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☆ A Chinese fighter jet popped flares in the path of an Australian military helicopter in an 'unsafe' Yellow Sea intercept, Canberra says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe Australian government said Monday that a Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force fighter jet released flares dangerously close to an Australian Defence Force helicopter over the weekend. The PLAAF jet intercepted the Royal Australian Navy MH-60R helicopter attached to HMAS Hobart in the Yellow Sea and "released flares across the flight path of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) helicopter," the Australian government said in a statement. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said a Chinese J-10 fighter aircraft popped flares about 300 meters in front of the helicopter and about 60 meters above it, per reporting from the AP. Related stories"This was an unsafe manoeuvre which posed a risk to the aircraft and personnel," the statement said. This isn't the first incident involving a Chinese jet engaging in troubling behavior in the vicinity of an Australian aircraft.

Persons: —, Operation, Richard Marles Organizations: Service, Liberation Army Air Force, Australian Defence Force, Royal Australian Navy, ADF, Business, Australian Defense, China, of Defense, Military, Security, U.S Locations: Hobart, North Korea, Chinese, Canberra, Beijing, Australian, China, People's Republic of China

☆ Chinese warplane fired flares, put Australian Navy helicopter in danger, Canberra says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Chinese jet “dropped flares about 300 meters (984 feet) in front of the Seahawk helicopter and about 60 meters (197 feet) above it,” Marles said in an interview with 9 News on Monday. The MH-60 Seahawk is a twin-engine helicopter and carries a crew of three, according to the Australian Navy. “They’re in international waters, international airspace, and they’re doing work to ensure that the sanctions that the world has imposed through the United Nations on North Korea, due to their intransient and reckless behavior, are enforced,” the prime minister told CNN affiliate Nine News. According to Australian public broadcaster ABC, Australian Navy Vice Adm. Mark Hammond raised the Toowoomba incident in a meeting with Chinese navy Adm. Hu Zhongming at an international naval symposium in Qingdao. Earlier in 2022, Australia said a Chinese warship used a laser to “illuminate” an Australian P-8A aircraft in waters north of Australia.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Richard Marles, ” Marles, Albanese, “, ” Albanese, “ We’ve, ”, Maj, Rob Millen, Peter Dutton, Xi Jinping, ” Dutton, Mark Hammond, Hu Zhongming, Hammond Organizations: South Korea CNN —, Seahawk, Nations, Defense Ministry, Australian Defense, Australian Navy, United Nations, North, Australian Defense Ministry, CNN, Nine, Royal Canadian Navy, Australian Defence Force, Nine News, Australian, ABC, ” ABC, Pilots Locations: Seoul, South Korea, South Korea CNN — Australia, North Korea, Canberra, Beijing, China, Canadian, South, Ottawa, Australia, Philippines, Japan, United States, Chinese, Toowoomba, Qingdao, “, South China Sea, ”, Australian

☆ A US Navy transport ship deployed to help operate the floating port in Gaza returned home after an engine fire
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Konstantin Toropin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A US Navy ship deployed to help build a floating pier in Gaza returned home after an engine fire. USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo deployed to transport equipment to operate the temporary port. AdvertisementAn M1A1 Abrams tank is off-loaded from the USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo off the shore of Pohang, Republic of Korea. AdvertisementUSNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo and USNS Pililaau anchor off the coast of Pohang, Republic of Korea. Australian dock workers secure USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo while members of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Australian Defence Force begin offloading.

