Tag - us-military

 
 

US MILITARY

WORLD
May 17, 2015
Raid on Islamic State group illustrates reach, limits of U.S. power
President Barack Obama's order for U.S. commandos to target an Islamic State commander in Syria was part of an evolving strategy to disrupt the militant group, which has proven resilient to airstrikes intended to break its grip on parts of the Middle East.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
May 16, 2015
South Korean spy agency under scrutiny after reporting execution by Pyongyang
The South Korean spy agency's assertion that North Korea purged its defense chief and executed him with anti-aircraft fire is one of its boldest claims ever and, given the agency's checkered history, has come under growing scrutiny.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
May 15, 2015
Okinawans march against U.S. bases on anniversary of sovereignty return
About 1,200 people marched in opposition to the presence of U.S. military bases in Okinawa on Friday as the prefecture marked the 43rd anniversary of its reversion to Japanese sovereignty.
EDITORIALS
May 15, 2015
Defense bills remain problematic
The Abe administration's legislative package to expand the SDF's role finally reaches the Diet — but still remains poorly explained.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 15, 2015
In Philippine bay, fear of China trumps fear of brothels
Once opposed to the prospect of a major naval base inside the Philippines' picturesque Ulugan Bay, fearing it would mean bars and brothels for visiting sailors, local residents now look forward to the arrival of American and other foreign warships.
EDITORIALS
May 14, 2015
Osprey deployment a risky move
Deploying Osprey aircraft at the Yokota base in Tokyo risks alienating the area's residents.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 14, 2015
Germany is Mercury, the U.S. is Mars
Washington has to realize that it is increasingly neglecting America's geoeconomic power in favor of its military dimension, at the cost of its influence.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 14, 2015
Russians quit army over Ukraine
Some Russian soldiers are quitting the army because of the conflict in Ukraine, several soldiers and human rights activists have told Reuters. Their accounts call into question the Kremlin's continued assertions that no Russian soldiers have been sent to Ukraine, and that any Russians fighting alongside...
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 13, 2015
U.S. may dispatch planes, ships near disputed South China Sea islands
The Pentagon is considering sending U.S. military aircraft and ships to assert freedom of navigation around rapidly growing Chinese-made artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, a U.S. official said Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 13, 2015
China developing key aircraft to build amphibious capabilities
Chinese researchers are getting closer to developing a military aircraft seen as key to building the country's amphibious capabilities, despite technical obstacles, state media reported on Wednesday.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 12, 2015
Hundreds of Russian soldiers killed in east Ukraine, opposition says
Moscow spent more than 53 billion rubles ($1.04 billion) supplying a separatist rebellion in east Ukraine and at least 220 Russian soldiers have been killed there, a report by Russian opposition activists said Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 12, 2015
New naval base off Philippines' west coast is military's 'top priority'
The Philippine military's top priority is to build a naval base on the country's western coastline, opposite the disputed Spratly islands, although the plans have been delayed by funding bottlenecks, the Philippine armed forces chief said in an interview.
JAPAN / Politics
May 9, 2015
Nakatani meets with Okinawa governor to discuss Futenma relocation plan
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on Saturday met with Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga over a controversial plan to relocate U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma within Okinawa Prefecture.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 9, 2015
China reserves right to create air zone over South China Sea
China says it reserves the right to establish an air defense identification zone over the South China Sea, a move that would raise tensions in a region racked by territorial disputes.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 9, 2015
U.S. report details China's work on anti-satellite weapons
China has the most rapidly growing space program in the world and continues to develop lasers, satellite jammers and other weapons aimed at the space-based assets of adversaries, a U.S. report said on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 9, 2015
Japan, Philippines to hold first naval drill in South China Sea: sources
Japan and the Philippines will hold their first joint naval drill this month in the South China Sea near a disputed shoal claimed by Beijing, sources in Tokyo and the Philippines said.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 9, 2015
Chinese advances threaten erosion of U.S. edge, Pentagon says
China's rapid military modernization "has the potential to reduce core U.S. military technological advantages," the Pentagon said in its annual report on that nation's military strategy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 8, 2015
We need to talk about Abe
Shinzo Abe is bent on making Japan a 'normal' country, but has he thought out the consequences of elevating the SDF to a full-fledged military?
Japan Times
WORLD
May 8, 2015
U.S. military in Jordan training first batch of Syrians on how to combat Islamic State
The United States has begun a long-awaited program to train Syrian fighters to go into combat against Islamic State, the Pentagon said on Thursday, deepening America's role in Syria's civil war after eight months of airstrikes against the Sunni militants.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 5, 2015
China's military says army has yet to fully embrace the rule of law
China's armed forces, the largest in the world, have yet to become a military that follows the law in full, its official newspaper said on Tuesday, underscoring the problem of rooting out deeply-rooted corruption.

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