The Philippines and China are trying to work out a deal where both countries can use the waters near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea. Whether or not both sides can live with the agreement remains to be seen. The South China Sea is one of, if not the most, disputed bodies…

Taiwan is maintaining a high state of alert as Chinese military activities escalate around the island, intensifying regional tensions. On Wednesday, July 10, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported monitoring 66 Chinese aircraft near its airspace. The sightings follow observations of China’s Shandong aircraft carrier navigating close to the Philippines, marking a sustained effort by Beijing to…

Tensions continue to rise in the South China Sea following a recent clash between the Philippines’ navy and China’s coast guard. During the incident, Chinese personnel, wielding machetes and spears, injured Filipino navy personnel and damaged two of their boats. The Philippines has vowed to fight back if the Chinese try anything like it again.…

New ability achieved. For the first time in the Indo-Pacific, the United States Marine Corps successfully fired the AGM-179 joint air-to-ground missile (JAGM), hitting and sinking a moving vessel near Okinawa, Japan. The JAGM was fired by a USMC AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter during an expeditionary strike training mission by the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.…

Editor’s note: After Straight Arrow News and several other outlets reported on Boeing’s Revolver Hypersonic Missile Launcher, a Boeing spokesperson clarified that the rendering was not created by Boeing and the company does not have the launcher in development. This story has been updated to correct the previous inaccuracy on July 1 at 11:35 a.m.…

Many jobs require some form of on-the-job training, working with colleagues so employees can go back to their jobs with more knowledge and confidence than before. However, in the world of special operations, where on-the-job training is constant, insights into how to best use new technology don’t always make it to the frontlines. In special…

Tensions have escalated in the South China Sea following a violent clash between the Philippine and Chinese coast guards Monday, June 17. Newly released footage reveals the severity of the encounter near the contested Second Thomas Shoal, showing Chinese officers wielding weapons and damaging Philippine naval equipment during what was meant to be a routine…

The Philippines is taking steps to ensure China does not dominate the South China Sea by building its first BrahMos anti-ship missile base aimed at the contested waters. Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies appears to show the development of the base, which includes a high bay for maintenance and testing, as well as a separate…

This episode of Weapons and Warfare is taking a nautical turn and heading to the beach. As conflicts like the ones in the Red, Black and South China Seas continue to evolve, so too does the need for new innovations in the maritime battlespace. Host Ryan Robertson takes a look at what two companies focused…

A maritime mishap in the South China Sea has sparked a wave of blame between China and the Philippines after two ships collided on Monday, June 17. The incident occurred near the highly disputed Second Thomas Shoal. China claims a Philippine supply ship entered its waters “deliberately and dangerously,” and collided with a Chinese vessel.…