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Defence

Defence
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Defence. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
China’s military base in Djibouti as seen in a satellite image taken on May 13, 2025. Photo: Google Earth
China-Africa relations

Djibouti base upgrade may give PLA eyes on foreign military in Middle East

Commercial imagery reveals two new communication sites built near foreign military bases in East Africa, US think tank says.

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South Korea

Suspected DMZ landmine blast injures 3 South Korean soldiers

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Pacific nations

Opinion | Pacific island states are trapped in Cold War 2.0

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Donald Trump

Trump says his big arch would be a ‘military complex’ with drones and snipers

US president claims massive monument will store ammunition as critics call national security framing a legal pretext.

US President Donald Trump holds a model of the triumphal arch he plans to build. Photo: AFP
North Korea

North Korea fires 2 missiles in 3 hours amid tensions over US drills

North Korea’s ‌Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of Kim Jong-un, blamed US-led military drills for worsening tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Malaysia

Anwar was on song in India. Will Malaysia reap the rewards?

The Malaysian PM’s rendition of a Bollywood ballad went viral, but his India trip was about more than just the music.

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China-Africa relations

As rival navies turn away, Beijing faces a Somalia test

Piracy off the waters of Somalia is at a decade high, testing Beijing’s role as other naval powers focus elsewhere.

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Chinese navy escort task forces have operated in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia since 2008, protecting commercial shipping and supporting counter-piracy patrols. Photo: Xinhua
Ukraine war

US approves potential US$2.7 billion sale of Ukraine air defence equipment

Kyiv wants to buy multiple types of missiles, launchers and counter-drone radars, the US government says.

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US, Israel war on Iran

How much has Iran war cost US? Pentagon estimates US$43.6 billion so far

Polls show Americans increasingly oppose the war, partly over its impact on the economy, as the November midterm elections approach.

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United States

Trump claims US deal for ‘control’ of Greenland security against ‘adversaries’

US president says Washington will expand its military presence on the island; sources report the restrictions include China.

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The village of Nuuk in Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. Photo: Xinhua
China's military weapons

Could China’s sixth-generation fighter carry a laser to defend against missiles?

Beijing expo display offers strongest public hint yet that China is developing airborne laser systems for advanced fighter aircraft.

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The J-36 is the unofficial name for a jet first seen flying over Chengdu in December 2024 and believed to be a sixth-generation fighter jet under development by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. Photo: X/Rupprecht_A
China's military weapons

Could mystery Shanghai vessel be a mothership for China’s underwater drones?

Satellite images show an unusual craft under construction that analysts say may be designed to deploy very large uncrewed submarines.

Indonesia

Pride or practicality? Indonesia welcomes first aircraft carrier

Jakarta has approved US$450 million for the aircraft carrier programme but some lawmakers warn the final bill could be higher.

US, Israel war on Iran

US pivot leaves Saudi Arabia with ‘humiliating dilemma’ over Houthis

Riyadh is now working frantically to build a coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea and defend the kingdom against Houthi attacks.

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Firefighters inspect damage to a building caused by falling debris from a reported Houthi drone intercepted over Taif province, western Saudi Arabia, on Thursday. Photo: Saudi Press Agency / AP
Middle East

US approves sale of 48 F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia despite Israeli concerns

US says the sale would improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter ‘current and future threats’.

An F-35 jet at the Dubai Airshow in 2025. Photo: Reuters
Donald Trump

Trump says ‘major progress’ made towards US base in Poland

Announcement comes despite a wider US review of troop levels in Europe and tensions over Nato defence spending.

2026 Xi-Trump summits

Exclusive | China, US may unveil measures to boost military ties when Xi visits Washington

Two sides have been discussing ways to improve communication channels, according to sources familiar with the talks.

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China-Japan relations

Warning against Japan’s military build-up surfaces at Beijing security conference

Chinese scholars say Tokyo’s security expansion and US ties could trigger regional instability.

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Chinese scholars at the Xiangshan Forum link Japan's defence budget in part to US expectations but they say "domestic conservative forces" and anti-China sentiment also play a part. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Philippines’ Teodoro draws 2028 election buzz after China clash

His viral moment in Seoul has raised his profile among supporters, but analysts say weak polling and past losses remain hurdles.

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North Korea

Only ‘idiots’ expect North Korea to give up nuclear weapons: Kim Yo-jong

The powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un says ‘familiar silly talk’ about denuclearisation will not change the country’s status.

United States

US must prepare to fight around moon, top Trump military adviser says

General Dan Caine urges preparation to fight from the ‘seabed to cislunar space’ after US reveals deployment of space weapons.

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A full moon rises beyond an American flag. Photo: AP
Middle East

Saudis turn to Western, regional allies as missile defences run low

Regional officials say kingdom appeals to France, UK, Pakistan, and Egypt for help against Houthis amid US interceptor shortages.

Houthi fighters pose atop what the group described as the wreckage of a downed Saudi F-15 fighter jet in Marib province, Yemen, in an image released on Wednesday. Photo: Ansar Allah Media Office via AP
India

‘Growing stronger’: India and Russia push to expand defence ties

Analysts say offers of Su-57 stealth jet tech and BrahMos upgrades signal an exit from simple buyer-seller deals.

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South Korea

South Korean court orders Pyongyang to pay US$32.5m for destroying border office

The lawsuit over the destruction of the Inter-Korean Liaison Office marks the first time Seoul has sought damages directly from the North.

US, Israel war on Iran

US military fires on boats attempting to capture sailing drone off Iran

Central Command confirms engagement off Iranian coast as Tehran claims vessels were local fishing craft.

A Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel in the Arabian Gulf off Bahrain’s coast. Photo: US Central Command via AFP
Russia

Denmark says Russian frigate fired flares at helicopter

The helicopter was on a ‘routine photographic operation of a Russian frigate’ in the waters off Denmark’s southernmost town.

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Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Tuesday slammed the incident as “reckless action from Russia”. Photo: AFP
United States

US has weapons deployed in orbit, Space Force says

US acknowledges offensive and defensive capabilities against potential ‘hostile adversary action’.

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Singapore

Singapore’s Chan Chun Sing to visit China, speak at defence forum

The three-day visit comes at the invitation of Chinese defence chief Dong Jun and underscores both countries’ ‘warm and friendly’ ties.

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