Persons: John P, Bobo, —, Pat Ryder, Cpl, Mark W, Stroud, MV Roy P, Baldomero Lopez, Sal Mercogliano, Military.com, Frank S, Besson, Joshua Fulton, Mercogliano, horrendously, I've, You've, Scott Reel, Ryder Organizations: US Navy, USNS, Service, Navy, Pentagon, Army, MV, sealift, Naval Beach, USNI News, U.S . Navy, Marine Corps, Australian Defence Force, Defense Department Locations: Gaza, Jacksonville , Florida, Pohang , Republic of Korea, Tenerife, Africa, Azores, Souda, Greece

☆ US Navy says it will trial using AI to track Chinese submarines in the Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US, Australia, and the UK will use AI to counter China's growing military assertiveness in the Pacific. AdvertisementThe US, UK, and Australia have unveiled new plans to trial the use of AI to track Chinese submarines in the Pacific. Data processed by AI will enable the three countries to track Chinese submarines with more speed and accuracy. The P-8A poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft will be equipped with AI-powered tools to help tackle rising Chinese aggression. "Australia expects all countries, including China, to operate their militaries in a professional and safe manner," he added.

Persons: —, MLADEN ANTONOV, Richard Marles, Marles Organizations: US, Service, Australian Defence Force, Power Locations: Australia, Pacific, China, Mountain View , California

☆ Philippines, Australia start sea, air patrols in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Earvin Perias/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The Philippines and Australia began their first joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea on Saturday, days after Manila took similar steps with the U.S. as Pacific nations warily eye an increasingly assertive China. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Philippines is ramping up efforts to counter what it describes as China's "aggressive activities" in the South China Sea, which has also become a flashpoint for Chinese and U.S. tensions around naval operations. The patrols will be carried out in the West Philippine Sea, said Philippine Department of National Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong, using Manila's term for waters in the South China Sea that fall within its exclusive economic zone. China has accused the Philippines of enlisting "foreign forces" to patrol the South China Sea and stirring up trouble.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Anthony Albanese, Earvin, China's, Richard Marles, Marcos, Marles, Arsenio Andolong, Karen Lema, William Mallard Organizations: Australia's, Rights, Australia, ., Philippine, Australian Defence Force, Armed Forces, Philippine Department of National Defense, South China, Toowoomba, Cooperative, Thomson Locations: Manila, Philippines, Rights MANILA, South, China, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, South China, U.S, West Philippine, Philippine, United, Taiwan, West Philippine Sea

☆ Philippines, Australia Start Sea, Air Patrols in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines and Australia began their first joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea on Saturday, days after Manila took similar steps with the U.S. as Pacific nations warily eye an increasingly assertive China. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Philippines is ramping up efforts to counter what it describes as China's "aggressive activities" in the South China Sea, which has also become a flashpoint for Chinese and U.S. tensions around naval operations. The Philippines and the United States concluded three-day joint sea and air patrols on Thursday, starting in waters near Taiwan, a democratically governed island that China claims as its own, and ending in the West Philippine Sea. China has accused the Philippines of enlisting "foreign forces" to patrol the South China Sea and stirring up trouble.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, China's, Richard Marles, Marcos, Marles, Arsenio Andolong, Karen Lema, William Mallard Organizations: Australia, ., Philippine, Australian Defence Force, Armed Forces, Philippine Department of National Defense, South China, Toowoomba, Cooperative Locations: MANILA, Philippines, South, Manila, China, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, South China, U.S, West Philippine, Philippine, United, Taiwan, West Philippine Sea

☆ Safety of Defence Personnel 'Utmost Priority', Australia Says After China Warship Incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The safety and wellbeing of Australian defence personnel is Canberra's "utmost priority" and Australia expects all countries to operate militaries in a safe and professional manner, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Tuesday. Wong's comments came a week after an incident involving a Chinese warship and an Australian navy vessel in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in which an Australian military diver was injured. HMAS Toowoomba - a long-range frigate - was conducting a diving operation on Nov. 14 to clear fishing nets from its propellers when the Chinese warship acted in a dangerous manner, Australia has said. India's relations with China have deteriorated since a 2020 border clash between their militaries in which 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were killed. Australia, she added, "will cooperate where we can, we will disagree where we must, and we will engage in our national interest".

