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Defence
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Defence. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun (centre) walks out following a bilateral meeting with then US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on the sidelines of the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31 of last year. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

Dong Jun to skip Singapore forum – and a chance to meet US, Asian defence chiefs

Reasons for defence minister’s absence from Shangri-La Dialogue include tariff war, waning interest in ‘Western-centric’ forum, analysts say.

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Singapore

UK carrier joins Australia’s F-35s for Five Power Defence drills

South China Sea

Filipino activists stage ‘sea concert’ to resist Chinese claims in disputed waters

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The Philippines

Philippine Navy adds bases in Subic Bay, Mindanao amid South China Sea tensions

The bases are expected to help grow the Philippines’ infrastructure as it acquires more warships for its arsenal.

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Philippine Navy vessels docked at Subic Bay in Zambales. Photo: Jeoffrey Maitem
China's military weapons

China extends destroyer strike range with airborne early warning system: CCTV

‘It allows us to identify both air and sea threats far beyond visual range,’ crew member on the destroyer Lhasa tells state broadcaster.

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Singapore

With US stand in doubt, will Hegseth sway Asian allies at Singapore forum?

The US defence chief is expected to outline Washington’s Indo-Pacific security policy at the forum.

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Science

China plans to arm Tiangong space station with self-defence bots: scientist

Sun Zhibin says robotic thruster could latch onto unidentified object approaching critical Chinese space infrastructure and push it away.

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If an intruder approaches Chinese space infrastructure, such as its space station, researcher Sun Zhibin says operators “choose how to respond – whether by dodging, adjusting our orbit, or releasing a small robot to grab and redirect the object”. Photo: Xinhua
Ukraine war

Germany to help Ukraine build long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russia

The weapons will have no range restrictions, allowing Kyiv to defend itself against ‘military targets outside its own territory’, Merz says.

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Middle East

Israel hits Houthi targets including last plane at Yemen’s Sanaa airport

The airport, Yemen’s largest, was mainly being used by UN aircraft and the plane destroyed in the latest Israeli strikes.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Why South Korea’s next leader should revive 6-party nuclear talks

Given the Trump-Kim bromance and with a potential new approach by Seoul, a return to six-party talks grows likelier.

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Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung greets voters in the southwestern city of Naju in South Korea on May 17. Photo: EPA-EFE
Indonesia

Macron touts defence ties in Indonesia, backs Prabowo’s push for Palestine

The French president’s trip to Jakarta strengthened defence and economic links, securing deals and discussing Indonesia’s potential shift in stance on Israel.

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France’s President Emmanuel Macron (left) laughs with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at a joint press conference in Jakarta, Indonesia on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Science

China’s next-gen turbine blade promises supercharged jet power

Thermotolerant jet engine blade is designed for more thrust and fuel efficiency, strengthening China’s aviation self-reliance.

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South Korea

Call to arms? South Korea’s election revives debate on nuclear armament

The debate underlines Seoul’s deep-seated anxiety about relying solely on the US nuclear umbrella amid North Korea’s advancing capabilities.

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Taiwan

PLA attack on Taiwan ‘unlikely’ but ‘not impossible’ with Trump in White House

US-China ties never been ‘more strained’ in the 21st century, report by British think tank and co-organiser of Shangri-La Dialogue says.

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A PLA Navy aircraft carrier task group takes part in drills east of Taiwan in April. Photo: CCTV
United States

Trump says ‘Golden Dome’ would cost Canada US$61 billion – or free if it joins US

US president puts a price tag on US protection as Canada’s Carney eyes joining EU defence plan.

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US President Donald Trump said Canada could join the planned US protective air defence shield - for a price. Photo: AP
United States

Opinion | Why UK-Mauritius deal over military base is more than a legal milestone

Once seen as a relic of colonialism, the Chagos Archipelago has evolved into a flashpoint in global strategic competition.

China's military weapons

China introduces rules in bid to protect its military-industrial assets

Facilities for research, production, testing and storage of important weapons and equipment deemed ‘protected areas’.

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Ukraine war

Russia warns Germany over signal on long-range weapons for Ukraine

Germany’s chancellor said there were no more range restrictions on weapons supplied to Kyiv.

Ukrainian forces fire a German-supplied Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzer in 2023. File photo: Reuters
North Korea

North Korea warns US ‘Golden Dome’ risks nuclear war in outer space

Pyongyang has denounced US President Trump’s ‘very dangerous’ missile-shield plan as a bid to weaponise space, threatening global security.

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South Korea

Talk of US troop cuts rattles nerves in South Korea ahead of snap election

The Pentagon has denied reports of a drawdown, but analysts say it remains possible given Washington’s shifting defence priorities.

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War and conflict

Opinion | Why China is the real winner of the India-Pakistan conflict

The India-Pakistan conflict offered China a stage to challenge Western dominance in the arms race.

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A J-10CE medium multi-role combat aircraft is on display in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, on November 11, 2024. Photo: VCG via Getty Images
Asean

Now or never? Philippine’s Marcos urges Asean to fast track South China Sea code

Asean’s consensus-based approach is too weak to persuade a dominant China to agree to a code of conduct, experts say.

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A Chinese Coast Guard ship (left) uses a water cannon and sideswipes a Philippine fisheries vessel on a research mission near Sandy Cay in the disputed South China Sea on Wednesday. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard/AP
The Philippines

Letters | Philippine maritime defence must focus on domestic needs first

Readers discuss how an empowered coastguard can serve the country’s coastal communities, removing red tape to facilitate SME support, and kind taxi drivers.

Diplomacy

Opinion | After hardline Yoon, South Korea needs a more balanced foreign policy

The next leader must broaden diplomacy while rejecting nuclear arms and regaining wartime military control.

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Emmanuel Macron

France’s president kicks off Southeast Asia tour sealing deals in Vietnam

Emmanuel Macron is also set to visit Indonesia and Singapore. His visit to Hanoi coincided with a new VietJet order for planemaker Airbus.

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Vietnam’s President Luong Cuong and his wife Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet welcome French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Monday. Photo: AP
India-Pakistan tensions

How India and Pakistan are preparing for the next conflict

Despite unease over nuclear risks, both sides are replenishing arsenals from abroad and exploring ‘unused technologies’ to gain an advantage.

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An Indian soldier keeps watch near the Line of Control separating Pakistan and India on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
North Korea

North Korea detains 3 over warship launch accident

Leader Kim Jong-un called the botched launch of the new naval destroyer a ‘criminal act caused by absolute carelessness’.

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Donald Trump

Trump takes credit for US military might in speech to West Point graduates

The US president says he rebuilt ‘the most powerful army the world has ever known’.

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