meanwhile, in the East

[dead0man]

China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, acts like a douche in public to the Austrailian foreign minister

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[Ban my account ffs!]

The most pointless conflict in the area actually doesn't involve China. India and Pakistan literally have lost thousands of lives fighting over a remote glacier that no one thought they'd care about. Coincidentally it's it's also right next to China.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siachen_conflict

Water. Consider that the population of India will surpass China in 2030(?), and Pakistan sure isn't slowing down. Water = life. We don't have this problem on such a scale in the US.
[/quote]
Jfern believes almost religiously that those glaciers will be melted by 2030.  So it shouldn't matter, right?

[Ban my account ffs!]

China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, acts like a douche in public to the Austrailian foreign minister

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Well, good for Australia.  The Chinese are becoming annoying little bullies who run and act like victims at the first sign of pushback.  Screw 'em.

[dead0man]

PRC exporting more than just cheap crap to S.Korea these days

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[dead0man]

PRC's printed a new map!

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[dead0man]

India offers to buy more U.S. helicopters, hopes to drive down costs-Reuters/India

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If the deal goes through as it stands, that would give India 61 of the best attack heli's out there.  I'm cool with that.

[dead0man]

And they're working on a deal to co-produce and co-develop the next generation Javelin anti-vehicle missile with us.

[dead0man]

(cite is behind a paywall, so no link but the gist of it is...)
Japan is looking to get an air capable assault landing ship to use V22s and possibly even F35s.  Something along the lines of US's Wasp Class assault ships.

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[Simfan34]

Maybe it can accompany the totally-not-an-aircraft-carrier Izumo on excursions.

[dead0man]

Indeed it could as they are not in the same class of ship.  The proposed assault ship would be larger, have more defensive capabilities and able to carry many more birds and marines (which the Izumo does not at all).  The Izumo is just a helicopter ship.

[Simfan34]

The Izumo could also be easily refitted for STOVL operations. It's only around 27,000 tons. The Wasp is, what, 40,000?

The Hyuga class is around 19,000 tons, comparable to the Spanish Prince of Asturias, another carrier.



The two Hyuga-class ships, the two Izumo-class ships, and this new ship will bring the total number of aircraft helicopter carriers in the JMSDF to five. The two Dokdo-class ships in the ROKN could also accommodate VSTOL jets. Don't think that just because an aircraft carrier in our navy has to be 100,000 tons means than anything less cannot be.

[dead0man]

The Izumo could also be easily refitted for STOVL operations.

Possibly

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Yep, and still missing the troop carry capability.  I think I might be missing your point.  I'm assuming it's something like "they already have one in this class of ship (which I've shown they don't, similar sure, but not the same), why do they need another one?", but I could be wrong.

[Simfan34]

Yeah, I'm just trying to say that these "helicopter carriers" are really just a bunch of light (or in the case of this new one not-so-light) aircraft carriers. I could easily see the Hyugas remaining helicopter carriers but it's not hard to imagine the Izumo-class and this new one operating F-35Bs.

Actually, I only skimmed over the article the first time around and imagined was something along the lines of the San Antonio class. Only later did I realise it was so.. heavy.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The two Hyuga-class ships, the two Izumo-class ships, and this new ship will bring the total number of aircraft helicopter carriers in the JMSDF to five. The two Dokdo-class ships in the ROKN could also accommodate VSTOL jets. Don't think that just because an aircraft carrier in our navy has to be 100,000 tons means than anything less cannot be.

Don't forget the three Ōsumi-class LSTs, which are really LHDs.

[dead0man]

PRC adding SAMs to disputed islands link- ABC Australia

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[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

At least Woody Island is an actual island and not a built-up reef.