https://www.scmp.com/rss/522012/feed The US Army is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense, headquartered at The Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. As the oldest and largest branch of the U.S. military, its core mission is to preserve peace, provide national defence, and achieve sustained land dominance. Key activities include ground combat operations, peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and domestic support such as disaster response and infrastructure maintenance via the Army Corps of Engineers. The... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem It took less than six minutes for Japan’s Type 88 missile to find its mark, a decommissioned Philippine warship 75km (47 miles) off the coast of Ilocos Norte. The US-made Tomahawk took rather longer to hit its target, some 630km (390 miles) away. It was, analysts say, a pointed display of resolve: Japanese, American and Filipino troops bringing this year’s Balikatan joint exercises to a thunderous close with a volley of missiles fired from sites in the far northern Philippines. The Tomahawk... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352922/balikatan-2026-us-japan-philippines-flex-military-muscle-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352922/balikatan-2026-us-japan-philippines-flex-military-muscle-amid-china-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 04:00:06 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China condemned what it called Japan’s first “offensive missile” test overseas in eight decades, saying Tokyo’s “neo-militarism” and intensified arms race had gained momentum and threatened regional stability. During the “Balikatan 2026” joint drill led by the United States and the Philippines on Wednesday, Japanese forces fired a Type 88 surface-to-ship missile in the Philippines. According to China, it was the first time Japan had launched an “offensive” weapon abroad since World War II. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352646/china-condemns-japans-first-overseas-offensive-missile-test-wwii?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3352646/china-condemns-japans-first-overseas-offensive-missile-test-wwii?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 12:13:34 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The US Army on Tuesday shot a Tomahawk missile from its Typhon Mid-Range Capability launcher system in the Philippines during a military exercise, marking the first time it has fired such a weapon since the system’s arrival in the country two years ago, which drew a rebuke from China. Built by Lockheed Martin, the Typhon system had been flown 13,000km (8,000 miles) from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state to Luzon in the Philippines as part of a military exercise called Salaknib and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352548/us-army-fires-typhon-first-time-philippines-during-balikatan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352548/us-army-fires-typhon-first-time-philippines-during-balikatan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 01:07:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Two US service members are missing in southwestern Morocco after taking part in annual multinational military exercises in the North African country, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said on Sunday. The service members are US Army soldiers who went missing while on a hike, a US defence official told Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to speak publicly about the issue. “They were not actively taking part in any training. The day’s exercises had concluded... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352296/2-us-army-soldiers-missing-after-african-lion-military-exercises-morocco?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3352296/2-us-army-soldiers-missing-after-african-lion-military-exercises-morocco?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 22:02:43 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A US special forces soldier involved in the military operation to capture former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has been charged with using classified information about the mission to win more than US$400,000 in an online betting market, federal officials announced on Thursday. Gannon Ken Van Dyke was part of the operation to capture Maduro in January and used his access to classified information to make money on the prediction market site Polymarket, the federal prosecutor’s office in New... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351220/us-soldier-charged-using-inside-info-win-us400000-bet-maduros-capture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351220/us-soldier-charged-using-inside-info-win-us400000-bet-maduros-capture?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:29:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Two US Army soldiers have been injured after encountering a brown bear in a mountainous training area in Anchorage, according to the military. The incident happened on Thursday as the soldiers were taking part in a “land navigation training event” in Arctic Valley, part of the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s training area. The soldiers were receiving medical care as of Friday, a military official told the Anchorage Daily News. Queries sent to base were not immediately returned on Friday. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350547/2-us-soldiers-injured-brown-bear-attack-during-training-exercise-alaska?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3350547/2-us-soldiers-injured-brown-bear-attack-during-training-exercise-alaska?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:32:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked the Army’s top uniformed officer to step down, the Pentagon said on Thursday without giving a reason for the departure as the United States wages a war against Iran. General Randy George “will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately”, said Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s top spokesman. George has held the post of Army chief of staff, which typically runs for four years, since August 2023 under the Biden... