2016-11-07 By Richard Weitz At this writing, a Russian naval battle group is assembling in the East Mediterranean off Syria’s coast. It includes Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, which is now making its first combat mission following years of repair and modernization. The small carrier carries four Su-33…
2016-11-05 By Garth McLennan The hell that is the Russian-backed siege of Aleppo in Syria has forced the administration of American President Barack Obama to contemplate options it otherwise wouldn’t. In early October, as the latest U.S.-driven effort at a real ceasefire in the country was falling apart, The Washington Post’s…
2016-11-06 Based on his recent travels to the former Soviet Union, Richard Weitz provides his second piece looking at the potential evolution of the Russian-American relationship and rivalry under the next Administration. According to Weitz: “I spent the last few weeks in Russia giving presentations and holding meetings at various Russian…
2016-11-05 By Danny Lam There are few territorial disputes as muddled as the South China Sea. Republican China (ROC), despite its irrelevance from 1950 onwards, steadfastly maintained a claim - initially made in 1947 when the government was on the verge of defeat – to vast stretches of the seas…
2016-11-05 By Danny Lam Western Foreign policy towards China have been focused on interactions with Peking since the Jesuits found a place in the Ming Court at the expense of understanding the dynamics of the vast civilization nominally ruled by present day Beijing. Extending diplomatic recognition and permitting the PRC…
2016-10-26 The UK government is committed to replacing the Trident submarines with a new class of strategic nuclear submarines. According to a story published on the UK Ministry of Defence website on October 21, 2016, this new class will be known as the Dreadnaught Class, something which would make Sir Francis…
2016-10-10 Russia has used its naval supply fleet to provide support to its Syrian intervention forces, notably for the Russian Air Force. The operation has demonstrated the important synergy between air power and naval support systems for their exercise of airp0wer. As a result, the Russians have decided to upgrade…
2016-10-02 By Danny Lam Ever since Marco Polo, China experts command a field of expertise that required extensive study of a tonal language and memorization of a complex set of characters. These are sizable barriers that for centuries, fostered the establishment of and then institutionalization of a priesthood of experts…