India and France, partners since 1998, are enhancing their strategic alliance with a strong focus on defense and space. Recent agreements include a renewed 10-year defense cooperation, reciprocal officer deployments, and technology transfer for Rafale-M aircraft, signaling deeper institutional integration and industrial collaboration.
Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya condemned French-Polish joint air force exercises as highly provocative, noting they involve Rafale fighter jets practicing simulated nuclear strikes on Russian territory. The drills are scheduled over the Baltic Sea and northern Poland. Nebenzya also criticized France's president for announcing plans to expand France's nuclear arsenal.
China's first Type 076 amphibious assault ship Sichuan has set sail from Shanghai for sea trials in the South China Sea, the PLA Navy announced. The vessel, viewed as a key asset for potential Taiwan operations, will test multiple on-board systems. The trials occur in the same waters where the US, Philippines and Japan are conducting large-scale joint military exercises, and where the aircraft carrier Liaoning is also heading after transiting the Taiwan Strait.
China’s next-generation “drone-carrier” amphibious assault ship is en route to the South China Sea for critical sea trials, China’s military announced Tuesday, in the same waters where the US, the Philippines and Japan are conducting large-scale joint military exercises and the aircraft carrier Liaoning is apparently sailing to. “The Sichuan, our country’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, has set sail from Shanghai for relevant waters in the South China Sea to carry out scientific...
China warned the US, Philippines, and their military allies that conducting joint exercises in the Asia-Pacific region puts them in danger. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun said unilateral actions and military intimidation have brought disasters to the world, and that the region needs peace rather than external forces provoking division. Over 17,000 military personnel from the US, Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and France began joint Balikatan exercises in the Philippines on Monday.
