Military

Australia makes air power key to Asia-focused defence strategy

4 May 2013

Australia plans to significantly boost its military air power, committing to buy up to 100 Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, as it shifts its focus back to the Indo-Pacific where China...

2:43AM

China should focus on hi-tech weapons, not plodding old carriers

26 Apr 2013

Technology has a clever habit of outdoing fantasy, and this month the US Navy announced that it has finally produced a working Laser Weapon System (the US military has been trying to develop...

2:27AM

2 comments

British military 'wastes HK$1b a year training under-18s'

25 Apr 2013

Britain's military is wasting up to £94 million (HK$1.1 billion) a year training recruits aged under 18, human rights campaigners said. Britain is the only member of the European Union and only...

3:17AM

Post-quake rescue operations expose China's military aircraft weaknesses

24 Apr 2013

Military analysts said domestic-made rescue helicopters lack the ability to carry heavy loads and are less capable at handling extreme weather conditions. Some chalk the disparity up to Beijing's...

4:46AM

2 comments

Taiwan stages live-fire exercises in hotly contested Spratly Island chain

23 Apr 2013

Taiwan's coastguard said yesterday that Taipei had staged a live-fire drill within a hotly contested island chain in the South China Sea, in a move that risks stoking regional tensions. More than...

2:22AM

First live-fire drill in five years as part of Taiwan's Han Kuang exercises

17 Apr 2013

Taiwan has begun its largest military exercises since 2008, which will today see a live-fire drill on Penghu Island in the middle of the Taiwan Strait. The drill will review the armed forces'...

4:59AM

Opinion

Tom Holland

Attempts to diversify China's reserves have been a disaster

4:45AM

Howard Winn

China is like the EU; provinces are its member states

5:26AM

Wikipedia article deleted after French spy agency's 'threats'

The foundation behind Wikipedia has accused the French DCRI domestic intelligence agency of forcing a volunteer to remove an article because it was deemed to contain military secrets.

4:45AM

Bid to change Thailand's military-backed constitution faces legal fight

Thai lawmakers moved to change parts of a military-backed constitution after the country's highest court agreed to hear a case that may block them from doing so, signalling a renewed round of...

3:40AM

Vatican rejects Argentina junta claims against pope

The Vatican on Friday rejected claims that Pope Francis failed to do enough to protect two priests kidnapped and tortured by Argentina’s military junta and said he had in fact helped save lives....

12:44AM

DEFENCE

Taiwan deputy defence chief laments military readiness in face of threats

Taiwan's military has warned that a lack of crisis awareness, a low birth rate and resource constraints could threaten security in the face of a growing threat from the mainland.

6:44AM

DEFENCE

Japan urges China to reveal full defence spending details

There are reports that Beijing is increasing its defence budget by nearly 11 per cent in the coming year, which would put growth in double digits for the third straight year, but analysts believe...

2:46AM

Britain seeks to arm Syrian terrorists, President Assad says

Britain has been pushing to lift a ban on the sale of arms to Syria's rebels, but at a meeting last month European Union foreign ministers ruled that only "non-lethal" aid and "technical...

5:27AM