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☆ China's submarine force is stressed by their more realistic training for combat
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Chinese submarine crews are training to operate farther into the Western Pacific. AdvertisementChina is forcing its submarine crews to endure more intensive and realistic training exercises. Ironically, while rigorous training is intended to create a more skilled and aggressive submarine force, these changes could backfire. "What the literature does suggest is that the PLAN submarine force is simultaneously incorporating a wide range of new operational guidance, platforms, and technologies that are pushing the crews and equipment of the PLAN submarine force in ways they have not been stressed before." "But it still must improve further to be capable of supporting what is expected of the submarine force."

Persons: —, Christopher Sharman, Terry Hess, evaluators, VCG, Crews, submariners, Sharman, Michael Peck Organizations: Pacific, Service, Training, China Maritime Studies, US Naval War, People's Liberation Army Navy, PLA, PLAN, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: China, Pacific, Western, Soviet, Russia, Ukraine, Forbes

☆ The red flags that will tell us when China's actually ready to invade Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

"I don't think they lack for anything that they need," Lyle Goldstein, director of Asia engagement at Defense Priorities, said of China's forces. Military forces are being deployed nearer to Taiwan than ever, effectively shortening Taiwan's reaction time. Stockpiling of China's rocket force, too, suggests it would have more than enough missiles and rockets to target Taiwan. One common concern is that as China's military exercises around Taiwan have grown in frequency and size, the line between exercise and potential attack is becoming blurred. Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via Getty ImagesExperts, as well as US and Taiwan lawmakers and military officials, have long debated about the readiness of the People's Liberation Army as China's military is known.

Persons: —, Lyle Goldstein, Stringer China, Xi, Thomas Shugart, who's, Shugart, Goldstein, Mike Studeman, Xi Jinping, Dean Cheng, haven't, Cheng, Xie Huanchi, There's, Kyle Amonson, Dane Egli, Annabelle Chih, Getty Images Goldstein, Joe Biden Organizations: Service, Business, Defense, REUTERS, Taiwan's, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense, US Department of Defense, China Economic, Security, PLA, Patriot, US, Center, New, New American Security, Marine Corps, China Coast Guard, Scarborough, ROSA, Military, of Naval Intelligence, Pacific Command, US Institute of Peace, of, People, Getty Images, People's Liberation Army, CCP, Soviet, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Japan, US Coast Guard, Chinese Communist Party, Democratic Progressive Party, Kyodo, Stills Locations: China, Taiwan, Asia, Liaoning, Beijing, New American, AFP, Hong Kong, Xinhua, DoD's China, Cuba, US, Tainan, Japan, Philippines

☆ Xi shakes up China’s military in rethink of how to ‘fight and win’ future wars
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Chinese leader Xi Jinping oversees the inauguration of the Information Support Force of the People's Liberation Army at a ceremony in Beijing on April 19, 2024. The Information Support Force will be led by top generals from the now-defunct SSF. These functions will now be supervised at his level and not through the Strategic Support Force, which served as a middleman,” Wuthnow said. Though US intelligence officials said the balloon was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, Xi may not have been aware of the mission. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has scrapped the People's Liberation Army's Strategic Support Force, a branch he founded in 2015.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Xi, ”, Wu Qian, SSF, Bi Yi, Li Wei, Ju Qiansheng, Joel Wuthnow, ” Wuthnow, Joe Biden, didn’t, Xinhua News Agency James Char, Char Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Strategic Support Force, Support Force, PLA, China’s Defense, Aerospace Force, Cyberspace Force, Central Military Commission, Logistic Support Force, Information, Force, People's Liberation Army, Xinhua News, Information Support Force, Xinhua, Pentagon, National Defense University, Aerospace Systems Department, Network System Department, Xinhua News Agency, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, SSF’s Aerospace Systems Department, “, Communist Party, Taiwan Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Washington, United States, Singapore, Ukraine, Taiwan Strait, Taiwan

☆ The Pentagon is 'not really' worried about China's new H-20 stealth bomber, defense official says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A US defense official downplayed the threat of China's new Xi'an H-20 bomber. AdvertisementChina's new bomber, the Xi'an H-20, is intended to rival America's new stealth bomber, but a US defense official told reporters on Monday it's "not really" a concern. A B-2 Spirit takes off for Red Flag-Nellis 24-1 training at Nellis Air Force Base on Jan. 16. A former US Air Force commander said previously that it wasn't "anything to lose a lot of sleep over." The Pentagon unveiled a new stealth bomber in 2022 that is currently in production and will eventually replace B-1 and B-2 fleets.

