South East Asia Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Re: ASEAN military news

If a sincere & enforceable "Code of Conduct" is agreed upon by all countries re: South China Sea & Sea of Japan/East Sea, without doubt skirmishes will escalate in due course. Can we blame rthe arm's race taking place? It's ridiculous that some Asian countries instead of aiming at economic growth are now bickering & threatening each other. We can forget about the Asia-Pacific Century. A possible theory is that WW III might start in the Asia-Pacific region if care is not taken.

Re: ASEAN military news

US Navy to Install a Command Post on Palawan Island Facing the SCS ...





U.S. Navy to Deploy Command Post on Philippine Island Closest to Spratlys
Sep 4, 2012 16:46 Moscow Time


The U.S. Navy is planning to deploy a marine command post in the Philippine island of Palawan facing the South China Sea, the Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday.

An advance command post and about 60 marines will be stationed on the island under the plan.

Palawan is the closest to the disputed Spratli archipelago claimed wholly or partially by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

The news agency quotes an un-named "senior Philippine marine officer".

Construction on the command Post is slated to begin this month ahead of the annual Philippine-U.S. amphibious landing exercise in Palawan, reports Kyodo.

Re: ASEAN military news

ManilaBoy45 said:

US Navy to Install a Command Post on Palawan Island Facing the SCS ...

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U.S. Navy to Deploy Command Post on Philippine Island Closest to Spratlys
Sep 4, 2012 16:46 Moscow Time


The U.S. Navy is planning to deploy a marine command post in the Philippine island of Palawan facing the South China Sea, the Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday.

An advance command post and about 60 marines will be stationed on the island under the plan.

Palawan is the closest to the disputed Spratli archipelago claimed wholly or partially by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

The news agency quotes an un-named "senior Philippine marine officer".

Construction on the command Post is slated to begin this month ahead of the annual Philippine-U.S. amphibious landing exercise in Palawan, reports Kyodo.

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Sounds like the US is beefing up its military encirclement of China.

Re: ASEAN military news

It's interesting to see that China once used purchased Russian technology as quick way to modernize their naval and air forces and improve their own capabilities, and now the Vietnamese are doing the same to counter China.

Re: ASEAN military news

Finn McCool said:

It's interesting to see that China once used purchased Russian technology as quick way to modernize their naval and air forces and improve their own capabilities, and now the Vietnamese are doing the same to counter China.

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I don't see similarities, China purchase them to counter US if things happen with TW, and at the same time they are researching their own until they can produce it.

VN on the other hand, who else will sell them weapons? Certainly not US or Europe, and I don't see them studying their inventory to produce their own weapons in the future, at most they will be just like India, a pure buyer and user. The only one benefiting from this is Russia's military complex.

Re: ASEAN military news

Contract for MK38 MOD2 Gun Systems for the PN has Been Awarded ...


06 September 2012
Philippines Acquires MK38 Mod 2 Gun Systems for Navy



BAE Systems Land and Armaments Inc., U.S. Combat Systems Division, Louisville, Ky., is being awarded a $24,257,531 firm-fixed-price contract for 21 MK38 Mod 2 machine gun systems and associated spare parts in support of the U.S. Navy and the Philippines.

Re: ASEAN military news

jackliu said:

I don't see similarities, China purchase them to counter US if things happen with TW, and at the same time they are researching their own until they can produce it.

VN on the other hand, who else will sell them weapons? Certainly not US or Europe, and I don't see them studying their inventory to produce their own weapons in the future, at most they will be just like India, a pure buyer and user. The only one benefiting from this is Russia's military complex.

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Actually at that time, when China are buying products from Russia is because, no one would sell their stuff to China too. Remember the arms embargoment that even until today was not being lifted.

Also China started off with nothing and was doing their own R&D, slowly (or rapidly) building up their capability, Vietnam might also be at that stage too. Don't forget, Vietnam's economy is also getting up and running, there are many similarity between Vietnam and China, so no one could say that Vietnam will not be the next China in some years to come.

Re: ASEAN military news

Indo-Russian Brahmos would an ideal defence for ASEAN countries, incl Vietnam and Phillipines. Cheapest available defence IMO, when compared to the cost of submarines. Plus they can be distributed along the coastline or on surface ships; hence difficult to take out all of them at the same time.

The hope of a negotiated solution is possible only when both sides realize the consequences of use of force or change of status-quo without a negotiated settlement. As of now, a credible deterrent, without the intervention of USN, does not exist.

Economic fallout on both sides is not a strong enough deterrent, since that kind of interdependence between ASEAN and China doesn't exist. In fact, ASEAN and China both depend on trade surplus with US for kicking up the growth rate. To some extent, it's a zero-sum game - one party gains more trade with US at the other's expense.

Most scenarios projected from today, unfortunately, don't look rosy.

Re: ASEAN military news

rhino123 said:

Actually at that time, when China are buying products from Russia is because, no one would sell their stuff to China too. Remember the arms embargoment that even until today was not being lifted.

Also China started off with nothing and was doing their own R&D, slowly (or rapidly) building up their capability, Vietnam might also be at that stage too. Don't forget, Vietnam's economy is also getting up and running, there are many similarity between Vietnam and China, so no one could say that Vietnam will not be the next China in some years to come.

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I already said Vietnam buying from Russia because no one else would sell them, but I still don't think Vietnam will do their own R&D to the point where they can make their own jets, destroyers, submarines etc.... they just don't have the money or the infrastructure to do this, it is not worth it for them or cost effective. You will never see a J-20 or 052C type of ship being produced in Vietnam totally indigenously.

Re: ASEAN military news

jackliu said:

I already said Vietnam buying from Russia because no one else would sell them, but I still don't think Vietnam will do their own R&D to the point where they can make their own jets, destroyers, submarines etc.... they just don't have the money or the infrastructure to do this, it is not worth it for them or cost effective. You will never see a J-20 or 052C type of ship being produced in Vietnam totally indigenously.

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I know you have say Vietnam buying from Russia because no one else would sell to them. My point is... that is pretty much the same as what happen to China some time back. And also at that time, China's R&D is not really rosy, she started off with almost nothing too.

Vietnam as of now, might still seemed poor and backward, but that was the same as what happen in China. China did have an economy boom soon and had become the biggest contract manufacture nation in the world, that is where the money start pouring into the economy and those money could fund for better R&D.

Vietnam is following that route, now we see many stuff actually manufactured in Vietnam. Who is to say that Vietnam will not become the second China 20years down the route or 50 years down the road?

True not much fruits had been seen today in Vietnam in regards for their homegrown weapon industries, but to think that they only buy would not be too accurate. Also I believe you mentioned something about India being a pure buyer and user would also be not too accurate. Note that T-50 is a joint R&D between India and Russia, same goes for some missiles systems, not to mention the Su-30MKI are running on Indian software. Also India is making progress in Naval development... plus the Indian puts satellites into the orbit, they have their own missiles R&D, etc etc.

Vietnam might also go that route. Buy first till they are good enough to produce.