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Why China's Submarine Force Still Lags Behind ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Franz Stefan-Gady)

PLAN Type-96 SSBN (Image source- Wikimedia Commons / Author- Midgetman433)  Source- The Diplomat Author- Franz Stefan-Gady China is fielding an impressive fleet of conventional and nuclear submarines. According to the Pentagon’s Office of Naval Intelligence, the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) underwater force consists of five nuclear attack submarines (SSN), four nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN), and 53 diesel attack submarines (SS/SSP). The Pentagon in its annual report to the U.S. Congress on Chinese military developments estimated that by 2020 this force will likely grow to between 69 and 78 submarines. The bulk of China’s conventional sub armada consists of 13 Song-class (Type 039) diesel-attack subs and 13 Yuan-class (Type 039A) air independent-powered (AIP) attack submarines with an additional 20 Yuan-class vessels planned for production. The submarine force’s main mission remains anti-surface warfare (ASUW) along major sea lines of co

In New White Paper, China's Military Embraces Global Mission ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Shannon Tiezzi)

PLAN Type-54A Frigate Yueyang(575) ( Image source- Wikimedia Commons / Author- United States Navy) Source- The Diplomat Author- Shannon Tiezzi On May 26, China’s Defense Ministry unveiled a new white paper in a press conference. The paper, entitled “China’s Military Strategy,” is the ninth such white paper focused on China’s military to be released since 1998, but it’s also unique. Defense Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun noted a stronger strategic and forward-looking focus in this year’s white paper compared to its predecessors. The Diplomat has already looked at the new white paper, with Franz-Stefan Gady providing an overview and Ankit Panda noting the continued focus on Taiwan. But there’s another aspect on the broad strategic and forward-looking level noted by Yang deserving of attention: China’s vision for a more global role for its military. The white paper started with an emphasis on the positive: “world war is unlikely and the international situation is e

Will India Purchase German Stealth Submarines? ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Franz Stefan-Gady)

Greek Submarine S-120 Papanikolis ( Image source- Wikimedia Commons / Author- GDK) Source- The Diplomat Author- Franz Stefan-Gady Today, German Defense Minister, Ursula von der Leyen, began an official two-day visit to India with the aim of promoting stronger bilateral defense cooperation. While in New Delhi, she held talks with top Indian officials, including her Indian counterpart. Von der Leyen offered Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar German submarine technology as well as the Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter, manufactured by a consortium of European defense contractors, Der Spiegel reports. “I wanted to send a clear signal that the [German] federal government will support this,” von der Leyen told Der Spiegel. The German defense minister also noted that “there is Indian interest in industry cooperation for the construction of submarines.” India accounts for almost 15 percent of global defense imports and German arms exporters are looking to pr

India and Vietnam Push Ahead with Strategic Security Cooperation ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Ankit Panda)

Image credits- Prime Minister's office, Government of India Source- The Diplomat Author- Ankit Panda Vietnamese Defense Minister Phùng Quang Thanh is in India for a three-day visit this week. On Monday, Thanh met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar. Thanh’s visit to India is intended to bolster strategic ties between India and Vietnam and comes at a time of rising tensions in the South China Sea–where Vietnam disputes the sovereignty of various islands and reefs with China. Additionally, the Indian government has framed its approach toward Vietnam in terms of its proactive “Act East” policy. Parallel to Thanh’s visit to New Delhi, Indian and Vietnamese senior diplomats held their seventh deputy ministerial-level political consultation in Hanoi. According to a statement posted on the Indian Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) website, “Gen. Thanh briefed Prime Minister Modi about defence and security related developments in the

Central Asia’s Future: Three Powers, Three Visions ( Source- The Diplomat / Authors- Jeffrey Mankoff & Richard Ghiasy)

Image credits- Kremlin  Source- The Diplomat Authors- Jeffrey Mankoff & Richard Ghiasy During the international military intervention in Afghanistan, major powers viewed Central Asia primarily through the lens of the conflict. As the allied forces have scaled back, China, Russia and the United States have shifted their focus to the region’s economic potential. This shift could help Central Asia integrate with the global economy, but if conducted poorly could subject the region to damaging competition between Beijing, Moscow and Washington. As these powers implement their respective visions for Central Asia, they should look for opportunities to cooperate among themselves. During an October 2013 visit to Kazakhstan, Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined his vision of a Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB), and shortly after the concept of the so-called 21st Maritime Silk Road was presented by him in Jakarta. Together, this “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) will create trad

Indian New Secret Weapon (Message to Pakistan) 2015

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Top 10 Future Missiles of India | Future Missile of India by 2020

Indian Navy vs Pakistani Navy 2015 - Detailed Comparison

China Tries To Jam US Drones Over South China Sea ( Source- Eurasia Review/ Author- MINA)