Persons: Penny Wong, Wong's, Anthony Albanese's, Wong, Subrahmanyam, Richard Marles, YP Rajesh, Krishn Kaushik, Sharon Singleton Organizations: PLA Navy, Liberation Army Navy, PLA, Defence, Indian, YP Locations: DELHI, Australian, Japan's, New Delhi, Toowoomba, Australia, Beijing, Canberra, Ningbo, China, India

To get there, the country needs to rope in young scientists, startups, investors, and private industry partners, none of whom respond well to a closed-off approach, senior ISRO scientists said. Publicising ISRO scientists' achievements has given them more confidence and brought space startups to the door, asking for guidance as they plan private launches. A more responsive agency makes such partnerships more attractive, private space insiders say. "Private industry does not need help, they need predictability," said D S Govindrajan, president of Aniara Communications, which provides satellite services for emerging markets. Modi's government, heading for elections next year, is pushing the development of India's space industry.

Persons: Namrata Goswami, Narendra Modi, Sruthi Parupudi, Somanath, Govindrajan, Ashok Sharma, Somak Raychaudhury, Raychaudhury, Nivedita, Gerry Doyle Organizations: ISRO, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Indian Space Research, YouTube, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University, Aniara Communications, NASA, University of New, Australian Defence Force Academy, Indian, NewSpace India, Indian Space Association, Ashoka University, Thomson Locations: India, Indian, Ahmedabad, U.S, China, University of New South Wales, Canberra, Bengaluru

☆ Australia toughens ban on training 'certain foreign militaries' after pilot case
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

FILE PHOTO: Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles speaks to the media at the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore June 12, 2022. A series of cases where former military pilots living in Australia had worked for a South African flight school training Chinese pilots, which the United States alleges are Chinese military pilots, has prompted the crackdown. Penalties of up to 20 years prison will apply for providing military training or tactics to a foreign military or government body, including hybrid civilian and military organisations, or state-owned companies, without authorisation from the defence minister. The Test Flying Academy of South Africa was placed on a U.S. trade blacklist on national security grounds in June for "providing training to Chinese military pilots using Western and NATO sources". A court was told Hartley, a former British military pilot, was suspected of organising the training of Chinese military pilots delivered by the flight school.

Persons: Richard Marles, Caroline Chia, authorises, recenty, Daniel Duggan, Keith Hartley, Hartley, Kirsty Needham, Lincoln, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Australian Defence, REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, Defence, U.S . Marines Corp, Flying Academy of South, TFASA, Australian Federal Police, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Australia, African, United States, Britain, New Zealand, Canada, China, Australian, Flying Academy of South Africa, U.S, AVIC, British

☆ Tennant Creek: Huge bushfire sweeps through central Australia near popular tourist town
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A huge bushfire raging for over a week in central Australia has come dangerously close to the popular tourist town of Tennant Creek, as authorities warn that changing wind conditions could pose a risk to residents. Home to about 3,000 people, Tennant Creek is a popular place for travelers to stop and rest as they drive through the outback along the Stuart Highway between Alice Springs and Darwin. Back-burning operations aimed at slowing the fire's spread have caused increased smoke within the Tennant Creek Township. Extra crews from South Australia arrived in Tennant Creek Wednesday afternoon, Fuller told ABC. Earlier this week, the Bureau of Meteorology forecast extreme fire danger for several areas within the Northern Territory.

Persons: Nicole Manison, Tennant, Tony Fuller, ” Manison, Fuller, James Gray, Spence, Gray, ”, ” Gray, “, “ We’ve, ” Fuller Organizations: CNN, Northern, Authorities, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Northern Territory, South Australia, ABC, Northern Territory Police, Emergency Services, Australian Defence Force, Alice, Australasian Fire Authorities Council, Meteorology Locations: Australia, Tennant, Alice Springs, Darwin, Barkly, Northern, South, New Zealand, Northern Territory

☆ In U.S.-China AI contest, the race is on to deploy killer robots
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +26 min

