News Story: U.S. imposes new Iran sanctions

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Treasury Department announced Thursday it has imposed sanctions on 11 entities and individuals for supporting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for cyber-attacks against the United States.

The sanctions targeted one entity engaging in supporting IRGC ballistic missile program, two Ukraine-based entities supporting designated airlines, and two Iran-based networks responsible for cyber-enabled attacks against the U.S. financial system, said the Treasury in a statement.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: India approves deals for Apache helicopters, maritime engines

AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI ― The Indian government this week cleared long-pending deals for six Boeing Apache attack helicopters and two Zorya marine engines from Ukraine.

The two projects were cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council, which is headed by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley. Formal contracts will be awarded in the next four to six months, a Ministry of Defence official said.

Under the deal, the Indian Army will acquire six Apache attack helicopters for about $650 million. They will be equipped with Hellfire and Stinger missiles.

The Army, which currently has no attack helicopters as part of its inventory, requires 39 Apache helicopters, but the Defence Acquisition Council only cleared six, the MoD official noted.

In 2012, Boeing was awarded a $1.3 billion order for 22 Apache AH-64D helicopters for the Indian Air Force. The deliveries will begin mid-2017 and will include 812 AGM-114L-3 Hellfire Longbow missiles, 542 AGM-114R-3 Hellfire II missiles, 245 Stinger Block I-92H missiles and 12 AN/APG-78 fire-control radars.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Ukraine in talks to sell Pakistan 100 tanks

T-84 Oplot (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Jaroslaw Adamowski

WARSAW, Poland — Ukraine is negotiating the sale of 100 T-84 Oplot main battle tanks to Pakistan, and plans to use the funds to modernize the production capacities of its state-owned defense industry and invest in research and development, according to daily Gazeta Wyborcza.

The potential deal, which is to be handed to Ukraine defense group Ukroboronprom, would mark another export contract for the supply of the tanks following a deal signed in 2011 with Thailand. Bangkok is to obtain a total of 49 Oplots.

In the 1990s, the Ukrainian defense industry supplied 320 T-84UD tanks to Pakistan’s military under a deal worth some $600 million.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

Think Tank: The Pacific - Russia’s newest playground. Don’t be surprised, Australia!

Jacqueline Westermann

At the 2017 Munich Security Conference, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov announced the end of the post–Cold War world and Russia’s aim to build a ‘post-West’ world order. That caused a huge outcry, mostly among Western governments. The fact that Russia had indirectly mentioned the idea before went almost unnoticed.

In his speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue on 5 June 2016, Anatoly Antonov, former Russian deputy minister of defence and most likely the next ambassador to the US, highlighted Russia’s interest in the Asia–Pacific. He said Russia was looking for partners in the region to create ‘an equal and indivisible security environment’ serving everyone, and that it wanted to ‘enhanc[e] [its] military ties with the Asia–Pacific countries in order to strengthen peace and stability’.

The link? Simple: following the cooling of Russia’s relations with the US and Europe, and the fading of mutual expectations of prosperous cooperation after the end of the Cold War, Russia has to look—and is looking—for alternatives. That became evident in 2015 when the presidents of China and India, not European or American leaders, sat next to President Vladimir Putin during the victory parade in Moscow commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Western leaders had boycotted the event because of the annexation of Crimea and Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Putin’s choice of guests presented a hint at Russia’s future priorities.

News Report: No More Money for Nothing - Trump’s Budget Proposal May Frustrate Ukraine, Others

US President Donald Trump

A budget proposal to be submitted this week by the administration of US President Donald Trump will include conditions that replace American military grants to foreign countries with loans, potentially ending several billion dollars in weapons and logistics giveaways by Washington.

The US State Department, in an internal memo obtained by the Wall Street Journal, identified Vietnam, Tunisia, Colombia, Lebanon, the Philippines, Pakistan and Ukraine as countries that would be offered loans to purchase US military equipment, instead of receiving cash as a grant.

These military grants allow countries allied with the US to acquire American-built ammunition, ground transportation, aircraft and naval vessels.

Currently Israel receives about $3 billion in US military grants annually, while Egypt gets $1.3 billion. Jordan is the recipient of some $350 million in military giveaways and Pakistan gets about $265 million.