Image  Source - Internet / Credits- Author Source- Eurasia Review Author- MINA China tried to electronically jam US drone flights over the disputed South China Sea in order to prevent surveillance on man-made islands Beijing is constructing as a part of an aggressive land reclamation initiative, US officials said. Global Hawk long-range surveillance drones were targeted by jamming in at least one incident near the Spratly Islands, where China is building military facilities on Fiery Cross Reef, the Washington Free Beacon reported. That statement follows Thursday reports that the Chinese navy warned a US surveillance plane to leave the same area eight times in an apparent effort to establish and enforce a no-fly zone, a demand Washington rejected. “This is the Chinese navy … This is the Chinese navy … Please go away … to avoid misunderstanding,” a radio call in English from an installation on Fiery Cross said. The warnings were reported by CNN, which had a crew

3 Things China Can Do to Reduce South China Sea Tensions ( Source- The Diplomat ? Author- Dingding Chen)

Source- Internet Image/ Credits- Author Source- The Diplomat Author- Dingding Chen After a U.S. P8-A Poseidon surveillance plane flew over China’s man-made islands in the South China Sea, all attention is focused on what China will do next and whether the situation could escalate into a much more dangerous confrontation between the U.S. and China. This provocative move by the U.S. leaves no doubt that Washington is not going to tolerate China’s ongoing reclamation activities in the South China Sea, even though these reclamation activities do not violate international law as U.S. officials have admitted. This is by far the clearest evidence that U.S.-China relations are indeed entering a tipping point, a claim made by renowned China expert David Lampton and perhaps shared by many others. It seems that a consensus has been reached within DC policy circles that something must be done to stop China’s seemingly expansionist behaviors in the South China Sea. Gone was the ol

Watch Out, Pakistan: Israel to Sell India Mobile Missiles ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Zachary Keck)

Barak-8 Launcher ( Source- Wikimedia Commons / Credits- Author)  Source- The National Interest Author- Zachary Keck Israel and India on the verge of signing a new “mega” defense deal, that would include Israel helping India develop a new mobile missile system. On Thursday the Times of India reported, citing unnamed officials within India’s Ministry of Defense, that India and Israel have “now virtually sealed the joint development of a medium-range surface-to-air missile system (MRSAM) for the Indian Army.” The first tranche of the deal will be worth over 9,000 crore (roughly $1.67 billion), however, Indian officials that the Times of India spoke with said that more missiles could be bought at a later date. "More orders might later follow since the Army's air defence capabilities are relatively weak," the official was quoted as saying. Earlier, an Indian army official said that Delhi could purchase over $6 billion worth of the medium-range surface-to-

Why China Will Never Operate France's Mistral-class Amphibious Assault Ships ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Ankit Panda)

Le Tonnerre Mistral Class Ship ( Image source- Wikimedia Commons / Author- Beotien Lambda) Source- The Diplomat Author- Ankit Panda Yesterday, I took a look at the largely apocryphal notion that China may be eyeing France’s Mistral-class advanced amphibious warfare ships — specifically, the two ships that were originally built for Russia but later withheld after Vladimir Putin’s decision to annex Crimea and support anti-government rebels in the Donbass. In that piece, I perhaps focused a bit too much on the impressive hardware of the Mistral itself and less so on the huge reasons why it is incredibly unlikely that China will ever purchase or operate one of these ships as part of the People’s Liberation Army Navy. I outline the reasons for that in what follows. The first, and most important reason, is the European Union’s arms embargo against a China. While I briefly mentioned this, it’s worth emphasizing the extent to which this makes this sale basically impossible. T

China Issues 8 Warnings to US Surveillance Plane in South China Sea ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Ankit Panda)

P8A Poseidon ( Image source- Wikimedia Commons / Credits- United States Navy) Source- The Diplomat Author- Ankit Panda Foreign military aircraft. This is Chinese navy. You are approaching our military alert zone. Leave immediately. These are the words heard over a crackling radio in a new video posted by CNN this morning, one of at least eight warnings sent to a U.S. P8-A Poseidon surveillance aircraft by the Chinese navy. According to the report, the People’s Liberation Army-Navy’s warnings came as the P8-A flew over disputed islands in the South China Sea — specifically, over China’s man-made islands. The report notes that the source of these transmissions was a facility on “an island made by China some 600 miles from its coastline.” The report does not definitively specify which reclaimed reef hosted the facility, but it is implied in comments from the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) P8 fleet that the warning came from an early warning radar facility

Beijing building 'Chinese Maldives' in disputed Paracels ( Source- Want China Times)

Image credits- Xinhua Source- Want China Times China is seeking to create its own version of the Maldives in the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, reports Hong Kong's Oriental Daily. To boost local tourism, China has already begun a series of constructions on several islands and reefs in the Crescent Group of the Paracels, which are controlled by China but also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. According to mainland reports, Drummond island will have a new rescue center, a fishermen settlement and infrastructure to provide wireless internet. Various types of machinery and construction equipment have already been transported to the island along with dozens of workers, reports added. A Chinese official was quoted as saying that construction of basic ports will commence on five islands and reefs in the Crescent Group this year, and that each island will have its own distinguishing characteristic. For example, Antelope Reef will focus on cultivatin