DefenceTalkOfficially it is just a research vessel, but China’s newly unveiled drone carrier is a clear sign Beijing is rushing to deploy an autonomous swarm of unmanned devices in its push for military supremacy in the Pacific Ocean. State media last month showed the launching of the Zhu Hai Yun — “Zhu Hai Cloud” — […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chinas-drone-carrier-hints-at-swarm-ambitions-for-pacific-78911/

DefenceTalkCambodia and China on Wednesday broke ground on a Beijing-funded project to revamp a naval base that the US fears is intended for Chinese military use. The Washington Post this week cited unnamed Western officials as saying the new facilities at Cambodia’s Ream base — strategically located on the Gulf of Thailand — were being […]https://www.defencetalk.com/cambodia-china-revamp-naval-base-stoking-us-fears-78915/

DefenceTalkChina has built what appear to be full-scale outlines of American warships including an aircraft carrier, satellite imagery showed, possible targets to practice striking some of the most potent US weapons deployed in the Pacific. The US Navy’s carrier battle groups — centered around massive aircraft carriers — are among the most powerful weapons in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/satellites-spot-us-warship-mock-ups-at-apparent-china-weapons-range-77481/

DefenceTalkUS President Joe Biden is expected to announce his strategy toward China soon, and calls are growing for him to make a clear public commitment to defend Taiwan militarily in the event of Chinese aggression. China considers Taiwan, which has a population of 23 million, to be a rebel province that will one day return […]

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkChina would not have exclusive access to a Cambodian naval base, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday, despite Beijing chipping in for upgrades after a US-funded facility was razed at the site last month. The Ream base is strategically located in the Gulf of Thailand, providing ready access to the fiercely contested South China Sea […]https://www.defencetalk.com/cambodian-pm-says-naval-base-not-just-for-china-76437/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkSecretary of Defense Mark Esper announced Wednesday an ambitious plan to expand the US Navy with a range of unmanned and autonomous ships, submarines and aircraft to confront the growing maritime challenge from China. The Pentagon chief said a sweeping review of US naval power dubbed “Future Forward” had laid out a “game-changer” plan that […]https://www.defencetalk.com/eyeing-china-pentagon-plans-larger-more-lethal-navy-76357/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkAmid rising tensions across the Taiwan Straits with the US military’s increasingly frequent operations in the region, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently held drills in the East China Sea, with the latest, more powerful, anti-stealth aircraft-capable version of the Type 052D destroyer making its first public appearance, according to military reports over […]https://www.defencetalk.com/plas-upgraded-type-052d-destroyer-makes-training-debut-in-e-china-sea-75907/

DefenceTalkTAIPEI, Taiwan: China’s navy just learned from a monthlong aircraft carrier training mission how to keep troops safe from COVID-19 and what it would be like to spar with Japan or Taiwan, analysts believe. The Liaoning aircraft carrier returned to port in eastern China April 30 after passing through western Pacific waters near Taiwan and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/two-advances-for-chinese-navy-after-monthlong-aircraft-carrier-voyage-near-japan-taiwan-75400/

DefenceTalkThe AG600, China’s large amphibious airplane that will be capable of covering all of the South China Sea, is preparing in Hubei Province to conduct its first maritime test flight this year as planned, despite the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) epidemic. The AG600 is undergoing status adjustment and design optimization in Jingmen, Hubei, as all […]https://www.defencetalk.com/chinas-new-ag600-amphibious-airplane-plans-for-sea-trials-75112/

It has emerged that China’s most advanced destroyer, the 10,000-ton-class Type 055, is larger than previously reported as the Chinese Navy recently revealed it has an actual displacement of more than 12,000 tons. Experts said on Friday that the difference between 10,000 and 12,000 tons could be huge and indicate the warship is even more […]