africa Command, in mid-April.
“Their first overseas military base, their only one, is in Africa, and they have just expanded that by adding a significant pier that can even support their aircraft carriers in the future. Around the continent, they are looking for other basing opportunities,” Townsend told the House Armed Services Committee at the time.
The Senate on Tuesday passed a nearly $250 billion bill to invest in manufacturing and technology to out-compete with Beijing, which includes some $190 billion in spending. Much of that money will go to research and development at universities and other institutions.
Posted for fair use
www.zerohedge.com
Top US General Warns China Increasing Military At "Serious And Sustained Rate"
by Tyler Durden
4-5 minutes
By Jack Phillips of The Epoch Times
The top U.S. general warned Thursday that the Chinese regime is increasing its military capacity at a “very serious and sustained rate” and said it could pose a threat to worldwide stability and peace.
Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that it’s necessary the United States “retain our competitive and technological edge” over the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which comes after President Joe Biden and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin raised similar concerns in recent days about the rhetoric coming from the CCP—as the United States and China have remained intransigent over Taiwan, the CCP’s human rights violations, and disputes over territory.
Austin told senators on Thursday that Biden’s defense request of $715 billion is needed to meet the challenge posed by the “increasingly assertive” regime.
“The request is driven by our recognition that our competitors—especially China—continue to advance their capabilities,” Austin said during a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We must out-pace those advances to remain a credible deterrent to conflict around the world.”
Milley also noted that the combined total defense spending by China and Russia is greater than that of the United States, although he did not say how he reached that conclusion during the hearing. But aside from that, China poses the “number one” military threat to the United States, he added.
Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of senators visited Taiwan and said the United States would provide 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to the island nation. It prompted a series of bellicose statements from Chinese officials, including Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, who alleged the United States is “seriously undermining” stability in the region.
Wu then threatened that anyone—without providing names—who dared to “split Taiwan from China” would see a “resolute attack head-on” from the Chinese army. The CCP has long claimed that Taiwan belongs to it, while Taiwan has asserted that it is a sovereign, democratic nation. Because the regime believes Taiwan is part of its territory, it opposes any government or world body from establishing ties with the island nation.
J15 fighter jets on China’s sole operational aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, during a drill at sea in April 2018. (China OUT/AFP via Getty Images)
Milley’s comment comes months after another top U.S. commander, Adm. Philip Davidson, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, warned the same Senate panel that China’s military is threatening U.S. dominance in the Pacific.
“The military balance in the Indo-Pacific is becoming more unfavorable for the United States and our allies,” Davidson said, adding: “Our deterrence posture in the Indo-Pacific must demonstrate the capability, the capacity, and the will to convince Beijing unequivocally the costs of achieving their objectives by the use of military force are simply too high.”
The CCP is also able to project more and more naval power in the Indian Ocean, as well as the Horn of Africa, said Gen. Stephen Townsend, head of the U.S. Africa Command, in mid-April.
“Their first overseas military base, their only one, is in Africa, and they have just expanded that by adding a significant pier that can even support their aircraft carriers in the future. Around the continent, they are looking for other basing opportunities,” Townsend told the House Armed Services Committee at the time.
The Senate on Tuesday passed a nearly $250 billion bill to invest in manufacturing and technology to out-compete with Beijing, which includes some $190 billion in spending. Much of that money will go to research and development at universities and other institutions.
Posted for fair use
Zerohedge
ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
www.zerohedge.com
jward
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NK NEWS
@nknewsorg
21m
EXPERT PANEL: Has North Korea changed its views on reunification with South Korea? "The revision points to how North Korea is redirecting its policy toward achieving unification based on its 'strong national defense,'" said
@softpower21
View: https://twitter.com/nknewsorg/status/1404287483454627842?s=20
@nknewsorg
21m
EXPERT PANEL: Has North Korea changed its views on reunification with South Korea? "The revision points to how North Korea is redirecting its policy toward achieving unification based on its 'strong national defense,'" said
@softpower21
View: https://twitter.com/nknewsorg/status/1404287483454627842?s=20
jward
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Indo-Pacific News - Watching the CCP-China Threat
@IndoPac_Info
5m
#Australia defies #China with calls for 2nd investigation into how Covid began amid intensifying Wuhan lab leak fears Scott Morrison wins support from #US & #UK to push back against Beijing's aggression A #WHO probe failed to find out how covid spawned
View: https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1404310752161271816?s=20
@IndoPac_Info
5m
#Australia defies #China with calls for 2nd investigation into how Covid began amid intensifying Wuhan lab leak fears Scott Morrison wins support from #US & #UK to push back against Beijing's aggression A #WHO probe failed to find out how covid spawned
View: https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1404310752161271816?s=20
jward
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Indo-Pacific News - Watching the CCP-China Threat
@IndoPac_Info
#China's rocket forces have been practicing launching 'carrier killer' missiles in the dark during midnight drills China has been conducting midnight exercises to practice launching DF-26 missiles that can strike land and naval targets.
View: https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1404388601891147782?s=20
@IndoPac_Info
#China's rocket forces have been practicing launching 'carrier killer' missiles in the dark during midnight drills China has been conducting midnight exercises to practice launching DF-26 missiles that can strike land and naval targets.
View: https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1404388601891147782?s=20
northern watch
TB Fanatic
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northern watch
TB Fanatic
China Tests ‘Guam Killer’ Missiles
Could strike U.S. carriers in South China Sea
Military vehicles carrying DF-26 ballistic missiles, drive past the Tiananmen Gate during a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two on September 3, 2015 in Beijing, China. / Getty Images
Jack Beyrer
Free Beacon
June 11, 2021 1:30 pm
The Chinese military tested a set of intermediate-range missiles that could strike U.S. aircraft carriers in the South China Sea.
The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force—Considered by experts to be one of the most dangerous branches of the Chinese military—tested the DF-26 missiles on Tuesday, according to Chinese state media. The missiles, which are known as "Guam killers" or "carrier killers" due to their extended range, could threaten the U.S. Navy's ability to respond to crises in the South China Sea.
Col. Jiang Feng, the deputy commander of the brigade that tested the missiles, said the Chinese military conducted the test to ensure it is "able to fight at any time."
"We have been holding night exercises on a regular basis recently, which usually continue until early the next day," Jiang said. "We often change training grounds, striking targets and launch bases without prior notice to test the troops' skills and pave the way for the brigade to fight, and be able to fight at any time."
The advanced weaponry—which have a range of nearly 2,500 miles—can be used to strike naval targets but also have nuclear capabilities. During the Cold War, nuclear treaties between the Soviet Union and the United States prohibited the production of similar missiles.
