DTN News: Philippines Wins South China Sea Case Against China

DTN News: Philippines Wins South China Sea Case Against China
Source: K. V. Seth - DTN News + The Guardian

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 12, 2016: China has lost a key international legal case over strategic reefs and atolls that it claims would give it control over disputed waters of the South China Sea. The judgment by an international tribunal in The Hague chiefly in favour of claims by the Philippines will increase global diplomatic pressure on Beijing to scale back military expansion in the sensitive area.

By depriving certain outcrops – some of which are exposed only at low tide – of territorial-generating status, the ruling effectively punches a series of holes in China’s all- 

encompassing “nine-dash” demarcation line that stretches deep into the South China Sea. It declares large areas of the sea to be neutral international waters.

Beijing claims 90% of the South China Sea, a maritime region believed to hold a wealth of untapped oil and gas reserves and through which roughly $4.5tn of ship-borne trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also contest China’s claims to islands and reef systems close to their territory than Beijing’s.

Sporadic violence between Chinese vessels and those of south-east Asia militaries have broken out in recent decades and the verdict, the first international legal decision on the issue, could have unpredictable consequences.

The court case at the permanent court of arbitration in The Hague, the UN-appointed tribunal that adjudicates in international disputes over maritime territory, has been running since 2013.

The judgment does not allocate any of the outcrops or islands to rival countries but instead indicates which maritime features are capable under international law of generating territorial rights over surrounding seas. 

China has previously stated that it “will neither accept nor participate in the arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippines”. The tribunal ruled, however, that China’s refusal to participate did not deprive the court of jurisdiction and that the Philippines’ decision to commence arbitration unilaterally was not an abuse of the convention’s dispute settlement procedures.

Prof Philippe Sands QC, who represented the Philippines in the hearing, said: “This is the most significant international legal case for almost the past 20 years since the Pinochet judgment.” Last year, US officials claimed the Chinese had built up an extra 800 hectares (2,000 acres) on their occupied outposts across the South China Sea over the previous 18 months.

The main focus of activity has been on Mischief Reef, where satellite images reveal the island is growing bigger, and is surrounded by fleets of dredgers and tankers.

Speaking on the eve of the court’s ruling, Bonnie Glaser, a senior Asia adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said she did not anticipate a major escalation from Beijing over its findings but admitted its reaction was hard to predict. “[If] the Chinese really do perceive that the ruling is just poking a finger in their eye I think there is a good possibility they will lash out,” she said.

“I believe we have all underestimated Xi Jinping,” Glaser said of China’s strongman president who has pursued an increasingly assertive foreign policy on issues such as the South China Sea. “He just seems quite comfortable with a high level of friction with every country.”

China’s foreign minister spoke to the US secretary of state, John Kerry, by telephone last week to warn Washington against moves that infringe on China’s sovereignty, Chinese state media reported.

And Beijing conducted military drills in the South China Sea, deploying at least two guided missile destroyers, the Shenyang and Ningbo, and one missile frigate deployed.

China says it follows a historical precedent set by the “nine-dash line” that Beijing drew in 1947 following the surrender of Japan. The line has been included in subsequent maps issued under Communist rule.

But the Philippines strongly contests China’s claims, specifically on nearby islands it says are part of the West Philippine Sea. Manila argued in seven hearings that China has exceeded its entitlement under the UN convention on the law of the sea. That gives China 12 miles of territorial waters around islands it controls, far less than claimed under the nine-dash line.

Beijing has the support of Russia and Saudi Arabia but has also garnered backing from dozens of smaller nations far from and not greatly affected by the hearing, including landlocked African countries Niger and Lesotho, as well as Palestine, Afghanistan and Togo. Vanuatu, a Pacific island nation of fewer than 300,000 citizens, also supports Beijing.

The Philippines has been backed by the US, UK, France, Japan and others.

The Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, is widely considered unpredictable and his moves in the next days and weeks will determine what could happen next.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth + The Guardian
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman to Produce First Japanese E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman to Produce First Japanese E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Northrop Grumman
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada (REDONDO BEACH, Calif.,) - January 6, 2016:-- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has received a U.S. Navy contract modification for non-recurring engineering and recurring support to configure the first Japanese E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.

The E-2D is an all-weather, airborne early warning (AEW), command and control aircraft that will meet the Japanese Defense Ministry's requirements for a future airborne early warning platform, according to a statement it released in November 2014. The aircraft will be produced at the company's Aircraft Integration Center of Excellence in St. Augustine, Florida.

Under the $285,975,244 contract modification, Northrop Grumman will configure the Japanese E-2D aircraft utilizing the same E-2D multiyear production line used for U.S. aircraft to allow for a more efficient and affordable delivery schedule. The E-2D is the world's only in-production AEW aircraft.

In November 2014, the Japan Ministry of Defense competitively selected the E-2D to fulfill an emerging next-generation AEW requirement.

"The E-2D will provide a critical capability that will serve as a force multiplier for the Japanese government," said Jane Bishop, vice president, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and C-2 Greyhound programs, Northrop Grumman. "First responders will be able to receive and act on information more quickly than before with greater airborne early warning capability and a networked communications system."        

The Japanese Air Self Defense Force has operated the E-2C Hawkeye since the late 1980s. The E-2C is also currently in use by Taiwan, France and Egypt.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

CONTACT: Bryce McDevitt
         703-280-4362 (office)
         571-286-0754 (mobile)
         bryce.mcdevitt@ngc.com

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Northrop Grumman
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DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: China Still Wants Russia's Deadly Su-35

DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: China Still Wants Russia's Deadly Su-35
*Russia To Sell China Su-35 Multirole Fighter Jets
*China to Get Russian Su-35 Jets in 2014 – Rosoboronexport
*All You Need is Su-35: China Should Buy Russian Fighter Jets – Media

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources DWNU
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 5, 2015: China still wants the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter jet despite launching a new fighter jet last week.

As noted last week, China conducted the first test flight of the J-11D on April 29. The plane is an upgraded version of the J-11B fighter jets, which themselves are copies of the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-27. Perhaps most  notable of the J11-D’s upgrades is that it reportedly incorporates the J-16’s advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.

As Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer have said of the AESA, “The AESA radar allows the J-16 to intercept enemy aircraft at longer ranges than either of its predecessors, and to attack multiple surface targets simultaneously. The AESA radar would also be datalinked to other Chinese platforms, including unmanned vehicles, to increase their situational awareness.”

As I mentioned in last week’s article, some analysts have been comparing the J-11D to Russia’s Su-35.

However, according to Want China Times, which cites an article in the Beijing-based Sina Military Network, China will still look to acquire Russia’s Su-35 even with the new J-11Ds.

“The Su-35 is necessary because it bridges the gap in the People's Liberation Army Air Force prior to the introduction of China's new fifth-generation fighter jets, the [Sina] report said, adding that without Su-35s China would need to figure out how it would go up against Japan's F-35s and India's Su-30MKI and T-50 aircraft,” Want China Times writes.

“Even if the manufacture of the J-11 can be increased to two a month, the numbers would still be insufficient, not to mention it remains unclear whether the J-11 is technically advanced to take on fifth-generation fighters,” the report added.

While based off of the Su-27, the Su-35 offers a number of significant improvements, leading many in Russia to term it a 4++ generation aircraft. Air Force Technology has said the Su-35 “has high manoeuvrability (+9g) with a high angle of attack, and is equipped with high-capability weapon systems that contribute to the new aircraft's exceptional dogfighting capability. The maximum level speed is 2,390km/h or Mach 2.25.”

