News Story: China conditions for sea code talks vague, unfair - Analyst

By Patricia Lourdes Viray

MANILA, Philippines — Beijing's condition of non-interference by "outside parties" for the talks on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea to start causes concern as it is vague and unfair, a maritime analyst said Monday.

Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute of Maritime Affairs and the Law of the Sea, said that the given condition falls upon China to determine whether it exists or not.

"In contract law that is a void condition when one of the parties, the debtor of the parties, the obliger, can decide when the obligation can be complied with," Batongbacal said in an interview with ANC.

On Sunday, China Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the start of the talks for a COC may be announced in November as long as the conditions are met and as long as the situation in the disputed waters is "generally stable."

Wang may have been referring to the United States, which has been conducting what it calls freedom of navigation patrols in the area, when he said that the conditions include non-interference of outside parties.

Batongbacal said that "generally stable" could mean anything from China which would be an unfair condition to place on the negotiations.'

Beijing may be purposely setting such conditions to discourage the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from seeking support from external partners, the analyst said.

"Whether in terms of military, diplomatic or even commercial interests, China is attempting to discourage the parties from engaging external partners, and that I think is a bad sign because we know that the rest of the region, Southeast Asia, is very much linked in various ways to external partners," Batongbacal said.

Read the full story at PhilStar

News Report: India to Make Native Navigation System Mandatory For All Aircraft

The Indian government will soon require all aircraft registered to fly in India to use Gagan, the country’s own navigation system.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The notification for this will be issued in the next few weeks and will be effective from January 2019.

The availability of Gagan signal in space will bridge the gap between European Union's EGNOS and Japan's MSAS coverage areas, thereby offering seamless navigation to the aviation industry. Sources in India's Ministry of Civil Aviation told Sputnik that Gagan or GPS aided geo augmented navigation has obtained (APV1/1.5) certification for approach and precision landing operations over the subcontinent. India is the fourth country to offer space-based satellite navigation services to the aviation sector.

"Any Gagan-enabled receiver will provide accurate positional information which can be relied upon. It is accurate to one meter," A. S. Kiran Kumar, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman, said.

News Story: DPRK slams Japan for launching spy satellite

Japanese Space Rocket

PYONGYANG, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday slammed Japan for launching a spy satellite, describing it as a revelation of its ambition for the revival of militarism.

The Korean Central News Agency quoted a spokesman of the DPRK Foreign Ministry as saying that Japan launched a rocket carrying a spy satellite at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture of Japan on Thursday morning "under the pretext of global positioning."

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Australia Set to Have First All 5th Generation Air Force by 2025

By: John Grady

Australia aims to be the first all fifth generation air force, integrating the network capabilities of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter with its land and sea components, as well as its allies’ and partners’ forces, its air marshal said Thursday in Washington.

Air Marshal Leo Davies added in his address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank, that Australia will “have no legacy aircraft after 2025” under its current defense spending guidance.

The Royal Australian Air Force is set to acquire 72 F-35A variants.

News Story: China's draft law highlights information security, national territory awareness

China's Official National Map (2014), Including
disputed territories (click Image to Enlarge)

BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese lawmakers are considering revisions to the surveying and mapping law to protect geographic information security and raise public awareness of national territory.

The amended draft was submitted to legislators for a second reading at the bimonthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which runs until Thursday.

The revisions deal with the use of safe, reliable technology and equipment, managing navigation and positioning reference stations and supervision of Internet mapping services, said Xie Jingrong, a vice chairman of the Law Committee of the NPC.

The revision has become more pressing as some extant clauses do not address current problems such as the leakage of information of Internet map service users, due to new business models including bike-sharing services.

The bike-sharing system allows riders to locate the nearest bicycle through an interactive map in a mobile app, rent them by scanning a QR code on the bike, and leave them wherever the ride finishes, with no need to return them to a fixed station.

In order to enable everyone to use maps that represent China's territory correctly, the draft law stressed that regulations on mapping should be followed in formulating, publishing or exhibiting maps.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: India, Australia Vow to Jointly Fight Terror, Cooperate in Aviation Security

India and Australia signed six agreements including strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation after talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is on a four-day visit to India.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Apart from counter-terrorism cooperation, the pacts signed a deal with cooperation in civil aviation security, MoU in the field of environment, climate and wildlife, cooperation in earth observation and satellite navigation.

"I am particularly pleased that we have been able to conclude a MoU on Security and Cooperation during this visit. We also agree that strong regional institutions are necessary for peace, prosperity and a sense of balance in the region," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his statement after the signing of agreements between the two countries.