The missile tests come shortly after the release of the Biden administration's 2022 defense budget request, which pared back the Navy's ability to build up its fleet and procure weapons. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas W. Harker warned in an internal memo, which was leaked on Tuesday, that the budget cuts could constrain the branch's ability to develop missiles, destroyers, submarines, and fighter jets. Republican defense hawks say the constraints could leave the Navy ill-prepared in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
China Tests ‘Guam Killer’ Missiles (freebeacon.com)
Could strike U.S. carriers in South China Sea
Military vehicles carrying DF-26 ballistic missiles, drive past the Tiananmen Gate during a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two on September 3, 2015 in Beijing, China. / Getty Images
Jack Beyrer
Free Beacon
June 11, 2021 1:30 pm
The Chinese military tested a set of intermediate-range missiles that could strike U.S. aircraft carriers in the South China Sea.
The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force—Considered by experts to be one of the most dangerous branches of the Chinese military—tested the DF-26 missiles on Tuesday, according to Chinese state media. The missiles, which are known as "Guam killers" or "carrier killers" due to their extended range, could threaten the U.S. Navy's ability to respond to crises in the South China Sea.
Col. Jiang Feng, the deputy commander of the brigade that tested the missiles, said the Chinese military conducted the test to ensure it is "able to fight at any time."
"We have been holding night exercises on a regular basis recently, which usually continue until early the next day," Jiang said. "We often change training grounds, striking targets and launch bases without prior notice to test the troops' skills and pave the way for the brigade to fight, and be able to fight at any time."
The advanced weaponry—which have a range of nearly 2,500 miles—can be used to strike naval targets but also have nuclear capabilities. During the Cold War, nuclear treaties between the Soviet Union and the United States prohibited the production of similar missiles.
The missile tests come shortly after the release of the Biden administration's 2022 defense budget request, which pared back the Navy's ability to build up its fleet and procure weapons. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas W. Harker warned in an internal memo, which was leaked on Tuesday, that the budget cuts could constrain the branch's ability to develop missiles, destroyers, submarines, and fighter jets. Republican defense hawks say the constraints could leave the Navy ill-prepared in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
China Tests ‘Guam Killer’ Missiles (freebeacon.com)
northern watch
TB Fanatic
Report: China Expands Nuclear Weapons Arsenal
Beijing moves ahead with nuclear weapons buildup, potentially outpacing the United States
Military vehicles carrying DF-26 ballistic missiles, drive past the Tiananmen Gate during a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two on September 3, 2015 in Beijing, China. / Getty Images
Jack Beyrer
Free Beacon
June 14, 2021 3:00 pm
China is expanding its nuclear arsenal as tensions with the United States escalate, according to a report.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a Swedish think tank, reported Monday that Beijing’s nuclear warhead stockpile increased from 320 in 2020 to 350 in 2021. China’s missile buildup comes as its overall defense budget increases rapidly, while its relations with the United States struggle. The People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, the Chinese military’s nuclear program, is considered among the most advanced and lethal components of Beijing’s military.
The 2022 Chinese defense budget marks a 7 percent hike in known spending—which does not include covert spending through civil-military fusion, a process where Chinese companies share technology and research tools with the Chinese military. The Biden administration, however, has planned for a "flat" Pentagon budget.
In June, China conducted tests of advanced "Guam killer" missiles, which have nuclear capabilities. U.S. Strategic Command chief Admiral Charles Richard in April warned that China and Russia are outpacing the United States in nuclear weapons construction. And Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) questioned senior military leaders in March who confirmed China could reach "nuclear overmatch" with the United States in the next decade. China has resisted arms control talks with the Biden administration, raising security risks.
As China forges ahead with investments in nuclear weapons, the Biden administration has signaled a different approach. Possible constraints on future defense spending forced the acting secretary of the Navy to issue a memo that called for cutting funding for sea-launched nuclear cruise missiles. Republican hawks blasted the memo, saying the cuts were "bewildering and short-sighted."
The Biden administration has said it will initiate a nuclear posture review, and the Pentagon announced on June 11 that China’s nuclear rise presents a serious concern. In March, House Republicans pressed the White House to act quickly in upgrading U.S. nuclear weapons technology.
Report: China Expands Nuclear Weapons Arsenal (freebeacon.com)
Beijing moves ahead with nuclear weapons buildup, potentially outpacing the United States
Military vehicles carrying DF-26 ballistic missiles, drive past the Tiananmen Gate during a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two on September 3, 2015 in Beijing, China. / Getty Images
Jack Beyrer
Free Beacon
June 14, 2021 3:00 pm
China is expanding its nuclear arsenal as tensions with the United States escalate, according to a report.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a Swedish think tank, reported Monday that Beijing’s nuclear warhead stockpile increased from 320 in 2020 to 350 in 2021. China’s missile buildup comes as its overall defense budget increases rapidly, while its relations with the United States struggle. The People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, the Chinese military’s nuclear program, is considered among the most advanced and lethal components of Beijing’s military.
The 2022 Chinese defense budget marks a 7 percent hike in known spending—which does not include covert spending through civil-military fusion, a process where Chinese companies share technology and research tools with the Chinese military. The Biden administration, however, has planned for a "flat" Pentagon budget.
In June, China conducted tests of advanced "Guam killer" missiles, which have nuclear capabilities. U.S. Strategic Command chief Admiral Charles Richard in April warned that China and Russia are outpacing the United States in nuclear weapons construction. And Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) questioned senior military leaders in March who confirmed China could reach "nuclear overmatch" with the United States in the next decade. China has resisted arms control talks with the Biden administration, raising security risks.
As China forges ahead with investments in nuclear weapons, the Biden administration has signaled a different approach. Possible constraints on future defense spending forced the acting secretary of the Navy to issue a memo that called for cutting funding for sea-launched nuclear cruise missiles. Republican hawks blasted the memo, saying the cuts were "bewildering and short-sighted."
The Biden administration has said it will initiate a nuclear posture review, and the Pentagon announced on June 11 that China’s nuclear rise presents a serious concern. In March, House Republicans pressed the White House to act quickly in upgrading U.S. nuclear weapons technology.
Report: China Expands Nuclear Weapons Arsenal (freebeacon.com)
jward
passin' thru
Dmitri Trenin
@DmitriTrenin
#NATO summit’s most important takeaway is formally including #China in Transatlantic threat menu.Biden is consistent in building coalitions against main challenger to US power. Essentially,this is 1st serious move toward giving NATO global reach.
2:17 PM · Jun 14, 2021 from Sergiyev Posad, Russia·Twitter for iPhone
@DmitriTrenin
#NATO summit’s most important takeaway is formally including #China in Transatlantic threat menu.Biden is consistent in building coalitions against main challenger to US power. Essentially,this is 1st serious move toward giving NATO global reach.
