News Story: India shuffles power to issue defense licenses among departments

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — After one year of deadlock in India over the issuance of industrial licenses to private sector defense companies, the government has reverted back to a previous arrangement in which the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, or DIPP, will grant licenses, in place of the Ministry of Home Affairs, according to a senior Ministry of Defence official.

However, analysts say the departmental change will do little in improving the private sector production process of defense weapons and could even further add to the confusion.

The change was prompted by delays and confusion over the issuing of licenses, as the Ministry of Home Affairs was the sole entity in charge of granting licenses for the private sector production of weapons. 

"While the immediate logjam about the authority competent to issue the licenses has been resolved, other issues have cropped up, largely because of the conditions subject to which DIPP will exercise this authority," said Amit Cowshish, a former financial adviser for the MoD. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Missile Defense Test ‘Realistic,’ Syring Insists

By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.

PENTAGON: Yesterday’s $244 million missile defense test didn’t just hit an IBCM-like target for the first time in the history of the system: It hit a cutting-edge IBCM modeled on future North Korean weapons, complete with decoys to confuse defenders.

“It actually replicated — without getting into classified details — an operational scenario that we’re concerned about,”Vice Adm. James Syring, currently at NORTHCOM HQ in Colorado Springs, told reporters gathered here around a speaker phone. While the Missile Defense Agency director didn’t explicitly say the threat yesterday emulated a North Korean missile, he did say tests replicate threats “from North Korea or Iran. In this case it was a Pacific scenario.” (Protip: Iran is not in the Pacific).

In fact, MDA tests against the intelligence community’s best estimate of where the North Korean and Iranian missile programs will be “three years” from now. “What we see in 2020…was very well replicated in the tests that we conducted yesterday,” Syring said.

Read the full story at Breaking Defense

News Story: DPRK blasts U.S. for extending joint drills with S. Korea

PYONGYANG, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Wednesday blasted the United States and South Korea for planning to extend their joint naval exercises in the East Sea of Korea to the end of June.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the United States plans to deploy the task force of the Ronald Reagan nuclear carrier from the Yokosuka base to join the strike group of nuclear aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, which is already in the drill, to stage the largest-ever joint exercises of its kind from next month.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Indonesia proposes regional talks to counter IS threat

JAKARTA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said Wednesday that he would hold a meeting with his counterparts from the Philippines and Malaysia to discuss a strategy to face the danger of IS group in the region.

Minister Ryacudu disclosed that one of the goals of the planned dialogue is to prevent the spread of the members of militant groups affiliated with the global terrorist IS group from the southern Philippines to other parts of the region.

"I have a strategy to address it. This planned meeting is very useful," Ryacudu said at the Defense Ministry.

However, he did not elaborate further on the precise time of the meeting.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Defense diplomacy remains Brunei force's key strategy to resolve maritime rows - deputy minister

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Defense diplomacy remains at the core of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces' (RBAF) strategy in resolving maritime conflicts that have seen a few flashpoints recently, Brunei's Deputy Minister of Defense Abdul Aziz said when marking the occasion of the RBAF's 56th anniversary on Wednesday.

"Such maritime tensions will continue to be a political issue which for Brunei Darussalam is best dealt with consultations," he told local media.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Philippine military to send more troops to Marawi

Philippine Air Force SF-260 TP light attack aircraft
(Image: Wiki Commons)

MANILA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- More elite troops will be flown to the besieged Marawi City in the southern Philippines to flush out 30 to 40 militants of Maute group who are holed up in some parts of the city, Philippine authorities said on Wednesday.

Using attack helicopters and light aircraft, the military on Wednesday are continuing to battle with the remaining militants.

"The sounds of the rocket airstrike are like thunder. After the airstrike, we saw a large flume of smoke hanging over the target area," said Xinhua photographer in Marawi City.

Some residents are forced out of their houses by the soldiers who kicked in their doors, the photographer said.

"Some residents carry white flags as they walk on the streets with their belongings on their back,"the photographer said.

The target of the ongoing military clearing operations is to flush out the remaining 30 to 40 militants of Maute group who are believed to be in the city.

Security measures have been intensified to prevent the militants from escaping, army spokesman Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Thailand, China vow to push forward all-round development of military ties

BANGKOK, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Thailand and China pledged here Tuesday to joint hands to push forward the all-round development of the military relations between the two countries.

While meeting with Fang Fenghui, a member of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) and chief of the Joint Staff Department under the CMC, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that the kingdom is ready to learn China's experiences on reform, dovetail its national development strategy with the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and deepen cooperation with China in all sectors.

The Thai prime minister said the kingdom is also willing to enhance high-level exchanges and boost cooperation in joint training on counter-terrorism with China.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: China to terminate all military paid services

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Central Military Commission (CMC) will terminate all paid services provided by the military by the end of June 2018, according to a military professor.

"In the first stage, services in 10 fields should stop by the end of this June," said Jiang Luming, professor at the National University of Defense Technology, in an interview with Xinhua.

The 10 fields are nursery education, press and publications, culture and sports, communications, personnel training, barrack projects, storage and transportation, militia armament repair, repair technology and driver instruction, he said.

Projects in another five fields -- real estate rentals, agricultural products, accommodation services, medical care and scientific research -- should be ceased by the end of June 2018, he added.

In February 2016, the CMC issued a circular urging the end of all paid services by the armed forces and the armed police.

Jiang said that the military had received support from local governments and courts.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: China expresses concern about "unauthorized" entry of THAAD launchers into ROK

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday said it was seriously concerned about four additional mobile launchers of an advanced U.S. missile defense system that had been brought into the Republic of Korea(ROK).

Four mobile launchers were brought into the ROK in addition to two units that had been deployed as part of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system recently. Reports suggested that ROK President Moon Jae-in had not been informed about the move.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: DPRK urges S. Korea to improve inter-Korean relations

PYONGYANG, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday urged the South Korean new government to improve inter-Korean relations.

Rodong Sinmun, the official daily of the ruling Korean Workers' Party, said in a commentary that the adoption of the June 15 Joint Declaration thawed the north-south confrontation which had existed for more than half a century.

The June 15 Joint Declaration was issued after then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and late DPRK top leader Kim Jong Il met in Pyongyang in 2000.

The keynote of the declaration is that the Korean nation is responsible for Korea's reunification and the issue of national reunification should be settled independently solely by the Korean nation itself.

Read the full story at Xinhua