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Defence

Defence
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Defence. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer appears before the Liaison Committee in the House of Commons in London on Monday. Photo: PA via AP
US, Israel war on Iran

UK sending air defence systems to Gulf ‘to help counter Iranian missiles’

The UK is working to ‘distribute air defence missiles’ to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Britain’s prime minister said on Monday.

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Japan

Most Japanese oppose helping Trump fight his war on Iran, polls show

Japan

Can Japan offer Indonesia a ‘credible alternative’ to China on Prabowo’s visit?

China's military weapons

Why is China’s ASN-301 suicide drone more deadly than its Iranian counterpart?

In a conflict over Taiwan or western Pacific, Beijing may overwhelm air defences through sheer numbers in a war of economic attrition.

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China’s ASN-301, anti-radiation loitering munition, which shares the Iranian Shahed-136’s aerodynamic delta-wing design. Photo: Handout
Indonesia

Opinion | Indonesia’s new aircraft carrier is more vanity project than war machine

The jet-less carrier might buy Jakarta a seat at the elite table, but it offers no advantage in modern naval warfare.

US, Israel war on Iran

Iranian missile gets past Israeli interceptors to hit town with nuclear site

Iran says the attack, which wounded dozens, was in response to a strike on its own Natanz nuclear site.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Iran war nears 3-front tipping point as Gulf energy hubs burn

Israeli strikes on the world’s largest gas field and Iranian attacks on Saudi and Qatari hubs threaten a global energy crisis.

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Smoke and fire rise near the South Pars gas field following an attack amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
US-China relations

US claims China manipulating its position at UN to undermine America’s interests

House Select Committee says Beijing using monetary contributions, critical UN posts and strategic troop deployment to expand its reach.

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US, Israel war on Iran

UK allows US to use its bases to strike Iran missile sites targeting Hormuz

Trump has repeatedly attacked British PM Starmer since the conflict started, complaining ⁠he was not doing enough to help.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Trump calls Nato ‘cowards’ over lack of support in Iran war, sends more troops

Iran is threatening tourist sites worldwide, renewing fears that Tehran could resort to militant attacks beyond the Middle East.

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US President Donald Trump complained Nato countries did not ‌want to join the fight against Iran, yet still complain about high oil prices. Photo: AFP
Japan

Trump’s Pearl Harbour joke falls flat in Japan over his ‘disrespectful remarks’

As Japan faces pressure over the Iran war, some observers commend Takaichi for steering her meeting with Trump towards trade deals.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raises her fist while delivering remarks during a dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Pakistan

Is Pakistan building ICBMs? Non-proliferation experts dispute US warning

US fears of Pakistani ICBMs targeting America are overstated as Islamabad’s missile programme remains regional, observers say.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Opinion | Iran war revives pandemic-era shocks – and may go further

As war in Iran quickly reshapes energy flows, trade routes and political alignments, the crisis may mark the start of a more volatile new phase.

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United States

Trump compares Iran attack to Pearl Harbour in otherwise positive Takaichi talks

Two leaders tout bilateral relationship and pledge to work cooperatively on trade.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday. Photo: Reuters
Science

Liu Guozhi, once top PLA scientist, wiped off Chinese Academy of Sciences site

High-power microwave weapon expert was elected to the nation’s top scientific body in 2009.

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Liu Guozhi, 65, once headed the science and technology commission of the Central Military Commission – China’s top military decision-making and command body. Photo: Handout
The Philippines

Beyond ‘lip service’: Philippines urged to act on air defence gaps

The Iran war has underscored the need for robust air systems and Manila should look to build a layered defence architecture, experts say.

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Japan

Russian hypersonic jets buzz Japan’s coast in ‘thinly veiled threat’

The exercises send a message that Tokyo should avoid antagonising Moscow or risk ‘repercussions’, observers say.

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US-China relations

US says mainland China has no plans to attack Taiwan in 2027

Beijing seeks to control the island without the use of force, the US intelligence community confirms in its annual report on global threats.

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The People’s Liberation Army conducts military drills near Pingtan island, in eastern China’s Fujian province, the closest point to Taiwan, on December 30, 2025. Photo: AFP
Ukraine war

Zelensky urges EU to bypass Hungarian veto on vital US$103 billion loan

Putin ally Viktor Orban has been blocking the loan, in part because of a closed pipeline supplying his country with Russian oil in Ukraine.

US, Israel war on Iran

Iranian intelligence minister Esmail Khatib ‘eliminated’: Israel’s Katz

Khatib is the third top Iranian official to be killed in two days as Israel authorises military to shoot on sight.

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Ukraine war

Ukraine’s Zelensky warns of ‘brothers in hatred’ as Iran war steals focus

Ukrainian leader visits London as the Middle East conflict overshadows the four-year war against Russia.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte at 10 Downing Street in London. Photo: Reuters
Drones

China leads world in anti-drone patent race with US far behind, law firm finds

Patent filings for anti-drone technology surged 27 per cent last year amid rising global security concerns, says Mathys & Squire.

A police officer presents an anti-drone gun during the Railway Police Open Day at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan, Hubei province. Photo: Getty Images
US, Israel war on Iran

US military’s Iran war pivot forces security rethink in Asia-Pacific

As assets are diverted to the Gulf, the Iran war’s high ‘burn rate’ risks creating a ‘thin spot’ in the US security umbrella.

Japan

Japan identifies 1,500 new missile shelters as ‘front line’ fears grow

Underground car parks and subways are being repurposed as Tokyo warns of the most severe security threat since the second world war.

Science

How China gets more bang for its military buck than the US

The country’s military modernisation integrates civilian scientific and industrial capabilities into defence innovation allowing rapid development.

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Illustration: Davies Christian
US-China relations

Beijing on Iran war, Trump trade plan, new AI arena: 7 US-China relations reads

From a new US maritime strategy to the Iran crisis, here are highlights from SCMP’s overseas correspondents in the first half of March 2026.

Plumes of smoke rise over Tehran, Iran, on March 1. Photo: Mowj/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images/TNS
European Union

Opinion | Europe says it must rearm – but to what end?

Beneath the rhetoric of defending democracy, a more uncomfortable reality drives the rearmament push: the fraying of the transatlantic bond.

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Middle East

Opinion | How US-Israel war on Iran rocks foundations of the Abraham Accords

For Arab states, the conflict has revealed a paradox: the alliances meant to enhance their security may also have increased their vulnerability.

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