China Significantly Boosts Size of Navy and Air Force, Downsizes Army

An airman of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force operates an aircraft during a drill on the second flight training day of the New Year at Liaodong Peninsula on January 3, in Liaoning province, China. (Getty Images)

 

‘Transformational changes’ in military priorities are enhancing Beijing’s ability to flex its muscles far beyond China’s borders.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (pla) is undergoing “transformational changes” to greatly boost the size of its navy and air force and to downsize its land-based army by nearly half, the nation’s official Xinhua news agency said on January 20.

“This new data is unprecedented in the history of the pla,” the agency wrote. As a result of the changes, it said, “the Army now accounts for less than 50 percent of the total number of pla troops; almost half of our noncombatant units have been made redundant.”

Royal Navy to Lose Amphibious Capabilities

HMS Ocean sails into the sunset

 

Possible cuts will leave Britain incapable of the offensive.

Under the cover of darkness on May 21, 1982, British forces landed on the beaches of San Carlos in the Falklands. The 2 Para, 40 Commandos, and the 3 Para and the 41 Commandos conducted an unopposed amphibious assault, assisted by special forces, in a campaign to retake the capital city of Stanley. By the time the sun rose, the rest of the 3rd Commando Brigade was onshore to repulse the Argentinian counterattack.

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The British could not have won the Falklands War without using their amphibious capabilities. The Thatcher government received a great deal of praise for the war, and it was a moment that made Britain believe in itself again as a major power. Ironically, all of that would have been impossible if the Conservative government’s plan of cutting the aircraft carriers and amphibious fleet had come about earlier. The Falklands War saved the Royal Navy.

Remarkably, the current Conservative government is planning similar cuts, by retiring the Royal Navy’s last aircraft carrier, the hms Ocean.

‘WE WILL RETURN’ Argentina vows to ‘NEVER STOP’ trying to take back the Falkland Islands

The comments came at the 35th anniversary of the beginning of the 1982 conflict with the UK [Getty]

 

ARGENTINA “will never cease to claim” the Falklands and “will return to the Islands”, a government minister has claimed in the latest threat by the South American nation.

Recent reports suggest Argentina is looking to make a renewed bid to gain control of the Falkland Islands, as Britain pushes forward with its Brexit plans.

Rogelio Frigerio, the Minister of Interior Affairs, said: “We will never cease to claim what belongs to us. Not one single day of our lives are we going to let our arms down.

Brexit talks turn ugly over Gibraltar

As previously discussed a few times, bitter over Brexit, the EU will now find ways to punish Great Britain and gun for Gibraltar and even the Falkland Islands. In regards to Gibralter, it will go on the offensive and support a separation, whereas with the Falkland Islands it will turn a blind eye.

 

Royal Gibraltar Regiment on parade outside Buckingham Palace in London (Photo: Defence Images)

 

Britain has said Spain can have no new powers over Gibraltar, as Brexit prompts hard talk on sovereignty, security, and borders.

“We will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes”, the British prime minister’s office said in a statement on Sunday (2 April).

The British defence minister, foreign minister, and the chief minister of Gibraltar issued similar comments in a debate prompted by the start of Brexit talks last week.

WW3 WARNING: Planet closer to catastrophic World War III than at any time for SIXTY years, experts warn… and it doesn’t look good for Britain or America if it does kick off

If anything is likely to trigger World War III, it will be a North Korean EMP disguised as a weather satellite, falling out of the sky over the American mainland. That is likely the opening kick.

 

Potential WWIII triggers are located in Poland, Syria and the South China Sea

 

Several flashpoints could erupt into a global conflict involving the US, China and Russia, it is claimed

THE world is closer to a catastrophic and bloody World War III than at any other point in the past 60 years, experts have warned.

Russia and China, both of which are pumping vast amounts of money into their militaries, could soon rival the US in terms of power and prestige.

All three nations want to remain a global superpower – if not the only one – and are preparing for war, it is claimed.

China Is Steering the World Toward War

 

Satellite imagery shows China taking over the South China Sea, as it is with other trade routes globally. Both history and biblical prophecy show why this is extremely dangerous.

Tensions are rising between China and America.

Ever since Xi Jinping took over as general secretary of the Communist Party of China, his administration has been militarizing the South China Sea and working to push the United States out of East Asia. In two island chains, the Paracels and the Spratlys, China is building a series of man-made islands, 800 miles from China’s shore. These islands are being installed with antiaircraft batteries and fighter jets are stationed on them.

The Spratly Islands are claimed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. China is ignoring these nations’ territorial claims. China is being aggressive and provocative.

These militarized islands now function as forward bases for Beijing to challenge seven decades of American naval dominance in the Pacific Rim. This should alarm the world!

The Rise and Fall of a Superpower

An article from 2000 with lessons for today:

 

(©iStock.com/Diane Labombarbe)

 

Building the Panama Canal was one of the greatest chapters in American history. It helps to reveal how America became a superpower, if we understand the complete history. Today we see an almost totally different spirit in our leaders. The meaning behind that change contains the strongest warning ever for America!