2:17 PM · Jun 14, 2021 from Sergiyev Posad, Russia·Twitter for iPhone
jward
passin' thru
Say No To Sino
@SayNoToSino
7h
U.S. Navy says carrier group operating in S.China Sea - Reuters
View: https://twitter.com/SayNoToSino/status/1404664348488830976?s=20
@SayNoToSino
7h
U.S. Navy says carrier group operating in S.China Sea - Reuters
View: https://twitter.com/SayNoToSino/status/1404664348488830976?s=20
northern watch
TB Fanatic
China sends record 28 fighter jets toward Taiwan
China has flown a record 28 fighter jets toward the self-ruled island of Taiwan, the largest such display of force since Beijing began sending planes on a near daily basis last year
By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press
15 June 2021, 06:09
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- China flew a record 28 fighter jets toward the self-ruled island of Taiwan on Tuesday, the island's defense ministry said, the largest such display of force since Beijing began sending planes on a near daily basis last year.
Taiwan's air force deployed its combat air patrol forces in response and monitored the situation in the southwestern part of the island's air defense identification zone with its air defense systems, the Ministry of National Defense said.
The planes included various types of fighter jets including 14 J-16 and six J-11 planes, as well as bombers, the ministry said.
China's show of force comes after leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations issued a statement Sunday calling for a peaceful resolution of cross-Taiwan Strait issues and underscored the importance of peace and stability.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday said the G-7 was deliberately "interfering in China’s internal affairs.”
“China’s determination to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests is unwavering,” he said.
Taiwan and China split during a civil war in 1949, but China continues to claim Taiwan as part of its territory. Taiwan has been self-ruled since then.
Since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016, China has increased diplomatic and military pressure on the government over her refusal to agree to China’s insistence that the island be considered part of Chinese territory.
The vast majority of Taiwanese reject the prospect of political union with China under the “one country, two systems” framework used for Hong Kong.
Since last year, China has been flying fighter jets toward the island almost daily in what it calls a demonstration of its seriousness in defending its national sovereignty.
Previously, the largest such maneuver was in March, when China sent 25 fighter planes toward Taiwan.
China sends record 28 fighter jets toward Taiwan - ABC News (go.com)
China has flown a record 28 fighter jets toward the self-ruled island of Taiwan, the largest such display of force since Beijing began sending planes on a near daily basis last year
By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press
15 June 2021, 06:09
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- China flew a record 28 fighter jets toward the self-ruled island of Taiwan on Tuesday, the island's defense ministry said, the largest such display of force since Beijing began sending planes on a near daily basis last year.
Taiwan's air force deployed its combat air patrol forces in response and monitored the situation in the southwestern part of the island's air defense identification zone with its air defense systems, the Ministry of National Defense said.
The planes included various types of fighter jets including 14 J-16 and six J-11 planes, as well as bombers, the ministry said.
China's show of force comes after leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations issued a statement Sunday calling for a peaceful resolution of cross-Taiwan Strait issues and underscored the importance of peace and stability.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday said the G-7 was deliberately "interfering in China’s internal affairs.”
“China’s determination to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests is unwavering,” he said.
Taiwan and China split during a civil war in 1949, but China continues to claim Taiwan as part of its territory. Taiwan has been self-ruled since then.
Since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016, China has increased diplomatic and military pressure on the government over her refusal to agree to China’s insistence that the island be considered part of Chinese territory.
The vast majority of Taiwanese reject the prospect of political union with China under the “one country, two systems” framework used for Hong Kong.
Since last year, China has been flying fighter jets toward the island almost daily in what it calls a demonstration of its seriousness in defending its national sovereignty.
Previously, the largest such maneuver was in March, when China sent 25 fighter planes toward Taiwan.
China sends record 28 fighter jets toward Taiwan - ABC News (go.com)
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Pentagon considering permanent naval task force to counter China in the Pacific
The two initiatives, which are not yet finalized, would add muscle to President Joe Biden’s tough talk on China.
The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt transits the Pacific Ocean. | U.S. Navy via Getty Images
By LARA SELIGMAN
06/15/2021 12:43 PM EDT
Updated: 06/15/2021 02:06 PM EDT
The Pentagon is considering establishing a permanent naval task force in the Pacific region as a counter to China’s growing military might, according to two people familiar with internal discussions.
The plan would also involve creating a named military operation for the Pacific that would enable the defense secretary to allocate additional dollars and resources to the China problem, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss pre-decisional plans.
The two initiatives, which are not yet finalized, would add muscle to President Joe Biden’s tough talk on China and send a signal that the new U.S. administration is serious about cracking down on Beijing’s military buildup and aggressive behavior in the Pacific region.
The news comes as NATO leaders are increasingly aligning themselves with Washington’s confrontational stance on Beijing. Four years after former President Donald Trump made countering China a top foreign policy priority, NATO allies this week declared Beijing a security challenge and said the Chinese are working to undermine global order.
The discussions grew out of work by the Pentagon’s China Task Force, which Biden commissioned in March to examine the department’s China-related policies and processes. The group, led by Ely Ratner, the nominee to serve as the Pentagon’s top Indo-Pacific policy official, recently completed its work and presented recommendations to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A defense official, responding to a request for comment, stressed that none of the plans stemming from the China task force are finalized.
“We are looking at a number of proposals in the Indo-Pacific and across the Department, to better synchronize and coordinate our activities,” said the person, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss pre-decisional plans. “However, as the Secretary said, now is the time to get to work, there are many details and specifics still to be finalized.”
While the initiatives would not be a silver bullet to solve the China problem, the efforts are an encouraging sign that the Pentagon is committed to moving resources away from the Middle East and elevating the needs of the Pacific, said Elbridge Colby, a former Trump Pentagon official who is now a principal at The Marathon Initiative.
www.politico.com
The two initiatives, which are not yet finalized, would add muscle to President Joe Biden’s tough talk on China.
The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt transits the Pacific Ocean. | U.S. Navy via Getty Images
By LARA SELIGMAN
06/15/2021 12:43 PM EDT
Updated: 06/15/2021 02:06 PM EDT
The Pentagon is considering establishing a permanent naval task force in the Pacific region as a counter to China’s growing military might, according to two people familiar with internal discussions.
The plan would also involve creating a named military operation for the Pacific that would enable the defense secretary to allocate additional dollars and resources to the China problem, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss pre-decisional plans.
The two initiatives, which are not yet finalized, would add muscle to President Joe Biden’s tough talk on China and send a signal that the new U.S. administration is serious about cracking down on Beijing’s military buildup and aggressive behavior in the Pacific region.
The news comes as NATO leaders are increasingly aligning themselves with Washington’s confrontational stance on Beijing. Four years after former President Donald Trump made countering China a top foreign policy priority, NATO allies this week declared Beijing a security challenge and said the Chinese are working to undermine global order.
The discussions grew out of work by the Pentagon’s China Task Force, which Biden commissioned in March to examine the department’s China-related policies and processes. The group, led by Ely Ratner, the nominee to serve as the Pentagon’s top Indo-Pacific policy official, recently completed its work and presented recommendations to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A defense official, responding to a request for comment, stressed that none of the plans stemming from the China task force are finalized.
