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By Andrew Osborn (Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the regular size of the Russian army to be increased by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million active servicemen in a move that would make it the second largest in the world after China’s. In a decree published on the Kremlin’s website, Putin ordered the overall size of the armed forces to be increased to 2.38 million people, of which he said 1.5 million should be […]
By Ben Blanchard PENGHU, Taiwan (Reuters) – Taiwan President Lai Ching-te told sailors aboard a combat-ready warship at a major base in the Taiwan Strait on Friday that he had their backs, thanking them for safeguarding Taiwanese security at a time of heightened tensions with Beijing. China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory over the strong objections of the government in Taipei, detests Lai as a “separatist” and staged war games around […]
By Josh Smith INCHEON, South Korea (Reuters) – A rare cruise by two German warships in the Indo-Pacific region will demonstrate a commitment to open navigation, the admiral in charge of the naval task force said on Friday, but he declined to confirm if they would transit the contesed Taiwan Strait. “Safe and secure sea lanes, especially from Southeast Asia as well as to Europe and America, are a prerequisite for a prosperous economy […]
By Phil Stewart and Sabine Siebold RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Western allies on Friday to ignore Moscow’s “red lines” and allow Kyiv to use long-range weapons for strikes on Russian territory as Washington pledged a further $250 million in weaponry for Kyiv. Zelenskiy made his first appearance at a regular U.S.-hosted gathering of Ukraine’s allies at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and sought to present the long-range strike […]
By Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two U.S. researchers say they have identified the probable deployment site in Russia of the 9M370 Burevestnik, a new nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile touted by President Vladimir Putin as “invincible.” Putin has said the weapon – dubbed the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by NATO – has an almost unlimited range and can evade U.S. missile defenses. But some Western experts dispute his claims and the Burevestnik’s strategic value, saying it will […]
By Tim Kelly TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s defence ministry on Friday said it will invest in AI, automation and improving troop conditions to address a worsening recruitment shortfall that has left its forces understaffed amid a build up aimed at countering China’s growing military power. The measures, unveiled in its latest defence budget request on Friday, come after the Self Defense Forces’ (SDF) worst ever annual recruitment drive. In the year to March 31 it […]
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia said on Saturday it had signed a A$2.2 billion ($1.4 billion) four-year contract with state-owned submarine builder ASC to upgrade the navy’s Collins class submarines. The “sustainment contract” is part of a government pledge to keep the diesel-electric powered Collins-class fleet “a potent strike and deterrence capability”, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said in a statement. The contract will be “directly ensuring job security for more than 1,100 highly skilled workers”, […]
BEIJING, July 14, 2024 (AFP) – China and Russia conducted a joint naval patrol in the northern and western Pacific, Beijing’s defence ministry said Sunday, adding that the exercise was not “targeted” at any other nation. The two countries have drawn closer in recent years and tout their friendship as having “no limits”. Both share hostile relations with US-led Western defence alliance NATO. Beijing has further strengthened its diplomatic, economic and military ties with […]
SEOUL, July 12, 2024 (AFP) – South Korea will begin deploying drone-melting laser weapons designed to shoot down North Korean UAVs this year, the country’s arms procurement agency told AFP Friday. The new laser weapons — dubbed the “StarWars Project” by the South — are invisible and noise-free, require no additional ammunition, operate solely on electricity and cost only about 2,000 won ($1.45) per shot, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The “Block-I” […]
By Pam CASTRO MANILA, July 5, 2024 (AFP) – The Philippines’ military chief said Thursday he hoped a key defence pact with Japan allowing for the deployment of troops on each other’s territory will be signed at security talks next week. Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa are set to meet their Philippine counterparts in Manila on Monday. The Philippines and Japan — longtime allies of the United States — have […]
WASHINGTON, June 30, 2024 (AFP) – The US military has raised the alert level of several bases in Europe to its second-highest level, multiple American media outlets reported Sunday. The American bases, located across Europe, were raised to the “Charlie” alert level, ABC News and CNN reported, both citing unnamed officials. That level is ordered when “an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities […]
SEOUL, June 30, 2024 (AFP) – North Korea denounced on Sunday joint military drills by South Korea, Japan and the United States, calling them an “Asian version of NATO” and warning of “fatal consequences”. It comes a day after the allies wrapped up three-day exercises, dubbed “Freedom Edge”, in ballistic missile and air defences, anti-submarine warfare and defensive cyber training. US, South Korean and Japanese leaders agreed at a trilateral summit last year to conduct […]
