Latest news with #DerekGrossman
1News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- 1News
US Navy command ship arrives in Wellington
A large US warship has arrived in Wellington's harbour, making the first visit to the city by a US naval vessel since 2021. The nearly 200-metre long USS Blue Ridge arrived in the city this morning. The command ship, and flagship of the 7th US Fleet, was full of sensors, as opposed to missiles and shells. It was commissioned in 1970 and is the oldest operational ship in the US Navy. The nearly 200-metre USS Blue Ridge arrived in the city this morning. (Source: 1News) During the visit, leadership from the vessel would meet with their Kiwi counterparts to discuss ways of improving operational readiness, advancing future military capabilities, and growing the US and New Zealand's bilateral relationship overall. Crew from the shop would spend the day participating in various in-port activities, including band performances, community relations events, ship tours, and tourist sightseeing. The ship would be off-limits to the public, however. Vice Admiral Fred Kacher, commander, US 7th Fleet, said the visit spoke to the US and New Zealand's "deep ties". 'Our partnership is rooted in our common values and respect, and our visit here represents an important opportunity for us to further strengthen the bond between our nations and our navies.' The ship's visit comes months after Chinese warships engaged in live-firing drills in the Tasman Sea. US defence analyst Derek Grossman told 1News that Blue Ridge's visit was a "good sign" of the two countries' security partnership. "I think it's symbolic, but I also think it's indicative of the strengthening partnership with an eye towards countering China in the Indo-Pacific." Grossman said he "wouldn't be surprised" if the visit was partially in response to China's live fire drills, but said it was more symbolic of an "increasing alignment in the perspectives of Wellington and Washington".
CNBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Australia feels the pressure as China dominates EV batteries; may look to Indonesia to gain an edge: RAND
Derek Grossman of RAND says Indo-Pacific nations are increasingly forming security and economic partnerships independent of Washington, driven by concerns over China's rise and a shifting global order.
Economic Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Nuclear leak whispers around Pakistan's Kirana Hills grow louder — But IAF dismisses claims
India has firmly denied reports that it targeted Pakistan's sensitive Kirana Hills nuclear site during its recent air strikes, effectively countering growing social media claims of a radioactive leak and a potential nuclear mishap. Speaking at a press briefing on 12 May, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, said, 'We have not hit Kirana Hills -- whatever is there. I did not brief about it in my briefing on Operation Sindoor yesterday.' In a lighter moment during the same session, he added, 'Thank you for telling us Kirana Hills houses nuclear installations. We did not know it.' These remarks come as a direct response to widespread online speculation claiming that India had bombed the Kirana Hills region in Pakistan's Sargodha district, home to alleged underground nuclear storage rumours began after India conducted precision air strikes under Operation Sindoor, hitting multiple Pakistani airbases. Among them were Sargodha and Nur Khan—two critical sites in close proximity to nuclear-related infrastructure. Nur Khan airbase, situated in Rawalpindi, is adjacent to Pakistan's Strategic Plans Division, which manages its nuclear arsenal. Sargodha, meanwhile, lies about 20 kilometres from Kirana Hills and houses Mushaf Airbase, a major operational centre for Pakistani F-16 and JF-17 fighters. Although no official declaration has been made by Pakistani authorities or international agencies like the IAEA, some online users and OSINT analysts have pushed claims of radiation symptoms in civilians and even emergency evacuations. These claims remain unverified. Fuel was added to the fire when flight trackers such as Flightradar24 allegedly spotted a US Beechcraft B350 Aerial Measuring System (AMS) aircraft over Pakistani airspace. The aircraft, with tail number N111SZ, is part of a US Department of Energy fleet designed for detecting radioactive contamination in emergency B350 AMS has previously been used after incidents such as the Fukushima disaster and is equipped with gamma-ray sensors and real-time mapping tools. Its reported presence raised questions: was it deployed by the US in coordination with Pakistan, or was it a Pakistani-owned variant, repurposed for a nuclear response?Some OSINT accounts suggest this tail number was transferred to Pakistan's Army Aviation in 2010. If accurate, it remains unclear whether Pakistan used this asset to check for radiation leakage or sought external assistance to gauge the aftermath of India's CIA officer and current RAND Corporation analyst Derek Grossman claimed India's strike on the Nur Khan airbase 'threatened Pakistan's nuclear command' and caused 'a radioactivity leakage.' His remarks, however, were