Latvia Spots Three Russian Warships off Sea Border

Latvia spotted three Russian corvette ships 4 miles from its territorial waters on Sunday.

According to the military’s Twitter page it spotted the vessels Liven 551, Serpukhov 603 and Morshansk 824 near Latvian waters.

The sighting followed reports that Russia was readying vessels for the approach of a U.S. vessel. Local newspaper Fontanka said that Morshansk and a handful of other vessels were lined up around St. Petersburg’s Kronshtadt port—the location of Russia’s Leningrad naval base.

Iranian navy announces 20 military drills over coming months

The Iranian Navy announced this week that it will conduct 20 military drills over the next nine months.

Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari made the announcement to reporters on Monday, saying that by March 2017, 20 war games will have been staged over the Iranian year (March 20, 2016 – March 20, 2017).

Sayyari said Iran’s territorial waters were “in full security” and that Iran’s defense capabilities were “so high that no enemy would dare to invade the territorial waters of Iran,” according to the Tasnim news agency.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Praises Captors of American Sailors

Khamenei: ‘You did an excellent job’

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei recently visited the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)  personnel who took into custody 10 American sailors earlier this month, praising them for their actions.

China ‘will not allow US to violate its territorial waters in the South China Sea’

Chinese vessels in the waters near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Photo: Reuters

 

China on Friday said it would not stand for violations of its territorial waters in the name of freedom of navigation, as the United States considers sailing warships close to China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea.

A US defence official said Washington was mulling sending ships within the next two weeks to waters inside the 12-nautical-mile zone that Beijing claims as territory around islands it has built in the Spratly chain.

An extremely dangerous conflict is brewing between the US and China in a tiny archipelago in the South China Sea

Where lies the greatest potential for disaster in this ever more disordered world? In Russia’s efforts to rebuild its former empire? In the chaos of the Middle East, or the chronic instability of a nuclear-armed Pakistan? Conceivably, none of the above. A case can be made that the biggest danger is represented by a semi-submerged archipelago in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, object of a confrontation between China and the US and America’s regional allies that without wisdom and restraint could escalate beyond control.

Japan hold ‘island defence’ drill as China ships enter territorial waters

The Japanese Self Defence Force held a public drill to simulate recapturing an island from an enemy nation for the second year in a row, as Chinese government vessels sail near islands disputed with Japan for the first time this year.

Japan’s defence minister vowed to defend the country’s territory as three Chinese government ships entered disputed waters off the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls the Diaoyus, in the East China Sea.

China Retaliates Against US Naval Presence with Ships in Hawaiian Waters

China appears to feel that its naval buildup has progressed sufficiently to allow it to retaliate against the US naval presence in the East China Sea by sending surveillance ships to Hawaiian waters.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) electronic reconnaissance ship spotted in Hawaiian waters is most likely of about 4,000-ton displacement and is equipped with various electronic gear for eavesdropping on radio communications and tracking ships and aircraft. It is also believed to have jamming equipment to interfere with the radio communications of other ships.

Japan Ready to Declare: We’ll Go First

TOKYO – Japan has no intention to go it alone in defending its territory or national interests from growing threats in the Asia-Pacific region. But an annual defense review released Tuesday and other recent developments signal an increasing willingness on the part of Japan to go it alone, first.

Japan plans to establish a new National Security Council that would streamline how and when Tokyo would use military force, appoint a senior officer to command troops from all three armed services, and formally designate a Marine Corps-like force to defend its vulnerable southwest islands.

Abe warns of possible military response to intruder subs

TOKYO — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday Tokyo could mount a military response if foreign submarines enter its territorial waters while underwater, as Japan and China continue to squabble over islands.

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“These are serious acts. If submarines enter our territorial waters while underwater, we would have to implement maritime security action,” Abe told the Diet.

Yemen: Seized Iranian ship carried ‘large, diverse and dangerous’ weapons

A ship seized by Yemeni authorities last month carried a wide variety of Iranian-made weapons, Yemen’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

They included material for bombs and suicide belts, explosives, Katyusha rockets, surface-to-air missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and large amounts of ammunition.

Japan sees new Chinese actions near disputed isles

While the ships being involved in the dispute are nothing new, the Chinese air force being called out is or hasn’t received much coverage.

TOKYO: Chinese ships entered waters near a group of disputed islands for the first time in three weeks Thursday, prompting a strong protest from Japan, which says China’s air force has also sharply increased its operations in the area.

China sends ships back to waters off disputed Japanese-controlled islands

The four maritime surveillance ships entered the waters shortly after 12.30pm (3.30am GMT), Japan’s coastguard said in a statement, adding that it was telling the ships to leave the area.

“Patrol ships from our agency have been telling them to sail outside of our territorial waters. There has not been any response” from the Chinese ships, the agency said.