
US military's logistics drill aims to burnish its East Asia crisis response
US Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington during a trilateral exercise in the East China Sea in November 2024. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
TAIPEI (Reuters): Drills in East Asia this summer by the US military body charged with moving munitions and equipment will help it better coordinate and communicate with allies in response to a crisis, its commander said on Friday.
Alarmed by growing Chinese assertiveness, whether in the disputed South China Sea or around Chinese-claimed Taiwan, Washington and its friends in the region have been drilling together regularly.
The US Transportation Command, or TRANSCOM, is responsible not only for coordinating the pre-positioning of weapons and other equipment around the world by land, air and sea, but also for resupply in the event of conflict.
On a visit to East Asia, TRASNCOM Commander Randall Reed, told reporters it was essential to maintain and expand ties in the region so as to ensure a swift U.S. response to disasters and counter threats to peace and security.
"We're going to have a series of exercises and will test the current logistics architecture and infrastructure which provides sustained freedom of manoeuvre," he said on a teleconference, without giving further details of location or timing.
"We're seeking to demonstrate our ability to rapidly mobilise, then deploy forces from within the United States to locations throughout the region here," Reed added, describing the aim of one exercise, Mobility Guardian.
The tasks will permit testing of tactics, techniques and procedures with allies and partners and enhance connectivity, he said.
"It will help us deepen relationships and work together even more closely than we already are to bolster regional security."
On his trip, Reed has visited Japan and the Philippines and will go to South Korea, all treaty allies of the United States.
The militaries of the Philippines and the United States have sailed together in the South China Sea for a seventh time to boost interoperability between the two sides, Manila's armed forces said on Thursday.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) - Reuters
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
13 minutes ago
- The Star
Ukrainian woman searches for husband lost in action two years ago
CHERNIHIV, Ukraine (Reuters) -When gaunt Ukrainian soldiers dismount from buses as part of prisoner swaps with Russia, Mariia Pylnyk tries to find out anything she can about her missing husband from the freed men, and hopes, just maybe, that he will be among them. Holding up a photograph of Dmytro Pylnyk, lost in action in early 2023, she has many questions. What happened to his unit when it was ambushed by Russian forces? Was he captured by Russia? Could he eventually be released? The mass prisoner swap last month was an opportunity for people like her to ask troops just out of Russian captivity about missing loved ones who they believe, or simply hope, are prisoners of war. The alternative is unthinkable. "I hold out great hope that someone has heard something, seen something," Pylnyk, 29, told Reuters at a recent exchange in May, flanked by other relatives of those missing in action. "My son and I are waiting for (his) dad to come home. Hope dies last. God willing, it'll all be okay and dad will come back." Precise numbers for soldiers missing in action are not made public. For Ukrainians, and for Russians on the other side of the conflict, it can be hard to find out even basic information. Pylnyk says she has written to government agencies and Russian authorities and learned almost nothing. Ukrainian officials say more than 70,000 Ukrainians have been registered missing since 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The majority are from the military but the figure also includes civilians. Another 12,000 have been removed from the list after being identified among the dead or returned in exchanges. Petro Yatsenko, a spokesman for the Coordination Council that arranges prisoner swaps from the Ukrainian side, said Russia had never notified Kyiv which soldiers it is holding prisoner. Ukraine collects that data by other means as best it can, he said. Pylnyk and others like her share information in online chat groups and use it to try to piece together what happened. "Misfortune brought us together," she said. "After two years of this, we're like a family." LAST PHONE CALL Dmytro Pylnyk, an electrician by trade, was drafted into the army in late 2022. He phoned home often so that his wife did not worry but last called on their son Artem's third birthday on Feb. 27, 2023. He was deployed from Kharkiv region towards Bakhmut, a small city that later fell to Russian forces after fierce fighting. His unit's convoy was caught in a Russian ambush, Mariia Pylnyk said she had learned. "The guys ran any which way," she said, citing conversations with commanders who told her 41 soldiers were missing in action. Two were captured and have since been released. One, who was freed in an exchange at Easter and had lost both his arms, was unable to share any valuable information, she said. The second refused to talk. The pace of prisoner swaps has increased in the last month. Ukraine and Russia each released 1,000 prisoners in a three-day exchange last month, the only tangible outcome of direct talks in Istanbul. A prisoner swap of under-25s on Monday was the first in a series of exchanges also expected to include each side repatriating the remains of thousands. Mariia Pylnyk has given her son's DNA to the authorities so that if Dmytro is confirmed killed in action they will be notified. "We all understand that this is war and anything is possible. But to this day, I don't believe it and I don't feel that he is dead. I feel like he's alive and God willing he'll return," she said. NO SIGNAL TO CALL She lives with Artem, now five, in Pakul, a village in the northern Chernihiv region that was briefly occupied by Russians. She has not told Artem his father is missing in action. "He knows that dad is a soldier, dad is a good man, dad is at work and just doesn't have any signal to call," she said. She takes comfort from seeing families reunited and never allows herself to cry in front of her son. She used to work in a shop, but Artem has often been ill. The angst of the last two years have taken their toll on her health too. She receives state support. Pylnyk has vowed to find her husband but has often not had time to attend prisoner swaps while looking after their son. "Only a weakling can give up, you know, throw up their hands and say that's it, he's not there," she said, adding that she was very emotional when she attended last month's big exchange. "When I was there, the fighting spirit awoke in me that I needed. I have to do this. Who else will do it but me?" (Editing by Mike Collett-White and Timothy Heritage)