In this high-tech contest, seizing the upper hand across fields including AI and autonomous weapons, like Ghost Shark, could determine who comes out on top. This could become critical if the United States intervened against an assault by Beijing on Taiwan. Cheap and expendableThe AI military sector is dominated by software, an industry where change comes fast. Still, the available disclosures of spending on AI military research do show that outlays on AI and machine learning grew sharply in the decade from 2010. The Costa-Mesa, California-based company now employs more than 1,800 staff in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Persons: America’s, Shane Arnott, Anduril, ” Arnott, Arnott, ”, “, Mick Ryan, Eric Schmidt, hasn’t, Lloyd Austin, –, Stuart Russell, Russell, Kathleen Hicks, “ We’ll, Palmer Luckey, Luckey, ” Arnott didn’t, Biden, Tsai Ing, Frank Kendall, Datenna, Martijn Rasser, Feng Yanghe, Feng, Palmer, ” Anduril, Arnott wouldn’t, David Lague, Edgar Su, Catherine Tai, Peter Hirschberg Organizations: Australian Navy, Ghost Sharks, Sharks, Reuters, Defense, Australian, Chinese Communist Party, Beijing, People’s Liberation Army, PLA, Department of Defense, Pentagon, Australia’s Department of Defence, Australian Defence Force, Technologists, University of California, U.S ., U.S, Teledyne FLIR, Facebook, VR, Military, . Air Force, FH, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, Department, Statistics, Harvard University, Biden Administration, Special, Command, Ministry of Defense, Veteran Locations: China, Australia, United States, Sydney, Britain, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Europe, Asia, Ukraine, ”, America, U.S, Taiwan, East Asia, Beijing, Russian, Berkeley, Fort Campbell , Tennessee, Kenya, “, Russia, Colorado, Zhuhai, Netherlands, Costa, Mesa , California, United Kingdom, Virginia, Canberra, Washington

CNN —Three US Marines who died when their Osprey aircraft crashed during a military exercise in Australia have been identified by their unit. Air Force CV-22 Ospreys take off from Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, for a training mission. April 8, 2010: US Air Force Osprey crashes in southern Afghanistan, killing three US service members and one civilian employee. August 5, 2017: An MV-22B Osprey crashes off the coast of Australia, leaving three Marines dead. June 8, 2022: Five US Marines die after an MV-22 Osprey crashes during a training mission Wednesday near Glamis, California.

Persons: Corporal Spencer R, Captain Eleanor V, Major Tobin J, Lewis, Collart, LeBeau, “, ”, Brendan Sullivan, Lloyd Austin, Michael Murphy, Sullivan, ” Sullivan, Markus Maier, Samuel King An, Barack Obama, Zachary Dyer, Laura Yahemiak Sailors, George Washington, Supertyphoon Haiyan, Trevor Welsh, stow, Smith, drogue, Christopher Carranza An, Todd F, Lance Cpl, Christopher Mendoza Sailors, Richard, Kevin V, Jonathan Snyder, Cedric Leighton, Bellows Organizations: CNN, Marines, Osprey, Royal Darwin Hospital, AP US, USMC, Twitter, Marine Osprey, Darwin, Northern Territory Police, Australian Defence Force, Northern, Northern Territory Government, CareFlight Air, Mobile Services, NT Health, Care, Tiwi, Government, Air Force, Ospreys, Kirtland Air Force Base, . Air Force, Staff, Air, Special Operations Squadron, Munitions, Systems, Eglin Air Force Base, Tech, Refueler, Squadron, Marine Helicopter Squadron, KC, 130J, Marine Forces Pacific, Greenland . U.S . Air Force, 3d Marine Expeditionary, U.S . Marine Corps, Tiltrotor, Supertyphoon Haiyan . U.S . Navy, Trevor Welsh Sailors, U.S . Navy, Shannon, Travis Air Force Base, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, . Marine Corps, Michalek, Moron Air Base, Cunningham, Tactics Squadron, of, U.S . Air Force, US Air Force, “ CNN, US Defense Department, An Air Force, Corps Locations: Australia, Melville, Northern Territory, New Mexico, Florida, Philippines, VMM, Okinawa, Japan, Brisbane, Greenland . U.S, U.S, Supertyphoon Haiyan ., San Francisco, New York, Michalek U.S, Africa, Spain, Sigonella, Italy, Field, Hamilton Island, United States, Virginia, Arizona, North Carolina, Afghanistan, Morocco, Navarre , Florida, Oahu, Hawaii, Syria, Norway, Glamis , California

