DefenceTalkChina warned the United States on Wednesday that it will announce retaliatory measures “in the coming days” after Washington published a list of $50 billion in Chinese products that will face US tariffs. The commerce ministry said in a statement that tariff proposals are “completely unfounded, a typical unilateralist and protectionist practice that China strongly […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-warns-us-it-will-unveil-retaliatory-tariffs-soon-71616/

DefenceTalkChina could hit back hard at Donald Trump’s new tariffs by targeting agricultural goods and other products from states that voted for the US president. The world’s second largest economy warned again on Thursday, hours before Trump’s announcement, that it was ready to “take all necessary measures to resolutely defend its legitimate rights and interests”. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-may-target-trump-voting-states-in-trade-war-71583/

DefenceTalkPresident Donald Trump said Tuesday he wants the US military to create a new “space force,” adding to the Pentagon’s current ground, navy and air forces. Trump told troops at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station near San Diego that the new group would be able to encapsulate the “tremendous amount” of work the military […]https://www.defencetalk.com/trump-pushes-for-new-space-force-71568/

DefenceTalkToday President Donald J. Trump sent Congress a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 budget request of $716 billion for national security, $686 billion of which is for the Department of Defense. The National Defense Strategy, which aligns with the National Security Strategy, connects strategy to the FY 2019 budget priorities, enabling the Department to compete, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/dod-releases-fiscal-year-2019-budget-proposal-71467/

DefenceTalkNorth Korea test fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday, in a major challenge to US President Donald Trump after he slapped fresh sanctions on Pyongyang and declared it a state sponsor of terrorism. It was the nuclear-armed North’s first ballistic test in more than two months and an initial Pentagon assessment said the ICBM […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-tests-icbm-in-fresh-challenge-to-trump-70874/

DefenceTalkThe US Congress on Thursday overwhelmingly authorized $700 billion in national defense spending for next year, a substantial increase over Donald Trump’s request, and sent the measure to the president for his signature. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2018 is a negotiated compromise between the two chambers of Congress. The Senate passed it Thursday […]https://www.defencetalk.com/congress-sends-700-bn-defense-bill-for-trumps-signature-70827/

DefenceTalkSouth Korea may develop its own nuclear-powered submarines or purchase then from the U.S. to better deal with North Korean submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) threats. President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump have agreed to begin consultations on South Korea’s acquisition and development of cutting-edge weapons that would include nuclear-powered submarines and surveillance assets. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/south-korea-may-develop-nuclear-powered-submarine-70774/

DefenceTalkTEHRAN: Iran said Monday that suggestions by US President Donald Trump that it was working with North Korea on missile development were “nonsense”. Foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi was responding to a tweet by Trump over the weekend in which the US president wrote: “Iran just test-fired a Ballistic Missile capable of reaching Israel. They […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iran-says-trump-claims-of-north-korea-links-nonsense-70556/

DefenceTalkPresident Donald Trump gave a stark warning Saturday that cast growing uncertainty over whether a nuclear deal clinched with Iran would survive after the Islamic republic tested a new medium-range missile. State television carried footage of the launch of the Khoramshahr missile, which was first displayed at a high-profile military parade in Tehran on Friday. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/trump-casts-doubt-over-iran-nuclear-deal-after-missile-test-70551/

DefenceTalkAfter days of fiery talk of possible military intervention in the North Korea nuclear stand-off, Pentagon officials late last week suddenly found themselves digesting a surprising piece of breaking news. President Donald Trump, in the middle of a working vacation, stood before cameras and said the United States was also mulling options against crisis-hit Venezuela, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-adjusts-to-life-under-unpredictable-commander-in-chief-70292/