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Asia Amphibious Forces Gathering Signals Nudge to China Containment
By Tim Kelly on 08:12 pm May 20, 2015
Philippine and US marines prepare to land on a beach facing the South China Sea during an exercise in 2014. (AFP Photo/Ted Aljibe)
Hickham Field, Hawaii. Military commanders from Japan, Australia, the Philippines and 20 other mostly Asia-Pacific nations huddled around a large tactical map, poring over satellite images in readiness for an amphibious raid on Hawaii’s most populous island Oahu.
Although only a drill, it represented a glimpse of cooperation and integration among non-Chinese amphibious forces in Asia that the United States is belatedly encouraging.
A senior US official told Reuters the-first-of-its-kind gathering also signifies a nudge towards containing China, as Beijing grows increasingly assertive in pushing its territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The shift has left supporters of engagement with China “under pressure,” said the source, who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Early on Tuesday, the foreign amphibious commanders participating in the PACOM Amphibious Leaders Symposium (PALS), boarded Osprey tilt rotor aircraft at Hickam air base, near Honolulu, for a 20-minute ride over the tropical seas around Oahu to the amphibious assault ship USS Essex and other vessels for a demonstration of American marine muscle.
“I don’t think China can match the complexity,” said Martin Sebastian, head of the Maritime Institute of Malaysia, in the hangar deck after a tour of the 40,000 ton, 266-meter Essex.
A US spokesman said China was not invited to the meeting because doing so would have contravened a law prohibiting military-to-military exchanges with China at such events.
China joined in US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercises last year with more than 20 countries, but was limited to things like humanitarian relief and search and rescue operations.
Tuesday’s exercise had only a military objective; to land a marine units on a beach by boat and helicopter and destroy the fictitious training camp of an insurgent group.
Maritime tensions
The drill, involving Ospreys, Harrier jump jet aircraft, armored vehicles, B-52 bombers and hovercraft, follows a two-day visit to China by US Secretary of State John Kerry that was dominated by concerns about Beijing’s territorial ambitions.
Recent Chinese reclamation work has stoked tensions in the South China Sea, where Beijing is building man-made islands around seven reefs in the Spratly archipelago that are also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam.
With a force of around 12,000 marines that it can rapidly expand in times of conflict, China, say military experts, represents a formidable potential foe.
The United States maintains a presence of some 80,000 troops, almost half its strength, in Asia, most on Japan’s Okinawa island at the edge of the East China Sea.
Better integrating the amphibious operations of non-Chinese forces in the Asia-Pacific represents an arduous challenge. Capabilities vary from country to country, gear, including communications, is not interoperable and funding is scarce.
“Capabilities haven’t developed as quickly or as fully as they might,” said Grant Newsham, a former Marine liaison officer to Japan’s Ground Self Defense Force, who attended the meeting.
“The Symposium will hopefully coalesce these ongoing but somewhat disjointed efforts towards amphibious capability.”
Inter-regional rivalries are another hurdle to cooperation.
For example, one participant, who asked not to be identified, said cooperation between Japan and South Korea, which has about 25,000 marines, was impossible because Seoul might one day have to defend territory also claimed by Tokyo.
For some checking out the US military hardware, America’s enthusiasm to forge more capable amphibious forces in the region could provide a more immediate benefit by helping prepare for natural disasters such as super typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 6,000 people in the Philippines 2013.
“It will help enhance the capability we should have,” said Alexander Lopez, a Philippine vice admiral. The US “is a big brother for the region.”
Reuters
By Tim Kelly on 08:12 pm May 20, 2015
Philippine and US marines prepare to land on a beach facing the South China Sea during an exercise in 2014. (AFP Photo/Ted Aljibe)
Hickham Field, Hawaii. Military commanders from Japan, Australia, the Philippines and 20 other mostly Asia-Pacific nations huddled around a large tactical map, poring over satellite images in readiness for an amphibious raid on Hawaii’s most populous island Oahu.
Although only a drill, it represented a glimpse of cooperation and integration among non-Chinese amphibious forces in Asia that the United States is belatedly encouraging.
A senior US official told Reuters the-first-of-its-kind gathering also signifies a nudge towards containing China, as Beijing grows increasingly assertive in pushing its territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The shift has left supporters of engagement with China “under pressure,” said the source, who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Early on Tuesday, the foreign amphibious commanders participating in the PACOM Amphibious Leaders Symposium (PALS), boarded Osprey tilt rotor aircraft at Hickam air base, near Honolulu, for a 20-minute ride over the tropical seas around Oahu to the amphibious assault ship USS Essex and other vessels for a demonstration of American marine muscle.
“I don’t think China can match the complexity,” said Martin Sebastian, head of the Maritime Institute of Malaysia, in the hangar deck after a tour of the 40,000 ton, 266-meter Essex.
A US spokesman said China was not invited to the meeting because doing so would have contravened a law prohibiting military-to-military exchanges with China at such events.
China joined in US-led Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercises last year with more than 20 countries, but was limited to things like humanitarian relief and search and rescue operations.
Tuesday’s exercise had only a military objective; to land a marine units on a beach by boat and helicopter and destroy the fictitious training camp of an insurgent group.
Maritime tensions
The drill, involving Ospreys, Harrier jump jet aircraft, armored vehicles, B-52 bombers and hovercraft, follows a two-day visit to China by US Secretary of State John Kerry that was dominated by concerns about Beijing’s territorial ambitions.
Recent Chinese reclamation work has stoked tensions in the South China Sea, where Beijing is building man-made islands around seven reefs in the Spratly archipelago that are also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam.
With a force of around 12,000 marines that it can rapidly expand in times of conflict, China, say military experts, represents a formidable potential foe.
