As global attention focuses on China and Japan, Tokyo and Manila are quietly deepening their economic and “defense” ties.
Tag: interoperability
The Balkans are heating up: two anti-Serb military alliances have formed . In response, Serbia has united with Hungary.
US to bolster Philippine arsenal to deter China: Teodoro
US to bolster Philippine arsenal to deter China: Teodoro
The longtime US ally is expecting a sustained US$500 million in annual defense funding from Washington through 2029 to boost its military capabilities and deter China’s “aggression” in the region, Philippine Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro said in an interview in Manila on Thursday.
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Philippines to receive 20 F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets from the US as confrontations with China grow.
The timing of this approval is significant as the Philippines has been engaged in a series of escalating maritime confrontations with China over disputed territories in the South China Sea. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have increasingly voiced support for Manila in countering Chinese maritime expansion. During his recent visit, Hegseth committed to “reestablish deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region,” calling attention to China’s growing assertiveness. Additionally, Philippine military leadership, including General Romeo Brawner, has publicly stated that a conflict in Taiwan would inevitably involve the Philippines, urging preparations for possible hostilities. Preparations for such scenarios have reportedly influenced the planning of joint U.S.-Philippine exercises, such as the annual “Balikatan” drills. These developments add urgency to the Philippine modernization program, of which the F-16 acquisition is a cornerstone.
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The F-47 Sixth-Generation Warplane Is a Colossal Waste of Money
For a fraction of the cost of the F-47, swarms of drones can be built and integrated with existing airframes like the F-22 and F-35, all of which can enhance the Air Force’s ability to project power without breaking the bank.
The F-47 Sixth-Generation Warplane Is a Colossal Waste of Money
PH: SCS Reconnaissance, Typhon, CADC, Oil wars
West PH Sea: US Navy ship spotted near Scarborough amid China ‘patrol’
MANILA, Philippines — A United States Naval Ship (USNS) was spotted near the country’s landmass while China Coast Guard (CCG) was conducting what it considers as a patrol around Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal on Sunday morning, a West Philippine Sea monitor said.
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Mike Gallagher says that the Pentagon Has Two Years to Prevent World War III
Pentagon Has Two Years to Prevent World War III
By China Hawk Mike Gallagher, Palantir
Xi Jinping has ordered the People’s Liberation Army to be ready to seize Taiwan by 2027. Whether he launches an invasion may depend on President Trump’s defense secretary. If confirmed by the Senate, Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host Pete Hegseth, Mr. Trump’s nominee, will have to confront the collapse of deterrence in Europe and the Middle East, resource constraints on Capitol Hill, recruitment challenges, and a deteriorating balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. The only way to promote peace is to go to war on day one—not with China, Russia or Iran but with the Pentagon bureaucracy.
Gallagher wants a wartime economy while leaving the financing to the private sector. It won’t work. 👇👇👇
Related:
US Seeks “Super Weapons” to Reign as Sole Superpower
In reality, Russia and China’s industrial bases are larger than America’s because of a number of factors, including factors no amount of American political will, can overcome. China in particular has a population four times greater than the US. China graduates millions more each year in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics than the US, and the physical size of its industrial base – military or otherwise – reflects this demographic disparity.
Even if the US had the political will to reform its military industrial base, stripping away profit-driven private industry and replacing it with purpose-driven state-owned enterprises, even if the US likewise transformed its education system to produce a skilled workforce rather than squeeze every penny from American students, and even if the US invested in its national infrastructure – a fundamental prerequisite for expanding its industrial base – it still faces a reality where China has already done all of this, and done so with a population larger than it and its G7 partners combined.
FYI, Gallagher is with Palantir, as well as the Hudson Institute.
Hudson Institute’s funding
PLA stages National Day drill in South China Sea in wake of 5-nation exercise
The drill in the disputed waters follows joint manoeuvres by the Philippines, US, Australia, Japan and New Zealand
PLA stages National Day drill in South China Sea in wake of 5-nation exercise
Related:
Biden Approves $567 Million in Military Aid for Taiwan, Angering China
Navy SEALs dropped in on a nuclear-powered submarine in the Pacific, drilling for a higher-end fight
In the event of a conflict with China or Russia, the Naval Special Warfare community is expected to have an even larger role than it had during the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency campaigns of the Global War on Terror (GWOT).
Navy SEALs dropped in on a nuclear-powered submarine in the Pacific, drilling for a higher-end fight
Essequibo Updates: USSOUTHCOM, Guyana, Venezuela
Security cooperation between Guyana and the US appears to deepen
U.S. Marine Corps Major General Julie Nethercot’s, U.S. Southern Command Strategy, Policy, and Plans Director has visited Guyana. Her visit to Guyana from May 6th to May 8th possibly or probably signals a significant step forward in our nation’s defence and security partnership with the United States, some observers believe. This visit follows closely on the heels of Major General Evan Pettus’ – also of the U.S. Southern Command – engagement in February, probably highlighting a deepening commitment of the United States to bolstering Guyana’s security capabilities.
Related:
US Navy Aircraft Overflight Increases Regional Risk: Padrino
On Thursday morning, U.S. authorities announced that two U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jets will carry out a flyover over “Georgetown and its surroundings” with the approval of the Guyanese government chaired by Irfaan Ali.
Venezuela Advances in Exercising Sovereignty Over Essequibo Region
The head of the Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (CEOFANB), General Domingo Hernández Lárez, reported that Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) troops continue to work to interconnect the newly created Guayana Esequiba state with the rest of the Venezuelan territory.
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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