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Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Map Shows New V-22 Osprey Fleet on China's Doorstep
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Japan—a key United States ally in the Indo-Pacific—has completed the deployment of its U.S.-made Osprey aircraft fleet, bolstering the defense of its outlying islands near China. Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry for comment via email. Why It Matters Under the U.S. island chain strategy, Japan forms part of the First Island Chain—along with two of America's allies and partners, Taiwan and the Philippines—in the Western Pacific, aiming to restrict China's military activities within its immediate waters in the event of war. Japan views China as the greatest strategic challenge to its defense. Beijing has vowed to take Taiwan—a self-ruled island near Japan's southwestern islands—by force if necessary and claims the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are administered by Japan. The acquisition of the Osprey, a tilt-rotor aircraft capable of flying like a fixed-wing plane while taking off and landing like a helicopter, is part of Japan's effort to boost its defensive capabilities. In particular, its southwestern islands have a limited number of airfields. A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force V-22 Osprey aircraft arrives at Camp Saga on Japan's main island of Kyushu on July 9, 2025. A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force V-22 Osprey aircraft arrives at Camp Saga on Japan's main island of Kyushu on July 9, 2025. Kyodo via AP Images What To Know Japan's Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday that its V-22 Osprey fleet—consisting of 17 aircraft—has completed relocation from a temporary base at Camp Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture, near the capital Tokyo, to its permanent base at Camp Saga in Saga Prefecture. According to a Newsweek map, Camp Kisarazu is located on the eastern coast of Japan's largest main island, Honshu. Camp Saga, which opened on July 9, is located on Kyushu, the southernmost main island, facing both the East China Sea and the southwestern islands. The Osprey has a stated flight range of 860 nautical miles, or 980 miles, making it capable of reaching all of Japan's southwestern islands, as well as China's northern, eastern and southeastern coastlines, Taiwan, and the Korean Peninsula from Camp Saga. Tokyo described the Osprey fleet's deployment at Camp Saga as of "great significance" in strengthening island defense. The aircraft will be integrated with the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, which was created for conducting land assaults from the sea. The Osprey is manufactured through a partnership between Bell and Boeing. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is currently the only foreign operator of the aircraft, which has also been used by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy since 2007. However, a series of crashes involving the Osprey has raised concerns in Japan over its safety. Protesters rally outside the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Saga on Japan's main island of Kyushu on July 9, 2025, against the deployment of the Osprey aircraft fleet there. Protesters rally outside the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Saga on Japan's main island of Kyushu on July 9, 2025, against the deployment of the Osprey aircraft fleet there. Kyodo via AP Images What People Are Saying Japan's Defense Ministry said in a press release on Tuesday: "The security environment surrounding Japan has become increasingly severe in recent years, and strengthening island defense capabilities, including in the southwest region, is an urgent issue for Japan's defense." Boeing says on its website about the V-22 Osprey: "With its rotors in vertical position, it can take off, land and hover like a helicopter. Once airborne, it can convert to a turboprop airplane capable of high-speed, high-altitude flight. This combination results in global reach capabilities that allow the V-22 to fill an operational niche unlike any other aircraft." What Happens Next It remains to be seen how Japan will further strengthen its defense posture in the southwestern islands amid China's growing military presence in the region.
Newsweek
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Pacific Ally to Host US Missile System Amid China Naval Threat
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A United States missile system capable of sinking warships will reportedly be deployed on a Japanese island during a planned joint war game amid a growing naval threat from China. "Specific details concerning equipment and training locations will be announced by Japan's Ministry of Defense closer to the beginning of the exercise," the III Marine Expeditionary Force—a U.S. Marine Corps unit based in Japan—said in a written response to Newsweek. Newsweek has also contacted the Chinese and Japanese defense ministries via email for comment. Why It Matters Japan is part of a U.S. maritime containment strategy known as the First Island Chain—alongside Taiwan and the Philippines—which aims to limit the operating range of China's navy—the world's largest by hull count—within East Asian waters in the event of a conflict. China continues to expand its military presence beyond the First Island Chain by gradually increasing the scale of its warship deployments in the wider Western Pacific, including the simultaneous operation of two aircraft carriers on the eastern side of the island chain in June. In response, the U.S. is strengthening its defense posture along the island chain. This year, the Philippines has already hosted two American anti-ship missile systems—the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) and the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS). The United States Marine Corps stages the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System as a part of an exercise on the Philippines' Batanes Islands on May 25. The United States Marine Corps stages the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System as a part of an exercise on the Philippines' Batanes Islands on May 25. Cpl. Malia Sparks/U.S. Marine Corps What To Know Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) reported on Saturday that the country's Ground Self-Defense Force and the U.S. military will conduct the exercise "Resolute Dragon" across the Japanese archipelago next month, including Okinawa Prefecture and the main island of Kyushu. Okinawa Prefecture, located in Japan's southwestern waters