News Report: Festering Maritime Hostilities Push China-Vietnam Relations to New Low

Ralph Jennings

TAIPEI — A rash of incidents since May is threatening to reignite hostilities between neighbors China and Vietnam over control of the contested South China Sea, but Vietnam is seen suppressing its anger in the short term for lack of broader support.

The foreign ministry in Hanoi protested last week against Beijing’s announcement of a military drill in the Gulf of Tonkin. That exchange came after China apparently pressured Vietnam and Spanish contractor Repsol to stop a multi-million-dollar offshore oil exploration project in another part of the South China Sea in late July.

In July, pro-China maritime activists apparently hacked airline computers at two Vietnam airports. China and Vietnam called off a meeting of foreign ministers at a regional event in Manila last month. In June a Chinese military official cut short a visit to Vietnam, a move analysts call a protest over Vietnam’s offshore fuel exploration.

“There’s been a string of setbacks. So (Vietnam) is showing you it’s testy,” said Carl Thayer, Southeast Asia-specialized emeritus professor at The University of New South Wales in Australia.

“I think also for Vietnam anti-China sentiment is so toxic that if the government were to face a situation in South China Sea and be perceived by the Vietnamese public as not defending Vietnamese sovereignty, they’d be in real trouble,” Thayer said.

News Report: South China Sea is in Epicenter of Int'l Brawls Making ‘Co-Existing’ Impossible

The calm in the South China Sea, as many had warned, was illusory. Moreover, in the summer the situation in the region has become further aggravated. To add fuel to the fire, recently Hanoi has struck back following calls from Beijing to stop oil exploration in Block 136-03 of the South China Sea. Sputnik spoke to an analyst about this issue.

"Vietnam’s petroleum-related activities take place in the sea entirely under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of Vietnam established in accordance with international law," Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry said Friday.

However, Beijing reportedly threatened to attack Vietnamese positions in the Spratly/Nansha Islands of the sea if an oil discovery operation led by Spanish oil firm Respol was not called off on July 15.

This incident clearly shows that the tensions that arose after the abolition of joint Chinese-Vietnamese exercises this June are still quite strong. 

News Report: Beijing Confirms Putting Pressure on Hanoi to Stop South China Sea Oil Drilling

The Chinese Foreign Ministry verified media reports that Beijing pressured Hanoi to terminate an oil expedition in the South China Sea.

"China urges the relevant parties to cease the relevant unilateral infringing activities" spokesman Lu Kang told reporters on Tuesday, adding that China, "with practical action, safeguards the hard-earned positive situation in the South China Sea."Kang didn’t disclose what "practical actions" were taken.

Repsol, the Spanish oil firm cooperating with Hanoi on the project, had spent $300 million developing an oil field near the disputed waters. While Repsol seems to have wanted to make Block 136-03 commercially viable, Beijing reportedly vowed to Vietnam that drilling would lead to an attack.

Beijing reportedly threatened to use force against Vietnamese bases in the Spratly Islands if Hanoi did not promptly call the oil expedition off on Monday. Vietnam leased the waters under dispute to Repsol subsidiary Talisman-Vietnam, while officials in China, which also claims the area, sold rights to explore part of the area to another firm.

News Report: Beijing Vowed Strike on Vietnam Targets for Drilling in South China Sea

A Hanoi-sanctioned gas drilling operation by Spanish company Repsol has ended, reportedly following threats from China to target Vietnamese bases in the South China Sea.

The gas field’s discovery had become public knowledge just days earlier, BBC noted in a Monday report. 

Beijing reportedly threatened the Hanoi government that Vietnamese bases in the Spratly Islands would become the target of People’s Liberation Army forces, according to a source speaking to the BBC, if the gas exploration expedition was not called off immediately. 

"On July 15, well-informed sources in Hanoi privately reported that Vietnam directed a subsidiary of Spain’s Repsol to suspend oil drilling in Block 136-03 in the South China Sea," The Diplomat reported Monday, adding, "nine days later a report by the BBC’s Bill Hayton finally confirmed this."

USA: U.S. Forces Work With Partners in Numerous Military Exercises

By Terri Moon Cronk 

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2017 — Military exercises are underway between U.S. military forces and those of many other nations, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, told reporters today.

In the Pacific region, Exercise Talisman Saber 2017 involves more than 33,000 U.S. and Australian personnel who are participating in the biennial military training exercise in Australia, June 23 to July 25.

U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force personnel, as well as Australian forces and members of other government agencies in both countries are participating in Talisman Saber, which is jointly sponsored by the U.S. Pacific Command and the Australian military's Joint Operations Command.