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348861/hegseth-ousts-armys-top-uniformed-officer-even-us-wages-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3348861/hegseth-ousts-armys-top-uniformed-officer-even-us-wages-war-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:23:47 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang The US has established a new army foothold in the Philippines with a rotational deployment designed to sustain the Typhon missile system and contain China, according to military analysts. The US Army has commenced rotational deployments in the Philippines, according to a post published on January 29 on the Defence Visual Information Distribution Service, the US military’s image and video hosting website. The photographs showed exchanges on January 12 between the Army Rotational Force-Philippines... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343214/us-armys-new-presence-philippines-and-push-contain-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343214/us-armys-new-presence-philippines-and-push-contain-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukraine’s top negotiator Rustem Umerov said ‍on Sunday that talks with US officials on a resolution of the nearly four-year-old war with Russia would continue at the World Economic Forum opening this week in the Swiss resort of Davos. Umerov, writing on Telegram, said two days of talks in Florida with a US team ⁠including envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, had focused on security guarantees and a post-war recovery plan for Ukraine. He gave no indication... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340352/kyiv-says-held-substantive-talks-us-discussions-continue-davos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3340352/kyiv-says-held-substantive-talks-us-discussions-continue-davos?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 20:49:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Assailants detonated bombs at nearly a dozen petrol stations in Thailand’s south early Sunday, injuring four people, the army said, the latest attacks in the insurgency-hit region. A low-level conflict since 2004 has killed thousands of people as rebels in the Muslim-majority region bordering Malaysia battle for greater autonomy. Several bombs exploded within a 40-minute period after midnight on Sunday, igniting 11 petrol stations across Thailand’s southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339487/4-injured-bombings-thailands-south-amid-ongoing-insurgency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339487/4-injured-bombings-thailands-south-amid-ongoing-insurgency?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 08:31:53 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China’s new high-power microwave system to counter drones has a longer range than its US military equivalent, according to its developer. The truck-mounted Hurricane 3000 was showcased during China’s huge military parade in September. This week its developer – state-owned defence contractor Norinco – disclosed some details of the weapon system for the first time. “Its effective interception range exceeds 3km [1.86 miles] against light and small [unmanned aerial vehicles] and drone swarms,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338877/chinas-powerful-new-microwave-weapon-system-can-destroy-drone-swarms-within-3km?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3338877/chinas-powerful-new-microwave-weapon-system-can-destroy-drone-swarms-within-3km?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 02:00:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters At 4.21am on Saturday, US President Donald Trump sent a message on his Truth Social ‌platform: the United States had carried out a daring mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The action came as a surprise, but according to sources familiar with the matter, ‍planning for one of the most complex US operations in recent memory had been in the works for months and included detailed rehearsals. Elite US troops, including the US Army’s Delta Force, created an exact... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3338645/inside-us-operation-venezuela-capture-president-nicolas-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3338645/inside-us-operation-venezuela-capture-president-nicolas-maduro?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 00:54:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he will be pardoning former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who in 2024 was convicted for drug trafficking and weapons charges and sentenced to 45 years in prison. The president explained his decision on social media by posting that “according to many people that I greatly respect”, Hernandez was “treated very harshly and unfairly”. In March of last year, Hernandez was convicted in an American court of conspiring to import cocaine into the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3334592/trump-says-hell-pardon-ex-honduras-president-serving-us-prison-sentence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3334592/trump-says-hell-pardon-ex-honduras-president-serving-us-prison-sentence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 22:26:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Charges against the man accused of shooting two National Guard members have been upgraded to first-degree murder after one of the soldiers died, the US attorney for the District of Columbia announced on Friday, while investigators continue to seek a motive. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24 were hospitalised in critical condition after the Wednesday afternoon shooting near the White House. Trump announced on Thursday evening that Beckstrom had died. US Attorney... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334576/afghan-national-charged-first-degree-murder-national-guard-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3334576/afghan-national-charged-first-degree-murder-national-guard-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 14:47:01 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday he was ready to advance a US-backed framework for ending the war with Russia and discuss disputed points with US President Donald Trump in talks he said should include European allies. US and Ukrainian officials have been trying to narrow their gaps over Trump’s plan to end Europe’s deadliest and most devastating conflict since World War II, with Ukraine wary of being strong-armed into accepting a deal largely on Russian terms, including... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3334146/ukraine-ready-advance-peace-plan-will-discuss-disputed-points-trump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3334146/ukraine-ready-advance-peace-plan-will-discuss-disputed-points-trump?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 18:46:15 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen A US missile system that could strike Beijing has been withdrawn from Japan, Japanese media reported on Monday, amid sharply escalating tensions triggered by the Japanese prime minister’s recent remarks on Taiwan. The Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile launcher system of the US Army, deployed to the Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi prefecture since September for the US-Japan “Resolute Dragon 2025” joint exercise, was already removed, the Japanese Defence Ministry confirmed on Monday. The news... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333161/us-pulls-missile-system-japan-beijing-tokyo-row-over-taiwan-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3333161/us-pulls-missile-system-japan-beijing-tokyo-row-over-taiwan-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 17:36:26 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The United States has informed its Nato allies that it will scale back its troop presence along Europe’s eastern border with Ukraine as it focuses on security priorities elsewhere in the world, Romania’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday. The US Army later confirmed the move, but denied it was a sign of lessened commitment to Nato. Depending on operations and exercises, around 80,000-100,000 US troops are usually present on European soil. Nato allies have expressed concern that the Trump... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330813/us-tells-nato-troop-cut-europe-sparking-fears-security-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3330813/us-tells-nato-troop-cut-europe-sparking-fears-security-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 14:28:25 +0000 Zhang Tong Zhang Tong Weeks after China unveiled its lightweight but powerful Type 100 main battle tank featuring diesel-electric propulsion, the US Army’s pursuit of a similar design for a hybrid-electric next-generation version of the Abrams tank faces a new strategic hurdle. Beijing has imposed export controls on the advanced lithium batteries critical for powering such next-generation military systems, creating a significant and immediate supply challenge for the US development timeline. The Type 100 tank was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3329914/power-play-china-leads-next-gen-tank-race-lithium-curbs-stall-us-abrams-upgrades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3329914/power-play-china-leads-next-gen-tank-race-lithium-curbs-stall-us-abrams-upgrades?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 13:00:09 +0000 Jane Cai Jane Cai China is harnessing an ancient mental calculation technique to train soldiers as “human abacuses” for high-stakes combat scenarios where advanced technology might fail. The initiative reflects China’s strategic push to blend traditional methods, such as the abacus and paper-based calculations, with modern warfare tactics. As an example of the approach, CCTV highlighted the feats of Captain Xu Meiduo, a stand-out in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) land forces. The state broadcaster showed a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3328943/how-chinese-military-uses-human-abacuses-counter-smart-device-failures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3328943/how-chinese-military-uses-human-abacuses-counter-smart-device-failures?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 11:00:09 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The US has deployed a new air defence system in South Korea – dubbed America’s Iron Dome – in what analysts see as an effort by Washington to counter Chinese or North Korean drone operations in the event of a conflict in the region. On Thursday, the Pentagon’s Defence Visual Information Distribution Service uploaded photos of US Army Chief of Staff General Randy George’s visit to South Korea last Monday for an engagement with US Forces Korea (USFK) soldiers and meetings with South Korean... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327190/south-koreas-new-us-iron-dome-air-defence-system-seen-reply-china-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3327190/south-koreas-new-us-iron-dome-air-defence-system-seen-reply-china-north-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 04:00:08 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Plans for a Singaporean fighter jet training presence in the US territory of Guam have been shelved, both governments have confirmed, despite years of preparation and investment in upgrading the US Air Force base on the Pacific island. Singapore and the United States had agreed to “discontinue discussions” on deploying 12 Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-15 fighter jets to Guam, the city state’s defence ministry announced on Tuesday. This followed an earlier statement from the US Air... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321552/singapore-us-scrap-plans-f-15-fighter-jet-training-guam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3321552/singapore-us-scrap-plans-f-15-fighter-jet-training-guam?