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China's launched its first Type 055 destroyer today—the most advanced surface combatant Beijing has ever designed and fielded. Pictures of the visually striking ship whipped around the internet, with many people being surprised that China was producing such an impressive warship. The truth is, the Type 055 is the J-20 stealth fighter/interceptor of the high-seas, and it not only is a showcase of China's rapidly evolving surface warfare and weapons development capabilities, but also a sign of what Beijing's overall maritime strategy will be in the not so distant future. When it comes to the Chinese Navy, the Type 055...

China launched what it calls the most advanced and largest warship in Asia on Wednesday, billing it as a major step forward in the modernisation of its navy, the official military newspaper said. The first of the new type 055 guided-missile destroyers, which has a displacement of more than 10,000 tons and was built at the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai, is equipped with air defence, anti-missile, anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons, the PLA Daily reported. The launch of the ship marks an important step towards China’s dream of having a strong and modern naval force, a member of the Central Military...

The government is considering equipping cutting-edge F-35 stealth fighters with air-to-surface missiles, which are capable of striking remote targets on land, and plans to deploy these fighters to the Air Self-Defense Force, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. It will become the first introduction of such missiles for the Self-Defense Forces. The government hopes to allocate relevant expenses in the fiscal 2018 budget, according to sources close to the government. The main purpose of the introduction is to prepare for emergencies on remote Japanese islands, while some experts believe the government is also eyeing possession of the capability of attacking targets...

TOKYO, June 26 (Reuters) - A U.S. warship struck by a container vessel in Japanese waters failed to respond to warning signals or take evasive action before a collision that killed seven of its crew, according to a report of the incident by the Philippine cargo ship's captain. Multiple U.S. and Japanese investigations are under way into how the guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald and the much larger ACX Crystal container ship collided in clear weather south of Tokyo Bay in the early hours of June 17 Those who died were in their berthing compartments, while the Fitzgerald's commander was...

The Navy is investigating the horrifying possibility that some of those who died on the USS Fitzgerald when it sank may have been trapped alive in rapidly flooding compartments as emergency hatches were closed, it has emerged. Cargo ship the ACX Crystal slammed into the side of the US destroyer off the Japanese coast while much of the rest of the crew were asleep on Saturday. The cargo ship's bow, which protrudes underneath the water, punctured the steel armor of the ship, opening a hole into the quarters where more than 100 sailors slept. Emergency hatches were closed on the...

Last Updated Jun 19, 2017 11:37 AM EDTTOKYO -- Japan's coast guard is investigating why it took nearly an hour for a deadly collision between a U.S. Navy destroyer and a container ship to be reported. A coast guard official said Monday they are trying to find out what the crew of the Philippine-flagged ACX Crystal was doing before reporting the collision off Japan's coast to authorities 50 minutes later. The ACX Crystal collided with the USS Fitzgerald off Japan's coast, killing seven of the destroyer's crew of nearly 300. The ships collided early Saturday morning, when the Navy said...

We received an email from a Navy Mother that raises serious questions. We will redact her name, while the rumors (and that’s how they must be categorized for now) reported by her son aboard the Fitzgerald are checked out. Here is what she wrote to us: My son is assigned to the USS Fitzgerald. I am unable to share his rate with you. The information is short and not so sweet. The implications are disturbing. The ship is registered in the Philippines. We do not know who the owner is. The container ship neither had its running lights or transponder...

The bodies of some of the seven US sailors missing after a pre-dawn collision off the coast of Japan on Saturday have been found, the Navy said early Sunday. They were found in compartments below the waterline that flooded when the collision tore holes in their destroyer, the USS Fitzgerald. They died either from the impact or drowned when seawater flooded the compartments. Most of the approximately 300 sailors on the ship were asleep at the time.

Yesterday’s news, aside from the usual Trump obstructing, colluding, and making money on his investments, included a ship collision. As described by ABC, a “Navy destroyer collides with container ship off coast of Japan.” NBC had a similar headline, “Navy destroyer collides with ship off Japan.” Fox News worded their headline a little differently, “US Navy involved in collision.” As did CNN saying, “Navy destroyer collision off Japan.” It was a terrible accident as US sailors are missing and potentially injured or worse, but my point is regarding the choice of words describing what happened.

tory Number: NNS170616-20Release Date: 6/16/2017 4:57:00 PM From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs PHILIPPINE SEA (NNS) -- USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) was involved in a collision with a merchant vessel at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time, June 17, while operating about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan. As of this time, there have been two patients requiring medical evacuation. One was Cmdr. Bryce Benson, Fitzgerald's commanding officer, who was transferred to U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka and is reportedly in stable condition. A second MEDEVAC is in progress. Other injured are being assessed. There are seven Sailors unaccounted for; the...