not officially acknowledged by either India or the United States. A report by The New York Times quoted a former US official as saying, 'Pakistan's deepest fear is of its nuclear command authority being decapitated. The missile strike on Nur Khan could have been interpreted… as a warning that India could do just that.' Meanwhile, CNN reported that US Vice President JD Vance allegedly contacted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after receiving 'alarming intelligence.' Neither Washington nor Islamabad has issued a formal confirmation of these to the intrigue, an Egyptian military transport aircraft was reportedly spotted landing and departing from Murree shortly after the Indian airstrikes. Some social media posts claimed the aircraft carried boron, a substance used to suppress radioactive emissions, though these reports remain denying any strike on nuclear facilities, Indian officials have openly acknowledged targeting high-value military and radar installations across Pakistan, including in Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Karachi, Sialkot, Lahore, and Shorkot. Air Marshal Bharti described the strikes on Nur Khan and Sargodha as 'strategic messaging.' A senior officer added, 'More than the actual damage, the hits constituted strategic messaging.' Satellite imagery suggests that Mushaf Airbase at Sargodha, just 20km from Kirana Hills, suffered damage during the strikes. However, Air Marshal Bharti insisted that Kirana Hills itself was never a has not been able independently verify any of these Hills is considered one of Pakistan's most fortified military zones, widely believed to host over ten underground nuclear tunnels. It sits about 75 kilometres from the Khushab nuclear complex, home to four heavy water reactors used to produce weapons-grade site has long been viewed by analysts as central to Pakistan's second-strike capability. Its location, along with adjacent airbases, makes it a high-stakes target in any cross-border military B350 AMS aircraft, operated by the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, is designed to respond to nuclear emergencies by detecting radioactive contamination in air and ground. It can perform low-altitude flights and identify specific isotopes, making it an essential tool in assessing nuclear aircraft has been deployed for nuclear safety missions worldwide and is equipped with advanced data-gathering tools. Its presence over Pakistan—even if unclear whether American or Pakistani-operated—adds a serious tone to the unconfirmed radiation now, a ceasefire holds between India and Pakistan. But questions there really a radiation leak at or near Kirana Hills? Why did a highly specialised nuclear emergency aircraft appear in the area? Was its presence part of a regular monitoring mission, or something more?With no official confirmation from either side, and India standing firm on its account, the truth remains tangled between real military action and speculative narratives. The world, especially neighbouring powers, will be watching closely for any signs that might hint at what really transpired over Pakistan's nuclear heartland.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Nuclear leak whispers around Pakistan's Kirana Hills grow louder — But IAF dismisses claims
India has firmly denied reports that it targeted Pakistan's sensitive Kirana Hills nuclear site during its recent air strikes, effectively countering growing social media claims of a radioactive leak and a potential nuclear mishap. Speaking at a press briefing on 12 May, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, said, 'We have not hit Kirana Hills -- whatever is there. I did not brief about it in my briefing on Operation Sindoor yesterday.' In a lighter moment during the same session, he added, 'Thank you for telling us Kirana Hills houses nuclear installations. We did not know it.' These remarks come as a direct response to widespread online speculation claiming that India had bombed the Kirana Hills region in Pakistan's Sargodha district, home to alleged underground nuclear storage tunnels. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo The spark behind the nuclear leak theory The rumours began after India conducted precision air strikes under Operation Sindoor, hitting multiple Pakistani airbases. Among them were Sargodha and Nur Khan—two critical sites in close proximity to nuclear-related infrastructure. Nur Khan airbase, situated in Rawalpindi, is adjacent to Pakistan's Strategic Plans Division, which manages its nuclear arsenal. Sargodha, meanwhile, lies about 20 kilometres from Kirana Hills and houses Mushaf Airbase, a major operational centre for Pakistani F-16 and JF-17 fighters. Although no official declaration has been made by Pakistani authorities or international agencies like the IAEA , some online users and OSINT analysts have pushed claims of radiation symptoms in civilians and even emergency evacuations. These claims remain unverified. Live Events What raised Eyebrows: The US Aircraft Fuel was added to the fire when flight trackers such as Flightradar24 allegedly spotted a US Beechcraft B350 Aerial Measuring System (AMS) aircraft