Latest news with #Sharman
NZ Herald
17-07-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
China's aircraft carriers push into waters long dominated by US
This was the first time that two Chinese carriers had ventured together past the 'first island chain' — the barrier of islands east of China that includes the Japanese island of Okinawa, where US Marines are based, and Taiwan — and towards Guam, a US military hub, said Christopher Sharman, the director of the China Maritime Studies Institute at the US Naval War College. Guam is part of what is called the 'second island chain,' which stretches from Tokyo to south of Palau. The Chinese naval activities near or past the second island chain signal that US forces 'operating in the vicinity of Guam could be at greater risk', Sharman said. 'These aircraft carrier operations are a harbinger of what is to come,' said Sharman, a former US Navy attache in Beijing. China 'wants its carriers to be capable of operating independently at remote locations from the mainland, in both peacetime and wartime,' he said. 'That means training for longer periods of time and at increasing distances from China.' China's Navy said last month that the two carriers and accompanying warships were practicing 'far-sea defence and joint operations'. The two carrier groups also squared off against each other in a simulated confrontation, said Xinhua, China's official news agency. Some jet fighters that took off from the carriers flew perilously close to Japanese surveillance aircraft, Japan's Defence Ministry said. The exercises were not just for show. Operating aircraft from carriers is demanding and risky, Sharman said. By training far out in the Pacific, the carriers and accompanying vessels gained 'valuable operating experience in unfamiliar waters, thereby providing the crew with skills that are applicable to future operations elsewhere in the world', he said. In the coming years, China may deploy aircraft carriers and accompanying naval vessels to bolster its claims in the South China Sea or in territorial disputes with South Korea or Japan. China could also send carriers to more distant parts of the world as a show of force to defend its economic and security interests. China has only one significant overseas military base, in Djibouti, but carriers give it 'the option of carrying out myriad aviation missions anywhere its navy sails', said Timothy Heath, a senior researcher at Rand, an organisation that provides analysis for the Pentagon and other clients. 'The most important routes are those to the Middle East along the Indian Ocean.' Still, the carriers are not a guarantee of Chinese regional maritime dominance. In a toe-to-toe confrontation between China and the US, each side's carriers could be vulnerable to the other's torpedoes or missiles. Given those risks, carriers may play a limited role, at least initially, in any potential clash over Taiwan, the self-governed island that China claims as its territory, several military experts said. And because Taiwan is close to mainland China's coast and its many air bases, the aircraft carriers would not be crucial for trying to dominate the skies in a war over the island, said Oriana Skylar Mastro, a fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University who studies Chinese military strategy. China could send its carriers farther out into the Pacific to fend off US forces steaming to Taiwan's aid, though the carriers would then be much more exposed to US attacks, Mastro said. But China could also deploy the carriers as part of an effort to choke Taiwan off from the world. 'Chinese aircraft carriers will be useful in imposing a blockade on Taiwan,' said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo who studies China's military. 'Aircraft carriers can [be used for surveillance over] large areas and put coercive pressure on both military and commercial ships and aircraft.' China now has three carriers, all running on diesel and generally less advanced than America's 11 nuclear-powered carriers. By 2040, China may have six carriers, according to US Navy estimates. China appears to be building a fourth carrier, which analysts say may use nuclear power. That would give it far greater range without the need to refuel. President Xi Jinping appears to have decided that the country must have more carriers, and other big military assets, to cement its position as a global power. After the two Chinese carriers finished training in the Pacific this month, one of them, the Shandong, docked in Hong Kong, and selected members of the public were allowed to tour the vessel. 'Politically, they are one of the ultimate status symbols for any country,' Heath said of aircraft carriers. China's enthusiastic publicity about the carrier manoeuvres in the Pacific indicated that its 'leadership highly values the political symbolism of owning such a powerful warship', Heath said. Decades ago, Chinese leaders had resisted acquiring aircraft carriers, deciding that they were too costly at a time when China's economy was much smaller. That began to change after 1996, when the US deployed two carrier battle groups to the waters near Taiwan to deter Beijing from further escalating tensions with the island. China had been firing ballistic missiles near Taiwan's main ports, hoping to scare voters inclined to support President Lee Teng-hui, who Beijing saw as pushing pro-independence policies. Two years after that crisis, a Chinese businessman bought a rusting, unfinished ex-Soviet carrier that was owned by Ukraine. China later bought and finished the ship, which debuted in 2012 as its first carrier, called the Liaoning. These days, budget limits are not such a worry for China's Navy. But its leaders are not rushing headlong into carrier expansion. The Shandong — China's second carrier and its first built at home — was launched in 2017. The latest, the Fujian, was launched in 2022 and has still not been placed into active service. The Fujian uses an electromagnetic catapult system to launch aircraft, which is more technically challenging than using a deck with a ski slope-like ramp, but makes it possible to fly heavier, better-armed planes. 'Chinese carrier operations are still in a rudimentary phase,' Michishita said. China, he said, is 'taking a steady step-by-step approach to improve their capabilities'. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Written by: Chris Buckley and Marco Hernandez ©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
