Asian navies eye undersea drones to find hidden infrastructure threats
Their presence might pose challenges for Southeast Asia, however, where there is no formal mechanism for Navy-level exchanges in the underwater domain.
Mideast Africa
Israeli defense firms lament a chill from erstwhile client Philippines
The source of the bilateral freeze is murky, with some executives here blaming the Israeli government’s unwillingness to back Filipino sovereignty claims.
Hegseth to attend Asia defense summit, with no China meeting planned
Beijing normally sends its defense minister to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore but is unlikely to this year.
New Zealand eyes cargo planes, helicopters, Javelins in new budget
New Zealand’s defense spending is scheduled to reach 2% of GDP by 2032-2033.
Turkey’s STM targets Southeast Asian market with new ship design
The pitch aligns with Turkey’s growing focus on Asian defense markets.
Pacific land force leaders seek ‘positional advantage’ against China
More ships, partnerships and strike assets are in store for Pacific land forces.
Pakistan wields Chinese weapons against India, and analysts take notes
Besides long-range aerial fights, both sides also launched drones and cruise missiles against enemy infrastructure, bringing air-defense systems into play.
US Typhon missile system in Philippines is a subtle headache for China
Officials in Manila have said they want to acquire similar systems in the future as part of military modernization.
Top US general in Korea talks maps, China, and getting Patriots back
“It begins with looking from an enemy’s perspective and then seeing where you are and how you might array your capabilities,” Gen. Xavier Brunson said.
Target vessel sank before it could be hammered at drill in Philippines
While the vessel took itself out before it could be hit by missiles, Balikatan organizers conducted other elements of the planned live-fire event.
Safety fears keep most of India’s go-to military helicopters grounded
The grounding has strained the military’s fleet and forced the leasing of civilian helicopters as gap fillers.
India tops up its Rafale warplane buy with 26 carrier-capable jets
The Indian Navy will become the first international user of the French jet's naval variant, underscoring the strategic ties between the two countries.
With Indo-Pacific undersea cables at risk, companies tout their tech
Taiwan has reported five cases of seabed cable damage this year already, compared with just three each in 2023 and 2024.
Marines deploy drone-killing MADIS system for Balikatan drills
The exercise marks the first time the aerial defense system has been deployed outside the U.S. with a U.S. Marine Corps unit.
US, Philippines to simulate ‘full-scale battle’ in Balikatan drills
Thousands of allied American and Filipino forces have opened annual combat drills that will include simulating the defense of the Philippines.
Train like you fight: Taiwan comes to grips with an old military adage
Military planners have vowed to inject a greater degree of realism into military training, as China readies new tactics for a potential invasion.
US Forces Korea commander defends troop levels amid talk of cuts
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea, but the White House is considering changes to that military footprint.