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The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a merchant vessel off the coast of Japan in the early hours of Saturday morning local time, the Navy's 7th Fleet said. The Fitzgerald was operating about 56 miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan, when it hit the merchant vessel at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time. In a statement, the 7th Fleet said it was looking into "the extent of personnel injuries," as well as damage.

Japanese and European negotiators are redoubling efforts to seal a political agreement early next month on what would be the EU’s biggest free trade deal. Sources from five EU countries said the goal of the latest whirlwind of diplomatic activity is for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe to jet into Brussels for a summit July 5 or 6, ahead of a G20 summit in Hamburg on July 7. The intention is to reach a political deal covering more than 90 percent of a trade agreement, leaving only a handful of issues to be resolved later.

Washington was rebuffed by the Australian government when it tried to convey strategic concerns about the $150 billion new submarine project, a former senior Pentagon official has revealed. Washington was “not able to have a serious alliance discussion” with the Turnbull government about the Americans’ preference for Japan to build the navy’s new submarines to strengthen Australia-US-Japan ties in the face of a rising China. In the first public comments by a senior Pentagon official at the time, Amy Searight has revealed hidden tensions between the Obama administration and the Australian government last year over the submarine project, which was...

A top Russian official said Sunday at a security conference in Singapore that North Korea’s nuclear ambitions are a “direct threat to Russia.” Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin told defense ministers and experts from 39 countries that Pyongyang’s missile defense system “has a real function.” “That is why it is alarming. And it is direct threat to Russia. We are convinced that it will increase the tensions of the region. That is our principle position," he said. Once considered a strong ally, Russia has backed fresh sanctions ...

RED OCTOBER SSBN The Red October, a fictionalized version of the Akula (NATO reporting name Typhoon) submarine, has two pumpjets built into its rear for silent propulsion (though implausibly stated to use a noisy magnetohydrodynamic drive in the movie). According to Chinese state media, the nation's new nuclear submarines will soon use a similarly silent, cutting-edge pumpjet. Paramount Pictures In Tom Clancy's book (and, later, the 1990 film) The Hunt For Red October, a Soviet submarine debuts a revolutionary, ultra-quiet engine that uses pumpjets and electrical propulsion technology to elude its foes. Chinese state media has reported that the nation...

There was just one fatal shooting in the whole of 2015 THE stake-out lasted a week, but it paid off in the end. The tireless police of Kagoshima, a sleepy city in the far south of the country, watched the unlocked car day and night. It was parked outside a supermarket, and contained a case of malt beer. Finally, a passing middle-aged man decided to help himself. Five policemen instantly pounced, nabbing one of the city’s few remaining law-breakers. Japan’s cluttered streets are not always pretty but they are remarkably safe. Crime rates have been falling for 13 years. The...

South Korea has formally decided to receive some technology support from Israel for the development of an advanced radar system in its KF-X fighter jet program, Seoul's arms procurement agency said Tuesday. The state-run Agency for Defense Development signed a contract with an Israeli defense firm on testing an active electronically scanned array radar being developed by a South Korean company, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. "It's about technology support related to the operation test of a prototype radar, not the development itself," the DAPA said. A model picture of a KF-X fighter jet in a file photo...

China will eventually become the world’s No 2 aircraft carrier power, trailing only the United States, but its carrier strike group air crews are still far below international standard, military experts say. “An aircraft carrier needs regular large-scale maintenance. China should have more than four carrier groups if it wants to fulfil escort missions on the high seas and safeguard its overseas national interests,” Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said. “A sole aircraft carrier cannot become a fighting force because it needs the presence of other warships to form a strike group, as well as the protection given by other...

Unable to post article content as it is Bloomberg sourced. Re-cap: It was a medium long-range missile, test confirms engine reliability, guidance and detonation systems.. Hwasong-12 missile could carry a “large-size heavy nuclear warhead,” per state news agency report.