Persons: —, it's, William Lewis, It's, Wang Wei, David Swanson, Northrop Grumman Organizations: Service, Breaking Defense, Flag, Nellis, Nellis Air Force Base, US Air Force, Liberation Army Air Force, Hong, Hong Kong Commercial Daily, China Aviation Industry Corporation, Northrop, Air Force, United States Air, REUTERS, Pentagon Locations: Xi'an, Jan, China, Hong Kong, Palmdale , California, U.S

☆ China's latest supersonic spy drone looks a lot like the Lockheed D-21 that crashed there in 1971
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The aircraft, shaped like a dart and painted black, was a D-21 supersonic reconnaissance drone. Ultimately unsuccessful, the drone would be relegated to the annals of aviation history if not for the appearance of a strikingly similar Chinese drone unveiled at a recent military parade. AdvertisementThis is what we know about the high-flying Chinese spy drone and the D-21 upon which it could be based. High altitude, high speedLockheed's solution was to create an unmanned high-altitude high-speed reconnaissance aircraft with similar capabilities as the A-12, but much smaller. A WZ-8 reconnaissance drone is on display at the 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition on September 28, 2021 in Zhuhai, China.

Persons: —, Francis Gary Powers, Dwight Eisenhower, Marquardt, Bill, Ray Torrick, Chen Xiao, Benjamin Brimelow Organizations: Service, Air Force, 4200th Support Squadron, Andersen Air Force Base, Business, Lockheed Corporation, Soviet, White House, CIA, Central Intelligence Agency, Lockheed's, Works, Redesignated, Navy, US Air Force, Chinese Aviation Museum, Davis, Monthan Air Force Base, 13th China International Aviation, Aerospace, US National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, 29th Air Regiment, People's Liberation Army Air Force's 10th Bomber, Global Affairs, Fletcher School of Law, Diplomacy, Modern, Institute Locations: Guam, China, Soviet Union, Soviet, Yunnan, Beijing, Tucson , Arizona, United States, Zhuhai, People's Republic of China, Liuan, Korean, Taiwan, Pacific, West

☆ China's newest aircraft carrier was spotted with aircraft mock-ups hinting at what its future air wing could look like
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

New images posted to social media show China's third and newest aircraft carrier hosting aircraft mock-ups. AdvertisementChina's newest aircraft carrier appears to be sporting mock-ups of warplanes, according to new images posted to social media by a long-time China watcher. The pictures also show the Fujian's catapult system, designed to launch aircraft much like the US Navy's aircraft carriers. CHINESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER, JIANGNAN SHIPYARDS, CHINA, JUNE 18, 2022: Maxar satellite imagery close up view of CV 18 Fujian Aircraft Carrier, Shanghai, China. Take a close look at China's third aircraft carrier #Fujian, which was launched in Shanghai on Friday.

Persons: —, Andreas Rupprecht, @QwaSkkn2447, Kitty Hawk, Matthew P, Funaiole, Joseph S, Bermudez Jr, Brian Hart Organizations: Service, People's Liberation Army Navy, Fujian, 10J, Ford, Department of Defense, China, Fujian Aircraft Carrier, Global Times, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Fujian, China, Shanghai, Fujian “, Liaoning, Shandong, JIANGNAN, CHINA, China's, Taiwan

☆ China picks its lowest-scoring officers to command nuclear submarines
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The job of commanding a nuclear submarine should go to smart and well-qualified officers. Chinese submarine officers — except for engineers — tend to come from candidates with the lowest college entrance test scores, according to a US analyst. "Life in the PLAN submarine service is difficult," Christopher Sharman, director of the China Maritime Studies Institute, told Business Insider. By stressing Chinese submarine commanders, such as confronting them with multiple or unexpected challenges, they could be goaded into making a mistake. On the other hand, a Chinese submarine captain will have had years of experience and additional training before assuming command.