☆ U.S. military personnel in Australia air crash, no deaths reported
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A V-22 Osprey from Marine Rotational Force Darwin comes into land to conduct a troop insertion as part of Exercise "Talisman Sabre 21" on July 27, 2021 in Townsville, Australia. An aircraft incident involving U.S. military personnel occurred mid-morning on Sunday during an exercise in Australia's Northern Territory, Australia's Defence Ministry said, while a broadcaster said there were no reports of deaths. Sky News Australia reported a v-22 Osprey helicopter with about 20 U.S. Marines on board had crashed off the coast of Darwin. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said multiple military personnel had been rescued from an aircraft crash on the Tiwi Islands, north of Darwin, and that there were no reports of fatalities. "Initial reports suggest the incident involves United States defence personnel and that Australian Defence Force members were not involved," the ministry said in an emailed statement.

Persons: Force Darwin, Anthony Albanese Organizations: Force, U.S, Australia's Defence Ministry, Sky News Australia, Marines, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, Northern Territory Police, Australian Defence Force Locations: Townsville, Australia, Northern Territory, Darwin, Melville, States

☆ 'Tragic' crash injures 23 US Marines in Australia exercises
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Samuel Mckeith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Twenty-three U.S. Marines were injured during military exercises in northern Australia on Sunday, officials said, in a helicopter crash that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called "tragic". One marine was being operated on at Royal Darwin hospital and four others were at the hospital, said Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles. Some people are critically injured," Fyles told the news conference, adding there was a "wide range" of injuries. Australian personnel were not involved in the crash that occurred during Exercise Predator's Run 2023, Albanese said. Four Australian soldiers were killed last month during large bilateral exercises when their helicopter crashed into the ocean off the coast of Queensland.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Michael Murphy, Murphy, Natasha Fyles, Fyles, Albanese, Sam McKeith, William Mallard Organizations: SYDNEY, Marines, Northern Territory Police, Australian Defence Force, U.S . Marines, Royal Darwin, The U.S . Defense, Thomson Locations: Australia, Darwin, Northern, Western Australia, The, U.S, China, Queensland, Sydney, Bengaluru

☆ Australia says it will conduct more joint patrols with Philippines in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The joint exercises, a first for the two nations, come amid renewed tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea. Marcos spoke to journalists after Friday's beach landing drill in Zambales, near the South China Sea, which he watched with binoculars, accompanied by Marles and Philippines Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. At a joint news conference with Teodoro, Marles said the first joint patrols of the South China Sea by the two navies would "happen soon". The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan have claims to certain areas of the South China Sea. Most of Australia's trade goes through the South China Sea, and upholding international rules is a shared strategic interest with the Philippines, he earlier told ABC radio.

Persons: Richard Marles, Caroline Chia, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Marles, Gilbert Teodoro, Teodoro, Anthony Albanese, Kirsty Needham, Karen Lema, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Australian, REUTERS, Rights, Marines, Philippine Navy, Philippines Defense, ABC, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Australia, South, Philippines, Philippine, Canberra, China, South China, Zambales, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Japan, U.S, Sydney, Manila

☆ U.S. to help Australia develop guided missiles by 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"We are pursuing several mutually beneficial initiatives with Australia's defence industry, and these include a commitment to help Australia produce guided multiple launch rocket systems... by 2025," Austin told a press conference. Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are in Queensland state for the annual Australia-U.S. The U.S. will help Australia produce guided multiple-launch rocket systems by 2025, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday, after the two nations' top officials pledged to engage with China but also oppose it if needed. U.S Secretary of State Blinken said "chief" among Saturday's high-profile talks with Australia was a shared commitment to a free and secure Indo-Pacific region. The games, however, were put on hold after an Australian military helicopter participating in the exercises crashed into the ocean, with at least four people onboard feared dead.

Persons: Richard Marles, Penny Wong, Antony Blinken, Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin, Lloyd Austin, Marles, Blinken Organizations: Australian, Defense, Conference, Queensland Government House, Austin, . Ministerial, Labor, U.S, Australia, Talisman Sabre Locations: Brisbane, U.S, Australia, Queensland, China, Taiwan, Australian, Ukraine, Russia, Beijing

☆ Australian aircrew identified after military helicopter crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, July 30 (Reuters) - Australia's army chief on Sunday released the names of four aircrew feared killed when an Australian Defence Force helicopter crashed into the ocean off the coast of Queensland. Defence Minister Richard Marles told reporters in Townsville, Queensland, a full investigation would take place into the crash. Ministerial (AUSMIN) dialogue between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and their Australian counterparts in Queensland state. "My thoughts are with the four Australians who were involved in the helicopter crash," Lloyd said in Townsville, addressing troops participating in Talisman Sabre. The joint military exercises - temporarily paused amid the search for the missing aircrew - have now resumed.

Persons: General Simon Stuart, Daniel Lyon, Maxwell Nugent, Joseph Laycock, Corporal Alexander Naggs, Stuart, Richard Marles, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Lloyd, Sam McKeith, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Sunday, Australian Defence Force, Talisman Sabre, Army's 6th Aviation, Defence, . Ministerial, Australian, Thomson Locations: Queensland, United States, Australia, Hamilton, Brisbane, Sydney, Townsville , Queensland, Townsville

☆ US to help Australia develop guided missiles by 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, July 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. will help Australia produce guided multiple-launch rocket systems by 2025, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday, after the two nations' top officials pledged to engage with China but also oppose it if needed. Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are in Queensland state for the annual Australia-U.S. "We are pursuing several mutually beneficial initiatives with Australia's defence industry, and these include a commitment to help Australia produce guided multiple launch rocket systems... by 2025," Austin told a press conference. U.S Secretary of State Blinken said "chief" among Saturday's high-profile talks with Australia was a shared commitment to a free and secure Indo-Pacific region. The games, however, were put on hold after an Australian military helicopter participating in the exercises crashed into the ocean, with at least four people onboard feared dead.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Antony Blinken, Austin, Richard Marles, Marles, Blinken, Praveen Menon, Sam McKeith, William Mallard Organizations: SYDNEY, Austin, . Ministerial, Australian, Labor, U.S, Australia, Talisman Sabre, Thomson Locations: U.S, Australia, China, Queensland, Taiwan, Australian, Ukraine, Russia, Beijing

☆ Australia says it is 'confident' on US nuclear submarines as ministers meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SYDNEY, July 28 (Reuters) - Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was confident a deal for the U.S. to sell nuclear powered submarines to Australia was on track, ahead of talks between defence and foreign ministers of the two countries on Friday. Twenty-five U.S. Republican lawmakers told President Joe Biden on Thursday the plan to sell three attack submarines to Australia under the so-called AUKUS partnership would "unacceptably weaken" the U.S. fleet without a clear plan to replace them. The United States, Britain and Australia announced the three-way AUKUS defence agreement in 2021 under which Australia is to obtain nuclear submarine technology from the United States. The U.S. is Australia's major security ally and announced with Britain in March that the United States would sell Australia three U.S. Virginia class nuclear powered submarines in the early 2030s, before Britain and Australia produce a new submarine class - SSN-AUKUS - the following decade. "Now's the time to be working closely with friends, and Australia has no better friend than the United States of America," Marles said at the start of a meeting with his U.S. counterpart.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Albanese, Richard Marles, Austin, Marles, Kirsty Needham, Alasdair Pal, Praveen Menon Organizations: SYDNEY, Australia's, Republican, U.S, Defence, ., Democrats, NATO, Britain, Australian Defence, Sky, U.S ., Marines, Thomson Locations: Australia, Queensland, United States, Britain, Lithuania, U.S, . Virginia, CHINA, East, South, Japan, United States of America, Darwin, Sydney, Lincoln