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:08:13 +0000 Enoch Wong Enoch Wong China has released rare footage of its mysterious DF-100 supersonic cruise missile in action, shedding new light on the specifications and mobility of the model believed to be a major deterrent for US warships and military bases in the region. The blurred footage marked one of only a few public appearances the missile has made since its 2019 debut. In previous appearances, the missile has been obscured on its launch vehicle, making it difficult to analyse the technical specifications and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3321469/china-releases-rare-footage-df-100-cruise-missile-deter-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3321469/china-releases-rare-footage-df-100-cruise-missile-deter-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:00:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Palantir Technologies on Monday raised its annual revenue forecast for the second time this year, expecting robust demand for its AI-linked services from businesses and governments, sending its shares up 5 per cent in extended trading. Initially backed by the CIA, the company has capitalised on its expertise in managing and analysing data to help train and run new artificial intelligence apps using its platforms. The data analytics and defence software firm projected revenue in the range of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320749/palantir-raises-annual-revenue-forecast-again-surging-ai-demand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3320749/palantir-raises-annual-revenue-forecast-again-surging-ai-demand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 02:38:09 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen China’s military has warned that America’s new containerised missile and rocket launch system could “seriously undermine regional strategic stability”. A commentary in PLA Daily on Thursday noted that the launcher – hidden inside a shipping container – had appeared in recent footage from the US Army’s Fort Bragg base in North Carolina. The People’s Liberation Army mouthpiece said the launcher could fire a range of missiles and rockets including those used for the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3320431/chinas-military-warns-us-containerised-launcher-poses-threats-regional-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3320431/chinas-military-warns-us-containerised-launcher-poses-threats-regional-security?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 10:00:17 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India’s acquisition of the latest variant of US-made Apache attack helicopters is a key step towards bolstering its ability to fight on two fronts against Pakistan and China, but experts are divided on whether the ageing aircraft can remain battleworthy over the long term. On Tuesday, the Indian army took delivery of the first three AH-64E Apache helicopters, with plans to induct them into its attack aviation wing based in the state of Rajasthan. Three more units are expected to arrive by the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319329/new-apaches-india-are-us-helicopters-battle-ready-future-threats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319329/new-apaches-india-are-us-helicopters-battle-ready-future-threats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 02:30:09 +0000 Aisyah Llewellyn Aisyah Llewellyn When Michael Watson boarded an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner from New Delhi to Dubai in early June, he didn’t expect to swear off the aircraft type for good. But days later, another Dreamliner operated by the same airline crashed just 30 seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people on board as well as 19 others on the ground. Watson, a retired British teacher and frequent flier in Asia, says he now avoids the 787 altogether because “I have a bad feeling about... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3318804/after-2025s-aviation-scares-are-skies-still-safe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3318804/after-2025s-aviation-scares-are-skies-still-safe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2025 00:00:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters Australia’s army fired a truck-mounted long-range rocket system that has become a priority for US allies in the Indo-Pacific for the first time on Monday, alongside US and Singapore forces firing the same system in joint military exercises. Armoured trucks with High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars) that can reach 400km (250 miles) are in high demand in the Ukraine conflict and are also being acquired by US allies in the Indo-Pacific, including Australia, which is reshaping its forces... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3318156/australia-fires-its-first-us-made-himars-rocket-system-military-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3318156/australia-fires-its-first-us-made-himars-rocket-system-military-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 09:34:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United States military teamed with Panamanian police to conduct a series of new exercises aimed at protecting the Panama Canal, amid tensions over alleged Chinese influence along the prized trade route. To kick off the drills, three US Army helicopters arrived in Panama on Sunday – two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and a CH-47 Chinook – landing at the Panama-Pacific Airport, formerly the US Howard base. Michael Palacios, subcommissioner of Panama’s National Aeronaval Service (SENAN), said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3318075/us-conducts-military-drills-panama-canal-amid-trumps-china-influence-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3318075/us-conducts-military-drills-panama-canal-amid-trumps-china-influence-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 02:16:28 +0000 Elina Noor Elina Noor A day before the controversial military parade in Washington celebrating the US Army’s 250th anniversary (which, coincidentally, fell on President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday), a more discreet yet significant event took place. On June 13, the US Army swore four C-suite technologists into its reserve ranks with the launch of Detachment 201, its executive innovation corps. The newly commissioned lieutenant colonels are Shyam Sankar, Palantir Technologies’ chief technology officer; Andrew... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3316416/why-silicon-valley-signing-nationalism-puts-asia-edge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3316416/why-silicon-valley-signing-nationalism-puts-asia-edge?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 12:30:08 +0000