Persons: Roderick Lee, Lee, they've, George McClellan, —, George Patton, Christopher Sharman, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Liberation Army Navy, PLAN, Business, Gaokao, PLA, People's, Army, PLAN Engineering University, China Maritime Studies, US Naval War, Submarine Academy, China Daily, Reuters, China's, Military Medical University, China Sea, China Maritime Studies Institute, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Japan, Taiwan, West, China, Russia, South China, Chinese, Forbes

☆ As China's navy grows, the US fleet is on a 'downward trajectory,' maritime expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"It's the end of the pacifist period on the seas," Dr Steven Wills of the Center for Maritime Strategy, told Business Insider. The US fleet is still widely considered the world's most powerful navy due to its 11 aircraft carriers and cutting-edge nuclear submarine capabilities. "They're scrapping more ships than they're building, which means the US Navy is on a downward trajectory, not an upward trajectory," said Dr Salvatore Mercogliano, a maritime historian at Campbell University. Another piece of the puzzle is shipbuilding capacity. Expanding American shipbuilding capacity ought to start now, Wills said: "You don't make the arsenal of democracy overnight."

Persons: —, Dr Steven Wills, Gerald R, Ford, Nikos Libertas, Wills, Doug Livermore, Arleigh Burke, Salvatore Mercogliano, Tang Ke, Livermore, Defense Mark Esper, David Sacks, Mercogliano, That's, Xi Jinping, HECTOR RETAMAL, Sacks, I'm Organizations: Service, Center for Maritime Strategy, Business, Navy, US Navy, Campbell University, Naval, People's Liberation Army Navy, Defense, of Naval Intelligence, Council, Foreign Relations, Corpus Christi, Pearl, Naval Shipyard . US Navy, Pacific, of Foreign Relations, CSIS, US, South China, Australia Locations: China, Russia, Ukraine, Virginia, Yantai Port, Asia, America, Japan, South Korea, Los Angeles, Corpus, Taiwan, Beijing, Pingtan, China's, Pacific, Philippines, South

☆ The US Navy's grappling with another Ford-class supercarrier delay that could run into the next decade
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe US Navy's third Ford-class aircraft carrier is facing delays that might push its delivery to 2030. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford transits the Strait of Gibraltar, Jan. 5, 2024. Nick Guertin, the Navy's acquisition executive, attributed the shipbuilding delays to "common issues from lingering COVID impacts across the national workforce and supply chain landscape with industry reticent to invest." Related storiesThe following Ford-class carrier, USS Doris Miller (CVN-81), is currently on schedule thanks to the Navy buying both the Enterprise and Miller at the same time. AdvertisementA T-45C Goshawk training aircraft attached to Training Air Wing (TAW) 1, lands aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) during flight operations, Sept. 12, 2020.

Persons: —, Carlos Del Toro, Gerald R, Navy Petty, Jacob Mattingly, Nick Guertin, Doris Miller, Miller, Adm, Downey, Seaman Anton Wendler, Ford, Michael Gilday, Brian Glunt Organizations: Service, Ford, USS Enterprise, Business, Enterprise, Navy, BI, Newport News, Training Air, US Navy, Communication, Department of Defense, Army's, Force Locations: Virginia, Gibraltar, Jan, Oslo, China, Washington ,, Pacific

☆ China's internet is filled with well-wishes for earthquake-stricken Taiwan — and veiled references that the PLA can help
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Taiwan's 7.2-magnitude earthquake has drawn seemingly friendly messages on China's social media. But they're also indicative of China's ambitions for Taiwan, and what Chinese people think of the island. AdvertisementA 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit Taiwan on Wednesday morning prompted a wave of concerned messages on mainland China's social media, diverting from the usual hostile rhetoric toward the self-governed island. Like many of China's social media platforms, Weibo is heavily censored and moderated. However, kinetic conflict is still widely viewed on social media as only one of several options for unification.