“We are looking at a number of proposals in the Indo-Pacific and across the Department, to better synchronize and coordinate our activities,” said the person, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss pre-decisional plans. “However, as the Secretary said, now is the time to get to work, there are many details and specifics still to be finalized.”
While the initiatives would not be a silver bullet to solve the China problem, the efforts are an encouraging sign that the Pentagon is committed to moving resources away from the Middle East and elevating the needs of the Pacific, said Elbridge Colby, a former Trump Pentagon official who is now a principal at The Marathon Initiative.
Pentagon considering permanent naval task force to counter China in the Pacific
The two initiatives, which are not yet finalized, would add muscle to President Joe Biden’s tough talk on China.
www.politico.com
danielboon
TB Fanatic
tick tick tick
danielboon
TB Fanatic
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
·
4m
Update: China called the U.S. "very sick" after G-7 leaders and NATO nations jointly criticized core Chinese policy under President Xi Jinping. (WSJ)
@EndGameWW3
·
4m
Update: China called the U.S. "very sick" after G-7 leaders and NATO nations jointly criticized core Chinese policy under President Xi Jinping. (WSJ)
jward
passin' thru
Global: MilitaryInfo
@Global_Mil_Info
3m
The Pentagon is considering establishing a permanent naval task force in the Pacific region to counter China, according to U.S. officials to POLITICO. Multiple initiatives are under discussion to increase U.S. military power in the Pacific.
jward
passin' thru
Tyler Rogoway
@Aviation_Intel
2h
Well, that will require further centralization of assets already in short supply today. Geopolitically such a force has benefits, but it's a dated concept that doesn't make great use of limited resources or take into account the relevancy of distributed operational concepts.. 1/X
We have carrier strike groups and amphibious readiness groups that can do some of this and much more already, albeit with key differences. China isn't the Soviet Union, the same grand, blunt signaling tactics won't work on them equally. We are smarter...
to use our assets to be figuratively everywhere all the time, and REALLY somewhere specific some of the time, as opposed to resource-heavy Cold War-like task forces. We should be spinning up for a distributed fight, not romantic flotilla showdowns and dated displays of force.
Pentagon considering permanent naval task force to counter China in the Pacific
The two initiatives, which are not yet finalized, would add muscle to President Joe Biden’s tough talk on China.
The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt transits the Pacific Ocean. | U.S. Navy via Getty Images
By LARA SELIGMAN
06/15/2021 12:43 PM EDT
Updated: 06/15/2021 02:06 PM EDT
The Pentagon is considering establishing a permanent naval task force in the Pacific region as a counter to China’s growing military might, according to two people familiar with internal discussions.
The plan would also involve creating a named military operation for the Pacific that would enable the defense secretary to allocate additional dollars and resources to the China problem, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss pre-decisional plans.
The two initiatives, which are not yet finalized, would add muscle to President Joe Biden’s tough talk on China and send a signal that the new U.S. administration is serious about cracking down on Beijing’s military buildup and aggressive behavior in the Pacific region.
The news comes as NATO leaders are increasingly aligning themselves with Washington’s confrontational stance on Beijing. Four years after former President Donald Trump made countering China a top foreign policy priority, NATO allies this week declared Beijing a security challenge and said the Chinese are working to undermine global order.
The discussions grew out of work by the Pentagon’s China Task Force, which Biden commissioned in March to examine the department’s China-related policies and processes. The group, led by Ely Ratner, the nominee to serve as the Pentagon’s top Indo-Pacific policy official, recently completed its work and presented recommendations to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A defense official, responding to a request for comment, stressed that none of the plans stemming from the China task force are finalized.
“We are looking at a number of proposals in the Indo-Pacific and across the Department, to better synchronize and coordinate our activities,” said the person, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss pre-decisional plans. “However, as the Secretary said, now is the time to get to work, there are many details and specifics still to be finalized.”
While the initiatives would not be a silver bullet to solve the China problem, the efforts are an encouraging sign that the Pentagon is committed to moving resources away from the Middle East and elevating the needs of the Pacific, said Elbridge Colby, a former Trump Pentagon official who is now a principal at The Marathon Initiative.
Pentagon considering permanent naval task force to counter China in the Pacific
The two initiatives, which are not yet finalized, would add muscle to President Joe Biden’s tough talk on China.
jward
passin' thru
Duan Dang
@duandang
USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier heading southwest of the South China Sea.
View: https://twitter.com/duandang/status/1405386426200453122?s=20
@duandang
USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier heading southwest of the South China Sea.
View: https://twitter.com/duandang/status/1405386426200453122?s=20
jward
passin' thru
ooo spy stuff how interrrresting.
High-level Chinese Defection Rumored
Matthew Brazil and Jeff Stein
6-8 minutes
Share
Chinese-language anti-communist media and Twitter are abuzz this week with rumors that a vice minister of State Security, Dong Jingwei (董经纬) defected in mid-February, flying from Hong Kong to the United States with his daughter, Dong Yang.
Genzconservative.com
Dong Jingwei supposedly gave the U.S. information about the Wuhan Institute of Virology that changed the stance of the Biden Administration concerning the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spy Catcher
Dong is, or was, a longtime official in China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), also known as the Guoanbu. His publicly available background indicates that he was responsible for the Ministry’s counterintelligence efforts in China, i.e., spy-catching, since being promoted to vice minister in April 2018. If the stories are true, Dong would be the highest-level defector in the history of the People’s Republic of China.
Dong’s defection was raised by Chinese officials last March at the Sino-American summit in Alaska, according to Dr. Han Lianchao, a former Chinese foreign ministry official who defected after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. In a tweet on Wednesday, Han, citing an unnamed source, alleged that China’s foreign minister Wang Yi and Communist Party foreign affairs boss Yang Jiechi demanded that the Americans return Dong and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken refused.
Chinese-language press stories also claim that Dong’s daughter Yang defected with him from Hong Kong on or about Feb. 10. She is allegedly the former spouse of a senior Alibaba Group executive, Jiang Fan, who heads up TMall, China’s big Amazon-like business. Alibaba founder Jack Ma came under fire from Beijing last fall after he criticized Chinese regulators and banks in a public forum in Shanghai. Authorities suspended a planned blockbuster $37 billion IPO for Alibaba’s financial affiliate Ant Group.
Corruption is rife in China’s state-directed economy, and it may have washed up on Dong. “He worked closely with Zhang Yue, who's now serving 15 years imprisonment for corruption," Dr. Han said. “Zhang was a confidant of Ma Jian, former MSS executive vice minister, who is also in prison for corruption.”
Dong “was last seen in public in September 2020,” Han said. His photos have been deleted by the Chinese search engine Baidu, according to some Chinese language news reports abroad.
Wuhan Again
Without naming Dong, the pro-Trump web site Red State reported June 4 on a high-level defection from China, saying the Defense Intelligence Agency had received information from him that Beijing is covering up biological warfare research at the Wuhan lab, and advanced its story to question the integrity of Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “Sources say the level of confidence in the defector’s information is what has led to a sudden crisis of confidence in Dr. Anthony Fauci, adding that U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) personnel detailed to DIA have corroborated very technical details of information provided by the defector,” it said.