☆ Helicopter crash puts key Australia-US war games on hold
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, July 29 (Reuters) - Joint military exercises between Australia and the United States were paused on Saturday after an Australian Defence Force (ADF) helicopter involved in the war games crashed into the ocean off the coast of Queensland state. Director of the Talisman Sabre military exercises, Brigadier Damian Hill, said they had been put on hold following the crash. Talisman Sabre comprises two weeks of war games involving more than 30,000 troops and participants from 11 other countries, in a show of force and unity amid China's military build-up in the region. The exercises are taking place in various locations across Australia and include mock land and air combat, as well as amphibious landings. Reporting by Praveen Menon and Sam McKeith; Editing by Sandra Maler and Lincoln FeastOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Richard Marles, Damian Hill, I've, Talisman, Hill, Praveen Menon, Sam McKeith, Sandra Maler Organizations: SYDNEY, Australian Defence Force, ADF, Defence, Talisman Sabre, Sabre, Thomson Locations: Australia, United States, Queensland, Hamilton, Brisbane, Lincoln

“We’re horrified that something like this could happen, not only to us, but to anyone,” Saffrine Duggan told her supporters. Former US fighter pilot Daniel Duggan is in custody in Australia pending extradition to the US on charges including that he trained Chinese military pilots. Courtesy Saffrine DugganTraining Chinese pilotsDuggan doesn’t deny training Chinese pilots, but he maintains they were civilians – plane enthusiasts seeking to improve their skills or prospective members of China’s then rapidly expanding aviation industry. And a spokesperson for New Zealand’s Defence Force confirmed to Reuters that four of its former military pilots had been recruited by the company. It’s the wrong type of approach and landing.”In its statement to CNN, TFASA denied teaching aircraft carrier approach and landing techniques to Chinese military pilots.

Persons: Daniel Duggan, Duggan, Duggan’s, “, ”, Saffrine, “ We’re, ” Saffrine Duggan, Paul Devitt, Duggan –, –, ” Duggan, Saffrine Duggan, TFASA, they’re, Duggan doesn’t, China’s, Glenn Kolomeitz, ” “ Dan, Richard Marles, It’s, Constant, Daniel Duggan's, Mike Burgess, Ben Hancock, ” Hancock, Hancock, hasn’t, Dan didn’t, “ TFASA, he’s, Xi Jinping, reunify, Joe Biden, Ng Han Guan, Xi, Donald Trump, “ Don’t Organizations: Australia CNN —, Marine Attack Squadron, Intelligence, Security, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Lithgow Correctional Centre, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, US Marines, US State Department, of Defense Trade, Test Flying Academy of South, CNN, TFASA, Embassy, Former, Saffrine Duggan Training, Australian Defence Force, RAF, UK Defence Ministry, UK Armed Forces, Australia’s, New Zealand’s Defence Force, Reuters, Marles, ASIO, Buckeye, Marine Corps, US Navy, Aircraft, Training Squadron, US Department of Defense, Harrier, Getty, Pacific Locations: Brisbane, Australia, United States, Yuma , Arizona, China, Beijing, Lithgow, Sydney, Australian, Test Flying Academy of South Africa, Tasmania, South Africa, Former US, New South Wales, Persian, Asia, Townsville, Pensacola, Fla, Western, Taiwan, AFP

☆ USS Canberra: US commissions first Navy warship in foreign port
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, July 22 (Reuters) - The United States commissioned a warship in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday, the first time a U.S. Navy vessel joined active service at a foreign port, as the two close allies step up their military ties in response to China's expanding regional reach. "Australians can be proud that this ship, designed in Western Australia by local industry and named after HMAS Canberra, is being commissioned here for the first time in the history of the United States Navy," Australian Defence Minister Marles said in a statement. The commissioning of the U.S. ship in Australian waters reflected "our shared commitment to upholding the rules-based order", he added. Under the AUKUS project announced in March, the United States and Britain have agreed to help Australia acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. Before that, in the early 2030s, the United States is supposed to sell Australia three U.S. Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines, with an option for Australia to buy two more.

