Key US Ally to Proceed with South China Sea War Games with Beijing

Australia on Thursday said it will go ahead with live-fire naval exercises with China, even after close ally the United States sent a warship into the disputed South China Sea this week.

Washington infuriated Beijing on Tuesday when it sent its USS Lassen destroyer within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands in a challenge to China’s claims in the South China Sea.

The United States said the incident was a routine freedom-of-navigation operation, and vowed to send more ships.

But China is our Friend…Right?

 

It was an interesting week last week. For one thing, Chinese company Alibaba debuted as the largest IPO in the history of the world. Larger than the Initial Public Offerings of Facebook, Twitter, Google, Apple, and Microsoft combined. At the same time, there was a Senate report indicating that China hacked U.S. military contractors in a significant way at least twenty times in the past year. In America, we celebrated the success of Wall Street, earning $300 million or so in underwriter fees. In China, they celebrated finding a path to dethrone American technology dominance (from the official Chinese News Agency):

Chinese spy ship arrives at giant U.S.-led naval exercise off the coast of Hawaii

A giant U.S.-led naval exercise with 22 nations from around the world got an unexpected visitor on Sunday — a Chinese spy ship perched in international waters.

The 24th Rim of the Pacific exercises (RIMPAC) in and around the Hawaiian Islands features more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel. China is part of a host of nations taking part, which also includes Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, the United Kingdom and others.

Russian exercise near Georgia redirected to Syria after Israeli strike

A large-scale military drill was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin last week to intimidate a defiant Georgia for rejecting a Kremlin-proposed draft of a non-aggression pact that would recognize the runaway region of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Yet while the drill was going on in earnest, the Israelis attacked Iranian missiles inside Syria.

China Will Join U.S. Navy War Games in Pacific Next Year

The Chinese Navy will participate in the U.S. Navy’s Rim of the Pacific exercises in Hawaii next year, marking the first time that China will send ships and troops to the multinational war games.

The U.S. Navy’s Third Fleet in San Diego runs the biennial event, and last year five San Diego warships attended.

Iran deploys Russian-made submarine in Gulf

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Tehran has deployed one of its Russian-made submarines in the Persian Gulf, just days after the United States and more than two dozen allies began naval exercises nearby, Iranian state television reported Tuesday.

The Taregh-1 joined the Iranian fleet in the southern port of Bandar Abbas after it was overhauled earlier this year, according to the TV report. It’s one of three Russian Kilo class submarines that Iran obtained in the early 1990s.

In May, Iran redeployed another Russian-made submarine after repairs.

The report also showed the launch of what was said to be the partially completed hull of a destroyer, the Sahand, which the TV said is expected to be ready in the near future.

Both launches came under the command of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters. He said Iran has no intention of invading other countries.

“The armed forces should be upgraded in a way that no one will be able to violate the reinforced fortress of Iran,” Khamenei said during a visit Tuesday to a naval base in northern Iranian port of Noshahr.

Full article: Iran deploys Russian-made submarine in Gulf (Yahoo!)

Russia, India Prepare for INDRA-2012 Military Drills

Russia and India started on Monday the preparation for joint INDRA-2012 military exercises scheduled to be held in Russia this summer, a spokesman for Russia’s Eastern Military District said.

“An Indian military delegation arrived on Monday in Ulan Ude [in Russia’s Far East] to discuss the preparation for INDRA-2012 military drills to be held this summer,” Lt. Col. Alexander Gordeyev said.

Russian and Indian military officials will reconnoiter the terrain at the training range where the drills will be held, the spokesman said.

Since 2003, India and Russia have conducted five of the INDRA series joint ground and naval exercises. The last such exercise was held between Russian and Indian army units in India in October 2010.

Full article: Russia, India Prepare for INDRA-2012 Military Drills (Defence Talk)