According to the authoritative Paris-based newsletter Intelligence Online, Dong is “close to” Chinese President Xi Jinping. “He previously headed the Guoanbu in the region of Hebei, which has produced many of Xi's securocrats,” the publication reported in 2018. Back in 2010, IO reported that Dong carried out orders from superiors in Beijing to arrest “four Japanese employees of the Fujita Corporation who were filming in a forbidden military zone.” The move was seen at the time as a power play by State Security against then-President Hu Jintao.
Meanwhile, the Chinese State Council’s official web page listing the top personnel in the Ministry of State Security no longer lists any vice ministers working under MSS minister Chen Wenqing. Under “personnel developments” it notes the corruption investigation against another former vice minister, Ma Jian, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2018. The vice minister section is blank.
SpyTalk Conributing Editor Matthew Brazil is the co-author, with Peter Mattis, ofChinese Communist Espionage, An Intelligence Primer. SpyTalk Editor-in-Chief Jeff Stein earned an M.A. in China Studies from the University of California at Berkeley.
Posted for fair use
www.spytalk.co
High-level Chinese Defection Rumored
Matthew Brazil and Jeff Stein
6-8 minutes
Share
Chinese-language anti-communist media and Twitter are abuzz this week with rumors that a vice minister of State Security, Dong Jingwei (董经纬) defected in mid-February, flying from Hong Kong to the United States with his daughter, Dong Yang.
Genzconservative.comDong Jingwei supposedly gave the U.S. information about the Wuhan Institute of Virology that changed the stance of the Biden Administration concerning the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spy Catcher
Dong is, or was, a longtime official in China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), also known as the Guoanbu. His publicly available background indicates that he was responsible for the Ministry’s counterintelligence efforts in China, i.e., spy-catching, since being promoted to vice minister in April 2018. If the stories are true, Dong would be the highest-level defector in the history of the People’s Republic of China.
Dong’s defection was raised by Chinese officials last March at the Sino-American summit in Alaska, according to Dr. Han Lianchao, a former Chinese foreign ministry official who defected after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. In a tweet on Wednesday, Han, citing an unnamed source, alleged that China’s foreign minister Wang Yi and Communist Party foreign affairs boss Yang Jiechi demanded that the Americans return Dong and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken refused.
Mollie Saltskog, a senior intelligence analyst with The Soufan Group, who earned a master’s degree in global affairs from Tsinghua University in Beijing, also urged caution, saying unconfirmed reports of defections surface regularly. And more: “While significant and certainly useful for our intelligence efforts,” she added, “one high-level defection will not drastically change our understanding or approach to China. In short, if true, this is potentially significant but not a game-changer.”
The State Department did not respond to a request for comment on Dong’s alleged defection by press time. It typically does not comment on defectors. A half dozen experts on Chinese intelligence queried by SpyTalk said they had no information to share on Dong’s alleged defection.
Chinese-language press stories also claim that Dong’s daughter Yang defected with him from Hong Kong on or about Feb. 10. She is allegedly the former spouse of a senior Alibaba Group executive, Jiang Fan, who heads up TMall, China’s big Amazon-like business. Alibaba founder Jack Ma came under fire from Beijing last fall after he criticized Chinese regulators and banks in a public forum in Shanghai. Authorities suspended a planned blockbuster $37 billion IPO for Alibaba’s financial affiliate Ant Group.
Corruption is rife in China’s state-directed economy, and it may have washed up on Dong. “He worked closely with Zhang Yue, who's now serving 15 years imprisonment for corruption," Dr. Han said. “Zhang was a confidant of Ma Jian, former MSS executive vice minister, who is also in prison for corruption.”
Dong “was last seen in public in September 2020,” Han said. His photos have been deleted by the Chinese search engine Baidu, according to some Chinese language news reports abroad.
Wuhan Again
Without naming Dong, the pro-Trump web site Red State reported June 4 on a high-level defection from China, saying the Defense Intelligence Agency had received information from him that Beijing is covering up biological warfare research at the Wuhan lab, and advanced its story to question the integrity of Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “Sources say the level of confidence in the defector’s information is what has led to a sudden crisis of confidence in Dr. Anthony Fauci, adding that U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) personnel detailed to DIA have corroborated very technical details of information provided by the defector,” it said.
According to the authoritative Paris-based newsletter Intelligence Online, Dong is “close to” Chinese President Xi Jinping. “He previously headed the Guoanbu in the region of Hebei, which has produced many of Xi's securocrats,” the publication reported in 2018. Back in 2010, IO reported that Dong carried out orders from superiors in Beijing to arrest “four Japanese employees of the Fujita Corporation who were filming in a forbidden military zone.” The move was seen at the time as a power play by State Security against then-President Hu Jintao.
Meanwhile, the Chinese State Council’s official web page listing the top personnel in the Ministry of State Security no longer lists any vice ministers working under MSS minister Chen Wenqing. Under “personnel developments” it notes the corruption investigation against another former vice minister, Ma Jian, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2018. The vice minister section is blank.
SpyTalk Conributing Editor Matthew Brazil is the co-author, with Peter Mattis, ofChinese Communist Espionage, An Intelligence Primer. SpyTalk Editor-in-Chief Jeff Stein earned an M.A. in China Studies from the University of California at Berkeley.
Posted for fair use
High-level Chinese Defection Rumored
Chinese State Security Vice Minister Dong Jingwei would be highest-level defector in the history of the People's Republic.
www.spytalk.co
jward
passin' thru
American Thought Leaders with @JanJekielek
@AmThoughtLeader
2h
"Since 2011 [#China's] budget for internal security has been greater than the budget for the military…They're more afraid of internal dissent than they are their foreign enemies" @roger_garside says a coming coup will end communist rule in China. WATCH: https://ept.ms/35upk9w
View: https://twitter.com/AmThoughtLeader/status/1405695581125632002?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Indo-Pacific News - Watching the CCP-China Threat
@IndoPac_Info
2h
Image Shows #Chinese Navy Is Still Investing In Fixed Coastal Defenses Images of a newly built site in Rongcheng, Shandong province, overlooking the Yellow Sea. http://hisutton.com/Chinese-Coasta
View: https://twitter.com/IndoPac_Info/status/1405791051185496070?s=20
There is a defense site, commanding the Yellow Sea and approaches to the Bohai Sea, which is very recent.
View: https://twitter.com/CovertShores/status/1405775349846208517?s=20
jward
passin' thru
EndGameWW3
@EndGameWW3
45m
Level 1:
Update: Leading Chinese nuclear scientist Zhang Zhijian has died after apparently falling from a tall building, 10 days after a new nuclear power station was declared "an imminent radiological threat" (DS)
Zhang had at least two years left before retirement.