News Story: U.S. president expresses desire to improve relations with Russia

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday emphasized his desire to build a better relationship between the United States and Russia, the White House said.

Meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Washington DC, Trump raised the possibility of broader cooperation on resolving conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, the White House said in a statement.

The meeting came amid tensions between the U.S. and Russia as the two countries hold differences on a slew of issues, including the Syrian conflict, the Ukrainian crisis and the expansion of NATO.

Trump, who has expressed hopes of repairing relations with Moscow, said last month that the U.S. was "not getting along with Russia at all" and the relations between the two countries "may be at an all-time low."

At Wednesday's meeting, Trump emphasized the need to work together to end the conflict in Syria, underscoring the need for Russia to "rein in the Assad regime, Iran, and Iranian proxies."

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Thailand cuts down tanks bought from China

VT4 (also known as the MBT3000) main battle tank

Bangkok (VNA) – The Royal Thai Army (RTA) will cut the number of VT-4 battle tanks it wants to buy from China from 98 to 60 due to insufficient funds.

Army chief Gen. Chalermchai Sittisat said on April 14 that of the 60 VT-4 tanks, 28 worth 4 billion baht (116.1 million USD) were purchased by the army last year and are expected to be delivered late this year.

The army recently proposed the purchase of 20 additional tanks to the cabinet but only 10, worth 2 billion baht, were approved. A request to purchase 10 more tanks will be forwarded to the cabinet for approval soon. 

Read the full story at VietnamPlus

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (11-Apr-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

The USN needs an extra $2.1 billion this year to address immediate readiness shortfalls, says Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson. Testifying last week before the House Armed Services Committee on the impact a new Continuing Resolution would have on naval readiness, Richardson argued deterrence would be diminished without the extra funds. But, according to The Diplomat, the Navy’s deterrent effect is already blunted, with its fleet ‘still more-or-less deploying at peacetime levels’.

Norway will start construction of the world’s first ship tunnel in 2019. The Stad Ship Tunnel will allow vessels to avoid a particularly nasty patch of sea on Norway’s south-west coast (apparently even the Vikings were intimidated!) The tunnel will accommodate cruise and freight ships up to 16,000 tonnes and allow leisure boats access. The passageway will be 1.7km long, 37m high and 26.5m wide, and is estimated to cost 2.7 billion kroner (AU$416 million). Wired explains a bit more about the engineering process and how exactly you go about removing nearly eight billion kilograms of rock from a mountain.

Fancy a low-risk life and death experience? Check out ‘Titanic the Exhibition’, which opened in Sydney this weekend. Attendees receive a ticket which correlates with a real-life former passenger, and upon leaving find out if they were among the 1,500 casualties.

News Report: After Ukraine Deal Falls Through, Thai Army Signs Off on Tanks Made In China

Norinco VT-4 (also known as MBT-3000)

In light of Ukraine’s continued delays in providing Thailand with T-84 Oplot tanks, the Thai government has signed off on a measure to acquire 10 additional Norinco VT-4 tanks, Defense News reports.

The deal is worth approximately $58 million, a government spokesman said on Tuesday.

Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan ripped up a $241-million contract with the Malyshev Factory, a Ukrainian supplier, on January 11 of this year. The military chief cited internal conflict for Ukraine’s failure to send the Oplots to Southeast Asia, Sputnik reported.

News Story: Thailand to buy more Chinese tanks, reportedly for $58M

VT4 Main Battle Tank (also known as the MBT3000)

By: Mike Yeo

MELBOURNE, Australia — Thailand has taken another step in a burgeoning arms trade with China, with the Thai government approving the purchase of more Chinese-built tanks. 

According to Thai government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd, the cabinet has approved the acquisition of 10 more VT4 main battle tanks designed and built by China’s Norinco. 

This batch of tanks, reportedly costing $58 million, will be the second batch of VT4s ordered by Thailand after an earlier batch of 28 tanks was ordered in 2016. The VT4s will replace the elderly M41 Walker Bulldogs currently operated by the Royal Thai Army. 