News Report: South China Sea Dispute: Why US Carriers Unable to Put Pressure on China

As the temperature is rising in the South China Sea over the recent freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) launched by the US and further reports that China "has nearly finished" buildings "that could house missiles", a RIA Novosti correspondent explains why the US is unable to put any pressure on Beijing.

On Saturday, the US navy strike group led by the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson and consisting of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON), Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108), and aircraft from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) began what the US Navy called "routine operations" in the South China Sea.

China has denounced the patrol for threatening its sovereignty and security in the South China Sea.

"China always respects the freedom of navigation and overflight all countries enjoy under international law. But we are consistently opposed to relevant countries threatening and damaging the sovereignty and security of littoral countries under the flag of freedom of navigation and overflight," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told journalists commenting on the matter.

News Story: New Zealand, Australian leaders pledge closer trade, science cooperation

WELLINGTON, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of New Zealand and Australia have agreed to work together to revive the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact after the United States' withdrawal under President Donald Trump.

New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull issued a joint communiqué Friday after talks in New Zealand's South Island mountain resort of Queenstown.

The statement said the two leaders had agreed to continue to push for open markets and regional economic integration, "noting, with concern, growing anti-globalisation sentiment in many parts of the world."

The TPP, signed by 12 nations in Auckland last year, was a "key promoter of regional economic integration and a driver of economic growth, competition, innovation and productivity," it said.

"In light of the intention of the United States not to ratify TPP, the two Prime Ministers agreed that Australia and New Zealand would work together to engage with other TPP partners on the way forward, over the coming months."

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Australia and Lockheed field 2nd-Gen sat-based augmentation system

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are critical tools for industries requiring exact precision and high confidence. Now, Geoscience Australia, an agency of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Lockheed Martin have entered into a collaborative research project to show how augmenting signals from multiple GNSS constellations can enhance positioning, navigation, and timing for a range of applications.

This innovative research project aims to demonstrate how a second-generation Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) testbed can - for the first time - use signals from both the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Galileo constellation, and dual frequencies, to achieve even greater GNSS integrity and accuracy. Over two years, the testbed will validate applications in nine industry sectors: agriculture, aviation, construction, maritime, mining, rail, road, spatial, and utilities.

"Many industries rely on GNSS signals for accurate, safe navigation. Users must be confident in the position solutions calculated by GNSS receivers. The term 'integrity' defines the confidence in the position solutions provided by GNSS," explained Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand Chief Executive Vince Di Pietro. "Industries where safety-of-life navigation is crucial want assured GNSS integrity."

Ultimately, the second-generation SBAS testbed will broaden understanding of how this technology can benefit safety, productivity, efficiency and innovation in Australia's industrial and research sectors.

Read the full story at GPSDaily

News Report: India Expedites Its Space Centric Warfare Program

The Indian government has started a new framework that will provide an edge to Indian armed forces in the Asian region.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – The Indian Air Force (IAF) will soon receive approval from the Indian Space Research Organization for its own dedicated satellite. Air Vice Marshal Sandeep Singh Commandant of the Aircraft & Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) said that the plan to have a dedicated satellite for IAF was on the move. 

“The plan is in progress and we should soon have a dedicated satellite. It certainly does increase the efficiency of our critical missions,” said AVM Sandeep Singh. 

Group Captain Ajey Lele (Retired), space and national security expert from the Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses explained why the satellite was needed. 

AUS: Partnering with the US to test a world without GPS

The team prepare for a GPS-free UAS flight trial at Woomera

Defence researcher Sam Dudley, works with unmanned aerial systems (UAS), specifically trying to optimise and improve the performance of a datalink between a far-off UAS and home base.

Dudley’s work is conducted under a Project Agreement with the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

“Our aim under this project is to navigate a UAS aircraft without GPS assistance to a target location 100 km away,” Dudley explains.

“As part of that, to maintain range safety and for operational reasons, we need to maintain communications with the aircraft over the 100 km outward journey.”

News Story: China says sensitive issues could damage ties with US military

Failure to properly handle sensitive issues between the US and China could "very likely disturb and undermine" their military-to-military relations, a top Chinese official told US National Security Advisor Susan Rice Monday.

Rice is the highest-level US official to visit the capital since an international tribunal this month rejected China's vast territorial claims in the South China Sea -- infuriating Beijing and fuelling tensions with Washington.

Her trip is intended to prepare for a visit by President Barack Obama to a G20 summit in the city of Hangzhou in September.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on July 12 denied the legal basis for Beijing's claim to nearly all of the sea, parts of which are also claimed by neighbouring nations.

In recent months Washington has sent naval vessels close to reefs and outcrops claimed by Beijing to assert the principle of freedom of navigation, sparking anger in China which has built a series of artificial islands in the area capable of supporting military operations.