It features 21 ships, including the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, and more than 200 joint aircraft. This year's seventh iteration of the exercise is focusing on training a combined task force of U.S. and Australian forces in a mid-intensity, high-end warfighting scenario, incorporating interagency participation, along with a command post exercise involving a transition between a three- and four-star headquarters.

"Talisman Saber provides an invaluable opportunity to conduct operations in a combined, joint and interagency environment that will increase both countries' ability to plan and execute contingency responses, from combat missions to humanitarian assistance efforts," Davis said.

News Story: Most Major Western Leaders To Skip China's Silk Road Summit

Only one leader of a big Western country is attending China's most important diplomatic event of the year, a summit next month on President Xi Jinping's New Silk Road strategy, as China's foreign minister denied it had been snubbed, Reuters reported.

Xi has championed the "One Belt, One Road" or OBOR initiative to build a new Silk Road linking Asia, Africa and Europe, a landmark program to invest billions of dollars in infrastructure projects including railways, ports and power grids.

Reuters reported that China has dedicated $40 billion USD to a Silk Road Fund and the idea was the driving force behind the establishment of the $50 billion China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

According to Reuters, diplomatic sources in Beijing said China had hoped for at least some senior Western leaders to attend the summit, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, but a list of attendees announced by Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday included only one leader from the Group of Seven (G7) industrialized nations, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (28-Feb-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

Cyber attack combat-readiness, intelligence exploitation, drone intelligence, systems streamlining and integrated infrastructure will all be part of the Royal Navy’s forthcoming Information Warrior 17 exercise. Perhaps the coolest aspect of the exercise is that it’ll explore artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, both as a potential threat and as a combat tool. The exercise will test whether AI can be used as a warship’s “mind”, controlling weapons targeting, issuing commands and improving threat response strategies.

The Royal Australian Navy is also war-gaming this week in the inaugural Exercise Ocean Explorer. Taking place off the West Australian coast, the exercise involves more than 17 ships and aircraft including contributions from Spain, New Zealand and Italy. It aims ‘to train ships to work together in a series of complex and dynamic warfare scenarios’, with the international participants also having the opportunity to grapple with the added challenges around language, customs and technology differences.

Finnish defence firm Patria showcased its Nemo Container mortar system at IDEX in Abu Dhabi on 20 February. Essentially, it’s a shipping container integrated with a 120mm Nemo mortar turret that can be fitted to both land and sea platforms. Check out this quick video explaining its versatility.

AUS: Training to fight – Navies exercise off the WA coast

More than 17 ships and aircraft are descending on the Western Australian coast for one of the largest maritime warfare exercises held by the Royal Australian Navy.

The inaugural Exercise Ocean Explorer will include international participants, adding the opportunity to practice war fighting with language, customs and technology differences. The Spanish Armada’s ESPS Cristobal Colon, New Zealand’s HMNZ Ships Te Kaha and Endeavour and, for a brief period, Italian frigate ITS Caribiniere will all integrate into the Australian scenarios.

Exercise Director, Captain Jim Hutton said the activity aimed to train ships to work together in a series of complex and dynamic warfare scenarios.

“With the recent acquisition of larger ships, we are transitioning from a fleet optimised for single-ship operations to a new era of joint task group level expeditionary warfare,” he said.

“The aim of the exercise is to develop our task group capability, to operate a number of ships under one commander and focus primarily on sea control operations.

News Story: Spanish frigate deploys to Australia for AWD support

SPS Cristobal Colon (Image: NATO)

Spanish Navy’s Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate Cristóbal Colón is scheduled to embark on a long-term deployment to Australia on January 9.

Under an agreement between the two navies, the Aegis-equipped frigate will spend 120 days in Australia where it will help train future Australian Hobart-class destroyer sailors of the Australian Navy.

By integrating into the Australian Navy fleet, Cristóbal Colón will provide dedicated training and familiarisation opportunities for the crews of Australian destroyers Hobart, Brisbane and Sydney.

Read the full story at NavalToday

News Report: Interpol Arrests 1,500 Across Asia for Telephone, Email Scams

More than 1,500 individuals have been arrested in a two-month operation First Light 2016 for committing social engineering and payment card fraud as well as romance scams, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) announced in a press release on Friday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Police across the region conducted raids of suspicious call centers, with the largest one in the Philippines, where officers "arrested some 1,300 Chinese nationals working in a single location as part of a massive criminal operation."

"More than 1,500 people have been arrested in an Interpol operation targeting a multi-million Euro telephone and e-mail scam across Asia," the release stated.

Social engineering fraud refers to scams which manipulate or trick people into giving out confidential or personal information that can then be used for financial gain, the release explained.