The Southeast Asian kingdom has an outstanding requirement of 200 tanks and had originally turned to Ukraine for its T-84 Oplot tanks, with 49 acquired in 2011. However, delays meant that only a small handful had been delivered by 2014, and the continuing conflict in eastern Ukraine means it will be unable to fulfill the Thai order, leading to Thailand tapping China for its VT4s. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Breaking down China’s electronic warfare tactics

Y-9JB/GX-8 ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) aircraft

By: Mark Pomerleau

In the wake of Russia's demonstrations of advanced electromagnetic spectrum and communications jamming capabilities, most recently displayed in their incursion into Ukraine, China also is upping its game in this space, demonstrating similar capabilities in the Pacific. 

The U.S. Department of Defense, in an annual report to Congress on China’s military and security developments, assessed that the country is placing greater importance upon EW, on par with traditional domains of warfare such as air, ground and maritime.

“The [People’s Liberation Army] sees EW as an important force multiplier, and would likely employ it in support of all combat arms and services during a conflict,” the 2016 report asserts. “The PLA’s EW units have conducted jamming and anti-jamming operations, testing the military’s understanding of EW weapons, equipment, and performance. This helped improve the military’s confidence in conducting force-on-force, real-equipment confrontation operations in simulated EW environments.” 

According to the report, China’s EW weapons include “jamming equipment against multiple communication and radar systems and GPS satellite systems. EW systems are also being deployed with other sea- and air-based platforms intended for both offensive and defensive operations.” 

According to some outside experts, the Chinese merge cyber and electronic warfare into a singular discipline.

“Electronic warfare, which in our system, has tended to be hived off into thinking about jamming and various other aspects,” Dean Cheng, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, said during a March 20 event at the think tank. “But for the Chinese has long been characterized as integrated network and electronic warfare. That the two are two sides of the same coin; one focusing on the data, the other on the electronic equipment.” 

Read the full story at C4ISRnet

Sea, air, land and space updates (21-Mar-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

In its biggest show of naval force in the Asia–Pacific since WWII, Japan has unveiled plans to send its largest warship—the Izumo helicopter carrier—on a three-month tour of the South China Sea, kicking off in May. Stopping off in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, its destination is the Indian Ocean, where it will join India and the US in the Malabar naval exercise. Japan’s drills last week with South Korea and the US in the Sea of Japan further demonstrated that its ‘naval forces [are] playing a bigger part in the region.’Unimpressed, China has promised to ‘take firm responsive measures’ should Japan ‘persist in taking the wrong actions’.

After last Monday’s hijacking of the tanker Aris 13 by Somali pirates off Somalia’s coast (the first since 2012), a new spate of attacks is feared, with one pirate warning: ‘In the coming days we are going to seize even more foreign ships.’ Somali officials have now called upon NATO—which ended its counter-piracy mission in November—to do more to stop illegal fishing in the area, which some believe provoked the attack.

Everyone’s favourite submersible, Boaty McBoatface, left Chile on Friday on board the RRS James Clark Ross. It’s headed to the Antarctic to explore ‘some of the deepest and coldest abyssal waters on Earth’… Better you than me, Boaty!

News Story: Sharp turnaround of Russia-U.S. relations unlikely

MOSCOW, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Relations between Russia and the United States have attracted great attention since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election last year, as the top leaders of both countries have implied the willingness to build rapprochement.

However, two months after Trump's inauguration, bilateral ties have not improved as many expected. In view of deep-rooted conflicts and competing interests, the confrontational pattern between the two countries is unlikely to be reconciled anytime soon, experts say.

MULTIPLE FACTORS HINDERING NORMALIZATION

It is said that Trump has personally been friendly to Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which may seem to bring a ray of optimism for Russia-U.S. relations. However, with anti-Russian sentiments unprecedentedly dominant in Washington, it is not entirely up to Trump and his aides to shape the actual U.S. foreign policy towards Russia or to break the impasse of bilateral relations between the two countries.

The Russia-U.S. relationship has deteriorated in recent years amid the crisis in Ukraine. The United States, along with its Western allies including the European Union, has introduced several rounds of sanctions over Russia's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, which led to Russia's countermeasures against the West in turn.

For the time being, the sanctions tactic shows no sign of ending. Former U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn was forced to resign last month due to accusations of his secret meeting with Russian ambassador to the United States and pledging sanctions relief against Moscow after Trump took office. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is stuck with similar allegations. So far, the Trump administration is suffering the greatest setback since his inauguration.

"I think that pressure on Trump will continue on the Russian issue. Russia is a convenient opponent for the U.S. political establishment, and there is some inertness of the conflict in the development of relations inherited from the previous president," said Andrey Kortunov, Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC).