How much do Americans understand their own history? We are called the world’s greatest superpower ever! But how did we rise to such heights? Most Americans are ignorant of how it all happened. And that ignorance places us in grave danger!

Our building and now surrendering of the Panama Canal reveals a large part of the story. It gives a powerful insight into the rise and fall of the world’s greatest superpower.

President Theodore Roosevelt led our people to build the Panama Canal. He had a spirit and courage that I don’t see in our leaders today.

FALKLANDS ROW: Now United Nations bureaucrats rule islands ‘lie in Argentine waters’

The ruling follows a 2009 report by Argentina that fixed its territory 200 to 350 miles from its coast, surrounding the archipelago it calls the Malvinas.

The decision by UN bosses could have significant consequences for Buenos Aires’ claim to natural resources in the sea around the disputed island chain.

Surprising shift to Israel by Turkey’s Erdogan tied to natural gas reserves

Apparently it just dawned on NATO’s most misbehaving member that they get most of their energy resources from the Soviets. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Erdogan is suddenly attempting to be Israel’s best friend. The best thing Israel could do is outright reject Turkey’s reaching out and sell their gas to Europe. Turkey has proven itself untrustworthy.

Ironically, this bi-polar behavior reminds us of the current Argentina-Great Britain relations. Argentina never had a problem with the Falkland Islands being British territory for over 200 years, that is until vast natural resources were discovered around the vicinity. Now the Argentinians are suddenly outraged at the foreign British invaders who are stealing their oil.

 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan surprised Israel on Dec. 14 by saying Ankara has much to gain from “normalization” of relations with Jerusalem.

Erdogan has been a harsh critic of Israel and even voiced support for Arab terrorism in the Jewish state. His motive for “normalizing” ties is likely Israel’s vast reserves of natural gas.

Falklands feud: Argentina welcomes Russian ships named after ‘Malvinas Islands’ in UK jibe

RUSSIA risks stoking tensions between Britain and Argentina after it sent four ships to the South Atlantic emblazoned with provocative names referring to the disputed Falkland Islands.

Argentina will use the Russian-made boats – which are all named after key strategic locations on the British territory – to patrol in waters surrounding the islands in an effort to defend its maritime borders.

The vessels include ARA ‘Islas Malvinas’ – the name Argentines use to refer to the archipelago – and ARA ‘Puerto Argentino’ – the Spanish name for the Falkland’s capital Port Stanley.

Argentina Plans Asset Seizure Of Falkland Oil Companies

As was written, the gateways to the world for the West will be taken — America and Great Britain in particular.

 

Presidential elections loom in the country in October, so perhaps it’s not surprising that a Lilian Herraez, a federal judge in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina’s southernmost region, ordered the seizure of $156 million in property and bank holdings of oil drilling companies, including Noble Energy of the United States.

The government in Buenos Aires said on June 27 that the other targets of asset seizures were Edison International of Italy and three British-based companies, Falkland Oil and Gas Ltd., Premier Oil Plc and Rockhopper Exploration Plc.

China Prepares Its 172,000 Civilian Ships for War

A second article going into further detail related to a post from last week.

 

Chinese civilian shipbuilders have to ensure that their vessels can be used by the PLAN during times of ‘crisis’.

As my colleague Shannon Tiezzi reported a while back, the Chinese government has approved a plan to ensure that civilian vessels can support military operations of China’s maritime forces in the event of a crisis.

While the recruitment of civilian maritime assets for military purposes is not unusual (e.g., the Queen Elizabeth 2 transported the main British land fighting force to the Falkland Islands during the 1982 Falklands War), the recent announcement is nevertheless a sign of the growing aspirations of Chinese naval planners in developing  naval expeditionary warfare capabilities.

Grinning Putin signs ANTI-UK military pact with ARGENTINA over Falklands

ARGENTINA’S president has praised Russian support for her country’s claim of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, risking a fresh diplomatic spat with the UK.

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She said: “We thank Russia for the support it has historically provided in the Malvinas question, in having the resolutions of the United Nations observed so the United Kingdom resolves to sit in the table to dialogue.”

Argentina president Kirchner cosies up to Putin in Moscow as they agree military deal

THEY both have a volatile relationship with Britain – and now Russia and Argentina look set to further cement their budding relationship.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin later today, where the pair are expected to sign a string of deals on trade, energy and military cooperation projects.

In particular, the Russian energy giant Gazprom is expected to agree a deal to make energy investments in the South American country with Argentine oil company YPF.

‘Falklands invasion guide’ containing GPS coordinates of facilities published on MoD website

The Ministry of Defence failed to encrypt a secret document on its website that describes the exact make-up of runways, ­thickness of concrete and gives GPS coordinates of facilities.

The information was freely available from the homepage and would be priceless to an enemy bomber planning a strike.