@EndGameWW3
45m
Level 1:
Update: Leading Chinese nuclear scientist Zhang Zhijian has died after apparently falling from a tall building, 10 days after a new nuclear power station was declared "an imminent radiological threat" (DS)
Zhang had at least two years left before retirement.
Yeah, he "fell".......
Posted for fair use.....
www.armscontrolwonk.com
TWO HALLS ENTER – ONE SUB LEAVES
by Dave Schmerler | June 17, 2021 | No Comments
by Joseph Dempsey and Dave Schmerler
In recent months there has been renewed speculation over signs of an impending submarine launch from North Korea’s Sinpo South shipyard. However, as analysts await the next satellite image to study, their focus may be slightly misplaced…
AWAITING SINPO C?
The much anticipated submarine, previously shown in July 2019, is assessed as the country’s second ballistic missile capable submarine which appears to be a conversion of an existing Romeo/Type-033 attack submarine. Their first, the purpose built Gorae (Sinpo-B), was launched in 2014 and features single launch tube for trials of the Pukguksong-1 SLBM. Unlike the original Gorae, the new submarine is believed to have several launch tubes, leading to the initial assessment that it represented more of an operational deployable example.
However, in the intervening period, three successive SLBM designs have emerged; Pukkuksong-3, tested November 2019 from a submerged stand, while Pukkuksong-4 & 5 were paraded in October 2020 and January 2021 respectively. Their larger diameter suggests incompatibility with the existing Gorae launch platform without extensive – if indeed feasible modification. As such, the new submarine will likely play a much more crucial role in the further development of a deployable SLBM than initially thought.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
While the location of the July 2019 visit was never officially disclosed, the Sinpo South shipyard, home to the country’s SLBM program and their primary East Coast submarine facility, was the logical location. Analysts previously presumed the new submarine was being built in the largest construction hall, identifiable by its turquoise colored roof, because it was refurbished after the launch of Gorae in 2014, and that after its refurbishment, large rings suspected to form part of the hull construction started to appear and disappear next to this hall.
The presumed hall containing the new submarine has an extended jetty with rails and connection points for a Floating Dry Dock (FDD). With this extended jetty, added after the building was refurbished, it was assumed that the new submarine would be refloated using a FDD, which led to recent speculation that the North was preparing to launch the new vessel seen in July 2019.
After a careful review of the state media images released in in July 2019, it has become apparent that the new submarine is actually being assembled in the second, non-refurbished hall, adjacent to the presumed hall.
The authors noticed a few interior features from the most recent submarine inspection that correlate more accurately to the second construction hall with the slipway. These features can be seen in the building’s various window placements, and a comparative shot taken from the inside of the presumed hall that was taken during a 2013 visit to the site by Kim Jong Un. The authors are not the first to postulate this new interpretation, as in January of this year open source researcher Nathan Hunt challenged the previous assertion of the refurbished hall being the assembly location by noting that internal images did not match up with how the presumed hall should look from the ground.
The images that helped to form this reassessment can be seen in the series of mid-level window rows (in regards to their placement on the middle of the back and side walls of the second construction hall), the total absence of evenly spaced out skylight slits seen in the presumed location’s roof, and the apparent signature of a rectangular skylight seen on the body of the new submarine, which is absent in the presumed hall.
For comparison, the image from the inside of the presumed hall more accurately reflects the double-rowed, higher placed windows which remained post-refurbishment on the smaller northwestern side of the structure.
An explanation for how the observed ring segments were transported to the second, non-refurbished hall, can be seen in the rail line connecting the two halls to a presumed fabrication workshop.
FALSE INDICATOR
With this new interpretation more succinctly placing the new submarine in the adjacent non-refurbished construction hall, image signatures showing FDD movement would not be connected to any launching activity as the second construction hall employs a slipway where the new submarine would be launched by simply rolling out into the water.
With this method likely taking less time to complete with less external indicators of preparation, it is quite possible the launch itself could be easily missed in commercially available satellite images. The first visible indicator will likely be the displacement of the original Gorae from its covered berth to make way for the new submarine.
It is, however, unclear if and when this submarine will be launched. Though shown in an apparent advanced state of completion in July 2019, it is unknown when the conversion commenced and not unfeasible that visible progression of their SLBM designs may have superseded the design and/or required further modification. Other major submarine projects may also be active with earlier original reports and rings outside pointing to a larger Sinpo-C design than the conversion we saw, as well as more recent declared plans for a nuclear-powered submarine.
——————————————————————————————————————–
The authors would like to point out that Nathan Hunt first postulated this interpretation in January 2021 and would like to thank him for reopening the analysis of the new submarine’s assumed location. – source: https://bit.ly/3q6wyKp
——————————————————————————————————————–
Joseph Dempsey, Research Associate at The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) , is the development lead for the Military Balance+ online database, and contributes to The Military Balance and conducts other research.
Two Halls Enter – One Sub Leaves
www.armscontrolwonk.com
TWO HALLS ENTER – ONE SUB LEAVES
by Dave Schmerler | June 17, 2021 | No Comments
by Joseph Dempsey and Dave Schmerler
In recent months there has been renewed speculation over signs of an impending submarine launch from North Korea’s Sinpo South shipyard. However, as analysts await the next satellite image to study, their focus may be slightly misplaced…
AWAITING SINPO C?
The much anticipated submarine, previously shown in July 2019, is assessed as the country’s second ballistic missile capable submarine which appears to be a conversion of an existing Romeo/Type-033 attack submarine. Their first, the purpose built Gorae (Sinpo-B), was launched in 2014 and features single launch tube for trials of the Pukguksong-1 SLBM. Unlike the original Gorae, the new submarine is believed to have several launch tubes, leading to the initial assessment that it represented more of an operational deployable example.
However, in the intervening period, three successive SLBM designs have emerged; Pukkuksong-3, tested November 2019 from a submerged stand, while Pukkuksong-4 & 5 were paraded in October 2020 and January 2021 respectively. Their larger diameter suggests incompatibility with the existing Gorae launch platform without extensive – if indeed feasible modification. As such, the new submarine will likely play a much more crucial role in the further development of a deployable SLBM than initially thought.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
While the location of the July 2019 visit was never officially disclosed, the Sinpo South shipyard, home to the country’s SLBM program and their primary East Coast submarine facility, was the logical location. Analysts previously presumed the new submarine was being built in the largest construction hall, identifiable by its turquoise colored roof, because it was refurbished after the launch of Gorae in 2014, and that after its refurbishment, large rings suspected to form part of the hull construction started to appear and disappear next to this hall.
The presumed hall containing the new submarine has an extended jetty with rails and connection points for a Floating Dry Dock (FDD). With this extended jetty, added after the building was refurbished, it was assumed that the new submarine would be refloated using a FDD, which led to recent speculation that the North was preparing to launch the new vessel seen in July 2019.
After a careful review of the state media images released in in July 2019, it has become apparent that the new submarine is actually being assembled in the second, non-refurbished hall, adjacent to the presumed hall.