News Report: Efforts Underway to Retrieve Kidnapped ICRC Official in Afghanistan

Ayaz Gul

ISLAMABAD — A search operation is underway in Afghanistan to recover a kidnapped foreigner working for the International Committee of the Red Cross, provincial authorities said.

Several staff members were traveling in two vehicles to the restive northern Kunduz province on Monday when unknown gunmen intercepted them, according to an ICRC statement.

They took hostage one male colleague while the rest were let go, it added, without discussing the nationality of the abductee.

Police in Kunduz told VOA the man is Spanish, while those freed were Afghan nationals.

The ICRC says it is in contact with various authorities to determine what precisely happened and to secure the individual’s safe and unconditional release as quickly as possible.

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (13-Sep-2016)

BAE Systems CV90 (Recon variant)

Christopher Cowan, Thulasi Wigneswaran, Elisabeth Buchan and Alexander Vipond

Sea State

The US Navy’s newest destroyer, the USS Zumwalt, began the long voyage to its home port of San Diego last week. Its first stop was Newport, Rhode Island, where visitors were given a tour of the futuristic destroyer’s bridge, mission centre and armament. The destroyer will visit several other ports along the way—including a stop in Baltimore on 15 October—where it’ll be formally commissioned into the USN during Fleet Week. USS Zumwalt is the USN’s largest destroyer to date and has been plagued by cost and technical issues. The vessel, which boasts a stealthy design that makes it look like a cross between the USS Monitor and the Starship Enterprise (yes, that one), is helmed by Captain James Kirk. How fitting.

In other news from across the Pacific, NATO warships have gathered in Halifax, Canada this week for a 13-day anti-submarine warfare exercise dubbed Cutlass Fury. Canada’s largest anti-submarine warfare exercise in 20 years also includes vessels from the US, France, Germany, Spain and the UK. It comes at a time when concern about Russia’s resurgent submarine operations has been ratcheted up.

News Story: Spanish expert says arbitration not the solution to South China Sea dispute

MADRID, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The director of the Observatory of Chinese Politics of Spain, Xulio Rios, said the key to the solution to the dispute over the South China Sea is consensus, "not unilateral arbitration. The first one brings positions closer, while the second aggravates disputes."

The dispute over the South China Sea are about to enter in a new phase. It is expected that this June, the Permanent Court of Arbitration will announce the decision on the arbitration case brought by the Philippines.

However, whatever the content, its legal and effective value is void because China has adhered itself to the reserve clause of the Montego Bay Convention, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Rios said.

He explained that according to articles 297 and 298, China could refuse arbitration on those issues where the country did not accept the treaty's rule, especially when affecting sovereignty issues. China did so through a Note Verbale in August 2006, addressing the UN Secretary General.

According to law, the basis of any arbitration is the prior acceptance by the parties and they are the ones, with the assistance of the court, to determine a solution in order to end the conflict.

Read the full story at Xinhua

Industry: Navantia signed the contract for the construction of two logistics ships to Australia

BAC Cantabria (Image: Wiki Commons)

Navantia and the Australian Government signed the contract for the design and construction of two logistics ships and keeping them for an initial period of five years. Logistic support vessels AOR (Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment), are based on the "BAC Cantabria" built by Navantia for the Spanish Navy, adapted to specific Australian requirements. 

These contracts include a significant share of the Australian industry will be responsible for the development of combat systems and communications, as well as some logistical areas and cranes cargo deck with the company Baker and Provan. 

Think Tank: Sea, air and land updates (15-MAR-2016)

Image: Wiki Commons

Dione Hodgson, Ashleigh Sharp and Lachlan Wilson

Sea State

Spanish shipbuilder Navantia has been selected as the preferred tenderer for the $1.2 billion contract to construct two auxiliary oiler and replenishment vessels for RAN, Defence Minister Marise Payne confirmed last week. The ships, inspired by the Spanish Navy’s 19,800-tonne SPS Cantabria-class vessel (which RAN leased in 2013), are expected to enter into service by the early 2020s to replace HMAS Sirius and Success.

A North Korean People’s Navy submarine is missing and presumed sunk, US officials announced last Friday. The unknown class submarine was operating off the North Korean coast when it’s believed to have suffered a failure during an exercise. The incident comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with Pyongyang warning of a ‘pre-emptive retaliatory strike at enemy groups’ in retaliation to the joint US–South Korean military exercises we mentioned last week. The Center for International Maritime Security takes a look into North Korea’s naval capabilities here.

