Beijing plans S. China Sea buildup after US warship makes second pass near island

– Asia Times – China toned down vitriolic rhetoric in response to the recent passage of a US warship near a disputed island in the South China Sea…But the restraint may come with a cost: China is now showing signs that the two warship visits are likely to speed up plans to militarize the South China Sea islands.

Hello sailor! Navy offers $50,000 per man in bid to keep sub fleet afloat

– Canberra Times – Sailors on Australia’s submarines will be given annual lump sum payments of up to $50,000 just for staying in their jobs as navy bosses grow increasingly desperate to keep crews on the boats.
The navy’s high command hopes the big money offer will end their long struggle to hold on to enough sailors to maintain Australia’s vital submarine warfare capability.

Sinking Enemy Warships: the U.S. Navy’s Fiery New Weapon

– National Interest – The United States Navy’s fleet of Aegis cruisers and destroyers are getting a massive boost in lethality. For years, many believed that America’s mighty surface combatants were on track to be outgunned by their Russian and Chinese counterparts—however, a newly unveiled modification to the Raytheon Standard SM-6 changes of all of that.

America’s Master Plan to Turn India Into an Aircraft Carrier Superpower

– National Interest – While certainly not a full-blown alliance, relations have grown to such an extent that U.S. defense officials seem willing to share some of their most prized military technologies with India. Indeed, the United States seems ready to share the very symbol of American power projection: the mighty aircraft carrier.

Reshape US Army, Asian Alliances To Deter China

– Breaking Defense – The US Army must play a larger role in the Pacific to deter China, one of DC’s leading defense experts is telling Congress today. That larger role requires politically and fiscally difficult decisions to build new kinds of units and base them in new places. The core of Krepinevich’s vision: Army missile batteries — for anti-air, anti-ship, missile defense, and long-range strike — regularly deploying to, or even permanently based in, West Pacific nations.

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Unready for War: America’s F-35 Gets a Bad Report Card

– National Interest – Last July, the United States Marine Corps declared their short takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) version of the stealthy Lockheed Martin F-35B Joint Strike Fighter operational. However, a new Pentagon operational test and evaluation report shows that the jet is far from ready. Even at the time, many had suspected that the service’s initial operational capability (IOC) was more hope than reality—now there is data to back that up.

Powers Jockey for Pacific Island Chain Influence

– Defense News – The extensive chains of Pacific islands ringing China have been described as a wall, a barrier to be breached by an attacker or strengthened by a defender. They are seen as springboards, potential bases for operations to attack or invade others in the region. In a territorial sense, they are benchmarks marking the extent of a country’s influence.