Persons: Marles, Sam McKeith, Stephen Coates Organizations: SYDNEY, United, U.S . Navy, Royal Australian Navy, U.S, Marine, Sydney Harbour, United States Navy, Australian Defence, Talisman Sabre, Australia, ., Thomson Locations: United States, Sydney, Australia, U.S, Western Australia, China, Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Korea, Tonga, Britain, . Virginia

☆ Tiny Pacific island Nauru declares disaster ahead of WW2 bomb operation
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 19 (Reuters) - Schools and workplaces on the tiny Pacific island of Nauru will close and areas will be evacuated on Thursday while Australian army sappers try to defuse a 500-pound (227 kg) "armed and dangerous" World War Two-era bomb. Acting President Martin Hunt has declared a state of disaster covering the whole of Nauru, one of the world's smallest nations with a land area of just 21 sq. On Thursday morning, a 2 km area around the bomb will be evacuated as the Australian sappers try to disarm the fuse. Hunt on Wednesday ordered schools to shut and prohibited work from Thursday morning as a precaution to manage any bomb impact. It was the scene of fighting between the United States and Japan in World War Two.

Persons: Martin Hunt, Jordan Bell, Hunt, Kirsty Needham, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Australian Defence Force, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: Nauru, Australia, United States, Japan

☆ CTE: Heather Anderson, first professional female athlete to be diagnosed with degenerative brain disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CTE is a neurodegenerative disease that can occur after repeated traumatic brain injuries or hits to the head, with or without a concussion, and to date it has only been diagnosed in professional male athletes. In Australia, lawyers representing dozens of former professional AFL players have filed a class action suit against the Australian Football League (AFL), seeking compensation for injuries caused by alleged negligence. The AFL has acknowledged a link between head trauma and CTE and says it’s committed to mitigating the risks. The AFL Player’s Association, which represents the athletes, is pushing for greater support for current and former players, many of whom are living with the impact of successive brain injuries. Buckland said what’s most needed is a shift in attitudes, so that it’s no longer encouraged or even acceptable to expose children to activities where repeated head injuries are part of the game.

Persons: Heather Anderson, “, ”, neuropathologist Michael Buckland, …, Buckland, Anderson, CTE, James Elsby, It’s, it’s, what’s Organizations: Australia CNN — Scientists, Australian Football League, Sports Brain Bank, University of Sydney, AFL, league –, AFL Club, Adelaide Crows, Australian Defence Force, Australian Sports Brain Bank, US Centers for Disease Control, Boston, NFL, AFL Player’s Association, Boys ’ Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Darwin, United States

☆ Australian defence minister in Solomon Islands for security talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Richard Marles, on his first visit to the Solomon Islands as defence minister, was also expected to meet members of the Solomon Islands International Assistance Force, which includes Australian police deployed in 2021 at Sogavare's request to quell anti-government riots. Marles, in comments before he arrived in the capital, Honiara, said Australia's partnership with Solomon Islands was "more important than ever". Australia is a major aid donor and has a decades-long security relationship with the Solomon Islands. Chinese police have taken an increasing role in training and equipping the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force in recent months, the force has indicated in statements. Solomon officials said Marles would meet Sogavare after a meeting with Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, Richard Marles, Sogavare, Xu Qu, Solomon, Marles, Jeremiah Manele, Kirsty Needham, Robert Birsel Organizations: SYDNEY, Pacific, Solomon, International Assistance Force, Australian, Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, Pacific Games, China Police, Thomson Locations: Solomon, China, Solomon Islands, Honiara, Australia, Canberra, Washington

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