No US base in Sabah, says armed forces chief

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18: The Malaysian Armed Forces today dismissed rumours that the United States is setting up a military base in Sabah.

Armed Forces chief General Zulkifeli Mohd Zin said in a statement that the rumours were “untrue”.

He said the Defence Ministry and the Armed Forces had no intention of allowing a foreign military base to be established in Malaysia.

Obama, SE Asian leaders seek resolution to maritime disputes

Source: San Diego Tribune

RANCHO MIRAGE, California: US President Barack Obama and the leaders of Southeast Asia called Tuesday for peaceful resolution of the region’s maritime disputes as they concluded a summit in California. 

Obama told a news conference that disputes must be resolved by legal means, including a case brought by the Philippines challenging China’s sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea. China has refused to take part in the proceedings, but Obama said parties to the UN law of the seas are obligated to respect the ruling, expected later this year. 

Obama has been hosting 10 leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, in the US for the first time. That sends a subtle message to China that the US remains an important force in the region. But the leaders’ joint statement after two days of talks avoided direct reference to China, reflecting the careful path that Asean members tread in their diplomacy with the world powers. 

Taiwan president visits island in disputed South China Sea

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s president, defying criticism from key ally the United States, visited to an island holding in the disputed South China Sea on Thursday and called for peaceful development in the increasingly tense region. 

Accompanied by about 30 staff members, Ma Ying-jeou (MAH YEENG JOH) left the capital Taipei early in the morning aboard an air force C-130 cargo plane bound for Taiping Island, also known as Itu Aba. Taiping lies in the Spratly island group, an area where Taiwan shares overlapping claims with China, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. The city state of Brunei also claims a part of the South China Sea. 

Taiping is the largest naturally occurring island in the area, but has recently been eclipsed in size by man-made islands created by China out of reefs and shoals. 

China restructures army aimed at efficiency

China has introduced major changes to the structure of its military as part of efforts to reinforce its armed forces and maximize their efficiency vis-à-vis potential threats.

President Xi Jinping said three new units were created “to realize the Chinese dream of a strong military, and a strategic step to establish a modern military system with Chinese characteristics.”

He said the Chinese army needs to optimize its structure and composition, expedite its transformation from a regional defense force to an international combat one.

The United States and Malaysia Partner to Promote Peacekeeping at Multinational Exercise Keris Aman

"Malaysia’s own dedication to peacekeeping is truly exceptional. In 1960, only three years after gaining its own independence, Malaysia sent its first group of military personnel to support the UN mission in the Republic of Congo. Since then, Malaysia has deployed tens of thousands of its troops to serve as peacekeepers in some of the most challenging war zones on earth -– from Sudan, to Lebanon, to Bosnia, to Timor-Leste. The bravery of Malaysia’s soldiers cannot be overstated. In 1993, two helicopters carrying American forces were shot down over Mogadishu -- Somalia’s capital city -- leaving U.S. soldiers trapped in hostile territory. As Americans bravely held their ground, Malaysian and Pakistani peacekeepers launched a mission to rescue the trapped soldiers. One Malaysian soldier and one Pakistani solider paid the ultimate price," Assistant Secretary for State for Political-Military Affairs Puneet Talwar

Read more here: https://blogs.state.gov/stories/2015/09/04/united-states-and-malaysia-partner-promote-peacekeeping-multinational-exercise#sthash.tfN8t8xk.dpuf

First Tilt-rotor for Asia? V-22B Block C Osprey Approved for Sale to Japan

V-22 from Bell Helicopters, the only Tilt-rotor in active service (Source: Bell Helicopters)

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2015 - The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Japan for V-22B Block C Osprey aircraft and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $3 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

F-16 Block 52 Upgrade Programme Approved for Singapore

F-16 of the RSAF (Source: US Air Force)

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2015 - The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Singapore for the F-16 Block 52 Upgrade Program and associated equipment, parts and logistical support for an estimated cost of $130 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on May 5, 2015.

