China remains America’s top threat in space and is catching up to the United States military’s space capabilities at an “incredible pace,” according to a top Space Force general. “They are bringing on capability, I won’t say daily, but at least monthly, that puts our assets at risk,” Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess, the commander of…
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Once tempted to ditch its acquisition of a Chinese-built S26T diesel-electric submarine, Thailand has decided the project will now proceed. The cause of the indecision was China’s failure to obtain German diesel engines for the submarine, and its proposal to substitute Chinese variants instead. However, the Thai Cabinet approved a contract…
MANILA, Philippines — Australia on Friday launched its largest military exercises with Philippine forces, involving more than 3,600 military personnel in live-fire drills, battle maneuvers and a beach assault at a Philippine town facing the disputed South China Sea, where the allies have raised alarm over Beijing’s assertive actions. The exercises are called Alon, meaning…
Submarines are a major part of China’s naval strategy. And U.S. underwater sensors are a major threat to those subs, Chinese experts warn. Thus, some People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, officers are advocating a systematic attempt to destroy America’s undersea sensor network in time of war. This includes destroying, sabotaging or spoofing underwater microphones…
Deploying military forces is the strongest of political signals, and the most potent of these deployments is to move nuclear weapons or launch platforms near a potential adversary. So when nuclear-capable Chinese bombers joined their Russian counterparts in joint patrols near Alaska in 2024, as well as similar flights deep into the Pacific, Western observers…
The U.S. defense industrial base and all branches of the U.S. military depend heavily on materials produced by China to make and use critical weapon systems, creating national security risks, a government watchdog warned in a recent report. The Defense Department relies on a global network of over 200,000 suppliers for its weapon systems and…
A Chinese blockade could cut Taiwan’s electrical generating capacity so much that the island is unable to function, according to war games conducted by a U.S. think tank. “Energy is the weakest element in Taiwan’s resilience against coercion,” warned the report by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The overwhelming preponderance of energy…
In a seeming bid to counter increasingly aggressive Chinese activities in the South China Sea, the U.S. plans to finance and construct a fast boat facility on the western coast of Palawan in the Philippines. The facility will be built to launch at least five fast boats, which will be constructed by U.S.-based company ReconCraft….
The secretary of defense has ordered the Army secretary to cut programs, reduce the number of general officers in the ranks and consolidate offices, commands and headquarters, including a four-star command formed in the previous Trump administration designed to reform its acquisition process. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to “implement a…
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The U.S. Army plans to conduct a live shot with its Typhon missile system in Australia this summer during the Talisman Sabre exercise, marking the first firing of the long-range strike weapon on foreign soil, according to Maj. Gen. Frank Lozano, program executive officer for missiles and space. The Army will deploy…