Persons: they're, —, Fabian Hamacher, Xi Jinping, Zhang Yongjin, Xi Organizations: Service, Wednesday, Reuters, REUTERS, Business, Taiwan, People's Liberation Army, PLA, Getty, Observers Locations: Taiwan, Hualien, New Taipei City, Weibo, Beijing, China, Shiyuan Township, Jishishan County, Gansu Province, Xinhua, Sichuan, Taipei

☆ How Taiwan could depend on one of the cheapest naval tactics to stop a Chinese invasion
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An element of that strong defense, experts argue, could be one of the cheapest naval tactics: sea mines. Experts say that naval mines could be very useful for stopping China's People's Liberation Army Navy or, at the very least, creating major headaches during an invasion. "Naval mines are such a capability, complementing various other weapons." AdvertisementThat speaks to larger problems naval mines pose. But, additional capabilities would be required to fully employ a naval mine defense.

Persons: —, China's, Jonathan Dorsey, Kelly Grieco, Jennifer Kavanagh, Scott Savitz, Bernd von Jutrczenka, Hsu Shu, Dorsey, Grieco, Kavanagh Organizations: Service, Business, China's People's Liberation Army Navy, PLA, RAND, Getty, Second Mining Operations Squadron, Taiwan Locations: China, Taiwan, Baltic, Latvia, Tamsui, Azov, Ukraine, Russia, Taipei

☆ China is reportedly developing military drones that can split into 6 to overwhelm enemy defenses
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The multiplying drones could expand into swarms that would confuse air defense systems, experts told Business Insider. But even when separated into single units, these drones' flight efficiency remains 40% higher than most small drones. Advertisement"When drones are detected, defense systems deploy a certain amount of resources proportional to the threat. If that threat suddenly multiplies, it provides an opportunity to overwhelm the air defense resources being deployed," Shumate said. Small, affordable drones are reshaping the modern battlefield in unprecedented ways, and forcing militaries to rapidly modernize their defense systems.

Persons: —, Getty, Will Shumate, Shumate, Huang, Sean Gallup, Admiral John Aquilino, Admiral Aquilino Organizations: Service, China Morning Post, Nanjing University of Aeronautics, Astronautics, Acta Aeronautica, Army, RAND, Getty, US Army, Pacific Command, Armed Locations: China, Russia, Ukraine

☆ China's military, state media slam U.S. after report on SpaceX spy satellites
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese military and state-run media on Sunday accused the United States of threatening global security, days after a Reuters report which found Elon Musk's SpaceX was building hundreds of spy satellites for a U.S. intelligence agency. Chinese military and state-run media on Sunday accused the United States of threatening global security, days after a Reuters report which found Elon Musk's SpaceX was building hundreds of spy satellites for a U.S. intelligence agency. A social media account run by the People's Liberation Army, or PLA, said the SpaceX program exposed the United States' "shamelessness and double standards" as Washington accuses Chinese tech companies of threatening U.S. security. "We urge U.S. companies to not help a villain do evil," Junzhengping, an account run by the PLA, posted on social media platform Weibo on Sunday. Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge, a magazine overseen by the ruling Communist Party, was quoted in an interview as saying the SpaceX satellite project posed "a challenge to global security and stability".

Persons: Elon, SpaceX's, Wang Yanan Organizations: Reuters, SpaceX, National Reconnaissance Office, NRO, People's Liberation Army, PLA, U.S ., Aerospace, Communist Party Locations: United States, Washington, U.S, Weibo

☆ Drones have turned the tables in recent African wars
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Drones recently supplied to Sudan by Iran are already making an impact in that country's brutal civil war. Similar types of drones played decisive roles in turning the tables in two previous African civil wars in recent years and could do so again. "It should come as no surprise that these drones are being used in wars around the world," Rogers told BI. In this context, drones are useful to achieve specific objectives, but they will not win the war alone," Rogers said. RANE's Dodd also credited Ethiopia's drone procurements for decisively "turning the tide" of the Tigray War.

