China confirmed its new Y-20B heavy transport aircraft can be converted into an aerial refuelling tanker, potentially boosting PLA Air Force capacities deeper into the western Pacific.
During Pacific Fleet exercises in Russia's Far East, Forpost UAVs detected simulated enemy landing ships and transmitted coordinates for Oniks and Uran missile strikes.
A Centre for Strategic and International Studies report outlines strategies for the US and allies to threaten Chinese carriers, highlighting undersea vulnerabilities and submarine ambushes.
Three Chinese naval vessels and a Russian corvette completed a circumnavigation of the Japanese archipelago following a 17-day joint patrol, prompting concern from Tokyo.
Taiwan's defence ministry announced upcoming military drills will test the wartime relocation of weapons production lines and simulate PLA attack scenarios across the Taiwan Strait.
Japan's defence white paper highlights China's growing military capabilities in the western Pacific, while Tokyo pledges to enhance its own military strengths and monitoring systems, prompting Beijing to accuse Japan of 'neo-militarism'
The Philippine Sea, traditionally seen as a gateway for US and allied forces defending Taiwan, is now viewed as a critical battleground. Experts suggest its strategic location could maximize carrier operations and establish a regional buffer against foreign maritime forces, potentially allowing China to intercept or deter enemy ships.
China confirmed a ballistic missile test from a nuclear-powered submarine in the western Pacific, highlighting its growing sea-based nuclear deterrent. The test draws attention to China's Julang (JL) missile family, a key part of its nuclear triad.
Western Europe, including Spain, Portugal, France, and the UK, is bracing for another heatwave with temperatures 10-15C above average, nearing 40C in some areas. Persistent warm nights pose health risks. Meanwhile, Super Typhoon Bavi is causing destruction in the North-Western Pacific with extreme winds and flooding.
China launched a missile from a nuclear-powered submarine in the Western Pacific as part of a routine test. The launch occurred during China's peak military exercise season, drawing notification from New Zealand and occurring shortly after Australia and Fiji announced a new military pact.
Super Typhoon Bavi is expected to make landfall early Monday in Guam and surrounding U.S. island territories, threatening an area still recovering from a previous storm. Residents are urged to take shelter as winds could reach 180 mph.
Super Typhoon Bavi is expected to make landfall early Monday in Guam and surrounding U.S. island territories, threatening an area still recovering from a previous storm. Residents are urged to take shelter as Bavi approaches with catastrophic winds.
Japan and South Korea scrambled fighter jets in response to a joint Russian-Chinese bomber patrol over the Sea of Japan, East China Sea, and western Pacific, marking the 11th such patrol since 2019.
China's Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group concluded a 40-day far-sea combat training in the South China Sea and western Pacific, demonstrating enhanced combat capability through new tactics, including coordination with an amphibious assault ship and land-based tanker aircraft.
China's CCTV reported that Japanese warships and aircraft repeatedly harassed and provoked Chinese naval assets during a 40-day exercise in the western Pacific and South China Sea. Japan has not yet responded to the accusations.
China has developed and is testing the world's first intelligent squid fishing robot. The smart machine mimics human movements to attract deep-water squid and can adapt its behavior based on how the creatures bite. It is currently undergoing sea trials aboard the Song Hang research vessel in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Japan and the Philippines have begun formal negotiations to delimit their maritime boundaries, a move that overlaps with Taiwan's exclusive economic zones and is viewed by Beijing as a challenge to its stance on Taiwan. Such bilateral agreements may lack legal weight for excluded claimants.
China's Liaoning carrier group and Anhui amphibious assault ship sailed into the Western Pacific for drills, signaling an accelerated build-up of "blue-water joint operational capability" and "area denial/anti-access" strategies. The exercises, timed near Taiwan's presidential inauguration anniversary and following high-level international meetings, aim to exert political pressure and demonstrate a shift from "near-sea defense" to "blue-water offense and defense."
China's Liaoning carrier group is conducting routine far-sea drills including flight training and live-fire exercises. Japan reported Chinese J-15 jets locked fire-control radar on Japanese F-15s near Okinawa.
A Chinese naval video titled Into The Deep, released to mark the 77th anniversary of the PLA Navy, has fueled speculation that China's next aircraft carrier will be nuclear-powered. The film featured officers named after China's three existing carriers – Liao Ning, Shan Dong, and Fu Jian – but a fourth character, 19-year-old recruit He Jian, prompted analyst speculation. The name He Jian combines characters sounding like 'nuclear' and 'ship', while the carrier is expected to have hull number 19.
PLA warships transited sensitive international waterways off southwestern Japan twice this week, a rare move seen as a clear warning to Tokyo over its recent actions relating to Taiwan. The transits marked the start and end of exercises in the western Pacific, outbound through the Yokoate Channel on Sunday and returning via the Yonaguni-Iriomote Waterway on Wednesday. This is the first publicly recorded instance of PLA warships operating in the waterway between Iriomote Island and Yonaguni, Japan's westernmost island just 110km from Taiwan.