New Straits Times
33 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Sarawak signs MoU with Chinese firms to explore floating solar at Bakun dam
SHANGHAI: The Sarawak government has formalised a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two Chinese companies to jointly undertake various studies and collaborate to explore the potential development of floating solar - with a capacity not exceeding 1,000MW - on the reservoir of the Bakun dam. The MoU was formalised between the Sarawak Utility and Telecommunication Ministry, China Three Gorges International Ltd, and Shanghai Electric Power T&D Group Co Ltd at the 2025 International Solar Photovoltaic and Smart Energy Conference (SNEC PV) in Shanghai today. The signatories of the MoU were Sarawak's Permanent Secretary for the Utility and Telecommunication Ministry Datuk Jafri Lias, vice-president of China Three Gorges International Ltd Zhang Kai Hong, and Vice President of Shanghai Electric Power T&D Group Co Ltd Yang Xing Hai. Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg, in his speech at the signing ceremony, said Sarawak was pleased to forge this strategic alliance with strong industry partners like CTGI and Shanghai Electric. In a speech read by Deputy Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Ibrahim Baki, Abang Johari said the strategic alliance would support the state government's aim of ensuring energy security and environmental sustainability. "Sarawak currently has a generation capacity of about 5,900MW, predominantly from renewable hydropower sources. "Sarawak targets a 10GW generation capacity by 2030, and 15GW by 2035, with renewable sources making up over 60 per cent of the capacity mix. "With its vast renewable energy resources, Sarawak has the potential to become a renewable energy powerhouse in the region," Abang Johari said. He said Sarawak's progressive renewable energy policies are accelerating the state's energy transition. He said recent amendments to the Electricity Ordinance in 2023 further underscore Sarawak's commitment to decarbonisation, with enabling provisions for large-scale solar development, consumer-generated electricity, and independent power producer participation. The premier said Sarawak's growing focus on solar energy reflects the state's approach, which includes solar-hybrid rural electrification, hydrogen-integrated solar systems, and the Net Energy Metering (NEM) scheme to support solar adoption in housing developments. He said Sarawak successfully generated power from its first large-scale solar installation at the Batang Ai Dam in December 2024. He said the 50MW floating solar farm, spanning over 190ha of the Batang Ai reservoir, also marks Sarawak's first integrated hydroelectric and solar power scheme. He said this initiative would pave the way for further development of floating solar projects in Sarawak at other hydropower reservoirs through privately funded investments. The MoU signing was held in conjunction with the SNEC PV+ 18th International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Conference & Exhibition, which is being held from June 10 to 13, 2025, at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai, China. The event is known as the world's largest and most influential PV trade show, attracting more than 3,000 exhibitors from 95 countries.


Free Malaysia Today
2 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
BlackRock, other funds clash with Republican states over climate-investing evidence
The antitrust case claims fund firms, like BlackRock, violated the law through climate activism that reduced coal production and boosted energy prices. (EPA Images pic) WASHINGTON : A lawyer for BlackRock stated yesterday that the Republican states' claim that asset managers had violated antitrust law through their work with industry climate groups was not 'plausible,' as several firms pressed to have the case dismissed. However, a lawyer for the states, which include Texas and 12 others, told the US district judge Jeremy Kernodle that even calling attention to environmental matters, such as by signing on to industry agreements, could have an impact. BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, Vanguard and State Street are seeking to dismiss the claims in the closely watched antitrust case. The case, filed last November, claims the firms violated antitrust law through climate activism that reduced coal production and boosted energy prices. In pressing for dismissal, Gregg Costa, an attorney for BlackRock, said yesterday that, among other things, the fund firms never voted against the same coal company directors during the years in question, weakening the case. Nor did the plaintiffs bring forward any material such as from a whistleblower showing direct talks among the companies to coordinate their activities. 'It's hard to see how this alleged conspiracy is even possible, let alone plausible,' Costa said. Robert Wick, an attorney for Vanguard, said while the firm held discussions with coal companies, that was only in line with its role as an asset manager. There were no allegations 'that Vanguard ever used its shares to coerce or pressure a coal company to cut its production,' Wick said. Speaking for the states, Cooper & Kirk attorney Brian Barnes said the firms' actions could still have a market impact. 'Jawboning by these defendants as to decisions about market strategy just very clearly has the potential to influence output decisions at the coal company,' Barnes said. The outcome of the lawsuit could have major implications for how the companies, which together manage some US$27 trillion, manage their holdings and passive funds. One possible remedy sought by the plaintiffs would be for the fund firms to divest holdings in coal companies, which BlackRock has said would harm the companies' access to capital and likely raise energy prices. Kernodle, of the US district court for the Eastern District of Texas, said he would take the matter under advisement. He also said that like many Americans he owns shares in various index funds from the firms, including the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF and the BlackRock iShares Core S&P Small Cap fund. While the ownership would not seem to require his recusal, Kernodle said parties who disagree should file their objections within two weeks.