Persons: —, Remi Dodd, RANE, it's, Dodd, James Patton Rogers, Rogers, Turkey's TB2, Loong, Debretsion Gebremichael, RANE's Dodd Organizations: Service, Business, Sudanese Armed Forces, Rapid Support Forces, United, Ethiopian, Tigray, Libyan National Army, Cornell Brooks Tech, Institute, Cornell University, American Warfare, Anadolu, Getty, Democratic Locations: Sudan, Iran, Iranian, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Libya, Tripoli, Omdurman, Tehran, Red, Yemen, Ukraine, Tigray War, Tigray, Addis Ababa, Ukrainian, New York, Donetsk, Nigeria, DRC, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso

☆ Problems in China have US intelligence worried the rising military power may become 'even more aggressive and unpredictable'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China may act "even more" aggressively and unpredictably thanks to its domestic problems, US intel said. China's demographic issues, as well as economic challenges, put its leadership and military in difficult positions. US intel suggested China's global leadership and military ambitions are meeting resistance. AdvertisementAs China grapples with mounting domestic challenges, its already concerning behavior on the world stage may become even more aggressive and unpredictable, according to US intelligence. "China's serious demographic and economic challenges may make it an even more aggressive and unpredictable global actor," the threat assessment said.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, Yang Jie, That's Organizations: intel, Service, US Intelligence Community, National Intelligence, Pentagon, People's Liberation Army Navy, Getty, Democratic Progressive Party's, East China, East China Seas, Liberation Army, Chinese Communist Party, CCP, Force Locations: China, United States, China's, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, Xinhua, Taiwan, Beijing, South, East, East China Seas, Philippine, PRC, People's Republic of China, Hefei, Anhui province, COVID

☆ China says military spending growth in 2024 to stay the same as last year at 7.2%
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Clement Tan | In Clemtan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

This year's military budget announcement comes against the backdrop of several generals from the People's Liberation Army, including the country's previous Defense Minister Li Shangfu, losing their positions amid President Xi Jinping's broad anti-corruption probe in the past year. China's 2024 military budget expansion follows a 7.2% increase last year, a 7.1% spike in 2022, 6.8% increase in 2021, 6.6% climb in 2020 and 7.5% growth in 2019, according to official data. China's official military budget is second only to the United States in the world, though some unofficial estimates suggest the scale of Beijing's military spending may be larger than officially claimed. China maintains its claims over self-governed Taiwan and President Xi Jinping regards reunification as a "historical inevitability." Beijing has also taken offence at joint exercises and patrols that U.S. and other Western naval powers have conducted with various Asian nations in international waters that Beijing claims as its own.

Persons: Li Shangfu, Xi, Xi Jinping, — Organizations: Reuters, People's Liberation Army Locations: China, Beijing, United States, Taiwan, The Hague, South China, India, South

☆ The top US Army general in the Pacific is 'worried' about China's missiles but counting on his soldiers being a 'dilemma' for the Rocket Force
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The commanding general of US Army Pacific told Business Insider during a large-scale training exercise in Alaska that while the growth has been "meteoric" and he is "always worried" about the missiles, the Army has many ways to create a "dilemma" that China may not be expecting. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. US Army forces and their allies across the Pacific have ramped up training in recent years to better prepare its troops for warfare across various difficult environments in the region. At JPMRC's Hawaii rotation last fall, Flynn emphasized that the Army "will play a key role" in solving the challenges facing the joint force in the Pacific.

Persons: —, Evangelos Wilson, Charles A, Flynn, USARPAC, Mark Milley, Patrick A, Albright, USINDOPACOM Organizations: Service, Force, US Army Pacific, Business, Army, Pentagon, Rocket Force, People's Liberation Army, Department of Defense, U.S . Army, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Dillingham Army, U.S, Spc, 3rd Infantry Brigade, US Army, U.S . Army Sniper School, Maneuver, Excellence, Fort Benning Public Affairs, Pacific Multinational Readiness Center Locations: Pacific, Alaska, China, America, Dillingham, Hawaii, Wainwright, Fairbanks , Alaska, Gen, U.S

☆ US Army soldiers are working closer than ever with allies in the Pacific to counter China's 'aggressive, insidious' ways, top general says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementU.S. Army Gen. Charles Flynn, Commander of the U.S. Army Pacific, speaks with soldiers from the 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, during Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 24-02 at Donnelly Training Area, Alaska, Feb. 15, 2024. This month, US Army Pacific conducted its JPMRC training rotation in Alaska, where thousands of troops are trained to wage war in frigid, Arctic conditions. The Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center also does a training rotation in Hawaii, where troops conduct exercises in the jungle. That training is also conducted with a host of US allies and partners in the Pacific.