China's aircraft carriers push into waters long dominated by US
As China girds for a deepening global rivalry with the United States, Beijing is testing how far its navy can operate from home, and how well its warships can work together on the open seas. In recent exercises involving two aircraft carriers, China gave a bold display of how it seeks to assert dominance in the western Pacific. From late May and for much of June in seas near Japan, the two Chinese carriers -- the Liaoning and the Shandong -- practiced takeoffs and landings of fighter jets and helicopters, as many as 90 or more times on some days, according to reports from the Japanese military's joint staff. Each carrier was protected by several warships. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Finance Healthcare others Project Management Product Management Public Policy Others Operations Management PGDM Leadership MBA Data Science Artificial Intelligence MCA Degree Digital Marketing Data Science Design Thinking healthcare CXO Cybersecurity Data Analytics Technology Management Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 Months IIM Calcutta SEPO - IIMC CFO India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Fintech & Blockchain India Starts on undefined Get Details The exercises, which caused Japan to express "serious concerns," were a template for how China could use a growing collection of aircraft carriers to project armed power into the Pacific and try to overawe Asian neighbors aligned with Washington. This was the first time that two Chinese carriers had ventured together past the "first island chain" -- the barrier of islands east of China that includes the Japanese island of Okinawa, where U.S. Marines are based, and Taiwan -- and toward Guam, a U.S. military hub, said Christopher Sharman, the director of the China Maritime Studies Institute at the U.S. Naval War College. Guam is part of what is called the "second island chain," which stretches from Tokyo to south of Palau. The Chinese naval activities near or past the second island chain signal that U.S. forces "operating in the vicinity of Guam could be at greater risk," Sharman said. Live Events "These aircraft carrier operations are a harbinger of what is to come," said Sharman, a former U.S. Navy attache in Beijing. China "wants its carriers to be capable of operating independently at remote locations from the mainland, in both peacetime and wartime," he said. "That means training for longer periods of time and at increasing distances from China." China's navy said last month that the two carriers and accompanying warships were practicing "far-sea defense and joint operations." The two carrier groups also squared off against each other in a simulated confrontation, said Xinhua, China's official news agency. Some jet fighters that took off from the carriers flew perilously close to Japanese surveillance aircraft, Japan's defense ministry said. The exercises were not just for show. Operating aircraft from carriers is demanding and risky, Sharman said. By training far out in the Pacific, the carriers and accompanying vessels gained "valuable operating experience in unfamiliar waters, thereby providing the crew with skills that are applicable to future operations elsewhere in the world," he said. In the coming years, China may deploy aircraft carriers and accompanying naval vessels to bolster its claims in the South China Sea or in territorial disputes with South Korea or Japan. China could also send carriers to more distant parts of the world as a show of force to defend its economic and security interests. China has only one significant overseas military base, in Djibouti, but carriers give it "the option of carrying out myriad aviation missions anywhere its navy sails," said Timothy R. Heath, a senior researcher at RAND , an organization that provides analysis for the Pentagon and other clients. "The most important routes are those to the Middle East along the Indian Ocean." Still, the carriers are not a guarantee of Chinese regional maritime dominance. In a toe-to-toe confrontation between China and the United States, each side's carriers could be vulnerable to the other's torpedoes or missiles. Given those risks, carriers may play a limited role, at least initially, in any potential clash over Taiwan, the self-governed island that China claims as its territory, several military experts said. And because Taiwan is close to mainland China's coast and its many air bases, the aircraft carriers would not be crucial for trying to dominate the skies in a war over the island, said Oriana Skylar Mastro , a fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University who studies Chinese military strategy. China could send its carriers farther out into the Pacific to fend off U.S. forces steaming to Taiwan's aid, though the carriers would then be much more exposed to U.S. attacks, Mastro said. But China could also deploy the carriers as part of an effort to choke Taiwan off from the world. "Chinese aircraft carriers will be useful in imposing a blockade on Taiwan," said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo who studies China's military. "Aircraft carriers can surveil large areas and put coercive pressure on both military and commercial ships and aircraft." China now has three carriers, all running on diesel and generally less advanced than the United States' 11 nuclear-powered carriers. By 2040, China may have six carriers, according to U.S. Navy estimates. China appears to be building a fourth carrier, which analysts say may use nuclear power. That would give it far greater range without the need to refuel. Xi Jinping, China's top leader, appears to have decided that the country must have more carriers, and other big military assets, to cement its position as a global power. After the two Chinese carriers finished training in the Pacific this month, one of them, the Shandong, docked in Hong Kong, and selected members of the public were allowed to tour the vessel. "Politically, they are one of the ultimate status symbols for any country," Heath said of aircraft carriers. China's enthusiastic publicity about the carrier maneuvers in the Pacific indicated that its "leadership highly values the political symbolism of owning such a powerful warship," Heath said. Decades ago, Chinese leaders had resisted acquiring aircraft carriers, deciding that