The United States maintains a presence of some 80,000 troops, almost half its strength, in Asia, most on Japan’s Okinawa island at the edge of the East China Sea.
Better integrating the amphibious operations of non-Chinese forces in the Asia-Pacific represents an arduous challenge. Capabilities vary from country to country, gear, including communications, is not interoperable and funding is scarce.
“Capabilities haven’t developed as quickly or as fully as they might,” said Grant Newsham, a former Marine liaison officer to Japan’s Ground Self Defense Force, who attended the meeting.
“The Symposium will hopefully coalesce these ongoing but somewhat disjointed efforts towards amphibious capability.”
Inter-regional rivalries are another hurdle to cooperation.
For example, one participant, who asked not to be identified, said cooperation between Japan and South Korea, which has about 25,000 marines, was impossible because Seoul might one day have to defend territory also claimed by Tokyo.
For some checking out the US military hardware, America’s enthusiasm to forge more capable amphibious forces in the region could provide a more immediate benefit by helping prepare for natural disasters such as super typhoon Haiyan, which killed more than 6,000 people in the Philippines 2013.
“It will help enhance the capability we should have,” said Alexander Lopez, a Philippine vice admiral. The US “is a big brother for the region.”
Reuters
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12800-ton CCG 2901 begins sea trials：
CCG 3901 will follow suit shortly。
China needs to build a dozen of these beasts for humanitarian reasons。
How many are in service currently?
ahojunk
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With the new islands being developed in SCS, this new ship is a welcome addition.
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New cruise ship to serve Xisha islands in South China Sea
2015-05-21 11:19 Xinhua Editor: Gu Liping
The Xisha islands in the northwestern South China Sea comprise 45 islands, islets, reefs and beaches. As a shining pearl in the sea, the Xisha islands, along with the Dongsha islands, the Zhongsha islands and Nansha islands, are China's southernmost blue territory. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)
A new ship will serve the Xisha islands starting in October to promote cruise tourism on the South China Sea, according to the route's sole franchised shipping operator on Thursday.
According to the Hainan Strait Shipping Co., Ltd., the new cruise ship, Haisi Gongzhu, or the Princess of Marine Silk Road, is more comfortable than the current ship. The current vessel, Yexiang Gongzhu, or Scent of Princess Coconut, has completed 60 trips and served 8,000 tourists since the cruise route to Xisha was opened on April 28, 2013.
Ye Wei, deputy manager of the company, said the company has invested 150 million yuan (24 million U.S. dollars) in the new ship with a dead weight of 11,000 tonnes. It offers 500 passenger berths as well as catering and entertainment facilities.
The voyage to the Xisha Islands, a chain of islands scattered along the western part of the South China Sea, departs from the port in Sanya in the island province of Hainan.
Xisha, along with the Zhongsha and Nansha island groups and two million square kilometers of surrounding waters, are administered by China's southernmost and youngest city, Sansha, which was established in July 2012.
Xisha, famous for its beach scenery and pristine ecosystem, has great tourist appeal. The cruise allows tourists to sleep on board the ship and visit the islands of Yinyu, Quanfu and Yagong, where they can play beach volleyball, dive, fish and take photos.
The cruise lasts four days and three nights and can cost anywhere from 4,000 yuan to more than 10,000 yuan depending on accommodations on the current ship.
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New cruise ship to serve Xisha islands in South China Sea
2015-05-21 11:19 Xinhua Editor: Gu Liping
The Xisha islands in the northwestern South China Sea comprise 45 islands, islets, reefs and beaches. As a shining pearl in the sea, the Xisha islands, along with the Dongsha islands, the Zhongsha islands and Nansha islands, are China's southernmost blue territory. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)
A new ship will serve the Xisha islands starting in October to promote cruise tourism on the South China Sea, according to the route's sole franchised shipping operator on Thursday.
According to the Hainan Strait Shipping Co., Ltd., the new cruise ship, Haisi Gongzhu, or the Princess of Marine Silk Road, is more comfortable than the current ship. The current vessel, Yexiang Gongzhu, or Scent of Princess Coconut, has completed 60 trips and served 8,000 tourists since the cruise route to Xisha was opened on April 28, 2013.
Ye Wei, deputy manager of the company, said the company has invested 150 million yuan (24 million U.S. dollars) in the new ship with a dead weight of 11,000 tonnes. It offers 500 passenger berths as well as catering and entertainment facilities.
The voyage to the Xisha Islands, a chain of islands scattered along the western part of the South China Sea, departs from the port in Sanya in the island province of Hainan.
Xisha, along with the Zhongsha and Nansha island groups and two million square kilometers of surrounding waters, are administered by China's southernmost and youngest city, Sansha, which was established in July 2012.
Xisha, famous for its beach scenery and pristine ecosystem, has great tourist appeal. The cruise allows tourists to sleep on board the ship and visit the islands of Yinyu, Quanfu and Yagong, where they can play beach volleyball, dive, fish and take photos.
The cruise lasts four days and three nights and can cost anywhere from 4,000 yuan to more than 10,000 yuan depending on accommodations on the current ship.
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Viet
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in the above post 8463, you want to chase the monkeys. now for humanitarian reasons.12800-ton CCG 2901 begins sea trials：
CCG 3901 will follow suit shortly。
China needs to build a dozen of these beasts for humanitarian reasons。
what is your decision? pick one.
let me ask our mod @Hu Songshan
ahojunk
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I am pretty sure these are recent pictures of Chigua (Johnson South) Island.
A closer view of the building.
This building has 9 storeys or levels, big enough to be a hotel with casino to cater for tourism.
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A closer view of the building.
This building has 9 storeys or levels, big enough to be a hotel with casino to cater for tourism.
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