Combat dolphins are back. Russia’s Defence Ministry opened bidding last Wednesday on a 1.75 million ruble contract to deliver five dolphins to the military in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol by 1 August. According to the public contract document, the ministry is looking for two female and three male dolphins, aged between three and five years, with perfect teeth and no physical impairments. While the listing didn’t detail what the dolphins were to be used for, the mammals have previously been used by both the US and Soviet Union to detect submarines and underwater mines and to spot suspicious objects during the height of the Cold War.

AUS: Turnbull government says offshoring supply ships is good news

SENATOR THE HON PENNY WONG

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE

SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INVESTMENT

LABOR SENATOR FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA

SENATOR THE HON STEPHEN CONROY

DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE

SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE

SENATOR FOR VICTORIA

DAVID FEENEY MP

SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR DEFENCE

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BATMAN

NICK CHAMPION MP

SHADOW PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR MANUFACTURING

MEMBER FOR WAKEFIELD

TURNBULL GOVERNMENT SAYS OFFSHORING SUPPLY SHIPS IS “GOOD NEWS”

The Minister for Defence Material Dan Tehan has made the remarkable claim that the Turnbull Government’s disgraceful decision to send the contract for Navy’s new Supply Ships to Spain is good news for Australian shipyards.

“This is good news for our local domestic shipbuilding industry.”

DAN TEHAN – SKY NEWS – 11 MARCH 2016

The contract for the Supply Ships tender is valued at up to $2 billion dollars and will reportedly result in up to 3000 jobs for Spain’s shipyards.

News Story: Australia Picks Navantia to Build Two Replenishment ships

Spanish Armada Ship Cantabria in Port Phillip Bay (Australia)
sailing past NUSHIP Canberra (under-construction)  in 2013

Esteban Villarejo

MADRID - The Royal Australian Navy selected Spanish shipbuilder Navantia as preferred tenderer to construct two auxiliary oiler and replenishment (AOR) vessels, Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne confirmed.

Navantia beat the offer and conditions of Daewoo, the major South Korean shipbuilder.

The two new replenishment vessels are expected to be introduced into service by the early 2020s. They will replace the replenishment oiler HMAS Success and the HMAS Sirius, which carries fuel only.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

AUS: Malcolm Turnbull sends defence contract (Supply Ships) offshore

SENATOR THE HON STEPHEN CONROY

DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE

SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE

SENATOR FOR VICTORIA

SENATOR KIM CARR

SHADOW MINISTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND INDUSTRY

SENATOR FOR VICTORIA

DAVID FEENEY MP

SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR DEFENCE

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR BATMAN

MALCOLM TURNBULL SENDS DEFENCE CONTRACT OFFSHORE

Malcolm Turnbull’s hypocrisy has reached new heights today following confirmation his Government has selected Spain’s Navantia as the preferred tenderer for Navy’s two new Supply Ships.

While Australian shipyards are on life support, Mr Turnbull has decided to send work offshore.

Reports suggest this will create up to 3,000 new jobs in Spain.

Just this week, Mr Turnbull proudly proclaimed his commitment to spending every defence dollar possible in Australia:

News Story: Airbus delivers third and final C295 to Philippine Air Force

C-295 of the Polish Air Force (Image: Wiki Commons)

by Ryan Maass

Airbus Defence and Space has made its third and final delivery of a C295 airlifter to the Philippines Air Force.

The airlifter, capable of carrying a payload of up to nine tons, was delivered to the Philippines following its final assembly in Seville, Spain. The Philippines Air Force will use the aircraft to bolster its transport fleet, and support both military and humanitarian missions.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

News Report: Australian Commander - IS Changing Tactics

An Australian Soldier training an Iraqi Army Unit

Sharon Behn

As part of VOA's ongoing reporting on Iraq, correspondent Sharon Behn interviewed Air Vice Marshal Tim Innes, national theater commander for all Australian forces deployed to the Middle East region, including Afghanistan. Innes assumed command of Australia's Joint Task Group 633 on January 25, 2016. The following article is based in part on that interview.

Islamic State extremists fighting in Iraq and Syria have proven themselves experts in modern warfare. They create diversionary fronts, use suicide bombers with devastating effect, and constantly change their offensive and defensive tactics.

Countering and defeating those tactics is one of the main objectives of thousands of U.S. and coalition soldiers currently training Iraqi forces — not only in bases, but walking alongside them as they enter the battleground.

"[IS militants] are definitely changing tactics," Air Vice Marshal Tim Innes, the national theater commander for all Australian forces deployed to the Middle East region, told VOA, using an acronym for Islamic State. "We try to stay inside their adaptation loop."

Despite those efforts, Iraqi and coalition forces have been caught off guard.