between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea, is made up of several outlying island groups. Meanwhile, Kyushu—situated north of Okinawa—is the southernmost of the country's four main islands in Northeast Asia. According to the report, the war game—planned for September 11 to 25—will test the allies' ability to defend Japan's remote islands, including the potential deployment of the NMESIS on Ishigaki Island, which is part of the Sakishima island group in Okinawa Prefecture. The NMESIS is a missile system mounted on an unmanned vehicle, capable of carrying up to two Naval Strike Missiles with a range of over 115 miles. The report further noted that no live-fire drills will take place during the deployment of the NMESIS on the Japanese island. "Specific details on equipment, locations, and timing during Resolute Dragon have not been finalized," the III Marine Expeditionary Force told Newsweek on Monday. The previous iteration of the bilateral exercise was held from July 28 to August 7, 2024, across Japan. The Japanese military frequently tracks and reports on China's naval activities near Okinawa Prefecture, as Chinese vessels transit the Miyako Strait—which lies between Miyako Island and Okinawa Island—a major gateway for deployments beyond the First Island Chain. On Saturday, a pair of Chinese warships—a destroyer and a frigate—were spotted passing through the Miyako Strait on a southeastward voyage, moving from the East China Sea to the Philippine Sea, the Joint Staff of Japan's Defense Ministry reported on Monday. What People Are Saying The U.S. III Marine Expeditionary Force told Newsweek on Monday: "The U.S. Marine Corps remains in close coordination and planning with the Government of Japan to ensure all activities and training are conducted safely and remain committed to transparency with local communities, the Government of Japan, and our Allies and partners." Japan's defense white paper 2025 read: "China has been swiftly increasing its national defense expenditures, thereby extensively and rapidly enhancing its military capability in a qualitative and quantitative manner and intensifying its activities in the East China Sea, including around the Senkaku Islands, and the Pacific." The Senkaku Islands are an islet group in the East China Sea, ruled by Japan but claimed by China and Taiwan as the Diaoyu Islands and the Diaoyutai Islands, respectively. What Happens Next? It remains to be seen whether the U.S. military will deploy other missile systems in Japan to bolster the ally's defense, including the MRC and the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), which were featured in a war game that took place in Australia last month.
Newsweek
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
China Blasts US Ally Over Spying in Air Defense Zone
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. China has accused Japan—a United States treaty ally in Northeast Asia—of sending spy planes to its so-called Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the contested East China Sea. The remarks from Beijing come after Tokyo said YS-11EB intelligence-gathering aircraft had experienced close aerial encounters with Chinese planes while conducting surveillance over the region last week. Newsweek has reached out to the Japanese Defense Ministry for further comment via email. Why It Matters Japan forms part of a defensive island line known as the First Island Chain under a U.S. containment strategy that aims to restrict China's military activities in its immediate waters, including the East China Sea, which lies off China's eastern coast and separates it from Japan. The East Asian neighbors have two ongoing disputes in the East China Sea: one over the sovereignty of the uninhabited Senkaku island group—administered by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing as the Diaoyu Islands—and the other over energy exploration in the region. In 2013, China established an ADIZ—for the purpose of identification and early warning—over international waters in the East China Sea, outside its territorial airspace. The zone overlaps with those of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, a Newsweek map shows. What To Know In a statement released on Sunday, Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry, claimed that Japan Air Self-Defense Force reconnaissance aircraft had entered China's ADIZ in the East China Sea multiple times for what the official called "close-in reconnaissance." Regarding the close aerial encounters between Japanese and Chinese aircraft that occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, the Chinese spokesperson defended the actions taken by his country's military. "Chinese aircraft responded by verifying, identifying, following, and monitoring [the Japanese aircraft]," the spokesperson said, adding that those actions were "fully justified, reasonable, professional, and standardized." The Chinese aircraft involved on both occasions were identified by Japan as JH-7 fighter-bombers. The Chinese official said the Japanese military's close-in reconnaissance and interference were the "root causes" of air and sea safety risks affecting the two militaries. China's Defense Ministry has not yet released any footage or images of the close aerial encounters. It remains unclear how close the Japanese YS-11EB aircraft were to China's territorial airspace, which extends 13.8 miles from its East China Sea coastline. A Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flies close to a Japanese YS-11EB intelligence-gathering aircraft over the East China Sea on July 9, 2025. A Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flies close to a Japanese YS-11EB intelligence-gathering aircraft over the East China Sea on July 9, 2025. Japan's Defense Ministry Japan has been closely monitoring China's military activities around the First Island Chain, including the recent tracking of two Chinese aircraft carriers in the broader Western Pacific Ocean, during which Chinese fighter jets intercepted a Japanese patrol aircraft in early June. What People Are Saying Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry, said in a statement on Sunday: "We hope that the Japanese side will work with the Chinese side to create a proper atmosphere for the stable development of bilateral relations." Japan's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday of the Chinese interceptions: "Such an unusual approach by Chinese military aircraft could provoke an accidental collision." What Happens Next Japan is likely to continue its spy flights over the East China Sea as disputes with China remain unresolved. Aerial encounters between the two sides are expected to occur again.
