DefenceTalkThe Philippines’ foreign minister on Thursday slammed China’s attempts to build islands in the disputed South China Sea, prompting Beijing to accuse Manila of making “trouble out of nothing”. Albert del Rosario repeated a warning that Beijing was reclaiming land around isolated reefs in the South China Sea to turn them into islands which could […]https://www.defencetalk.com/philippines-slams-china-island-building-as-beijing-hits-back-62086/

DefenceTalkThe 2nd Infantry “Warrior” Division is entering a significant phase in its 100-year history. For more than 60 years, 2nd Infantry Division Soldiers have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their South Korean allies on freedom’s frontier keeping the peninsula secure against an aggressive and oppressive North Korean regime. The division is constantly seeking ways to further improve […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-south-korea-armies-to-establish-combined-division-62006/

DefenceTalkKadena’s newest aircraft touched down here, Dec. 21, 2014, after a flight across the Pacific to its new home with the 353rd Special Operations Group. The MC-130J Commando II is replacing the retiring MC-130P Combat Shadow assigned to the 353rd SOG’s 17th Special Operations Squadron. “The Commando II represents a giant leap forward for specialized […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-deploys-first-mc-130j-to-asia-61291/

DefenceTalkTaiwan on Tuesday launched its largest ever missile ship Tuesday as the island strives to modernise its armed forces in response to a perceived threat from China. The 500-tonne corvette named ‘Tuo Chiang’ — ‘Tuo River’ — is the first of its kind ever produced by Taiwan and was touted by defence minister Yen Ming […]https://www.defencetalk.com/taiwan-launches-its-largest-ever-missile-ship-61211/

DefenceTalkTribal separatists killed at least 34 people, including four women, in a series of attacks in India’s remote northeastern state of Assam on Tuesday, police said. The attacks took place in the two districts of Kokrajhar and Sonitpur, senior state police official SN Singh said, with the deadliest claiming 26 lives. Police blamed the attacks […]https://www.defencetalk.com/separatists-kill-at-least-34-in-northeast-india-police-61193/

DefenceTalkChina will not step in to save neighboring North Korea if the Pyongyang regime collapses or starts a war, a retired People’s Liberation Army general said, possibly signalling waning patience in Beijing with its wayward, nuclear-armed ally. “China is not a savior,” Wang Hongguang, formerly deputy commander of the Nanjing military region, wrote in the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-will-not-go-to-war-for-north-korea-former-general-61087/

DefenceTalkPakistan has the fastest growing nuclear weapons program in the world and by 2020 it could have enough fissile material to produce more than 200 nuclear devices, a top American think tank has said. “Though many states are downsizing their stockpiles, Asia is witnessing a buildup. Pakistan has the fastest-growing nuclear program in the world. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pakistan-to-have-200-nuclear-weapons-by-2020-us-think-tank-61061/

DefenceTalkWorld leaders including Barack Obama arrived in Beijing Monday for an Asia-Pacific summit hosted by China’s Xi Jinping and including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, against a backdrop of growing big-power rivalries. Obama arrives wounded by the Democrats’ defeat in the mid-term US elections and with US-Russian relations in the deep freeze, while Moscow warms to an […]https://www.defencetalk.com/rising-china-geopolitical-tensions-take-stage-at-apec-60982/

DefenceTalkPakistan is expected to shift from a mostly rural country to mostly urban country within the next two to three decades, which could have far-reaching effects on its future politics and stability. A new study from the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, examines three cities in Pakistan – Karachi, Lahore and Quetta – to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/drivers-of-long-term-insecurity-and-instability-in-pakistan-60947/

DefenceTalkSecretary of State John Kerry said Friday it was too early to discuss cutting the number of US troops stationed in Asia and South Korea, amid increased tensions on the heavily guarded peninsula. The warning came a day after Washington and Seoul agreed to delay transfer of the Pentagon’s control of Korean troops in the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/premature-to-talk-of-us-troop-cuts-in-asia-kerry-60855/