The authors noticed a few interior features from the most recent submarine inspection that correlate more accurately to the second construction hall with the slipway. These features can be seen in the building’s various window placements, and a comparative shot taken from the inside of the presumed hall that was taken during a 2013 visit to the site by Kim Jong Un. The authors are not the first to postulate this new interpretation, as in January of this year open source researcher Nathan Hunt challenged the previous assertion of the refurbished hall being the assembly location by noting that internal images did not match up with how the presumed hall should look from the ground.
The images that helped to form this reassessment can be seen in the series of mid-level window rows (in regards to their placement on the middle of the back and side walls of the second construction hall), the total absence of evenly spaced out skylight slits seen in the presumed location’s roof, and the apparent signature of a rectangular skylight seen on the body of the new submarine, which is absent in the presumed hall.
For comparison, the image from the inside of the presumed hall more accurately reflects the double-rowed, higher placed windows which remained post-refurbishment on the smaller northwestern side of the structure.
An explanation for how the observed ring segments were transported to the second, non-refurbished hall, can be seen in the rail line connecting the two halls to a presumed fabrication workshop.
With this new interpretation more succinctly placing the new submarine in the adjacent non-refurbished construction hall, image signatures showing FDD movement would not be connected to any launching activity as the second construction hall employs a slipway where the new submarine would be launched by simply rolling out into the water.
With this method likely taking less time to complete with less external indicators of preparation, it is quite possible the launch itself could be easily missed in commercially available satellite images. The first visible indicator will likely be the displacement of the original Gorae from its covered berth to make way for the new submarine.
It is, however, unclear if and when this submarine will be launched. Though shown in an apparent advanced state of completion in July 2019, it is unknown when the conversion commenced and not unfeasible that visible progression of their SLBM designs may have superseded the design and/or required further modification. Other major submarine projects may also be active with earlier original reports and rings outside pointing to a larger Sinpo-C design than the conversion we saw, as well as more recent declared plans for a nuclear-powered submarine.
——————————————————————————————————————–
The authors would like to point out that Nathan Hunt first postulated this interpretation in January 2021 and would like to thank him for reopening the analysis of the new submarine’s assumed location. – source: https://bit.ly/3q6wyKp
——————————————————————————————————————–
Joseph Dempsey, Research Associate at The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) , is the development lead for the Military Balance+ online database, and contributes to The Military Balance and conducts other research.
northern watch
TB Fanatic
northern watch
TB Fanatic
And we're only just starting the solar minimums cycle.....
jward
passin' thru
Foreign policy experts divided on whether Putin-Biden summit emboldened China
Caitlin McFall
6-7 minutes
Some top foreign policy experts have warned that the U.S.-Russia summit may not have only been a perceived win for Russian President Vladimir Putin, but could have actually emboldened China.
The White House this week rejected the argument that the U.S. gained little diplomatic or national security advantages following the highly anticipated Geneva summit.
"I just don’t buy the argument which says this was not worth it for the United States," National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on CNN. "As President Biden himself said, he did what he came to do and I think America’s come out better for it."
But not all security officials agree, arguing it bolstered the top U.S. adversary instead.
THE BIDEN-PUTIN SUMMIT: WINNERS AND LOSERS
Former intelligence officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and author of the upcoming "Putin's Playbook: Russia's Secret Plan to Defeat America," Rebekah Koffler told Fox News that China is "elated" at how the summit played out.
"Allowing Putin to berate and discredit us in a solo press conference is quite a mistake for the Biden administration," Koeffler said. "To give them that ability, China comes out on top."
Others argued that though the meeting was necessary, it enabled Putin to boost his public image back home while deflecting allegations of cybercrime attacks that have threatened U.S. national security.
Former CIA Moscow station chief Daniel Hoffman told Fox News in an interview that "Putin got what we wanted, which was a big summit before his parliamentary elections."
He continued: "I think China’s happy that Russia is such a thorn in our side. We take so much of our time and our energy and our resources to deal with Russia we have less to deal with China."
Sullivan told reporters Thursday that Biden plans to "engage in the coming month" with Chinese President Xi Jinping in "some way," though he did not specify if that would be an in-person encounter like his meeting with Putin.
The national security adviser argued Biden challenged Putin on "hard issues," but Republicans like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy claimed Putin got a "pass."
"It really will be hard to know until we see how…the Russians behave in the coming months and after," Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute Hal Brands told Fox News.
HONG KONG NEWSPAPER EDITORS ARRESTED UNDER CHINA NATIONAL SECURITY LAW
Brands argued that Putin has put the Biden administration in a "jam."
"The United States would like its relationship with Russia to be more stable and quieter so it can focus on China – Putin knows that," he continued. "That gives Putin an incentive to be disruptive so he can try and raise the price the United States has to pay for calm in its relationship with Russia."
But Brands said the U.S.-Russia summit will not have an effect on China’s geopolitical strategy.
"The drivers of China-Russia relations were pretty strong before the summit," he said. "They have a shared geopolitical animus towards the United States and they have a shared ideological imperative in protecting dictatorial regimes in a largely democratic world."
Biden hit China hard in the lead up to the Geneva summit when meeting with NATO leaders and the G-7 nations – seemingly to solidify ties to better counter China.
The president urged the allied nations to stand against attempts by China and Russia to break the NATO alliance.
"Russia and China are both seeking to drive a wedge in our transatlantic solidarity," Biden said.
But far from discouraging Chinese actions in Hong Kong and Taiwan, China doubled down on their growing partnership with Russia.
"Any attempt to undermine China-Russia relations is doomed to fail," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said earlier this week. "We hope they will not go further down the path of zero-sum game."
Zhao said that despite concerns from western nations the China-Russia alliance is an "important force for stability in a turbulent world."
Earlier this month the Chinese leader described Putin as his "best friend" during a Moscow meeting between the two world superpowers.
BIDEN'S 'OFF-LIMITS' LIST FOR RUSSIAN CYBERATTACKS CRITICIZED AS 'GREEN LIGHT' TO TARGET EVERYTHING ELSE
"In the past six years, we have met nearly 30 times. Russia is the country that I have visited the most times, and President Putin is my best friend and colleague," Xi told reporters.
"We will strengthen our mutual support on key issues," Xi said.
But Brands argued that though the partnership between the two nations is a current threat to the U.S., he doesn’t believe it will last in the long term.
"They have more often been rivals than partners," Brand said. "If you go back and look at the Cold War, communist China and communist Soviet Union had lots of geopolitical and ideological reasons to maintain a good relationship…and they couldn’t do it."
"The only way they can win the competitions against the United States is to separate the United States from its friends," he said. "Russia and China aren’t strong enough to take on the United State plus all of its allies."
Top China expert for the Hudson Institute, Michael Pillsbury, a senior fellow and director for Chinese strategy told Fox News that there’s "no way of knowing quite yet" if China will feel emboldened following Biden’s meeting with Putin.