AllAfrica
24-06-2025
- Politics
- AllAfrica
China's Fujian carrier flexes mass swarm attack power
China's newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, isn't just a leap in hardware. It marks a bold shift in maritime doctrine that aims to overcome the limits of its smaller predecessors and project power far beyond the First Island Chain. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, citing Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, that China's third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is on track to conduct 'deck load strikes,' a type of mass swarm attack involving the simultaneous launch of numerous aircraft. This marks the first time state media has publicly acknowledged the capability, which had previously been the subject of analyst speculation. The tactic, pioneered by the US Navy during the Vietnam War and known as an 'Alpha strike,' aims to overwhelm enemy defenses through rapid saturation, securing early detection and first-strike advantage. The CCTV report noted that Fujian's electromagnetic catapult system significantly boosts sortie rates over older ski-jump designs, laying the technical foundation for such operations. Military analyst Cao Weidong noted these strikes would push the carrier's systems to the limit, enabling it to destroy, suppress or deter enemy forces and support amphibious operations. The Fujian, launched in 2022 and undergoing steady sea trials since May 2023, is expected to be commissioned by year-end, joining the Liaoning and Shandong to form a three-carrier fleet. This fleet would significantly enhance China's naval escort and strike capabilities. The report portrays Fujian as central to a 'historic leap' in China's maritime strike capacity, with its full combat potential hinging on the success of deck load strike training. China is leveraging Fujian's deck load strike capability to overcome the limitations of its smaller carriers. This shift marks a doctrinal leap toward using large carriers as power projection tools and asymmetric counterweights to superior US naval forces under an anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) umbrella. China's smaller carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong, face an offense-defense dilemma. With limited aircraft numbers, committing more jets to offense weakens defense, while holding back reduces strike power. According to China Power, the Liaoning has an air wing comprising 18-24 J-15 fighters and 17 helicopters, while its sister ship, the Shandong, has a slightly larger air wing, with four more fixed-wing aircraft and eight additional helicopters. Fujian's air wing dwarfs those of its predecessors, with China Power estimating 60 aircraft onboard, including 40 fighters, helicopters and early warning platforms. Liaoning and Shandong would be hard-pressed to mount an Alpha Strike. A December 2024 Citadel article notes that an Alpha Strike from the USS Harry S Truman consists of 36 F/A-18 E/F fighters launching 144 air-to-surface missiles, including the AGM-88 anti-radiation missile. Given Fujian's air wing and electromagnetic launch catapult, it should, on paper, be capable of generating similar airpower surges. That capability may fit within a broader asymmetric naval doctrine against more powerful US carrier battlegroups. Daniel Rice notes in a July 2024 report for the China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) that the People's Liberation Army-Navy's (PLAN) carrier doctrine centers on a three-layer defense system, enabling blue-water operations with growing independence and reach. According to Rice, the carrier battlegroup is organized around concentric defense zones: the 'Outer Defense Zone' (185–400 kilometers) patrolled by submarines and J-15 fighters for long-range strike and ISR; the 'Middle Defense Zone' (45–185 kilometers) covered by destroyers and frigates with radar, vertical launch systems (VLS), and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) assets; and the 'Inner Defense Zone' (100 meters–45 kilometers) protected by close-in weapons and point-defense systems. Rice describes the carrier as a command hub supported by replenishment ships for sustained operations. He adds that air operations follow either 'split wave' or 'continuous' patterns, optimized for saturation strikes or persistent air presence, indicating doctrinal experimentation. Rice concludes that the PLAN's focus on layered defense, integrated air-sea coordination and logistics highlights its transition from coastal defense to power projection, with battlegroups designed to dominate maritime airspace, support amphibious landings and counter multi-domain threats. Such defenses are essential for China to push through the First Island Chain via the Miyako Strait and Bashi Channel, strategic chokepoints that Japanese anti-ship missile batteries, combat aircraft and submarines could cover. Supporting that point, China recently operated two carrier battlegroups simultaneously beyond the First Island Chain, a first with profound implications. Jennifer Parker notes in a Breaking Defense article this month that among the few countries with aircraft carriers, even fewer can deploy two simultaneously at sea. She says China's dual deployment signals growing blue-water capabilities and intent to operate beyond its near seas. However, Ben Ho writes in a September 2024 Breaking Defense article that instead