they were too costly at a time when China's economy was much smaller. That began to change after 1996, when the United States deployed two carrier battle groups to the waters near Taiwan to deter Beijing from further escalating tensions with the island. China had been firing ballistic missiles near Taiwan's main ports, hoping to scare voters inclined to support President Lee Teng-hui, who Beijing saw as pushing pro-independence policies. Two years after that crisis, a Chinese businessman bought a rusting, unfinished ex-Soviet carrier that was owned by Ukraine. China later bought and finished the ship, which debuted in 2012 as its first carrier, called the Liaoning. These days, budget limits are not such a worry for China's navy. But its leaders are not rushing headlong into carrier expansion. The Shandong -- China's second carrier and its first built at home -- was launched in 2017. The latest, the Fujian, was launched in 2022 and has still not been placed into active service. The Fujian uses an electromagnetic catapult system to launch aircraft, which is more technically challenging than using a deck with a ski slope-like ramp, but makes it possible to fly heavier, better-armed planes. "Chinese carrier operations are still in a rudimentary phase," Michishita said. China, he said, is "taking a steady step-by-step approach to improve their capabilities." Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
USA Today
29-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Clemson baseball adds former Tennessee Vol in transfer portal
Per his social media Michael Sharman has committed to @ was a former Tennessee pitcher who pitched for a 3.18 ERA in 22.2 IP with 25 Ks. A few days after Clemson baseball coach Erik Bakich said that his team wasn't finished in the transfer portal, the Tigers added another arm to their 2026 pitching staff. Former Tennessee Volunteers pitcher Michael Sharman has committed to Clemson, he announced in a social media post to Instagram late Saturday. A 6-foot-1, 198-pound left-hander, Sharman spent one year with the Vols after transferring from the JUCO ranks at Georgia Highlands in 2024. A redshirt junior last season, he pitched in 17 games for Tony Vitello's club. In 22 2/3 innings, Sharman posted a 3-1 record with a 3.18 ERA. Sharman was used mostly in relief but made three starts in midweek games in 2025. He struck out 25 batters and walked 10 while holding opposing hitters to a .229 average. Sharman is the eighth player to commit to Clemson from the transfer portal since the Tigers' season ended with a 16-4 loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. He's the third pitcher to join the Tigers via the portal. Clemson's most recent additions in the portal were outfielder Nate Savoie from Loyola Marymount in the West Coast Conference on June 13, and Western Kentucky outfielder Ryan Wideman (June 11). Wideman was considered one of the best overall players available in the portal class. Here's a full list of players Clemson has added and lost in the transfer portal. Clemson baseball transfer portal tracker Additions: Transferred out: Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
USA Today
17-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Boston Celtics jersey history No. 21 - Bill Sharman (1951-61)
Boston Celtics jersey history No. 21 - Bill Sharman (1951-61) The Boston Celtics have had players suiting up in a total of 68 different jersey numbers (and have three others not part of any numerical series) since their founding at the dawn of the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- the league that would become today's NBA), worn by well over 500 players in the course of Celtics history. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Celtics Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. With 25 of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Celtics to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover. And for today's article, we will continue with the fifth of nine people to wear the No. 21, Hall of Fame Boston guard alum Bill Sharman. After ending his college career at USC, Sharman was picked up with the 17th overall selection of the 1950 NBA draft by the (defunct) Washington Capitols. The Abilene, Texas native would play the first season of his pro career with the Caps, coming to an end when he was dealt to the Celtics by way of the (then) Fort Wayne (now, Detroit) Pistons after Washington's dispersal draft when that team went under. His stay with the team would span the other 10 seasons of his 11-year NBA career, winning four titles with Boston among many accolades before retiring in 1961. All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
India.com
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet Prerna, daughter of Bollywood's villain Prem Chopra, stays away from limelight, as beautiful as any Bollywood actress, her husband is…
In the 1970s and 1980s, Bollywood had many villains who gained fame worldwide. One such name is actor Prem Chopra, whose dialogue 'Prem naam hai mera, Prem Chopra' still trends. He portrayed negative characters so convincingly that people were afraid of him even in real life. In 1969, he married Uma Chopra, the younger sister of Krishna Kapoor (wife of Raj Kapoor). The couple has three daughters: Rakita, Punita, and Prerna Chopra. Today, we are going to tell you about his younger daughter, Prerna, who remains in the limelight because of her husband. However, she does not like being in the spotlight. Prerna Chopra is married to famous Bollywood actor Sharman Joshi. The couple is living a happy life together. They got married in 2000. Their first meeting was during their college days, and it was love at first sight. At that time, Sharman was not a known face. Despite that, he and Prerna tied the knot. Prerna has often been seen with her husband at public events and has attended several film screenings. They have three children, a daughter and twin sons. It is said about Prerna looks after Sharman's work assignments. On the work front, Sharman Joshi was last seen in Sikandar, along with Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna. The movie was directed by AR Murugadoss and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. Made on a budget of Rs 200 crore, the movie only earned Rs 177 crore. Sharman's other big projects were 3 Idiots, Golmaal: Fun Unlimited, Life in a… Metro, Rang De Basanti, Mission Mangal to name a few.
