Latest news with #GarrenMulloy
South China Morning Post
11-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Why Japan's coastguard has a recruitment problem
The Japanese coastguard continues to experience a manpower shortage as its ability to safeguard the country's sovereignty over disputed islands could be affected by the exit of hundreds of its staff. Advertisement A total of 389 people voluntarily resigned from the coastguard in 2024, according to a report in the Yomiuri newspaper, bringing its staff strength down to 14,123 as of the end of the financial year on March 31. The personnel who left were six fewer compared with the same period a year earlier, partly due to an aggressive recruitment campaign. But there are concerns that more may leave the service this year. Since 2013, the coastguard has been seeking to recruit more people to counter a rise in intrusions by Chinese vessels into waters around the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. The islands are presently controlled by Japan , which refers to them as the Senkaku archipelago. 'The coastguard is facing a similar challenge to the Self-Defence Forces, although there are some differences,' said Garren Mulloy, a professor of international relations at Daito Bunka University and a specialist in military issues. Advertisement 'One of the most fundamental problems for the coastguard is that by its nature, personnel are away from friends and family for extended periods, which makes it less appealing as a career choice,' he told This Week in Asia.
South China Morning Post
13-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
UK to deploy largest carrier strike group for 8-month collaborative Indo-Pacific mission
Britain is sending its largest naval strike group in years on an eight-month mission across the Indo-Pacific, with the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales at the helm of a 12-nation force that will pass through key waters near India, Southeast Asia, South Korea and Japan. Advertisement While the deployment aims to project power and deter rivals such as China, Russia and North Korea, observers say it also reflects growing anxiety among US allies in Asia over the direction of American foreign policy under President Donald Trump – and the desire of European partners to help fill potential gaps. 'This is clearly global messaging to all sides,' said Garren Mulloy, a professor of international relations at Daito Bunka University in Japan. 'If you had asked me three months ago, I would have said this deployment was primarily aimed at China, Russia and North Korea – and to show that Nato forces can be deployed globally.' Now, he added, 'the elephant in the room' was the Trump administration. The mission – code-named Operation Highmast – is described by the British Ministry of Defence as the 'most ambitious deployment' of its kind since 2021. Nearly 5,000 personnel from Nato members and partner nations including France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Denmark will take part. The British contingent of Operation Highmast will include the HMS Prince of Wales, a Type-45 destroyer and Type-23 frigate, among others. Photo: UK Ministry of Defence HMS Prince of Wales is due to set sail from Portsmouth on April 22. After initial drills in the Mediterranean, the strike group will transit the Suez Canal for joint exercises with Indian forces. Operations with Malaysian and Indonesian militaries are planned in June, followed by a port call in Darwin, northern Australia.
South China Morning Post
07-03-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Japan launches non-nuclear submarine as aversion over atomic bombings lingers
Japan has commissioned one of the most advanced conventional submarines in the world, with the Raigei the latest in a class of hunter-killer vessels designed to operate in the relatively shallow seas around the country. Advertisement The diesel-electric Raigei – or Thunder Whale – was completed at Kawasaki Heavy Industry's shipyards in Kobe and is the fourth vessel in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force's (MSDF) Taigei class of submarines. Its launch on Thursday also meets Japan's maritime defence needs with its ability to conduct stealth operations in tight bodies of water and also reflects the country's aversion to nuclear-powered submarines, according to analysts. At 84 metres from bow to stern, a displacement of 3,000 tons and a crew of 70, the Raigei has an ultra-quiet diesel-electric propulsion system that combines a diesel engine and lithium-ion batteries. Its six torpedo tubes can fire the MSDF's Type-18 torpedos and also launch the Harpoon all-weather anti-shipping missiles from below the surface. While the Raigei is smaller than the nuclear submarines operated by other major naval powers, it has been designed to meet Japan's unique needs, analysts say. Advertisement There were good reasons why Japan chose conventional submarines rather than going down the nuclear-powered route, said Garren Mulloy, a professor of international relations at Daito Bunka University and a specialist in military issues.