President Xi Jinping told Rice at a meeting Monday that China was "strongly committed" to building good relations with the US based upon the ideas of "no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation".

But at an earlier encounter with Rice, top Chinese official Fan Changlong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission warned that ties between the two powers could easily fray.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Report: Tribunal Ruling Favoring Philippines Likely to Deepen China Sea Dispute

Overlapping claims in the South China Sea

Nike Ching

STATE DEPARTMENT—With Tuesday's tribunal ruling largely seen as favoring the Philippines, a U.S. ally, experts say both China and the U.S. likely would intensify diplomatic and military maneuvers to win support for their respective positions.  

The United States said the ruling by the Hague-based international tribunal on the case brought by Manila over Beijing’s excessive claims in the South China Sea is “final and legally binding,” urging all claimants to avoid provocative statements or actions.

Daniel Kritenbrink, White House National Security Council senior director for Asian Affairs, said Tuesday that the U.S. has “no need or interest in” stirring tensions in the South China Sea. But he also said Washington will not “turn a blind eye” to the waterway in exchange for cooperation from China on other issues.

Speaking at a forum in Washington, Kritenbrink said Washington is strengthening communication channels with Beijing through confidence-building measures to avoid miscalculation and accidents when patrolling the waters.

The State Department said the ruling could provide the basis for further discussions aimed at narrowing the geographic scope of maritime disputes, and ultimately resolving underlying disputes free from coercion or the use or threat of force.

“We urge all claimants to avoid provocative statements or actions. This decision can and should serve as a new opportunity to renew efforts to address maritime disputes peacefully,” State Department Spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday in a statement.

News Report: ICAO Sends Warning Letter to Pyongyang Over GPS Jamming - Seoul

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has sent a letter to Pyongyang warning it against activities aimed at jamming GPS signals in South Korea, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — ICAO board members met in Montreal, Canada, on May 16 — June 17, where they decided to issue a warning to North Korea addressing the GPS disruption matter, according to a ministerial statement.

Seoul claims that between March 31 and April 6 five North Korean regions sent jamming signals that could have caused mobile phones' malfunction and possibly affected navigation of planes or ships, according to media reports.

GPS disruptions were detected in some 1,000 airplanes from 14 countries, the statement specified, adding that Seoul asked ICAO in May to introduce measures to prevent such cases from taking place in the future.

The ministry labeled the ICAO decision "a much stronger response" to the issue compared to 2012 when similar incidents took place.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

USA: USS Blue Ridge Completes CUES exercise with PLA(N)

USS Blue Ridge (Image: Wiki Commons)

By USS Blue Ridge Public Affairs

EAST CHINA SEA - The amphibious 7th Fleet command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) conducted a Codes for Unexpected Encounters at Sea (CUES) exercise with their People's Liberation Army (Navy) counterparts, May 10, after a successful port visit in Shanghai.  

Adopted as a multilateral protocol at the 2014 Western Pacific Naval Symposium, CUES provides guidelines for unplanned maritime encounters at sea, including safety procedures, basic communication plans and basic maneuvering instructions.  

"The exercise went very well," said Blue Ridge Commanding Officer, Matt Paradise. "While in Shanghai, we were able to sit and plan with much of the crew aboard the [Chinese] Lanzhou destroyer, Xi'an (DD 153) and since they escorted us out of port, take those new relationships and lessons learned right to sea.  

Think Tank: DWP 2016 - the future of C4ISR

Part of the Jindalee Operational Radar Network (JORN)

Annaliese FitzGerald

Broader investment in C4ISR is becoming increasingly critical in the face of evolving threats and changes in technology according to the 2016 Defence White Paper.

The Government plans to invest around $22 billion (out-turned prices) or 9% of the Integrated Investment Program to improve intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, space, and cyber capabilities over the next decade.

The key C4 Investments include:

• A Military Satellite Capability to enhance Australia’s satellite communications operations and overall communications capability ($507 million)
• Common Operating Picture Capability Program, a situational awareness capability for effective decision-making and mission execution ($500–600 million)
• Position, Navigation and Timing Capability to enhance operational effectiveness ($750–$1 billion)
• Air Operations Centre ($750 million–$1 billion)

To bolster intelligence capabilities modernised all-source intelligence systems will be implemented across the organisation. Specifically investment in intelligence and mission data capabilities will support pre-programming of the Growler, Joint Strike Fighter and Poseidon aircraft, Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers and modern armoured vehicles.

Think Tank: Shooting the moon - DWP 2016 takes the ADF to the final frontier

Malcolm Davis

The 2016 Defence White Paper, in considering the ADF’s approach to the use of outer space for military purposes, highlights a significant potential path for the ADF, and more broadly, for Australian space policy in the 21st century. So why is space important for the ADF, and what does the 2016 DWP say about the issue?