Besides helping combat adversaries’ high-end aircraft, the Su-35’s high fuel capacity and long range would greatly enhance China’s ability to enforce its claims in the South China Sea. Specifically, Beijing has trouble maintaining a regular presence over the enormous waters, which are roughly 1.4 million square miles (2.25 million square kilometers).  

*Sukhoi Su-35 Multirole Fighter Jet - Related Images

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources DWNU
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Orient Shield 14 Finishes With Field Training Exercise

Defense War News Updates: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Orient Shield 14 Finishes With Field Training Exercise

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources By Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo ~ US Army
(NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala INDIA - November 7, 2014:  (CAMP HIGASHI-CHITOSE, Japan) -- Hundreds of U.S. Army Soldiers and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members headed for the mountains to defend sovereign territory and defeat a fictional enemy during a simulated combat field training exercise here, Nov 3-5.

The 72-hour field exercise puts to the test what Soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members from the 11th Infantry Regiment, 7th Division, Northern Army, have been rehearsing for the past week and a half.

"The benefit of spending this time together allows us to work in unison as one team. Although we will fight separately, we have one common goal-defend and help secure a peaceful allied country," said Capt. Andrew Julian, an operations officer assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The exercise brings U.S. Soldiers to Japan to honor the alliance and work together with Japan's defense force to regain sovereign territory against an armed invasion.

Each force has a list of objectives they must complete throughout the exercise as they work their way through the mountainous terrain to reach their final objective. Opposing them is a contingent of U.S. Army Soldiers playing the "enemy" who will attempt to disrupt their actions. 

"We use different tactics and procedures, but knowing each other's capabilities and how each of us operates in advance helps us support one another," said Julian.

Throughout the field exercise the U.S. Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force forces are putting into play a host of skills and techniques they shared and demonstrated over the past ten days. 

Infantry Soldiers have been brushing-up on map reading skills for navigating unknown terrain. Together with their Japan Ground Self-Defense Force counterparts they have been reinforcing combat skills including moving under direct fire, engaging targets while moving in a confined area and reacting quickly to unstable targets, as well as sniper marksmanship, explained Capt. Robert Lee, an operations officer with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment.

Armored mechanized counterparts have been exchanging techniques and demonstrating maneuver capabilities through mortar and tank live-fire exercises.

In preparing for the field training exercise, aviators from the 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, from Wheeler Field, Hawaii, have been working together with their counterparts conducting close combat air attacks, air assault missions, aeromedical evacuations and aircraft refueling.

The enemy is not real, but the challenges U.S. Army Soldiers face are. They are enduring cold, wet and muddy conditions to traverse miles of unfamiliar landscape and using the combat skills and tactics they have been rehearsing.

Although the enemy is make believe, there's a specific operational planning process that is completed long before Soldiers move to the field. 

This process involves studying all aspects of the area Soldiers will be training in, to include weather, terrain and vegetation, potential obstacles and the makeup and capabilities of the hypothetical enemy forces they face, Julian explained.

This same process takes place for all military actions whether in training or in actual combat.

According to Julian, both forces expended a great deal of time planning and rehearsing the complex tactical movements and maneuvers they are conducting throughout the exercise. 


"This not only allows us to be successful in the exercise, but it also helps us build a partner force with our counterparts," Julian emphasized. "Everything we have been doing over the past two-weeks has built a very strong foundation for this culminating event."

Related Images:

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources By Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo ~ US Army
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DTN News - CHINA'S AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR WITH ITS NEIGHBORS OVER TERRITORIAL DISPUTES: Japan Says Faces Increasing threats From China, North Korea

Defense War News Updates: DTN News - CHINA'S AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR WITH ITS NEIGHBORS OVER TERRITORIAL DISPUTES: Japan Says Faces Increasing threats From China, North Korea

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Kiyoshi Takenaka - Reuters
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 9, 2013:  Japan faces increasingly serious threats to its security from an assertive China and an unpredictable North Korea, the defense ministry said in its first annual report since hawkish Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office.