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Unexpected Turn - US Anti-Russia Sanctions Caused Air Power Crisis in Afghanistan

Afghan Mi-17 (Image: Wiki Commons)

US refusal to allow Afghanistan to buy spare parts from Russia for its Mi-17 "Hip" combat helicopters in 2014 caused a major air power and security crisis, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s Chief Adviser, Mohammad Qayoumi, said in remarks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Obama administration bought Mi-17s for the Afghan air force where they played a vital role in providing ground support in combat operations and in carrying supplies. However, in 2014 the US government imposed economic sanctions on Russia.

"The Ukraine crisis impacted Afghanistan in a major way," Qayoumi stated on Friday. "After the Ukraine crisis we could not use US funds to acquire any spare parts and that caused a major crisis in air power for Afghanistan."

Later, the Kabul government asked Moscow to provide spare parts and maintenance support while the sanctions were still in place but no agreement was reached, Army General John Nicholson, the top US commander in Afghanistan said at the Pentagon in December.

In November 2016, the Obama administration and the Department of Defense requested $264 million from Congress in a supplemental request to replace the Mi-17s with 60 US-built UH-60 Black Hawk combat helicopters.

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

News Story: Trump's nuclear wake-up call could rekindle arms race with Russia

U.S. President Donald Trump

BEIJING, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's recent nuclear wake-up call has aroused alert and vigilance on the Russian side and could risk setting off a new Cold War-style nuclear arms race between Washington and Moscow, observers say.

Trump, in an interview with the Reuters news agency in the Oval Office on Thursday, expressed his dissatisfaction with the New START Treaty and declared the aim of ensuring the U.S. nuclear arsenal "at the top of the pack".

Analysts believe that if the United States gives up the nuclear balance of power adopted by past U.S. administrations and resorts to unilateral advantages, U.S. nuclear arsenal expansion would make U.S.-Russian relations more complicated and take the bilateral relationship toward a dead end.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Afghan Talks Reflect Russian Moves to Expand Global Influence

Paul Alexander

WASHINGTON — With the Trump administration still stitching together its foreign policy, priorities and staff, Russia seems intent on expanding its once-shrunken sphere of influence by exploiting gaps in America's overseas presence.

It's been a globe-spanning effort, with Russian leader Vladimir Putin using muscle in places like Ukraine and Syria and offering sweeteners to potential allies that he hopes will pay off later. The focus is on countries that have shaky ties with Washington, are strategically located or have abundant natural resources.

A key issue is how Putin's relationship with new President Donald Trump will pan out. Can two cocky personalities truly be allies against common foes like Islamic State, which could usher in a new era of cooperation? Are the distrust and animosity that festered during the Cold War too much to overcome? And will there be long-term fallout over Russia's efforts to bolster Trump's election campaign?

Russia's influence, which rivaled that of the United States during the Cold War, faded dramatically after the fall of communism and the breakup of the vast Soviet Union. But under Putin, it has sought to re-establish itself in an effort that has stretched from the North Sea to Antarctica.

In its latest initiative, Russia seeks to transform itself from an erstwhile warmonger in Afghanistan, during its failed decade-long invasion, into a peacemaker.

On Wednesday, Moscow hosted a second-round of peace talks on the resource-rich country. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, India and China were invited. The United States was conspicuously left out, despite its ongoing military intervention to repel Islamic terrorists and put Afghanistan solidly on the road to stability.

News Story: Trump backs Japan's Russia policy to move isles issue forward - Abe

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday he has earned U.S. President Donald Trump's backing in seeking closer ties with Russia in a bid to resolve a long-standing territorial row over islands off Hokkaido that are claimed by Japan.

"President Trump understands Japan's (policy) to promote dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin to resolve the territorial issue," Abe told a TV program after returning from the United States, where he held his first summit with Trump on Friday and Saturday in Washington and Florida.

Trump has adopted a softer stance toward Russia than his predecessor Barack Obama, who was at odds with Putin over the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria.

The Obama administration had been cautious about Abe courting Putin with economic cooperation and even requested that he refrain from visiting Russia at one point, government sources said earlier.

Abe also said that he agreed with Trump on the need to engage in dialogue with Putin to resolve outstanding global issues, including Syria and Ukraine.