In World War Two, Bernard Law Montgomery claimed, ‘If we lose the war in the air, we lose the war and we lose it quickly’. This famous axiom translates well to space today, where an inability to access military space capabilities completely undermines the ability of modern information-led military forces to function—forcing them back to a cruder, industrial level of conflict. That type of warfare is characterised not by multidimensional manoeuvre, precision attack and a ‘knowledge edge’, but by mass, attrition, the ‘fog of war’ and the less discriminate use of firepower leading to high casualties, both military and civilian. Think of battles such as the Somme or Stalingrad—or even Syria today.

Ensuring continuing access to space capabilities is vital for our military to function effectively and for us to be able to use military power in a manner that’s consistent both with the Just War theory that emphasises proportionality and discrimination in the use of force, and the current values upon which our society is based, particularly in wars of choice. New air, naval and land forces highlighted in the 2016 DWP are enabled by space capabilities, from our reliance on global communications and the use of precision navigation to support joint expeditionary operations, to ensuring an effective understanding of the battlespace through space-based ISR. This dependence on space will only grow over time as the ADF becomes more network-centric. Further, if we seek true interoperability with coalition partners we must be able to plug and play with their space systems. Simply put, our ability to use space is vital to our entire approach to defence, and that’s not going to change.

Industry: (Australia) Combat systems on-board Hobart come alive

The past few weeks have seen the combat systems and test activities come alive.

Combat system compartments, such as the Combat System Equipment Rooms, the Combat Information Centre (CIC) and the radar equipment room, are filled with personnel and activity as equipment is powered on for the first time and functionally tested.

Support teams have been in the shipyard supporting the activation of systems including elements of the distributed navigation system and the Vertical Launch System (VLS).

The Multi Element Integration & Test (MEIT) team successfully completed the first phase of activation activities last week. This significant achievement involved the installation of the Aegis Software Operating Environment and the activation of the computer network structure. Activation has also started on the MK99 Fire Control System and the SPY1D-(V) phased array radar.

Editorial: Singapore, Brunei Conclude Naval Exercise

A Singapore Navy Formidable class Frigate (File Photo)

By Prashanth Parameswaran

Exercise Pelican ran from November 23 to November 27.

Singapore and Brunei concluded their flagship bilateral naval exercise on November 27.

Exercise Pelican, which began in 1979, is meant to help enhance mutual cooperation, understanding, and interoperability between the Royal Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN).

This year’s exercise, which ran from November 23 to November 27, was hosted by the RSN. According to Singapore’s Ministry of Defense (MINDEF), it featured command teams from the RSN’s Formidable-class frigate RSS Stalwart and Victory-class missile corvette RSS Valiant as well as the RBN’s Darussalam-class patrol vessels KDB Darussalam and KDB Darulehsan. The exercise also involved tactical discussions and simulation exercises in naval warfare – including anti-surface, anti-submarine, and anti-air operations – as well as professional sharing to deepen operational knowledge in areas like naval aviation and patrols.

Read the full story at The Diplomat

Editorial: Philippines v. China - Court Rules Favorably on Jurisdiction, Case Will Proceed

By Ankit Panda

China’s nine-dash line will have its day in international court.

On Thursday, October 29, the Permanent Court of Arbitration awarded its first decision in the The Republic of Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China. The court ruled that the case was “properly constituted” under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, that China’s “non-appearance” (i.e., refusal to participate) did not preclude the Court’s jurisdiction, and that the Philippines was within its rights in filing the case. In short, Thursday’s decision means that the Permanent Court of Arbitration rules in the Philippines’ favor on the question of jurisdiction. With the jurisdictional issue resolved, the case can move forward to evaluating the merits of the Philippines’ legal assertions in the South China Sea.

In a press release, the Court noted that the decision was “unanimous” and “concerns only whether the Tribunal has jurisdiction to consider the Philippines’ claims and whether such claims are admissible.” Notably, the Court has rejected an argument in China’s position paper that the “2002 China–ASEAN Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea constitutes an agreement to resolve disputes relating to the South China Sea exclusively through negotiation.” The Court has decided that the Declaration on Conduct was a “political agreement that was not intended to be legally binding.” This may influence the already lethargic process between China and ASEAN toward a binding Code of Conduct for the South China Sea.

As the Court prepares to consider the merits of the Philippines’ claims, it’s worth revisiting what exactly Manila is seeking a decision on. As Jay Batongbacal succinctly outlined over at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative earlier this year, Manila is looking for the Court to decide on four primary questions.

Read the full story at The Diplomat