But Pillsbury argued that contrary to Biden’s tough talk on China, there is "not enough pressure" on the Asian superpower.
Biden underscored eight major areas of concern in his last conversation with Xi in February, which included addressing China’s abuses in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, along with their coercive economic practices, assertive actions in the Pacific, issues surrounding the coronavirus, climate change, and weapons proliferation.
"There has been no sign of progress," Pillsbury said. Adding that Biden needs to "develop more leverage on China to make progress" in confronting the top adversary.
Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
news.yahoo.com
Caitlin McFall
6-7 minutes
Some top foreign policy experts have warned that the U.S.-Russia summit may not have only been a perceived win for Russian President Vladimir Putin, but could have actually emboldened China.
The White House this week rejected the argument that the U.S. gained little diplomatic or national security advantages following the highly anticipated Geneva summit.
"I just don’t buy the argument which says this was not worth it for the United States," National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on CNN. "As President Biden himself said, he did what he came to do and I think America’s come out better for it."
But not all security officials agree, arguing it bolstered the top U.S. adversary instead.
THE BIDEN-PUTIN SUMMIT: WINNERS AND LOSERS
Former intelligence officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and author of the upcoming "Putin's Playbook: Russia's Secret Plan to Defeat America," Rebekah Koffler told Fox News that China is "elated" at how the summit played out.
"Allowing Putin to berate and discredit us in a solo press conference is quite a mistake for the Biden administration," Koeffler said. "To give them that ability, China comes out on top."
Others argued that though the meeting was necessary, it enabled Putin to boost his public image back home while deflecting allegations of cybercrime attacks that have threatened U.S. national security.
Former CIA Moscow station chief Daniel Hoffman told Fox News in an interview that "Putin got what we wanted, which was a big summit before his parliamentary elections."
He continued: "I think China’s happy that Russia is such a thorn in our side. We take so much of our time and our energy and our resources to deal with Russia we have less to deal with China."
Sullivan told reporters Thursday that Biden plans to "engage in the coming month" with Chinese President Xi Jinping in "some way," though he did not specify if that would be an in-person encounter like his meeting with Putin.
The national security adviser argued Biden challenged Putin on "hard issues," but Republicans like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy claimed Putin got a "pass."
"It really will be hard to know until we see how…the Russians behave in the coming months and after," Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute Hal Brands told Fox News.
HONG KONG NEWSPAPER EDITORS ARRESTED UNDER CHINA NATIONAL SECURITY LAW
Brands argued that Putin has put the Biden administration in a "jam."
"The United States would like its relationship with Russia to be more stable and quieter so it can focus on China – Putin knows that," he continued. "That gives Putin an incentive to be disruptive so he can try and raise the price the United States has to pay for calm in its relationship with Russia."
But Brands said the U.S.-Russia summit will not have an effect on China’s geopolitical strategy.
"The drivers of China-Russia relations were pretty strong before the summit," he said. "They have a shared geopolitical animus towards the United States and they have a shared ideological imperative in protecting dictatorial regimes in a largely democratic world."
Biden hit China hard in the lead up to the Geneva summit when meeting with NATO leaders and the G-7 nations – seemingly to solidify ties to better counter China.
The president urged the allied nations to stand against attempts by China and Russia to break the NATO alliance.
"Russia and China are both seeking to drive a wedge in our transatlantic solidarity," Biden said.
But far from discouraging Chinese actions in Hong Kong and Taiwan, China doubled down on their growing partnership with Russia.
"Any attempt to undermine China-Russia relations is doomed to fail," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said earlier this week. "We hope they will not go further down the path of zero-sum game."
Zhao said that despite concerns from western nations the China-Russia alliance is an "important force for stability in a turbulent world."
Earlier this month the Chinese leader described Putin as his "best friend" during a Moscow meeting between the two world superpowers.
BIDEN'S 'OFF-LIMITS' LIST FOR RUSSIAN CYBERATTACKS CRITICIZED AS 'GREEN LIGHT' TO TARGET EVERYTHING ELSE
"In the past six years, we have met nearly 30 times. Russia is the country that I have visited the most times, and President Putin is my best friend and colleague," Xi told reporters.
"We will strengthen our mutual support on key issues," Xi said.
But Brands argued that though the partnership between the two nations is a current threat to the U.S., he doesn’t believe it will last in the long term.
"They have more often been rivals than partners," Brand said. "If you go back and look at the Cold War, communist China and communist Soviet Union had lots of geopolitical and ideological reasons to maintain a good relationship…and they couldn’t do it."
"The only way they can win the competitions against the United States is to separate the United States from its friends," he said. "Russia and China aren’t strong enough to take on the United State plus all of its allies."
Top China expert for the Hudson Institute, Michael Pillsbury, a senior fellow and director for Chinese strategy told Fox News that there’s "no way of knowing quite yet" if China will feel emboldened following Biden’s meeting with Putin.
But Pillsbury argued that contrary to Biden’s tough talk on China, there is "not enough pressure" on the Asian superpower.
Biden underscored eight major areas of concern in his last conversation with Xi in February, which included addressing China’s abuses in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, along with their coercive economic practices, assertive actions in the Pacific, issues surrounding the coronavirus, climate change, and weapons proliferation.
"There has been no sign of progress," Pillsbury said. Adding that Biden needs to "develop more leverage on China to make progress" in confronting the top adversary.
Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Foreign policy experts divided on whether Putin-Biden summit emboldened China
Some top foreign policy experts have warned that the U.S.-Russia summit may not have only been a perceived win for Russian President Vladimir Putin, but could have actually emboldened China.
jward
passin' thru
Mike Yeo 杨启铭
@TheBaseLeg
Airbus announces sale of one more C295 to Thai MoD. More interestingly is that they’ve revealed that there’s been an earlier sale of three more aircraft to an undisclosed customer “in the region”
View: https://twitter.com/TheBaseLeg/status/1406928405417783301?s=20
jward
passin' thru
Josh Smith
@joshjonsmith
1m
BREAKING: Kim Yo Jong, senior North Korean official and sister of leader Kim Jong Un, releases a statement on U.S. National Security Advisor's recent comments, saying the US seems to be interpreting North Korean comments in a way that is comforting
"It seems that the U.S. may interpret the situation in such a way as to seek a comfort for itself. The expectation, which they chose to harbour the wrong way, would plunge them into a greater disappointment," Kim Yo Jong said, via KCNA
@joshjonsmith
1m
BREAKING: Kim Yo Jong, senior North Korean official and sister of leader Kim Jong Un, releases a statement on U.S. National Security Advisor's recent comments, saying the US seems to be interpreting North Korean comments in a way that is comforting
"It seems that the U.S. may interpret the situation in such a way as to seek a comfort for itself. The expectation, which they chose to harbour the wrong way, would plunge them into a greater disappointment," Kim Yo Jong said, via KCNA