over Pakistani airspace. The aircraft, with tail number N111SZ, is part of a US Department of Energy fleet designed for detecting radioactive contamination in emergency scenarios. The B350 AMS has previously been used after incidents such as the Fukushima disaster and is equipped with gamma-ray sensors and real-time mapping tools. Its reported presence raised questions: was it deployed by the US in coordination with Pakistan, or was it a Pakistani-owned variant, repurposed for a nuclear response? Some OSINT accounts suggest this tail number was transferred to Pakistan's Army Aviation in 2010. If accurate, it remains unclear whether Pakistan used this asset to check for radiation leakage or sought external assistance to gauge the aftermath of India's strikes. Speculation gains global attention Former CIA officer and current RAND Corporation analyst Derek Grossman claimed India's strike on the Nur Khan airbase 'threatened Pakistan's nuclear command' and caused 'a radioactivity leakage.' His remarks, however, were not officially acknowledged by either India or the United States. A report by The New York Times quoted a former US official as saying, 'Pakistan's deepest fear is of its nuclear command authority being decapitated. The missile strike on Nur Khan could have been interpreted… as a warning that India could do just that.' Meanwhile, CNN reported that US Vice President JD Vance allegedly contacted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after receiving 'alarming intelligence.' Neither Washington nor Islamabad has issued a formal confirmation of these claims. Egypt's unexpected role Adding to the intrigue, an Egyptian military transport aircraft was reportedly spotted landing and departing from Murree shortly after the Indian airstrikes. Some social media posts claimed the aircraft carried boron, a substance used to suppress radioactive emissions, though these reports remain unverified. India's strategic messaging While denying any strike on nuclear facilities, Indian officials have openly acknowledged targeting high-value military and radar installations across Pakistan, including in Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Karachi, Sialkot, Lahore, and Shorkot. Air Marshal Bharti described the strikes on Nur Khan and Sargodha as 'strategic messaging.' A senior officer added, 'More than the actual damage, the hits constituted strategic messaging.' Satellite imagery suggests that Mushaf Airbase at Sargodha, just 20km from Kirana Hills, suffered damage during the strikes. However, Air Marshal Bharti insisted that Kirana Hills itself was never a target. ET has not been able independently verify any of these claims. Kirana Hills: Pakistan's strategic vault Kirana Hills is considered one of Pakistan's most fortified military zones, widely believed to host over ten underground nuclear tunnels. It sits about 75 kilometres from the Khushab nuclear complex, home to four heavy water reactors used to produce weapons-grade plutonium. The site has long been viewed by analysts as central to Pakistan's second-strike capability. Its location, along with adjacent airbases, makes it a high-stakes target in any cross-border military calculus. B350 AMS: What it does The B350 AMS aircraft, operated by the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, is designed to respond to nuclear emergencies by detecting radioactive contamination in air and ground. It can perform low-altitude flights and identify specific isotopes, making it an essential tool in assessing nuclear fallout. This aircraft has been deployed for nuclear safety missions worldwide and is equipped with advanced data-gathering tools. Its presence over Pakistan—even if unclear whether American or Pakistani-operated—adds a serious tone to the unconfirmed radiation reports. For now, a ceasefire holds between India and Pakistan. But questions linger. Was there really a radiation leak at or near Kirana Hills? Why did a highly specialised nuclear emergency aircraft appear in the area? Was its presence part of a regular monitoring mission, or something more? With no official confirmation from either side, and India standing firm on its account, the truth remains tangled between real military action and speculative narratives. The world, especially neighbouring powers, will be watching closely for any signs that might hint at what really transpired over Pakistan's nuclear heartland.
Nikkei Asia
06-05-2025
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
ASEAN falls short again
Derek Grossman is a senior defense analyst at the think tank RAND Corp. in Santa Monica, California, and an adjunct professor in the practice of political science and international relations at the University of Southern California. He formerly served as an intelligence adviser at the Pentagon. Southeast Asia's premier regional bloc -- the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- is in trouble once again. Malaysia, the current chair, wanted to forge unity and act collectively to respond to American tariffs. Instead, select ASEAN members -- including Cambodia and Vietnam -- have decided to pursue bilateral trade negotiations to protect their own interests.