US Ambassador Helps Open National Coast Watch Center to Enhance Philippine Maritime Domain Awareness

April 30 -- US Ambassador to the Philippines, Philip S. Goldberg, cut the ribbon inaugurating the National Coast Watch Center in an action that underscores the US commitment to helping the Philippines manage and secure its maritime domain.

The US has provided $20 million (880 million Philippine Pesos) to date for the center that provides critical information fusion and 24 hour operations to support enhanced awareness of the Philippines’ maritime domain. Future incremental improvements are planned to fully realize the potential of the center.

US, Philippines Agree on Base Rotations Along South China Sea

US Marines storming the beach (Pic Source: US DoD)

April 27 -- US forces would have access to at least eight bases in the Philippines -- including two near a hotly contested island group claimed by China -- under a new bilateral defense agreement, according to a Philippine media report.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gregorio Catapang told Manila's ABS-CBN News that during an October meeting, he and Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Locklear identified eight bases that the US would send troop rotations through. The rotations would happen in accordance with the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, a bilateral document signed last year that gives the US military the most access it has had since the Philippines ordered the US to leave its former bases in the 1990s.

US May Take Thousands of Lao Hmong Refugees

A CIA officer and a Hmong resistance fighter in Laos in mid-1962. (Source: CIA)

The United States has said it will initiate a resettlement program for thousands of ethnic Hmong refugees from Laos currently camped in temporary accommodation in Thailand, RFA reports.

Any refugee from the Wat Tham Krabok Temple, near Saraburi, to the north of the Thai capital Bangkok, would be able to apply for resettlement in the United States, subject to background checks and medical examinations, the State Department said in a statement.

US Demonstrates Continued Support with Malaysia at LIMA 2015

Capt. Austin Brown reviews his F-16 Fighting Falcon demonstration with a member of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition crew March 16, 2015, in Langkawi, Malaysia. Brown is a pilot assigned to the Pacific Air Forces demonstration team. (Source: US Air Force photo/1st Lt. Elias Zani)

LANGKAWI, Malaysia  - The Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 15 (LIMA 15), which is the largest airshow in the region, officially commenced on March 17.

The United States supported the event with approximately 450 Sailors, Airmen and Marines, demonstrating its continued partnership with the country of Malaysia.

Latest Evolution Of Lockheed Martin Laser Weapon System Stops Truck In Field Test

Lockheed Martin ATHENA laser weapon system defeats a truck target by disabling the engine, demonstrating its military effectiveness against enemy ground vehicles. (Source: Lockheed Martin)

BETHESDA, Md., March 3, 2015 – Lockheed Martin’s  30-kilowatt fiber laser weapon system successfully disabled the engine of a small truck during a recent field test, demonstrating the rapidly evolving precision capability to protect military forces and critical infrastructure.

Known as ATHENA, for Advanced Test High Energy Asset, the ground-based prototype system burned through the engine manifold in a matter of seconds from more than a mile away. The truck was mounted on a test platform with its engine and drive train running to simulate an operationally-relevant test scenario.

US Defense Intelligence Agency's Take on China

PLA Navy, future adversary? (Source: US Navy) 

US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director Lt Gen Vincent Stewart recently provided the agency's latest assessment of the global security environment and to address the threats facing the US at the Senate Armed Services Committee Worldwide Threat Assessment Hearing. 

ON CHINA

According to DIA, China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is building a modern military capable of defending China's "core interests" of preserving its political system, protecting territorial integrity and sovereignty (China views these to include Taiwan and other contested claims to land and water), and ensuring sustainable economic and social development.

F-35C Completes First Arrested Landing aboard Aircraft Carrier

The F-35 (Source: Lockheed Martin Corporation)

PACIFIC OCEAN (Nov. 3, 2014) The Navy made aviation history Nov. 3 as an F-35C Lightning II carrier variant Joint Strike Fighter conducted its first arrested landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) off the coast of San Diego. The arrested landing is part of initial at-sea Developmental Testing I (DT-I) for the F-35C, which commenced Nov. 3 and is expected to last two weeks.  (U.S. Navy video/Released)