by Peter J Brown - excerpts:
What went completely unmentioned there was that only a few days earlier, the US Department of Defense had issued its latest "Report to Congress on the Military Power of the People's Republic of China" which is required each year by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2000. China is deeply offended by this annual report by the US, and finds its content and its menacing tone unacceptable. ...Somehow, the hard language used in the 2009 report seems incompatible with the rosy language in the joint announcement which followed shortly thereafter in London.
Flash forward to China this week, and once again, another curious disconnect can be detected. This time it is the completion just days ago of the joint "Juniper Cobra" ballistic missile defense (BMD) exercise in Israel, which was described as the largest and most sophisticated BMD drill of its kind ever held. Hundreds of US military personnel along with US warships joined together with Israeli forces in order to fend off a wide range of simulated missile attacks.
Not once has Obama mentioned "Juniper Cobra" on his trip to Asia - at least not in public.
But Juniper Cobra is casting a shadow of war over Asia. Just as Obama was boarding Air Force One for the long flight to Tokyo, India's chief of staff, General Deepak Kapoor, was departing Israel after a four-day visit which included talks with Israel's chief of the general staff, Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi, as Juniper Cobra was wrapping up. Israel, which has emerged as India's top supplier of military hardware, used the occasion of his visit to announce the sale of a US$1.1 billion upgraded tactical air defense system to India, among other things.
read more @ asia times
2. India uneasy with Obama's Chinese Checkers - opinion
by Saurav Jha, excerpt:
Naturally, Indian officials are concerned over what they see as a climb down in U.S. commitment to the Indo-U.S. strategic alignment. In the worst case, there are fears that something similar to the 1970s, when a change in the U.S. administration saw a sudden turn to China at the expense of India, is in the offing.
...
In the last decade, as India became more of an international player, the notion arose that external relationships matter more than internal strength. Instead of boosting infrastructure and indigenous military development at a frenetic pace, the Indian establishment seemed rather regaled by its new “global circuit.”
Unfortunately, that circuit is not an easy place to dwell. It requires that each player hold its own – a fact that should not be lost on India’s strategic planners. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin once identified India as one of only five truly sovereign states in the world. It is time India lived up to that reputation.
read more @ upi asia
3. China, Brazil to advance military ties to a new high - on heels of Peres' visit to Brazil
BEIJING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- China and Brazil vowed to advance military relations to a new high as senior officials from both countries met here Tuesday. ...Jobim said his country had much in common with China and shared similar views on many issues. He echoed Xu's point in strengthening cooperation to further the bilateral military relations.
read more @ chinaview
4. Russia completes delivery of Su-30 fighters to Algeria
Russia has completed the delivery of Su-30MKA Flanker multi-role fighters to Algeria, an aircraft maker said on Wednesday. Under a $2.5 billion contract, signed in 2006, the Irkutsk manufacturer in affiliation with Irkut Corporation has built a total of 28 Su-30MKA fighters for Algeria. Irkut Corporation, part of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), created in 2006, manufactures variations of the Su-30MK for India, Algeria, and Malaysia. The Su-30 MKA is a Flanker variant based on the Su-30MKI model and features customized avionics to meet Algerian specifications.
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