Tag - military

 
 

MILITARY

Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 25, 2016
MSDF spots China's first aircraft carrier sailing into the Pacific
The Maritime Self-Defense Force on Sunday morning spotted China's only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, cruising into the Western Pacific Ocean for the first time via the waterway between Okinawa and Miyakojima Island, the Defense Ministry said.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 25, 2016
Will Trump's foreign policy push Japan to go nuclear?
Japan is dancing with the devil in thinking of an arms race or the nuclear option to make up for lack of Donald Trump's support.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 25, 2016
Russian jets step up raids on rebel-held Idlib and rural Aleppo in Syria
Russian jets stepped up strikes on several towns in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province and rural Aleppo two days after the evacuation of rebels from their last pocket in the northern city of Aleppo, rebels and residents said on Saturday.
WORLD
Dec 22, 2016
Drones from U.S. disappoint Ukraine at the front lines
Millions of dollars' worth of U.S.-supplied drones that Kiev had hoped would help in its war against Russian-backed separatists have proven ineffective against jamming and hacking, Ukrainian officials say.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 22, 2016
Kadena base collision rated as 'Class A' severe mishap
A collision between a U.S. anti-submarine surveillance aircraft and a towing vehicle at a U.S. military base in Okinawa on Sunday has been classified as a severe "Class A" mishap, according to data released by the U.S. Naval Safety Center.
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 21, 2016
China tightens financial oversight on military after scandals
China's military will tighten financial oversight with revised auditing rules coming into effect from Jan. 1, meaning all the armed force's financial dealings will have to be audited, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday after several scandals.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 21, 2016
China uses island-building skills to develop Duterte's backyard
Among the first to gain from Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's China pivot could be the people who live on rickety wooden stilt-houses in a waterlogged area of his hometown of Davao City.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Dec 21, 2016
Turkey's Erdogan seeks ever-greater powers, citing threats from terrorists, separatists and Gulenists
The motives behind Turkey's worst wave of violence in decades are varied. On Saturday, a bus carrying soldiers was blown up. On Monday, Russia's ambassador was shot dead near the parliament building. The building itself had been bombed by warplanes during July's botched coup.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 20, 2016
Japan's top court rules in favor of U.S. base relocation within Okinawa
The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in favor of the central government in its dispute with Okinawa over the Futenma base relocation, likely allowing the controversial construction plan to resume.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 20, 2016
China returns seized U.S. drone at center of diplomatic row
Beijing has returned a U.S. underwater drone seized last week in the South China Sea by a Chinese Navy vessel after "friendly" talks between the two countries, China's Defense Ministry said in a short statement posted to its website Tuesday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 20, 2016
Beijing offers $14 million arms package to the Manila, Philippine defense chief says
China has offered to provide $14 million worth of small arms and fast boats to the Philippines for free, aiding President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs and fighting terrorism, Manila's defense minister said Tuesday.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Dec 20, 2016
Putin's oil and gas deals magnify military power in Middle East
After reinventing itself as a major power in the Middle East by force in Syria, Russia is now using its other strong suit, energy, to expand its influence across the region.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Dec 20, 2016
Undersea arms race: Seizure of U.S. drone shines spotlight on China's nuclear submarine strategy
With its controversial seizure and return of a U.S. underwater drone, Beijing may have inadvertently thrust into the spotlight one of the main motivations behind its ramped-up moves in the South China Sea: the quest to create a safe-haven for its sea-based nuclear deterrent.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2016
China says it will return seized U.S. undersea drone but accuses Washington of hyping incident
China will return a U.S. drone that was scooped up by its navy in the disputed South China Sea, both countries confirmed Saturday as the row drew in U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
JAPAN
Dec 17, 2016
Japan and South Korea swap intelligence on North Korean threats for the first time
Japan and South Korea have exchanged information on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs for the first time since they inked a military intelligence-sharing pact last month, the South's Defense Ministry has announced.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 17, 2016
Beijing throws down the gauntlet, seizes U.S. undersea drone in South China Sea
China's navy has seized a U.S. underwater survey drone in international waters in the South China Sea, prompting a formal diplomatic protest and a demand for its return Friday, in a confrontation likely to exacerbate already rising tensions.
JAPAN
Dec 17, 2016
Top MSDF officer admonished for meddling in helicopter procurement process
The Defense Ministry has said it admonished Adm. Tomohisa Takei, the Maritime Self-Defense Force chief of staff, for undermining — through "thoughtless" remarks to subordinates — the procurement process for new helicopters.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 16, 2016
China's Liaoning aircraft carrier conducts first ever live-fire drill as Beijing shows off military might
China's first and only aircraft carrier battle group has carried out its first-ever live-fire drills — a show of force amid ongoing tensions in the region — the Defense Ministry announced late Thursday.
JAPAN
Dec 15, 2016
South Korea to hold military exercise on disputed Takeshima islets next week
South Korea plans to hold military exercises next week on and around a pair of disputed islets in the Sea of Japan, the Yonhap news agency reported Thursday, citing an unidentified South Korean government source.
EDITORIALS
Dec 15, 2016
Air base noise pollution problem
A Supreme Court decision is likely to set precedents against lower courts granting compensation for problems caused by the operation of military aircraft.

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals