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Defence

Defence
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Defence. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A Mogami-class stealth frigate from Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force docks in Darwin, Australia, on June 6, 2025. Photo: Kyodo/AP
Australia

Australia’s US$7 billion Japan warship deal: a shift from US overreliance?

The formalised deal offers Canberra a strategic alternative to uncertain US defence ties, analysts say.

Ukraine war

EU approves US$106 billion loan to Ukraine after Hungary lifts veto

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China-Middle East relations

Opinion | China can offer Gulf states more than just a security umbrella

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The Philippines

How the Philippines became Japan’s closest security partner in Southeast Asia

Japan’s participation in the Balikatan drill and its new weapon export rules are set to further defence ties between the two countries.

A sailor raises the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force ensign on board the JS Ise helicopter destroyer as it docks in Manila last year. Photo: AFP
South Korea

South Korean air force apologises for mid-air selfies that caused jet collision

No one was injured. One of the pilots involved had been suspended from flying, received severe disciplinary action and has since left the military.

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United States

Trump’s top Navy official out ‘immediately’ after reported clashes at Pentagon

John Phelan’s abrupt departure comes as the US Navy enforces a high-stakes blockade of Iran and follows the firing of a top US Army general.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Top Peru ministers quit in protest over stalled US F-16 jet deal

Peru’s interim president defers decision on the US$3.5 billion deal to his successor who will emerge from a run-off vote in June.

A US Air Force F-16 fighter jet. Photo: AP
2026 Trump-Xi summit

As Iran talks go nowhere, will Donald Trump still go to Beijing?

With peace negotiations postponed, it is unclear if the US president will be ready to look at stabilising ties between the two top economies.

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Japan

Video | Japan scraps long-standing arms export rules

Tokyo approves plan to scrap restrictions, prompting warnings that this could undermine the country’s pacifist constitution.

China's military weapons

PLA’s new Type 076 ‘drone carrier’ set for South China Sea training drills

China’s next-level amphibious warship, the Sichuan, in same waters where US, Japan and the Philippines are conducting joint military exercises.

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China’s first drone-carrying Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, on its maiden sea trial last November. Photo: CCTV
US-China relations

Trump’s military push confronts US lawmakers and China’s shipbuilding edge

Congressional resistance, war costs and industrial limits could constrain ambitions, even as Beijing expands its naval capacity.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Asean

Opinion | How new US-Indonesia defence pact sharpens China’s ‘Malacca dilemma’

The US is investing in the systems, skills and relationships that would matter if access to the Strait of Malacca ever came under pressure.

US-China relations

US must make more bombers, bring China in on nuclear arms talks: senator

Republican Deb Fischer, whose subcommittee oversees US nuclear arsenal, insisted Beijing must be part of any future treaty negotiations.

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South Korea

‘Intelligence leak’ claims expose trust gap in US-South Korea ties

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young rejects accusations he leaked sensitive information about North Korea’s Kusong nuclear facility.

The test-fire of an improved Hwasongpho-11 Ra surface-to-surface tactical ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea on Sunday. Photo: EPA/KCNA
United States

Asian Angle | The Thucydides Trap is a lie created to justify a US-China war

Ancient Greece offers no lessons for Asia. The Global South must stop letting America’s war machine write history.

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Iranian women walk past a memorial in Tehran to a school that was targeted by a US air strike in February killing 165 children and staff. Photo: EPA
Donald Trump

Russia’s Lavrov says balance of power shifting to emerging economies

At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey, Lavrov said the foundations of globalisation powered primarily by the US had ‘come to an end’.

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Mexico

Mexico mends ties with Spain in first presidential visit in 8 years

Relations deteriorated after Mexico’s former president in 2019 demanded an apology for abuses committed during Spain’s ⁠colonial rule in Mexico.

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Japan

Japan, Australia finalise contracts to deliver first 3 of planned frigates

This comes as Japan is set to ease rules on defence equipment exports, which have strict limits on exporting weapons with lethal capability.

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Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (left) and Japan’s Minister of Defence Koizumi Shinjiro chat after signing the contract for Japan to deliver the first three of Mogami-class warships, in Melbourne on April 18, 2026. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan ditches decades of arm export curbs as US reliability wavers

From drones for Ukraine to warships for Australia, ‘peace-loving’ Japan is fast pivoting towards arming the world.

North Korea

Nuclear defiance: North Korea’s Kim signals he won’t be the next Iran

Kim Jong-un’s increased appearances at military drills show his confidence in Pyongyang’s nuclear deterrence, analysts say.

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South China Sea

Opinion | Without restraint, Beijing and Manila can’t deliver the South China Sea code

Much hinges on how China and the Philippines manage the distrust between their frontline maritime forces.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
US, Israel war on Iran

Will China arm Iran during the ceasefire?

Pentagon says Beijing offered assurances as US tightens blockade and warns Tehran talks could quickly give way to renewed strikes.

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An Iranian woman walks past a large-scale billboard referring to the Strait of Hormuz as ‘Forever on Iran’s hand’, at a square in Tehran, Iran, 15 April 2026. Photo: EPA
Indonesia

Chinese drone exposes Indonesia’s ‘insufficient’ undersea capabilities

Indonesia is likely to resolve the drone issue through ‘quiet diplomacy’ and not escalate it into a major row, analysts say.

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Japan

Why Japan will remain the most trusted power in Asean despite military push

A survey by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute shows respondents trusted Japan more as a power than the EU, the US, China and India.

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US-China relations

US warns of China’s ‘invasion rehearsals’ as Trump seeks record military budget

Washington puts spotlight on Beijing’s Taiwan, space operations during hearing on US military’s combat readiness for next year.

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US President Donald Trump announces the US Navy’s “Golden Fleet” battleship programme at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in December 2025. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
North Korea

Opinion | After years of neglect, China emerges as North Korea’s ‘top priority’

In a world of shrinking options and rising risks, Pyongyang recognises its alliance with Beijing is too important to ignore.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Ukraine war

Ukraine unit says it has launched over 100 robot attacks on Russia’s forces

President Zelensky says the ground drones – used in place of human infantry – have helped capture a Russian position.

The Philippines

Why Southeast Asian nations are skipping major US-Philippine Balikatan drills

Given the rivalry between Washington and Beijing, joining the annual military exercise may risk being seen as picking the US, analysts say.

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