US and India sign deal for using each other’s bases

In a step towards a defense pact, the US and India have signed an agreement to allow the use of each other’s land, air and naval bases – initially for repair and re-supply. The agreement will “make the logistics of joint operations so much easier and so much more efficient,” US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a news briefing with Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday.

The Soviet Military’s Eerily Detailed Guide to San Diego

 

During the Cold War, the Soviet military mapped the entire world in one of the most ambitious mapping projects ever undertaken (see this feature article for more about these amazing maps, and the unlikely group of scholars trying to figure out how they were made—and why). The maps are fascinating to look at, and for those of us who grew up during the paranoid days of the Cold War, seeing your hometown covered in cyrillic text is a bit unsettling.

But the Soviets didn’t stop at just making some of the most accurate and detailed maps of the day. Some of the medium scale maps of include extremely detailed descriptions of the area–everything from the load-bearing capacities of bridges to the paving materials of the roads. (Yes, comrade, they will accommodate your tanks!)

Report: Russia to establish military bases in EU member Cyprus

A Russian publication has reported that Cyprus has agreed to allow Russia to establish air and naval bases in its territory, causing a major stir within the EU community.

The news was first reported by Lenta.ru and went viral all across Europe and beyond. If it is true, Russia would be able to stage a dagger right in the heart of EU community in the Mediterranean.

Chinese naval base for Walvis Bay

STRATEGY … Walvis Bay is set to be part of China’s overseas military bases.

 

DISCUSSIONS are under way at the ‘highest levels’ regarding plans by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy to build a base at Walvis Bay in the next 10 years.

According to reports in the Chinese media, Walvis Bay will be one of 18 naval bases that will be established in various regions: Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Mynanmar in the northern Indian Ocean; Djibouti, Yemen, Oman, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in the western Indian Ocean; and Seychelles and Madagascar in the central South Indian Ocean.

“These three strategic lines will further enhance China’s effectiveness in taking responsibility for maintaining the safety of international maritime routes thereby maintaining regional and world stability,” the media reports said.