Sandy Cay is just kilometres from the Philippines’ military outpost at Thitu Island
China has seized a disputed reef just kilometres away from the Philippines’ most important military outpost in the South China Sea, raising the risk of a new stand-off between the two rival claimants.
Continue reading “China seizes disputed reef in the South China Sea”
MANILA, April 24 (Reuters) – The Philippine Navy said a Chinese aircraft carrier battle group had passed near its northern maritime boundaries in the run-up to a six-day maritime exercise with the U.S. that began on Thursday as part of their annual Balikatan military drills.
Continue reading “Philippines, US Begin Joint Maritime Drills After Chinese Carrier Group Spotted”
As reported by Chosun on March 18, 2025, South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) hosted a handover ceremony at its Ulsan headquarters for Jeongjo the Great, the lead vessel of Korea’s next-generation Aegis destroyers. During the event, HD HHI stated that it can build up to five Aegis destroyers per year for the U.S. Navy if bilateral cooperation is formalized, and that it is prepared to expand this capacity further depending on demand. The company emphasized that these Aegis destroyers are equivalent in size and performance to the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class. This announcement comes as the United States faces structural limitations in its domestic shipbuilding sector, where the number of shipyards has declined from over 400 to fewer than 30.
Continue reading “South Korea offers to build five Aegis destroyers per year to help the US counter China at sea.”
April 9, 2025 | By David Vergun, DOD News |
China is undertaking an unprecedented military buildup, developing a large and advanced arsenal of nuclear, conventional, cyber and space capabilities, said John Noh, performing the duties of assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, who testified today at a House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington.
Continue reading “China’s Military Buildup Threatens Indo-Pacific Region Security”
By Lieutenant Commander Brian Adornato, U.S. Navy Reserve
“The Navy emphatically acknowledges the need for a larger, more lethal force.”
“We cannot manifest a bigger traditional Navy in a few short years.”
These two quotes from the Chief of Naval Operations’ (CNO’s) Navigation Plan 2024 (NavPlan 24) highlight an intractable problem for the U.S. Navy. The service does not have enough ships. It also has too little time to build more, considering Admiral Phil Davidson’s warning that 2027 will start a period of high risk for war with China—a timeline NavPlan 24 affirmed.
Continue reading ““Crash Fleet:” An Emergency Shipbuilding Program”
The American shipbuilding industry is grappling with severe problems, none perhaps more crucial than the state of the workforce, naval affairs experts said this week.
Continue reading “Fixing the US Navy’s shipbuilding problems starts with the workers, agency analysts say”
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