of engaging US forces in a Midway-style encounter, China likely sees its carriers as 'fleets-in-being' operating within an A2/AD framework. A cornerstone of that A2/AD posture is the DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM), also known as the 'carrier killer.' The US Department of Defense's (DOD) 2024 China Military Power Report (CMPR) describes it as a dual-capable missile with a 4,000-kilometer range, capable of threatening US carriers from deep within the Chinese mainland. The report adds it may also be capable of land-attack missions, putting US bases like Guam at risk. China's carriers could thus operate under this missile umbrella, potentially deterring US intervention in the Western Pacific. Chen Yu-fu and William Hetherington write in an October 2024 Taipei Times article that a three-carrier Chinese force could position itself 300 to 800 kilometers east of Taiwan, outside the reach of Taipei's anti-ship missiles. Chen and Hetherington argue that this posture enables China to pressure Taiwan from both the mainland and the Pacific while deterring US and allied action. With Fujian at the center of a three-carrier fleet, China is adopting a blue-water strategy that blends massed airpower, layered defense and strategic deterrence into a credible counterweight against superior US naval forces.
Miami Herald
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
US Security Partner Receives Submarine Boost Against China's Invasion Fleet
Taiwan-a key security partner of the United States-has begun sea trials of its first indigenous submarine following its unveiling nearly two years ago. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment by email. Communist China has long claimed Taiwan-a self-ruled, democratic island-as part of its territory, despite never having governed it. Beijing has vowed to achieve unification with the island, by force if necessary. U.S. officials believe Chinese leader Xi Jinping has instructed the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to be capable of taking Taiwan by 2027. China has the world's largest navy by hull count, including numerous amphibious vessels capable of projecting air and land power from sea to shore during a potential island-landing campaign across the Taiwan Strait. In response to China's growing naval threat, Taiwan has been arming itself with anti-ship weapons-both U.S.-supplied and domestically developed. Taiwan forms part of the First Island Chain under a U.S. containment strategy aimed at restricting China's naval activities in the Western Pacific during wartime. Meanwhile, the Taiwan Relations Act obligates Washington to provide the island with defensive weapons. The Taiwanese navy submarineNarwhal, also known as Hai Kun, conducted "navigation tests" on Saturday and "floating navigation tests" on Tuesday in Kaohsiung Harbor, located in the southern part of the island, according to shipbuilder CSBC Corporation, Taiwan. During the floating navigation tests, the submarine's systems-including propulsion, rudder, electricity, communication, and navigation-were evaluated, the shipbuilder added. These systems will be fine-tuned based on the test results prior to the next stage of sea trials. The submarine, unveiled in September 2023, is scheduled to undergo three stages of trials at sea: floating navigation, shallow-water diving, and deep-water diving. The diving tests will require the submarine to be fully submerged at progressively greater depths and pressures. The sea trials were originally scheduled for April, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency. It remains unclear whether the submarine will be able to complete the trials and be delivered before the November deadline set by the military. According to a Pentagon report, the Taiwanese navy operates four attack submarines, while the PLA fields 47 conventionally powered and six nuclear-powered attack submarines, as well as six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. Of the four aging Taiwanese submarines, two were acquired from the Netherlands in the 1980s and two were former U.S. training submarines built during World War II. The Chinese military has maintained a persistent presence around Taiwan with its naval and coast guard vessels, conducting exercises aimed at establishing a blockade around the island. Submarines would play a vital role in Taiwan's defense by countering any such blockade. Chiu Chun-jung, Taiwanese Navy Chief of Staff, said in April: "April was the original goal [of commencing sea trials]...We are currently working on improvements and final calibrations to meet the requirements set for sea trials. That is our main goal." Specialist outlet Naval News commented in September 2023: "Although a domestic submarine, most of the major mission-critical systems and subsystems of the [Narwhal] are provided by numerous foreign contractors with long and solid experience in the submarine industry." Taiwan is expected to continue strengthening its defenses against a possible Chinese invasion from the sea, as China rapidly expands the size and capabilities of its naval fleet. Related Articles Map Shows Where Hegseth Wants US Military on China's DoorstepPitcher Leaves Yankees Organization for TaiwanMap Tracks Chinese Aircraft Carrier Near US AlliesUS Warship Challenged Beijing's South China Sea Claims, Navy Says 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
