https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/522320/feed The US military, a governmental body, is the armed forces of the United States, headquartered at The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Its primary mission is to deter war, ensure national security, and defend the US Constitution and national interests. Comprising the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard, its activities span land, sea, air, and space operations. Beyond combat, it undertakes humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and law enforcement. Recognised as the... en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Albert Bakhtizin Albert Bakhtizin As turbulence grows in many countries, it is tempting to ask if there is a global hegemon that can sort everything out fairly. US President Donald Trump has threatened that his country would not defend Nato allies if they failed to spend enough on their defence. Together with new trade barriers, his words suggest that the US is scaling back its ambitions for global leadership and concentrating more on its own region. Our latest projections of national strength for 2027 take into account... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371409/can-china-turn-national-power-world-leadership https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3371409/can-china-turn-national-power-world-leadership Wed, 21 Oct 2026 08:30:10 +0000 Reuters Reuters US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that decisions regarding Ukraine’s access to Starlink were up to SpaceX and Elon Musk, not the White House, comments that suggested ‌Musk may have restricted Kyiv’s access to the service. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Musk had ordered the slowdown of a military-grade version of Starlink that Ukraine relies on to defend itself against missile attacks from Russia. The Journal cited one source saying that Musk, President Donald... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3371563/musk-ordered-slowdown-starlink-service-ukraine-military-relies-report-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3371563/musk-ordered-slowdown-starlink-service-ukraine-military-relies-report-says Tue, 20 Oct 2026 22:49:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press British police said on Tuesday that they had rearrested two men on suspicion of assisting Iran’s intelligence service in a suspected plot at a US-run airbase in England last month. Counter Terrorism Policing said the men, a 24-year-old British national and a 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national, were arrested under the National Security Act. One of the suspects was first arrested on September 27, when the suspected plot against the US-run base at RAF Fairford took place. The airbase in western... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371559/uk-rearrests-duo-suspicion-aiding-iran-alleged-plot-us-run-airbase https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3371559/uk-rearrests-duo-suspicion-aiding-iran-alleged-plot-us-run-airbase Tue, 20 Oct 2026 17:49:08 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Zhang Tong Lucy Quaggin,Zhang Tong The United States is lulling itself into a “sense of false security” over its military rivalry with China, according to a Republican senator who called for more spending on modern warfare systems and closer cooperation with allies. Speaking at the Hudson Institute after a recent trip to Japan and South Korea, Dave McCormick, a Pennsylvania senator and West Point graduate, claimed up to 90 per cent of US defence spending funded decades-old equipment and technologies. “We convince ourselves; we... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371555/china-close-matching-us-spending-new-way-war-republican-senator-warns https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3371555/china-close-matching-us-spending-new-way-war-republican-senator-warns Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:12:30 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Senior US commanders have highlighted the importance of land-based troops and equipment stationed in the Asia-Pacific in any conflict with China, countering assumptions that such a war would be fought mainly at sea and in the air. General Ron Clark, commander of US Army Pacific, said the “tyranny of distance” made it difficult to rely on air and naval forces during a panel discussion at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting this week. The comments reflect mounting concerns... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3371267/how-land-power-could-help-us-forces-counter-china-indo-pacific https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3371267/how-land-power-could-help-us-forces-counter-china-indo-pacific Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:00:10 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump on Thursday cancelled plans to live-stream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, reversing a Pentagon initiative that drew political and religious criticism. Trump said Hasan’s execution by firing squad would proceed as scheduled, but would not be broadcast. The Pentagon has set the execution for December 3. “He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Hasan, a former US Army... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3371056/trump-cancels-planned-pentagon-live-stream-fort-hood-shooters-firing-squad-execution https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3371056/trump-cancels-planned-pentagon-live-stream-fort-hood-shooters-firing-squad-execution Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:50:07 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has called a nearly US$1.5 trillion defence budget request “absolutely critical”, warning that whoever falls behind in autonomy, robotics and AI will fall “even further behind” as Washington eyes China’s rapid military modernisation. Speaking at a panel discussion during the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition on Wednesday, Hegseth said that Project Agincourt, the Pentagon’s initiative to accelerate drone and autonomous... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/politics/article/3370924/hegseth-calls-us15-trillion-defence-budget-critical-counter-china https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/politics/article/3370924/hegseth-calls-us15-trillion-defence-budget-critical-counter-china Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:45:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Tech billionaire Elon Musk called on Wednesday for Volodymyr Zelensky to “go” as Ukraine’s leader, after insisting any disruption to the war-torn country’s use of his satellite communications system was the fault of the US government, not his company. The comments came as Kyiv raised doubts over US support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, accusing Washington this week of helping Moscow by failing to warn it of incoming missile strikes and hobbling Kyiv’s military response through changes to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3370923/musk-suggests-us-government-behind-any-slowdown-ukraines-starshield https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3370923/musk-suggests-us-government-behind-any-slowdown-ukraines-starshield Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:29:05 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez The United States Army has launched a new task force aimed at countering Chinese efforts to block American and allied warships and aircraft in a potential conflict. The 4th Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) – established at Fort Carson, Colorado on October 8 – is the latest addition to a series of specialised formations developed for operations in the western Pacific. Those formations were earlier activated in Washington state, Germany and Hawaii. The new unit includes nearly 2,100 soldiers and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370865/how-new-us-army-unit-could-challenge-plas-area-denial-strategy-taiwan-conflict https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370865/how-new-us-army-unit-could-challenge-plas-area-denial-strategy-taiwan-conflict Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:00:06 +0000 Albee Zhang Albee Zhang For nearly five decades, the United States’ Taiwan policy has centred on strategic ambiguity by not declaring whether it would intervene militarily in a potential Taiwan conflict. This policy – designed to deter Beijing from using force while preventing Taipei from formally declaring independence – is being challenged by realist US strategists amid a broader debate over America’s role in the world, growing constraints on US military might and a shifting regional balance of power driven by... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370765/best-time-us-strategists-push-abandoning-ambiguity-taiwan https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370765/best-time-us-strategists-push-abandoning-ambiguity-taiwan Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:00:06 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi As missiles and drones take a bigger role in modern warfare, major defence contractors gathered in Washington this week to showcase their latest advances in the technologies – and systems to counter them. The three-day Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition, which opened on Monday, is one of the largest ground-based weapons shows in the US. This year there was a strong emphasis on air and missile defence systems, reflecting growing concern about how to counter... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/science-technology/article/3370663/systems-counter-missiles-and-drones-take-centre-stage-us-defence-expo https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/science-technology/article/3370663/systems-counter-missiles-and-drones-take-centre-stage-us-defence-expo Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Reuters Reuters Catholics serving in the US Army should not take part in the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan that the Pentagon is planning to live stream on December 3, a prominent US archbishop said on Monday. In an unusually strongly worded statement, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees the spiritual care of ‌Catholic members of the US armed forces, raised a series of objections to the unprecedented plan to broadcast the execution of Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370649/catholics-us-army-must-not-take-part-firing-squad-armed-forces-archbishop-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370649/catholics-us-army-must-not-take-part-firing-squad-armed-forces-archbishop-says Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:41:13 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez The US Navy aims to field a relatively low-cost hypersonic missile on its carrier-based fighters, a weapon that could pose a new challenge to the air defences protecting Chinese warships and coastal military installations, experts said. California-based defence company Castelion’s Blackbeard is designed to fly at more than five times the speed of sound and strike ships and land targets. Unlike more expensive hypersonic weapons, it is being developed with an emphasis on affordability and mass... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370598/us-turns-low-cost-blackbeard-hypersonic-missiles-overwhelm-chinese-defences https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3370598/us-turns-low-cost-blackbeard-hypersonic-missiles-overwhelm-chinese-defences Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:19 +0000 Gaurav Kumar Gaurav Kumar Chinese President Xi Jinping has met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi three times in the past three years. Indian pilgrims are back at Kailash, the Tibetan mountain sacred to Hindus and Buddhists. Air China has restarted flights to New Delhi. But can trust grow between two armies that meet only in a crisis? And why does the Pentagon now talk to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) more easily than India’s army does? In September, Xi made his first visit to India in nearly seven years; Beijing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370226/despite-china-india-thaw-military-relations-are-stuck-2020 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3370226/despite-china-india-thaw-military-relations-are-stuck-2020 Sun, 11 Oct 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A top Trump administration official said on Sunday that the planned live-stream execution of the perpetrator of a mass killing of US soldiers would not pose an additional security risk to the United States. “I don’t see an elevated risk at this point at all because of this,” US Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin told CBS News’ Face the Nation, when asked if it risked turning the perpetrator into a martyr for his cause. “I think people need to understand … if you attack America, we will... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370516/us-homeland-security-chief-dismisses-security-threat-live-streaming-execution https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370516/us-homeland-security-chief-dismisses-security-threat-live-streaming-execution Sun, 11 Oct 2026 20:10:32 +0000 Patrick Mendis Patrick Mendis As Russian President Vladimir Putin watched the final stage of the massive Tsentr-2026 military exercise in the Urals recently, Chinese troops were training alongside forces from Russia, Belarus and other countries. More than 47,000 military personnel joined the exercise, which incorporated lessons from the war in Ukraine. The symbolism extends beyond Chelyabinsk. From Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Chinese military exercises with Belarus – and now China’s participation alongside Russian and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370030/us-japan-poland-strategic-triangle-can-encourage-peaceful-war https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3370030/us-japan-poland-strategic-triangle-can-encourage-peaceful-war Fri, 09 Oct 2026 08:30:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters The US will live-stream the US Army’s coming firing squad execution of a gunman who killed 13 people at the Fort Hood military base in 2009, the Pentagon said, in what would be an unprecedented broadcast of a US execution. Nidal Hasan, a former US Army psychiatrist, is set to become the first person to be executed by firing squad by the US military since 1945. The execution is scheduled for December 3 at the same sprawling Texas base where Hasan opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun in ‌a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370245/us-live-stream-firing-squad-execution-military-base-shooter-nidal-hasan https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370245/us-live-stream-firing-squad-execution-military-base-shooter-nidal-hasan Thu, 08 Oct 2026 22:05:41 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The Pentagon announced on Thursday a new multimillion-dollar initiative for “maintaining American leadership” in quantum computing capabilities amid accelerating competition between the US and China over the military application of advanced technology. In a press release, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Research and Engineering, which serves as the US Department of Defence’s chief technology adviser, announced that the new initiative, worth around US$350 million, is aimed at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/science-technology/article/3370243/pentagon-unveils-us350-million-quantum-computing-push-china-rivalry-grows https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/science-technology/article/3370243/pentagon-unveils-us350-million-quantum-computing-push-china-rivalry-grows Thu, 08 Oct 2026 21:33:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters US prosecutors on Thursday charged ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores with conspiring to torture political opponents and American citizens, adding to the drug trafficking case the couple already faced. Separately, US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case, denied a request by Flores to be released from jail due to health concerns ahead of a trial scheduled for next year. Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, were captured on January 3 in their... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370241/venezuelas-maduro-and-wife-flores-tortured-us-citizens-stay-power-us-prosecutors https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370241/venezuelas-maduro-and-wife-flores-tortured-us-citizens-stay-power-us-prosecutors Thu, 08 Oct 2026 20:10:26 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thousands of emotional reunions unfolded Thursday as the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose lengthy deployment in the Gulf supporting President Donald Trump’s war on Iran sparked fears for its crew’s welfare, arrived back in its home port. Families of servicemen and women had lined the quayside in San Diego, California, for hours, waiting to welcome loved ones they have not seen for almost a year. There were tears of joy as more than 100 new dads met their babies for the first time, or fathers were... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370240/long-deployed-uss-abraham-lincoln-returns-home-san-diego-middle-east https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3370240/long-deployed-uss-abraham-lincoln-returns-home-san-diego-middle-east Thu, 08 Oct 2026 19:21:32 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi Washington’s policy towards Taiwan is increasingly tied to its relationship with Beijing, according to former American officials who also warn that the war on Iran is weakening US military readiness for a potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait. During a fireside chat in an annual symposium hosted by the Global Taiwan Institute in Washington on Wednesday, Brent Christensen, former director of the Taipei Office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), said Washington’s policy towards the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3370204/washingtons-transactional-taiwan-policy-puts-indo-pacific-risk-ex-us-officials-warn https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3370204/washingtons-transactional-taiwan-policy-puts-indo-pacific-risk-ex-us-officials-warn Thu, 08 Oct 2026 15:00:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are expected to face new criminal charges ‌in the United States over allegations that Americans detained in Venezuela were tortured, a US official said on Wednesday. The new charges could come as soon as Thursday, according to the official, who was briefed on the investigation. Maduro, who led Venezuela for 13 years, and Flores were captured by the US military from their home in Caracas on January 3 and brought to New York ⁠to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370104/venezuelas-maduro-face-new-us-charges-over-alleged-torture-americans-official-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3370104/venezuelas-maduro-face-new-us-charges-over-alleged-torture-americans-official-says Wed, 07 Oct 2026 20:58:12 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow US F-35 stealth fighters have joined Indian warplanes for military exercises near the Pakistan border in recent days, marking the first time America’s most advanced multirole combat aircraft has taken part in joint drills in India. The US jets’ participation in the drills “signals a degree of military confidence and interoperability that is difficult to manufacture through communiques”, Sushant Singh, a South Asian studies lecturer at Yale University and former Indian Army officer, told This... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369870/india-sizes-us-f-35-stealth-jets-landmark-first-home-turf https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369870/india-sizes-us-f-35-stealth-jets-landmark-first-home-turf Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:47:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, a US Army psychiatrist who shot dead 13 people at a military base in 2009, the Pentagon said on Monday. Hasan’s execution for the attack at Fort Hood in Texas – which also wounded more than two dozen people – will be the first carried out by the US military since 1961. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth “has recommended – and President Donald J. Trump has approved – death by U.S. Army firing squad for convicted... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369851/trump-approves-firing-squad-execution-us-military-base-shooter-nidal-hasan https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369851/trump-approves-firing-squad-execution-us-military-base-shooter-nidal-hasan Tue, 06 Oct 2026 02:17:38 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall The alleged murder of an Okinawan woman by a US marine has raised questions over the American military presence on the island, piling pressure on its newly elected governor just as the prefecture assumes greater importance in Japan’s regional security strategy. Anna Yagi, 39, was found dead at a hotel in Naha in the early hours of Saturday morning. A postmortem determined she died from suffocation. The killing sparked protests the following day, with around 100 people rallying outside the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369802/marines-arrest-murder-japan-fuels-anger-over-us-military-presence https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3369802/marines-arrest-murder-japan-fuels-anger-over-us-military-presence Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump said on Monday that a threat linked to Iran ⁠had prompted the removal of American B-1 bombers from a British airbase. The planes had been stationed at RAF Fairford, the preferred European base for US bombers, and had recently been used in US strikes on Iran. Last week, five British men were arrested near the base – which Iran’s Revolutionary Guards previously said was a legitimate target – on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. “We had an idea that there might be a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369843/us-bombers-moved-uk-airbase-due-iran-linked-threats-trump-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/europe/article/3369843/us-bombers-moved-uk-airbase-due-iran-linked-threats-trump-says Mon, 05 Oct 2026 21:40:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Iran’s top diplomat insisted on Sunday that there would be no military solution to the United States’ war against the Islamic republic, with talks on ending the conflict apparently at an impasse. A campaign of heavy bombardment failed to bring a decisive close to the war launched by the US and Israel in late February, and Washington in recent weeks has dialled back military operations in favour of economic pressure. The main point of contention remains Iran’s attempt to blockade the Strait of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369731/iran-tells-us-there-no-military-solution-middle-east-war https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369731/iran-tells-us-there-no-military-solution-middle-east-war Sun, 04 Oct 2026 19:44:29 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi The US has conducted a non-nuclear underground experiment to enhance its ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions that it explicitly linked with a test that Washington suspects China carried out in 2020 – an accusation Beijing denies. The US Department of Energy announced on Wednesday that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) conducted a “subsurface, non-nuclear chemical high-explosive” experiment at the Nevada National Security Site, which it said aimed to “increase the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369638/us-blast-simulation-targets-chinas-alleged-secret-nuclear-testing https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3369638/us-blast-simulation-targets-chinas-alleged-secret-nuclear-testing Fri, 02 Oct 2026 22:38:41 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen A potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait could see crossfire exchanged between two mobile rocket systems: the US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars), and its mainland Chinese counterpart, the PHL-16, also known as the PCL-191. Taiwan is set to receive all 29 Himars systems from its initial orders by the end of this year, with another 82 systems approved for purchase in a follow-on deal, bringing the planned total to 111. This does not include the US military’s Himars systems... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369442/why-us-himars-missile-shortfalls-raise-stakes-potential-taiwan-strait-conflict https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369442/why-us-himars-missile-shortfalls-raise-stakes-potential-taiwan-strait-conflict Thu, 01 Oct 2026 14:00:31 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez Washington is “not too far away” from a production line for its F-47 sixth-generation fighter, a senior US Air Force official has said, as China presses ahead with flight-testing two different next-generation combat aircraft of its own. During a virtual event hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies on Monday, Brigadier General Timothy Helfrich, the service’s portfolio acquisition executive for fighters and advanced aircraft, said the F-47 would be “the world’s first... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369429/us-says-f-47-will-be-first-sixth-gen-jet-chinas-j-36-and-j-50-are-already-flying https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369429/us-says-f-47-will-be-first-sixth-gen-jet-chinas-j-36-and-j-50-are-already-flying Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:30:16 +0000 Zhou Bo Zhou Bo When the US Space Force announced on September 14 that “the US has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action”, I thought of Isaac Newton’s well-known declaration that he could not calculate the madness of people. This is the first time a country has admitted to deploying weapons in space. Today, the orbits are congested and contested with many nations conducting military activities, such as surveillance and reconnaissance, early missile... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3369204/whatever-trump-claims-weaponisation-space-makes-losers-us-all https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/world-opinion/article/3369204/whatever-trump-claims-weaponisation-space-makes-losers-us-all Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday that the United States has slashed the number of its generals and admirals by 20 per cent, in a move he said is aimed at “accountability”. Hegseth suggested the cuts targeted officers who failed to get on board with his efforts to ensure the military is focused on war-fighting rather than the “woke” policies of previous administrations, describing the reductions as an “accomplishment”. “The number-crunchers say we fired 10 per cent of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369394/trump-defence-chief-says-us-slashed-number-generals-and-admirals-20 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369394/trump-defence-chief-says-us-slashed-number-generals-and-admirals-20 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 21:42:41 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Pentagon has chosen Boeing to build the US Navy’s next-generation fighter jets in a contract valued at US$20 billion, officials announced Tuesday. The contract is to produce F/A-XX aircraft or “strike fighters” under the “Next Generation Air Dominance Program,” a Pentagon statement said, adding that the new jets would replace the legacy Super Hornets fleet beginning in the 2030s. The announcement marks the second time Boeing has been selected by the Pentagon during the second Trump... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369281/pentagon-picks-boeing-build-new-carrier-fighter-jet-replace-f/18 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3369281/pentagon-picks-boeing-build-new-carrier-fighter-jet-replace-f/18 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 03:52:10 +0000 Gabriel Dominguez Gabriel Dominguez The US Navy has set up a dedicated command to turn its growing array of aerial, surface and underwater drones into an integrated fighting force – a capability US commanders have linked to disrupting a PLA attack on Taiwan. The Robotic and Autonomous Systems Warfighting Development Centre, formally established on September 24 in Virginia, will develop doctrine and tactics for unmanned systems, train sailors to use them, and test whether they can keep operating under realistic conditions. In a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369223/us-navy-launches-drone-command-could-reshape-taiwan-war-planning https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3369223/us-navy-launches-drone-command-could-reshape-taiwan-war-planning Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters US forces are set ⁠to pull out from their last bases in Iraq by Wednesday, a departure celebrated as a victory by Iran and its allies who now have deep influence in the country where 4,500 Americans died during more than two decades of war. Iraqi security experts say the withdrawal – agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden and carried out by Donald Trump’s administration even as it wages war against Iran – could give Tehran and its powerful allies free rein, while also allowing other US enemies... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369168/us-forces-set-complete-withdrawal-iraq-after-2-decades https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3369168/us-forces-set-complete-withdrawal-iraq-after-2-decades Tue, 29 Sep 2026 07:03:10 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado China and the United States have agreed to pursue a new military crisis-communication pact following the summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, according to Beijing, potentially giving commanders another mechanism for managing dangerous encounters across the Indo-Pacific. China’s foreign ministry said on Saturday that the two militaries had agreed to conclude a memorandum of understanding on “crisis communication and prevention” as soon as possible. The South China Morning Post exclusively... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3368919/beijing-says-us-china-pursue-military-crisis-communication-pact https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/article/3368919/beijing-says-us-china-pursue-military-crisis-communication-pact Sat, 26 Sep 2026 19:07:53 +0000 Cao Jiaxuan Cao Jiaxuan The new US-Denmark-Greenland security agreement could narrow China’s room to engage in the Arctic – particularly in resource-rich Greenland – and potentially push Beijing closer to Russia, Chinese experts on the matter said. According to observers, the deal – signed on Tuesday – could have the broader effect of accelerating the securitisation of the Arctic and making Western Arctic states more cautious about cooperation with China. But it would be unlikely to significantly disrupt China’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368889/why-us-deal-greenland-could-narrow-chinas-arctic-engagement https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368889/why-us-deal-greenland-could-narrow-chinas-arctic-engagement Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:00:06 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Chinese viewers watching Donald Trump welcome Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday may have been puzzled by the US president’s reference to the “Chinese phrase” gung-ho. Turning to Baidu – or increasingly, Doubao, the country’s most popular AI chatbot – they may well have asked: what Chinese expression is he referring to? It sounds Chinese, but gung-ho is neither part of everyday usage nor an idiom drawn from classical texts – making this moment almost as baffling as when US Secretary of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368832/chinese-roots-gung-ho-trump-and-xi-look-shared-history https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368832/chinese-roots-gung-ho-trump-and-xi-look-shared-history Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:38:11 +0000 Albee Zhang Albee Zhang At Joint Base Andrews where Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for the visiting Chinese president, Xi Jinping appeared unfazed during a ceremonial flyover by a screeching US bomber while the US president visibly winced at the noise. As Xi arrived at the military base just outside Washington, he was greeted with a ceremony that included the US Air Force band playing the American and Chinese national anthems, a 21-gun salute, a guard of honour, a display of six F-16 and six F-22 fighter jets,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368621/xi-maintains-composure-during-us-military-flyover-historic-tarmac-welcome https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368621/xi-maintains-composure-during-us-military-flyover-historic-tarmac-welcome Thu, 24 Sep 2026 07:43:39 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo In early July, China fired a test missile from a nuclear submarine into the South Pacific for the first time, a weapon capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Washington and Canberra were livid. The Pacific has long been the exclusive testing ground for such long-range missiles from the United States. How dare China! The reaction from Pacific island states was more measured. While leaders from Tuvalu, Palau and the Solomon Islands strongly criticised the test, the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3367734/pacific-island-states-are-trapped-cold-war-20 https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3367734/pacific-island-states-are-trapped-cold-war-20 Sun, 20 Sep 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the massive arch he wants to build between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery would become a “top grade military complex” able to host drones and snipers while storing ammunition. It is one more example of how Trump is insisting that his initiatives to beautify the White House and the city are also serving a defensive purpose. Trump has been calling the new White House ballroom a “military complex” and arguing it is necessary for... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368169/trumps-arch-would-be-military-complex-hosting-drones-snipers https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368169/trumps-arch-would-be-military-complex-hosting-drones-snipers Sun, 20 Sep 2026 13:59:48 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service The Iran war has cost US$43.6 billion as of this month, the highest official estimate to date, the Pentagon told Congress’ defence oversight panels this week. The cost estimate comes as polls show Americans increasingly oppose the war, partly over its impact on the economy, and the issue is looming large as the November midterm elections approach. The Pentagon’s latest figure comprises US$11.2 billion already obliged for operating expenses – for fuel, combat pay, aircraft, medical care, parts... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368083/how-much-has-iran-war-cost-us-pentagon-estimates-us436-billion-so-far https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3368083/how-much-has-iran-war-cost-us-pentagon-estimates-us436-billion-so-far Sat, 19 Sep 2026 01:14:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United States has approved a US$24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 stealth warplanes to Saudi Arabia, the State Department said Thursday, the kingdom’s latest major arms purchase since the start of the Iran war. Saudi Arabia has long sought to buy F-35s, but officials from Israel – currently the only country in the Middle East to operate the jets – have voiced concern about their sale to Riyadh despite a push for the kingdom to normalise relations. “The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367912/us-approves-sale-48-f-35-jets-saudi-arabia-despite-israeli-concerns https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367912/us-approves-sale-48-f-35-jets-saudi-arabia-despite-israeli-concerns Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:06:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump said Thursday there had been “major progress” towards establishing an American military base in Poland, after Warsaw said it was holding talks with Washington on the issue. “Thanks to the bold leadership of my friend, Karol Nawrocki, President of Poland, major progress is being made toward establishing a US Army base in Poland,” Trump said on social media. “If this happens, the location will be announced very soon. This will be a historic step for our Great U.S./Polish... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367911/trump-says-major-progress-made-towards-us-base-poland https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367911/trump-says-major-progress-made-towards-us-base-poland Thu, 17 Sep 2026 20:01:22 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press American troops need to prepare for combat not only in Earth’s orbit but around the moon, President Donald Trump’s top military adviser said on Wednesday, looking ahead to a new frontier in warfare after the US revealed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told service members and industry figures at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference outside Washington that the US military should adapt now so it “is prepared to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367778/us-troops-must-prepare-fight-around-moon-trumps-top-military-adviser-says https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3367778/us-troops-must-prepare-fight-around-moon-trumps-top-military-adviser-says Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:47:55 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The US military said on Tuesday that it opened fire and destroyed two small Iranian boats this week that were trying to steal a drone ship in the waters off Iran, the latest back-and-forth fire in the stalemated war. Captain Tim Hawkins, US Central Command spokesman, said the Iranian boats “recently attempted to take possession of a US unmanned surface vessel” but failed after the military “forcefully responded”. Iranian state media reported on Monday that a pair of fishing boats came under... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367647/us-military-says-it-destroyed-2-iranian-boats-trying-steal-sea-drone https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367647/us-military-says-it-destroyed-2-iranian-boats-trying-steal-sea-drone Tue, 15 Sep 2026 23:26:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A US government watchdog released its first report on Monday on the impact of the Iran war, acknowledging the military’s advanced weapons shortfalls and offering the first public look at the damage to American aircraft, bases and diplomatic outposts in the Middle East. Much of the information about Operation Epic Fury has been previously reported over the past six months, but the Pentagon inspector general’s report offered the fullest official accounting so far of the conflict’s costs in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367551/price-fury-report-details-iran-wars-toll-us-bases-weapons-and-more https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367551/price-fury-report-details-iran-wars-toll-us-bases-weapons-and-more Tue, 15 Sep 2026 06:20:45 +0000 dpa dpa Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said late on Monday that an oil tanker had struck a sea mine and exploded in the Strait of Hormuz. The tanker El Gaia was travelling along the southern route through the strait, which was mined by Iran, state broadcaster IRIB reported, citing the IRGC. The entire vessel went up in flames following the detonation of the mine, it said. The US military rejected that account. “The Panama-flagged oil tanker El Gaia was struck by an Iranian missile last... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367515/oil-tanker-has-exploded-strait-hormuz-says-irans-irgc https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3367515/oil-tanker-has-exploded-strait-hormuz-says-irans-irgc Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:34:23 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended controversial strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats during a visit to Ecuador on Wednesday, arguing Latin American cartels would “eat these countries alive” if left unchecked. Hailing a new generation of conservative leaders emerging across the region who are allied with President Donald Trump, Rubio said Washington was finding partners willing to be “very aggressive” against criminal groups. Since Trump returned to power, the United States has... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3366987/rubio-defends-us-strikes-boats-warns-drug-cartel-cancer https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/americas/article/3366987/rubio-defends-us-strikes-boats-warns-drug-cartel-cancer Thu, 10 Sep 2026 02:40:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters Iran’s capture of a US military underwater drone gives Tehran an opportunity to study and potentially reverse-engineer the vessel, delivering a setback for the Pentagon and drone maker Anduril. The US military and Anduril have downplayed the significance of the drone falling into Iranian hands. The vessel, a Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle designed for long-range surveillance and other undersea missions, is among a new ‌generation of military drones intended to operate for days with little... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366980/iran-likely-reverse-engineer-captured-us-underwater-drone https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/middle-east/article/3366980/iran-likely-reverse-engineer-captured-us-underwater-drone Wed, 09 Sep 2026 23:34:44 +0000