by Thomas Watkins with Ella Ide in Lucca Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US strike on a Syrian air base destroyed a fifth of the Damascus regime’s remaining warplanes, Pentagon chief Jim Mattis said Monday as Washington fired a fresh salvo of warnings at President Bashar al-Assad. The public assessment of Friday’s missile strike and the forceful rhetoric came as G7 ministers met in Italy to send a “clear and coordinated” […]
Tag: Defense
South Korea says U.S. Navy strike group move reflects seriousness of situation in the Korean peninsula
SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) — South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-kyun said on Monday (April 10) the U.S. Navy’s decision to redirect its Carl Vinson strike group to near the Korean peninsula is an indication of the seriousness of the situation in the area. A U.S. Navy strike group that includes a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is headed to near the Korean peninsula on Monday, diverted from a scheduled destination of Australia, as concerns grew […]
Israel’s latest missile interceptor enters service
HATZOR, Israel (AFP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday the latest addition to Israel’s missile defenses meant that those seeking to destroy the Jewish state would be endangering their own existence. He was speaking at a formal ceremony to hand the “David’s Sling” system from its developers over to its Israeli air force operators. The medium-range interceptor, developed with United States backing, is designed to fill the gap between the longer-range Arrow missile defence […]
Japan loans Philippines military planes for use in South China Sea patrol
MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — The Philippines Monday took delivery of two Japanese military surveillance aircraft to help it patrol vital sea lanes in the South China Sea. Japan will lease a total of five surplus Beechcraft TC-90 planes to the Philippines, according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Philippine military Chief General Eduardo Ano said the new planes would be deployed over Benham Rise and the South China Sea. Japan’s attempt to bolster defense cooperation […]
North Korea fails in new missile test: Seoul
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — A new North Korean missile test failed on Wednesday, the South’s defence ministry said, two weeks after Pyongyang launched four rockets in what it called a drill for an attack on US bases in Japan. “South Korea and the United States are aware of the North Korean missile launch,” said a spokesman for Seoul’s defence ministry, adding they “suspect it was a failure”. The ministry did not identify the type of […]
Israel threatens to ‘destroy’ Syrian air defence systems
by Jean-Luc Renaudie Agence France Presse JERUSALEM, Israel (AFP) — Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Sunday threatened to destroy Syrian air defense systems after they fired ground-to-air missiles at Israeli warplanes carrying out strikes. “The next time the Syrians use their air defence systems against our planes we will destroy them without the slightest hesitation,” Lieberman said on Israeli public radio. Israeli warplanes hit several targets in Syria on Friday, with Prime Minister Benjamin […]
Japan launches latest North Korea spy satellite
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan launched a new spy satellite on Friday, the country’s space agency said, as the region grows increasingly uneasy over North Korea’s quickening missile program. The Radar 5 unit was carried into space on Japan’s mainstay H-2A rocket from a launch site in the country’s southwest. It is meant to replace an existing satellite that is coming to the end of its mission. Japan started putting spy satellites into orbit in […]
US deploys antiballistic missile defense system to S. Korea
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States military has begun deploying an antiballistic missile defense system to South Korea, following a string of missile tests by North Korea, the US Pacific Command said Monday. The announcement came after nuclear-armed North Korea on Monday launched four missiles which it said was part of training for a strike on US bases in Japan. Three of the missiles came down provocatively close to Japan. Deployment of the […]
China defense budget rises at slowest pace in decades: report
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China’s defense budget will rise seven percent to $151 billion this year, the slowest annual percentage increase since 1991 and roughly in line with decelerating economic growth, Bloomberg News reported Monday. The budget is normally included in public documents released at the opening of the country’s 10-day annual legislative session, which began Sunday, but was absent this year, adding to perennial concerns abroad over Chinese military transparency. The 2017 budget will […]
North Korea fires missiles, three reach Japan waters
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Nuclear-armed North Korea fired an “unidentified projectile” into waters east of the peninsula early Monday, the South’s defense ministry said. The item was fired from North Pyongan province “around 7:36 am” South Korean time (2236 GMT Sunday), the ministry said in a statement adding it landed in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. The South’s Yonhap news agency cited an unnamed ministry official as saying the […]
UN condemns N. Korea missile launch as Trump vows strong response
by Carole LANDRY Agence France Presse UNITED NATION, United States (AFP) — The UN Security Council on Monday unanimously condemned North Korea’s latest ballistic missile test as US President Donald Trump vowed to deliver a strong response to the provocation. Backed by China, Pyongyang’s main ally, the council agreed on a US-drafted statement describing the test-firing of the missile as a “grave violation” of UN resolutions and threatening “further significant measures.” The council met behind […]
Japan defense minister visits Yasukuni war shrine: media
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s defense minister went to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo Thursday, media reports said, the day after accompanying Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on a highly symbolic visit to Pearl Harbor. The shrine honours millions of mostly Japanese war dead and has been criticised by countries such as China and South Korea which suffered under Japan’s colonialism and aggression in the first half of the 20th century. Tomomi Inada, Abe’s hawkish […]