The report was harshly critical of China's actions in waters near East China Sea islets claimed by both countries, and prompted a sharp response from Beijing, where a foreign ministry spokeswoman said Japan was exaggerating the threat to "artificially create regional tension and confrontation."

Sino-Japanese relations have been strained by the territorial row as well as remarks from Abe suggesting he wants to cast Tokyo's wartime history in a less apologetic tone.

"There are various issues and destabilizing factors in the security environment surrounding Japan, some of which are becoming increasingly tangible, acute and serious," said the defense white paper, issued as ruling party politicians call for the Japanese military to beef up its ability to respond.

The general commanding a Japanese airborne brigade whose paratroopers would be among the first troops to respond to an attack on a far-flung island, told Reuters his unit could benefit from better intelligence gathering tools, including drones.

"For any island operation, intelligence is crucial," Tadao Maeda, commanding general of the 1st Airborne Brigade, said in an interview. At present, his unit relies on intelligence from ground or maritime forces. Japan has allocated funds in this year's budget to look into possible acquisition of drones.

The defense ministry report said: "China has attempted to change the status quo by force based on its own assertion, which is incompatible with the existing order of international law," echoing recent comments by Abe and his cabinet.

"China should accept and stick to the international norms."

The row over rival claims to tiny East China Sea islets flared up last September after Japan nationalized the isles, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

Patrol ships from both countries routinely shadow each other near the islands, raising concerns that an unintended collision or other incident could lead to a broader clash.

"Some of China's activities involve its intrusion into Japan's territorial waters, its violation of Japan's territorial airspace and even dangerous actions that could cause a contingency, and are extremely regrettable," the paper said.

Japan said in February that a Chinese naval vessel had locked its fire control radar on a Japanese destroyer, a step that can be considered a step away from actual firing.

China denied the warship had locked its radar on the Japanese vessel. But the white paper said Beijing's assertion was "inconsistent with the facts".

Commenting on the defense report, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said it contained "false criticisms" and followed growing calls in Japan to strengthen the military.

"The international community cannot but be concerned by Japan's real intentions and its future development," she said. "We hope that Japan can correct its attitude."

BOLSTERING DEFENCE

Abe returned to power for a rare second term after his ruling bloc won a general election late last year, promising to revive the economy and strengthen Japan's defenses. He also wants to revise the post-World War Two pacifist constitution to legitimize the military, although winning support for contentious revisions is likely to take time.

Japan is already bolstering defense of the disputed islands and this year raised its defense budget for the first time in 11 years.

The military is conducting joint drills with the United States, its main security ally, and fortifying defenses against missile attacks, while the government is reviewing its mid-term defense policy.

Japan plans to draw up a new defense plan by December, and Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) submitted recommendations to the government last month that included looking into acquiring the capability to attack enemy targets.

Japan has long maintained that it has the right to strike enemy targets when an intention to attack Japan is clear, the threat is imminent and there are no other options.

But any sign that Japan is moving to obtain such capabilities could upset China and South Korea, where resentment against Japan's wartime aggression and colonization runs deep.

"The balance of power will be lost if we don't start considering striking back when attacked," said Osaka University professor Kazuya Sakamoto, who sits on a panel advising Abe on security policies.

The LDP has also recommended that the military should set up an amphibious Marines division equipped with tilt-rotor aircraft like the V-22 Osprey to boost the defense of remote islands.

Maeda backed the proposal to acquire the U.S. aircraft, whose deployment to Japan's Okinawa island has prompted local opposition because of concerns about its safety.

"For the airborne, the Osprey is a very attractive piece of hardware," he told Reuters. Japan has set aside about $80,000 in this year's defense budget to research the possible acquisition.

Abe, whose LDP is expected to cement its grip on power in this month's upper house election, also wants to revise an interpretation of the constitution that bans using the right of collective self-defense, or aiding an ally under attack.

A panel set up during Abe's first 2006-7 term recommended that the ban be lifted in certain cases, such as intercepting ballistic missiles bound for the United States. A new committee of advisers is expected to reach similar conclusions.

