TOPIC

Defence

Defence
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Defence. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
The WS-10 Taihang engine, which is used by Chinese fighter jets, is displayed at the Zhuhai air show in 2018. A patent for advanced turbine blade manufacturing was issued in late April. Photo: SCMP / Dickson Lee
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.

videocam
South Korea

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

videocam
Taiwan

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

videocam
7
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.

videocam
4
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’.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
4
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
4
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
4
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.

4
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’.

videocam
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’.

6
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Pakistan

Pakistan intensifies Balochistan insurgency crackdown after deadly bus bombing

Islamabad also needs to end the rebellion to attract foreign funds to its vast reserves of copper and other ‘critical metals’, analysts say.

videocam
4
Human rights activist hold portraits of children killed in the school bus bombing in Balochistan, during a rally in Karachi on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
China's military weapons

The wheels on the tank go … Chinese children’s songs get a military makeover

Anthemic videos show off Beijing’s military as internet users celebrate Chinese-made weapons used in Kashmir conflict.

videocam
7
Ukraine war

Russian drones and missiles hit Ukraine hours after first major prisoner swap

Each country released 390 prisoners on Friday and said they would free more in the coming days.

United States

Outside In | How sustainable is a US economy heavily dependent on arms sales?

Trump’s Gulf tour and his proposed budget highlight a disproportionate US reliance on its military-industrial complex.

videocam
6
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman receives US President Donald Trump at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 13. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

Jets scrambled in 2 mins: inside South Korea’s secretive air defence centre

Pilots sprint to their planes seconds after an alert goes out at the Korea Air and Space Operations Centre.

videocam
A US F-35B performs a flight demonstration during Osan Air Power Days 2025 at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, about 60km south of Seoul, on May 9. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Philippines’ 2 new warships: a drop in the ocean amid South China Sea tensions?

The new Miguel Malvar-class ships can help Manila project strength if they are used as ‘part of a broader strategy’, experts say.

videocam
7
US-China relations

‘Very vulnerable position’: US allies in Asia nervous about regional security

Return of Trump and his America-first policy seen to be source of anxiety for many partners and allies.

videocam
10
Japan

Europe-Japan sixth-generation fighter jet races to keep pace with China

A senior official involved in the project says the aircraft aims to deal with future threats and retain an edge over China’s military technology.

videocam
The Global Combat Air Programme’s fighter jet concept design on display in London. Photo: AFP
China-Asean relations

China and Thailand boost strategic ties with new military cooperation plans

Visit to Beijing by Thailand’s top defence official Songwit Noonpackdee is latest in a series of diplomatic activities with China.

videocam
Troops pose in front of aircraft during the Falcon Strike drill in Thailand in July 2023. Photo: Facebook/ Royal Thai Air Force
New Zealand

US warship’s New Zealand visit a sign of ‘deep ties’ amid Trump-era uncertainty

New Zealand has committed to US$7.1 billion in defence spending over the next four years in response to rising global tensions.

videocam
7
United States

Opinion | With his ‘historic’ tour, Trump puts US power back in the Middle East

In reasserting the US in the centre of the Middle East’s strategic calculus, Trump also weakens the leverage and influence of Russia and China.

4
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement