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Defence
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Defence. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
An Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile, a long-range guided weapon fired from the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), shown during a military display. Photo: Handout
US-China relations

Deal breaker? Record Taiwan arms deal complicates Trump’s 2026 Beijing visit

Analysts say the US$11.1 billion package could narrow the scope of a meeting between US leader and Xi, even if the talk goes ahead.

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China's military weapons

Is China quietly preparing cargo ships to transform into military vessels?

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Israel

Israel’s rising air defence sales become its ‘most potent’ foreign policy weapon

Japan

Japan’s US$782 billion budget to boost military firepower, tame inflation

The budget comes as the market worries about Prime Minister Takaichi’s big spending policies adding to Japan’s public debt.

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A Japanese Type 12 surface-to-ship missile is launched during a military exercise in Australia on July 22. Photo: Australian Department of Defence via AP
North Korea

‘Maximum deterrence’: why North Korea just revealed its new nuclear submarine

The unprecedented transparency from the normally secretive country shows a shift in North Korean defence strategy, analysts say.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Seoul holds the key to US-North Korea denuclearisation talks

South Korea is taking steps to cool tensions – from moving to opening joint military drills to consultations to easing up on immediate denuclearisation demands.

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South Korea

US to grant Seoul exception on nuclear submarine fuel supply

Seoul to formalise right to build nuclear-powered submarines via Aukus-style waiver requiring approval from Trump and US Congress.

US Navy officers stand aboard a Virginia-class fast-attack submarine in Western Australia in February. Photo: AFP
Aviation accidents

Libya military chief and 7 others killed in jet crash in Turkey

Investigators are looking into a technical failure that brought down the delegation’s Falcon 50 jet shortly after take-off from Ankara.

China's military weapons

‘Saturation attacks’: drone swarms key for wartime victory, PLA Daily says

Concentrated UAV swarms seen to allow ‘optimal combat effectiveness with minimal battlefield expenditure’.

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United States

Trump announces new class of ‘battleships’ named after himself

According to Trump, the ships, the first of which will be named the USS Defiant, will be substantially larger than existing US destroyers.

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The new class of ship will become the centerpiece of Donald Trump’s ‘Golden Fleet’ programme. Photo: AFP
Taiwan

F-16V fighter jet tested as Taiwan presses US and Lockheed Martin for delivery

Taiwan’s air force says it is pushing US side on production speed and quality control amid mounting scrutiny from lawmakers over delays.

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Photos that were first posted by Owen’s Aviation Photos show at least one Taiwan-bound F-16V Block 70 two-seat aircraft undergoing taxi and systems checks at a US airfield. Photo: Handout
China-Latin America relations

China says US broke international law by seizing oil tankers off Venezuela

Situation intensifies as Beijing condemns tanker seizures and US security chief calls to remove Nicolas Maduro from power.

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Nordic nations

‘Respect our integrity’: Denmark summons US ambassador over Greenland envoy

Denmark warns US to respect its borders after Trump names Jeff Landry envoy to Greenland, asserting the mineral-rich island is not for sale.

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Japan

Macroscope | Japan’s economic security push heralds rising protectionism in Asia

The emphasis on securing supply chains and stockpiling critical resources is no substitute for free and open trade and investment.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gestures as US President Donald Trump delivers a speech in front of US Navy personnel on board the USS George Washington aircraft carrier at the US naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, on October 28. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

US lawmakers want DeepSeek, Xiaomi added to list of China military-linked firms

Republicans want to add 19 more entities to the document that already includes tech giant Tencent Holdings and major ‍battery maker CATL.

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A letter, from US lawmakers asks for AI firm DeepSeek and other Chinese companies to be put on what is known as the Section 1260H list. Photo: Reuters
Russia

Putin says West holds key to peace as Russia advances in Ukraine

Putin demands the West and Kyiv act on Ukraine peace, vows more territorial gains and warns of severe consequences over frozen assets.

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China's military weapons

Chinese military tightens review of weapons pricing to fight corruption

CMC Equipment Development Department releases new rules amid push for quality equipment and ‘professional ethics’.

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Myanmar

Are Myanmar hospital air strikes a bid to ‘intimidate’ voters ahead of poll?

The junta has been emboldened to strike as China, Russia and the US are looking the other way to serve their own interests, analysts say.

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People check a hospital that was hit by a military air strike in Mrauk-U in Myanmar earlier this month. Photo: AP
US-China trade war

Trump signs defence bill restricting investment in Chinese tech, military firms

Key provisions target contracts with Chinese biotech companies and outbound investment in technologies with military applications in China.

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US-China relations

US arms deal supports Taiwan’s effort to reassure Trump on defence burden

Weapons package underpins Taipei’s move towards an asymmetric ‘porcupine’ strategy as Washington presses allies to do more.

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Donald Trump

Trump’s space plan envisages US moon base amid race with China

Trump calls for moon landing in 2028, lunar base thereafter, as China targets the end of the decade for its first crewed landing.

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The Artemis I Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida in 2022. Photo: Nasa via AP
Ukraine war

Russia deploys nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile to Belarus amid Ukraine talks

Russian state media says it would take the weapon only 17 minutes to reach Nato headquarters in Brussels.

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Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko delivers a speech in Minsk on Thursday. Photo: Belarusian presidential press service via AFP
Japan

Japan vows never to possess nuclear weapons, rebuffing official’s idea

The government’s response came after a senior security official suggested that Tokyo needed nuclear arms to deter ‍potential aggressors.

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The Philippines

Philippines to get up to US$3.5 billion defence aid to counter ‘serious threats’

A US senator says the support for Manila and other allies reflects the threats posed by China and its partners in the ‘axis of aggressors’.

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China’s air force

China’s military calls for tip-offs as it targets corruption in air force

Notice urges public to come forward with information about ‘irregular’ activities, the first such request for a specific military branch.

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PLA Air Force armament formations were on show in China’s September 3 military parade. Now, China’s military is calling for tips about procurement corruption within the air force. Photo: Xinhua
United States

Opinion | For Trump, the only communists to really dislike are those at home

The limited discussion of China in the new US national security document indicates that the US president’s focus is on domestic challenges to his authority.

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US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talk as they leave after a bilateral meeting at Gimhae International Airport, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Busan, South Korea, on October 30. Photo: Reuters
Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign

Newcomers in charge at PLA’s corruption-hit command overseeing Taiwan

State media shows Yang Zhibin and Zhang Jichun at official event, suggesting they are heading the Eastern Theatre Command.

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The Philippines

Why the Philippine Army is turning to locally built remote weapons systems

The roll-out of the new Cobra weapon system is part of Manila’s push to build a self-reliant defence industry.

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