North Korea launched a missile in December, stepping up the threat that the isolated, impoverished state poses to rivals. In February, it conducted a third nuclear test, which moved Pyongyang closer to developing long-range nuclear missiles.

"The launch of a missile ... showed that North Korea has advanced its technologies to extend the range and improve the accuracy of ballistic missiles," the white paper said.

(This story corrects the name of the Chinese spokeswoman in the 14th paragraph)

(Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; Editing by Linda Sieg and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Kiyoshi Takenaka - Reuters
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DTN News - CHINA SECURE ITS ENERGY/OIL SUPPLY IN AN UNETHICAL MANNER: China Grabs India's Land

Defense War News Updates: DTN News - CHINA SECURE ITS ENERGY/OIL SUPPLY IN AN UNETHICAL MANNER: China Grabs India's Land
*China is eyeing to become Hans empire on Soviet Union era set up by grabbing, annexing, claiming and bullying its neighbors and has territorial disputes with Bhutan, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, India by showing off its newly acquired military might to secure its energy/oil supply in an unethical manner

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith also sourced from Deccan Herald

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 29, 2013: The area along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China has 'shrunk' over a period of time and India has lost 'substantial' land in the last two decades, according to an official report.

At a recent meeting in Leh, attended by officials from the Jammu and Kashmir government, Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Army, it was agreed that there was difference in the maps of various agencies and that there was lack of proper mapping of the area.

Crossing the line

*Lack of institutional memory in various agencies

* China grabbing Indian land by inches in a slow process

* Chinese threaten the nomadic people in the Dokbug area

* LAC with China has “shrunk” over a period of time *

* Lack of proper mapping of the area

The meeting was chaired by Commissioner (Leh) A K Sahu and attended, among others, by the 14 Corps Brigadier General Staff Brig Sarat Chand and Colonel Inderjit Singh.

While the absence of proper maps was agreed upon, the meeting all the same felt: “However, it is clear and accepted that we are withdrawing from LAC and our area has shrunk over a period of time. This process is very slow but we have lost substantial amount of land in 20-25 years.”

According to the minutes of the meeting, it was also identified that “there is a lack of institutional memory in various agencies as well as clear policy on this issue which in the long run has resulted in loss of Indian territory in favour of China.”

The meeting was called to ensure proper protection to nomads who move with their cattle to the Dokbug area of Nyoma sector during the winter months every year. In December 2008, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had damaged their tents and threatened them to vacate the land.

“They (Chinese) have threatened the nomadic people, who had been using the Dokbug area (in Ladakh sector) area for grazing for decades, in a way to snatch our land in inches. A Chinese proverb is famous in the world — better do in inches than in yards,” a report filed by former sub divisional magistrate (Nyoma) Tsering Norboo had said.

Complaints

Norboo was deputed by the state government to probe the complaints of incursion of the Chinese Army in the Dokbug area and threats to the local shepherds to leave the land as it belonged to them. 

The area has been used by the shepherds to graze their livestock as the area is warmer compared to other parts of Ladakh.

The SDM contended that it was another attempt by the Chinese to term, and claim, the territory disputed in the same fashion as they had taken Nag Tsang area opposite to Phuktse airfield in 1984, Nakung in 1991 and Lungma-Serding in 1992.

Last year, Chinese troops had entered nearly 1.5 km into the Indian territory on July 31 near Mount Gya, recognised as International border by India and China, and painted boulders and rocks with “China” in red spray paint.

The 22,420 feet Mount Gya, also known as “fair princess of snow” by the Army, is located at the tri-junction of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, and Tibet. Its boundary was marked during the British era and regarded as International border by the two countries.

Before this, Chinese helicopters had violated Indian air space on June 21 along the Line of Actual Control in Chumar region and also dropped some expired food.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith also sourced from Deccan Herald 
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