Manoj Ambat's Blog dealing with Defence, Foreign Affairs, Strategic Affairs and Politics

Image credits- VOA Source- The National Interest  Author- Abhijit Singh Has there been a recent shift in China's maritime strategy in the South China Sea? Has Beijing tempered its land reclamation and island building campaign, choosing to highlight positive aspects of its maritime security conduct? Is the PLAN becoming more accepting of the realities of the South China Sea, recalibrating its strategy to emphasise a more passive and benevolent presence? In a recent Lowy Institute Report, Rory Medcalf and Ashley Townshend point to an interesting evolution in China's maritime thinking. The duo contend that not only has China turned more conciliatory in its maritime policy, Beijing is now advocating confidence-building measures that until recently it had refused to consider, helping lower the risks of maritime incidents, miscalculations and accidental conflict. Yet this behaviour is also facilitating what the authors say is a form of 'passive assertiveness

Kudamkulam Atomic Power Station ( Credits- Wikimedia Commons / Petr Pavlicek/IAEA) Source- Russia & India Report Author- Ria Novosti The Kudankulam nuclear power plant’s second unit is likely to be launched in June, the website of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) has stated. The launch of the second unit of KNPP that is under construction in India, with Russian collaboration, is due in June this year. This is the beginning of a controlled nuclear chain reaction in the VVER-1000 second unit reactor and its transfer to the minimally controlled power unit level (CPU). This power level is sufficient to monitor a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. The transfer of the new power unit to the CPU is one of the most important steps in preparation for the unit’s operation. In accordance with the intergovernmental agreement of 1988 and the supplement thereto of 1998, Russia is building the Kudankulam NPP in India. The first unit with a 1000 MW power

Credits- Wikimedia Commons / Rabs003 Source- The National Interest Author-  Yukon Huang If the past is any guide, China will become more of a target as the U.S. presidential campaign enters its final phase. Republican candidate Donald Trump’s statements about levying high tariffs on imports from China have already elicited rebukes from senior financial officials, and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s perceived hard-line security views toward China are a source of discomfort for Beijing’s leadership. Such sentiments exemplify the intense scrutiny that China’s economic and foreign policies receive in the United States. and abroad. Whether one is a politician, a foreign investor or a diplomat, one is influenced by beliefs shaped by location and values, as gleaned from major public opinion polls. Political, economic and security considerations influence views, and together they explain why relations between China and the United States. and its allies in Asia are und

Chinese DF-41 ICBM ( Credits- YouTube) Source- Eurasia Review Author- Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan Earlier this month, China tested its longest range intercontinental ballistic missile, DF-41.  This solid-fueled road mobile missile, tested on April 12, is considered more advanced than earlier Chinese missiles of the ICBM-class such as the DF-31 and is reported to have the range to hit any part of the US mainland.  Commenting on the test, US Strategic Command Commander Adm. Cecil Haney noted that China’s testing of missiles carrying multiple, independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) reflect a growing focus and investment in both conventional and strategic forces.  The DF-41 is certainly one of the newer missiles and may be considered as more potent, but is it a game changer in the Asia Pacific theatre? The news about the testing was first reported by Bill Gertz in Washington Free Beacon on April 19.  While there were reports that suggested that DF-41 developme

Mitsubishi X-2 Stealth Fighter ( Credits- Wikimedia Commons / Hunini) Source- The National Interest Author-  Rodrigo Ugarte Mitsubishi’s X-2 stealth demonstrator jet took off on the morning of April 22, propelling Japan into the stealth age. Designed to test new technologies, chief among them low observability, the X-2 marks Japan’s entry into an exclusive club shared by only a handful of nations. Years from now, the aircraft could also evolve into a frontline stealth fighter as Tokyo aims for a technological leap past China — which can count on superior numbers of warplanes in any future conflict. Previously called the Advanced Technology Demonstrator-X (ATD-X), X-2 took off from Nagoya Airport and flew for 26 minutes to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force base in Gifu. Japan’s Ministry of Defense unveiled the X-2 on Jan. 28. Overseeing the project is the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency, or ATLA, a branch of the Defense Ministry that incorporated

South China Sea Dispute ( Credits- VOA) Source- Eurasia Review Author- Felix K. Chang Ever since China declared an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea in late 2013, many wondered whether China would do the same over its claims in the South China Sea. Early this year, the United States began to publicly warn China that it would not recognize a Chinese ADIZ over the South China Sea. Given the timing of its admonition, Washington seemed like it was preparing for a Chinese reaction to a ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on a Philippine case against China’s South China Sea claims, which is expected in May. China’s declaration of an ADIZ over the East China Sea caught many off guard. Perhaps to prevent a recurrence, the United States chose to signal China in advance. Naturally, China’s defense ministry retorted that Beijing had every right to establish an ADIZ over the South China Sea. After all, Beijing considers the area within its “n

Japanese Self Defence Force ( Credits- Flickr) Source- The National Interest  Author- Michael Peck Hawaii belongs to Japan, the Japanese press suddenly proclaims. Tokyo publishes ancient maps and documents that purport to show that the Hawaiian islands were historically part of the Japanese homeland until they were illegally annexed by the Americans. To hammer the point home, a Japanese warship sails into Hawaiian waters. Does this sound totally insane? It's no more crazy than Chinese claims that the Ryukyu Islands—which include the island of Okinawa—belong to China rather than Japan. In 2013, the world let out a collective "Say what???" when Chinese officials, scholars and journalists suggested that the Ryukyus belong to China. The claims, based on the fact that the Ryukyu islanders paid tribute to China more than six hundred years ago, were not officially endorsed by the Chinese government, but neither were they denied. Analysts suggested that