Read the full story at The Mainichi

News Report: Russia-China Relations Based on Mutual Interests, Not Ideology - Ambassador

Russian Ambassador in China Andrey Denisov talks about the relations between Russia and China.

BEIJING (Sputnik) — The relations between Russia and China are based on mutual interests, not on an ideology, and are on the highest level in history, Russian Ambassador in China Andrey Denisov said.

"Our current alliance is not based on an ideology. It means that it is completely based on the mutual interests," Denisov told Russian reporters ahead of Diplomatic Worker's Day celebrated in Russia on Friday.

Denisov noted that the two countries shared a common vision on a number of international issues, adding that "the level of relations that is achieved between China and Russia is characterized as the highest in the history."

The ambassador added that nowadays there is nothing that can dramatically influence the bilateral relations.

Russia increased cooperation with China after the West imposed sanctions against Russia for its alleged meddling in the Ukrainian conflict and "annexation" of Crimea. The Russian-Chinese relations are developing in various spheres, including aviation, space, atomic energy, transport, insurance, education.

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

News Story: Tillerson shows readiness to oppose Trump on multiple fronts

Rex Tillerson (Image: Wiki Commons)

By Michael Mathes

Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state signaled Wednesday he is prepared to diverge from the US president-elect on numerous key issues, notably nuclear non-proliferation, climate change and Russia, which he branded a "danger."

Despite accusations of being too cozy with the Kremlin, former ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson told skeptical senators at his confirmation hearing -- which stretches into Thursday -- that he would take a firm line with Moscow as he contradicted Trump's oft-proclaimed determination to improve ties with America's former Cold War foe.

With Trump set to take office on January 20, the billionaire real estate mogul aims to enter the White House with several of his top lieutenants confirmed and in position, despite Democratic calls to slow the process and allow broader study and questioning of nominees.

In his marathon testimony, Tillerson told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that it remained vital for Washington to be "pursuing nonproliferation," and he expressed a desire for the US to "maintain its seat at the table" with regard to climate talks.

On trade, his position countered that of Trump, who has vowed to rip up the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive free-trade agreement negotiated by 12 countries, on his first day in office.

"I do not oppose TPP," Tillerson said.

The strongest break though regarded Russia. His testimony came against a backdrop of controversy over US intelligence conclusions that Russia conducted election-related cyberattacks against US democratic institutions.

Tillerson said he believed it was "a fair assumption" that Russian President Vladimir Putin would have ordered his nation's meddling in the US election.

"Russia today poses a danger, but it is not unpredictable in advancing its own interests," he said.

While Tillerson signaled his intention to be "clear-eyed" about Moscow, he refused to commit to economic sanctions against Russia.

In a startling exchange with Senate Democrat Robert Menendez, an architect of previous sanctions, Tillerson revealed he has not yet discussed with Trump the incoming administration's position on Russia.

"That's pretty amazing," Menendez said.

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

USA: Deployments Bolster U.S. Presence in Western Pacific, Europe

By Karen Parrish

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2017 — Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook announced operational deployments that will boost U.S. presence in the western Pacific and in Europe.

“Ships and units from the Carl Vinson strike group will depart San Diego for a regularly scheduled deployment to the western Pacific,” Cook told Pentagon reporters today.

Approximately 7,500 sailors will deploy and focus on maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and bilateral exercises, he said.

Armored Brigade Combat Team Headed to Europe

Separately, Cook said, the United States is demonstrating its continued commitment to collective security through a series of actions designed to reassure NATO allies and partners of America’s dedication to enduring peace and stability in the region in light of Russia’s intervention in Ukraine.

“Tanks, trucks and other equipment are scheduled to arrive in Europe this weekend, beginning a nine-month rotation of U.S. Army forces supporting Operation Atlantic Resolve,” the press secretary said.

The arrival of troops and equipment from 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, Colorado, marks the beginning of the presence of an ABCT and back-to-back rotations of U.S. troops and equipment in Europe, he added.

After the equipment arrives at Bremerhaven, Germany, it will move by rail, commercial line haul and military convoy to Poland, Cook said. Troops and equipment will later be relocated throughout the region for training and exercises with European allies.

“This effort is part of our European Reassurance Initiative to maintain persistent, rotational presence of air, land, and sea forces in Central and Eastern Europe,” he said.

US DoD