Persons: —, Army Pacific's, IPACC, Gideon Battis Gen, Charles A, Flynn, he's, Charles Flynn, Mike Godinez, Martinez, USARPAC, Joseph A, Ryan Organizations: Service, US Army, Pacific Multinational Readiness, Army, Business, Pentagon, Department of Defense, People's Liberation Army, Navy, Rocket Force, East China Seas, Combat, US Army Pacific, U.S . Army Pacific, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Airborne, Donnelly Training, U.S, Talisman, Talisman Sabre, Pacific Multinational Readiness Center Locations: China, Pacific, Australia, Alaska, Hawaii, People's Republic of China, United States, Philippines, Taiwan Strait, East, South Korea, Japan, Thailand

☆ China is learning to prepare for a drawn-out war after watching Russia struggle for years in Ukraine: think-tank
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China is showing signs that it's thinking about a drawn-out war after watching Russia, the IISS said. It shows Beijing is considering how it might not achieve a "swift victory" if it goes to war, an IISS analyst said. AdvertisementBeijing's military leaders appear to be preparing China for the possibility of a long-drawn war after observing Russia's protracted conflict in Ukraine, according to an international think-tank. Heavy losses in Ukraine, coupled with reports of mistreatment of conscripts and contract soldiers on the battlefield, have been stumbling blocks for Russian military recruitment. AdvertisementThe IISS report said China has been gleaning other lessons from the war, though the think-tank said it's difficult to confirm what exactly Beijing is learning.

Persons: —, IISS, Nouwens Organizations: Service, Kremlin, PLA Army, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Liberation Army, Nikkei Asia, Nikkei, PLA Locations: China, Russia, Beijing, Ukraine

☆ Xi Jinping's high-rank purges show a 'systemic rot' in China's military that could threaten its readiness for war: senior US official
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's latest military purge shows that it's suffering from more than just graft, a senior US official said. It's likely the PLA's corruption had a material effect on its war capabilities, said Ely Ratner. But, according to Ratner, Xi's latest military purge indicated a more serious problem. Xi's anti-corruption sweep last year extended as high as China's defense minister, Li Shangfu, who was replaced in October. Several top commanders were also fired from China's Rocket Force, a branch that Xi has emphasized as key to Beijing's strength.

Persons: It's, Ely Ratner, Ratner, —, Ryan Evans, Xi Jinping, ", Xi's, Li Shangfu, Xi, hotpot Organizations: Service, Pacific Security Affairs, People's Liberation Army, Communist Party, China's, Force, Bloomberg, PLA, Radio Free, Defense, China Task Force, International Institute for Strategic Studies Locations: Beijing, China, Switzerland

☆ China can't use civilian ships to invade Taiwan just yet, but it's getting there, says former US intelligence officer
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementChina's fleet of civilian ships earmarked for war is unlikely to successfully invade Taiwan until at least 2030. AdvertisementThese civilian ships are mostly used to ferry military assets, particularly for beach landings, in exercises focused along the Taiwan Strait, Dahm added. AdvertisementChina might also use open-deck civilian ships as sea-based landing pads for helicopters, he added. Alternatively, the civilian ships can be used to rapidly transport military resources along China's coast during war, he added. "The PLA is clearly developing required procedures and increasing proficiency using civilian ships for logistics and landing operations," he wrote.

