Latest news with #militarymodernisation
South China Morning Post
19-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Indonesia steps up defence buys, reflecting Prabowo's military modernisation aim
Indonesia 's recent signing of several defence acquisition agreements has shed light on its desire to accelerate military modernisation, but its ability to finance and maintain new systems amid economic challenges has come under scrutiny by observers. Last week, Turkey and Indonesia sealed an agreement for the sale of 48 units of the fifth-generation Kaan fighter aircraft during the INDO Defence 2025 exhibition held in Indonesia. The deal, which will make Indonesia the first buyer of Ankara's home-grown aircraft, was announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on June 11, in a post on X. Valued at about US$10 billion, the deal includes the production and delivery of the advanced aircraft to Indonesia over a 10-year period, according to the Turkish Anadolu Agency. Kaan is a fifth-generation warplane that Turkey has worked on for almost a decade. First unveiled in 2023, the jet performed its maiden test flight last year. Last month, France and Indonesia signed a defence agreement covering new orders of French military equipment, including Rafale fighter jets and Scorpène submarines, French President Emmanuel Macron said on May 28 during a visit to Jakarta.
South China Morning Post
12-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Massed drone deployments part of military modernisation: China's PLA Daily
China's military mouthpiece has called for the large-scale and centralised deployment of unmanned combat forces at key locations to fully realise their potential in any future intelligent warfare, amid rising tensions with the US in the Indo-Pacific. Advertisement In an article published on Tuesday, the PLA Daily urged 'innovative' organisation and applications of unmanned systems , highlighting their 'decisive and dominant' role in future conflicts, including the capability to conduct close-range precision strikes. 'Driven by technologies such as autonomous unmanned systems and advanced networks, unmanned combat innovation is undergoing dramatic transformation,' the article said. 'We must move beyond traditional thinking, abandon the conventional use of unmanned systems as merely auxiliary forces, and develop a new operational theory centred on their large-scale, centralised deployment.' Citing Russia and Ukraine's efforts to build unmanned systems forces, as well as the US Defence Department's Replicator initiative – which aims to field thousands of unmanned systems across air, land, sea, and space within the next two years – the PLA Daily argued that the idea of massed deployment of unmanned systems had become a 'consensus' in military modernisation. Advertisement 'The next phase of competition will focus on which side can rapidly concentrate the necessary systems and personnel, pioneer new models of organisation and deployment, and lead the way in building an unmanned force with cutting-edge technology and tactics,' it said. US-China competition in UAVs and unmanned systems is a key front in their intensifying strategic and technological rivalry, particularly amid the rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Pakistan upgrading nukes with Chinese support, US warns
Pakistan is upgrading its nuclear arsenal with Chinese support and sees India as an 'existential threat ', a US report has said. In its worldwide threat assessment report for 2025, the US Defence Intelligence Agency predicted that nuclear modernisation would be a top priority for Pakistan's military during the next year. The report said: 'Pakistan regards India as an existential threat and will continue to pursue its military modernisation effort, including the development of battlefield nuclear weapons, to offset India's conventional military advantage.' It suggested Islamabad was not only upgrading and securing its arsenal but also 'almost certainly' procuring weapons of mass destruction (WMD). 'Pakistan is modernising its nuclear arsenal and maintaining the security of its nuclear materials and nuclear command and control. Pakistan almost certainly procures WMD-applicable goods from foreign suppliers and intermediaries,' it said. Chinese largesse Pakistan is a recipient of China's economic and military largesse, and the two nations carry out joint military exercises, including an air exercise in November last year. 'Foreign materials and technology supporting Pakistan's WMD programs are very likely acquired primarily from suppliers in China, and sometimes are trans-shipped through Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates,' said the report. India considers China its 'primary adversary,' and Pakistan, its neighbour, more of an 'ancillary security problem', the report said. It added that India had modernised its military last year, testing the nuclear-capable developmental Agni-I Prime MRBM (medium-range ballistic missile) and the Agni-V multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle. India also commissioned a second nuclear-powered submarine to strengthen its nuclear triad and bolster its ability to deter adversaries. Last week, the Indian government claimed China had helped move satellites and recalibrate air defence systems before Pakistan shot down Indian fighter jets during their recent military clashes. According to Ashok Kumar, the director general of the New Delhi-based Centre For Joint Warfare Studies, China worked with Pakistan to reorganise its radar and air defence systems to track troop deployments and aerial movements by India. Mr Kumar, whose research group operates under the Indian Ministry of Defence, said Chinese military advisers helped Pakistan realign its satellite coverage over India as the two neighbouring state clashed after the April 22 terror attack. On that day, 26 tourists were killed at Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan and accused it of backing cross-border terrorism. Pakistan denied any involvement and called for an international investigation. Between May 7 and 10, the neighbouring states launched attacks involving supersonic missiles and drones on each other's territory. Pakistan said it shot down six Indian warplanes, including three French-made Rafales. India has not commented on the specific losses. Dozens of civilians were killed in the attacks, mostly in Kashmir, which is divided between the two nations. Hours after the initial Indian military strikes on May 7, Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's foreign minister, told parliament that Islamabad had used Chinese jets, including J-10C, against India. Mr Dar said the Chinese ambassador had been called to his office to discuss the deployment. Pakistan also used a Chinese-made PL-15 missile, which has never been used in combat before. Its use raised concerns among Beijing's rivals, including Taiwan. China's government has not commented on the use of its equipment. Donald Trump, the US president, surprised many by announcing a ' full and immediate ceasefire ' on May 10, which appears to be holding.
South China Morning Post
13-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
India seeks deeper defence ties with Japan amid push for strategic self-reliance
India is seeking to deepen defence cooperation with Japan as both nations pursue military modernisation and aim to reduce dependence on traditional arms suppliers – a strategic alignment analysts say reflects shared regional concerns and a growing appetite for co-developing advanced technologies. Advertisement Earlier this month, both countries agreed to set up a new bilateral defence consultation framework, with Japanese media reporting that Tokyo had offered to help India develop fighter jets and tanks, including through potential exports of engines and other key components. The timing of the initiative comes as India reassesses its defence priorities following its most serious military confrontation with Pakistan in two decades – a crisis sparked by a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists on April 22. New Delhi blamed the assault on Islamabad and responded with missile strikes on what it described as 'terrorist camps' in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, prompting retaliatory attacks and bringing the two nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of full-scale war. The stand-off ended in a fragile ceasefire over the weekend but has intensified calls within India for greater security self-reliance and enhanced deterrence capabilities. After India and Pakistan trade blows over Kashmir, will their ceasefire hold? After India and Pakistan trade blows over Kashmir, will their ceasefire hold? Although Japan is unlikely to be directly involved in any future hostilities between India and Pakistan, it could play a critical role in helping India prevent and respond to security threats, according to Dattesh Parulekar, assistant professor at Goa University's School of International and Area Studies.