Persons: Michael Dahm, They're, Dahm, —, William Lai Ching Organizations: Service, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, US, China Maritime Studies Institute, PLA, Trade, People's Liberation Army Locations: Taiwan, Beijing, China, Taiwan Strait

☆ Britain suffered an embarrassing aircraft carrier malfunction just as China started showing off its new carrier
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China touted the capabilities of its latest aircraft carrier just as a British vessel suffered an embarrassing malfunction that caused it to pull out of NATO exercises. Chinese state broadcasters recently devoted considerable airtime to discussing the Fujian, the aircraft carrier it launched in 2022, Newsweek reported. It came as the Royal Navy announced that its flagship aircraft carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, had issues with a propeller shaft, meaning it had to withdraw from NATO's upcoming exercises. It is also stretching its naval capabilities by providing protection to vessels in the Red Sea targeted by Houthi rebels . And, quite simply, the Royal Navy doesn't have enough ships, particularly destroyers and frigates, he said.

Persons: HMS, Elizabeth, —, Wu Qian, Cao Weidong, Gerald R, Ford, Lord West, Prince Organizations: NATO, Newsweek, Royal Navy, Liberation Army, Popular Mechanics, Elizabeth British Royal Navy, US Naval Institute, Business, UK's Royal Locations: China, British, Fujian, East Asia, —, Taiwan, Elizabeth British Royal Navy China, Wales

☆ US Navy warships are getting their first combat experience against the kind of threats China is banking on in the Pacific
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US Navy in recent weeks has been shooting down Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles. Washington has also conducted preemptive strikes in Yemen, destroying anti-ship ballistic missiles before the rebels are able to launch them. CENTCOM has not specified which anti-ship ballistic missiles have been used in the attacks on international shipping lanes. AdvertisementChina has a formidable arsenal of anti-ship ballistic missiles, like the DF-21D and DF-26, and is increasingly expanding it. Advertisement"It doesn't matter what's coming at them, really," said Macy, the retired admiral who served aboard multiple US Navy warships.

Persons: —, Archer Macy, it's, Joe Biden, Jonathan, Bryan Clark, Mohammed Hamoud, Andy Wong, Clark, Shaan Shaikh, Shaikh, Carney, MCS2 Aaron Lau, Macy Organizations: US Navy, Pacific . Experts, Service, Pentagon, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Hudson Institute, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, Military, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Navy, Combat System Locations: China, Pacific, Iran, Yemen, Gulf of Aden, Washington, Tehran, CENTCOM, Gaza, Jan, Sana'a, Western, Beijing, Tiananmen, Red

☆ New China Defence Minister Holds Video Talks With Russia's Shoigu
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's new defence minister Dong Jun held a video call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday, according to a defence ministry statement, in his first public engagement since being appointed last month. Former Navy chief Dong's appointment came after his predecessor, Li Shangfu, disappeared from public view in August, throwing China's military diplomacy in doubt. The role of China's defence minister is to be the public face of the People's Liberation Army in its engagement with the media and with other armed forces. China and Russia's close military ties have been the target of Western scrutiny, especially after Russia's 2022 invasion of its neighbour Ukraine, which China has refused to condemn. Western countries, including the United States, have repeatedly warned China not to provide lethal aid to Russia's battlefield efforts.

Persons: Dong Jun, Sergei Shoigu, Li Shangfu, Dong, Shoigu, Laurie Chen, Christopher Cushing, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Former Navy, People's Liberation Army, United States, U.S Locations: BEIJING, Russian, China, Ukraine, United States, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, South China, Beijing

☆ China surrounding Taiwan would be enough to drag the US into military conflict, said the majority of 52 US experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US military is likely to intervene if China enacts a quarantine or blockade in China, experts say. Almost all of the surveyed experts — 96% — said the US would join the fight if China were to fully invade Taiwan. Experts aren't confident that US allies will get involvedHowever, the experts weren't as confident that US allies would jump into the conflict. Meanwhile, 60% of the experts were confident that US allies would assist militarily if China were to invade the island. CSIS also surveyed 35 experts and scholars from Taiwan, who were less optimistic about US intervention.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, William Lai Ching, Tsai Ing, Beijing's, Xi Organizations: CSIS, Pentagon, Service, Center, Strategic & International Studies, People's Liberation Army, APEC, Democratic Progressive Locations: China, Taiwan, Beijing, Washington, Taipei, San Francisco

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