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Defence

Defence
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Defence. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
US President Donald Trump says the ceasefire was agreed to by the leaders of both countries. Photo: AFP
Ukraine war

Beginning of the end? Trump announces 3-day Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal

US president says ceasefire will include suspension of all ‘kinetic activity’ and an exchange of prisoners.

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The Philippines

Philippines shifts defence strategy with Japan, eyes wider security focus

North Korea

North Korea to move artillery capable of striking Seoul to border with South

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India-Pakistan tensions

Chinese J-35 stealth jets set to give Pakistan a strategic edge over India

India has a much larger fleet of 4.5-generation fighters but is lagging behind Pakistan in the acquisition of stealth warplanes.

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The J-35A fighter jet appears during a CCTV report on Shenyang Aircraft Corporation on May 1. Photo: CCTV
Ukraine war

Russia and Ukraine trade attacks ahead of Moscow war parade

Russia has threatened a massive strike on the heart of Kyiv if Ukraine disrupts the Victory Day parade on Saturday.

Asean

Opinion | Why China’s warning over military blocs is finding listeners in Asia

For regional governments, strategy is about preserving options. China has read this instinct carefully and given it a diplomatic vocabulary.

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US-China relations

China’s study of Ukraine, Iran wars could sharpen Taiwan propaganda tactics

Beijing’s study of Iran, Ukraine wars could help hone its ability to wage information warfare against the US during a Taiwan Strait crisis.

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US experts say that China could potentially weaponise social media during a Taiwan Strait conflict and spread disinformation. Photo: Shutterstock
Corruption in China

2 former Chinese defence ministers handed suspended death sentences

Sentences for Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu are the most severe for senior military officers since anti-corruption campaign began in 2012.

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New Zealand

Japanese Mogami-class ships possible replacements for New Zealand’s ageing fleet

Wellington plans to increase defence spending to about 2 per cent of gross domestic product, citing rising geopolitical tensions.

North Korea

‘Groundless’ claims: North Korea says nuclear status is not up for debate

Since withdrawing from the non-proliferation treaty in 2003, North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests and built up an arsenal of warheads.

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North Korea launches a hypersonic missile from an undisclosed location on January 6, 2025. Photo: KCNA/AFP
The Philippines

Opinion | US allies in Asia are looking to build middle-power coalitions

Faced with the US’ unreliability and China’s ascent, countries such as the Philippines are creating new networks of partnerships.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China's military weapons

Does YJ-20 hypersonic sea-based missile give China an edge over US carriers?

The highly manoeuvrable weapon is nearly invulnerable to interception and could sink an aircraft carrier with a single hit.

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India

Vietnam, India seek closer ties to hedge against dependence on superpowers

President To Lam’s agenda during his visit to New Delhi is expected to include a deal for Vietnam to buy India’s BrahMos missiles.

Diplomacy

Opinion | As power flows through submarine cables, law of the sea must evolve

The global commons of the seabed is in effect being governed by private actors with the capital and tech to build and maintain cable systems.

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An Estonian naval ship sails in the Baltic Sea on January 9, 2025, as part of stepped-up Nato patrols in the region following suspected sabotage of undersea cables. Photo: AP
Japan

Opinion | The domestic dynamics driving Japan’s remilitarisation

Sanctions, diplomatic warnings and aggressive rhetoric create a perilous loop, reinforcing the very domestic tendencies China seeks to deter.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
The Philippines

US Army fires Typhon for first time during Balikatan drills in Philippines

Beijing has opposed the deployment of the Typhon, which is able to strike targets in Chinese territory from the Philippines.

China's military weapons

Will new Saudi-Pakistan defence pact give Chinese arms risk-free exposure?

Islamabad’s elevated stature in Middle East security could make it ‘the operational face of Chinese defence systems’ via regional deployment.

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Japan

Japan, Philippines to fast-track transfer of navy destroyers

The two countries’ shared grievances over Chinese territorial claims have seen them draw increasingly close in recent years.

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Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (left) and Philippines’ Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jnr shake hands after a bilateral meeting in Manila on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
War and conflict

As I see it | Thanks to Trump and Netanyahu, everyone now wants to go nuclear

After waging a war on the pretext of stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons, the US and Israel have ignited a new arms race.

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Seoul

Can Korea’s most advanced fighter KF-21 compete with China, the US and Europe?

Recent roll-out puts South Korea in elite group of countries capable of indigenously developing advanced supersonic combat aircraft.

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Ukraine war

Sweden to form new spy agency in Ukraine war reset

The foreign intelligence service would start operations in January 2027.

Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (left) at a press conference with Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard in Stockholm in 2024. Photo: AFP
South Korea

South Korea rebuffs Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ call after Hormuz ship fire

A UN mandate and a global coalition are required before Seoul joins Trump’s mission to reopen the strait, officials indicate.

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South Koreans protest in Seoul last month against an earlier request by US President Donald Trump to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan offers Indonesia and the Philippines lethal muscle to counter China

Frigate and submarine sales are reportedly on the cards as Tokyo’s defence minister tours the region.

European Union

UK eyes joining EU’s €90 billion loan to Ukraine

Discussions at a summit in Armenia are a further sign of deepening European defence ties under rising US pressure.

2026 Trump-Xi summit

Iran war could give Xi the upper hand in meeting with Trump: US experts

The conflict is likely to give Beijing an edge in discussions on hi-tech supply chains and Taiwan, analysts argue.

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US President Donald Trump might ask his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to “twist some arms” in Tehran, according to one US analyst. Photo: AP
Diplomacy

Strait of Hormuz woes, US-Nato ‘crisis’: 7 global relations reads

From a possible Trump-Iran joint venture to Russia-China talks, here are highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents in April 2026.

An Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy speedboat approaches the cargo ship Epaminondas during what state media described as the seizure of one of two vessels accused of violations in the Strait of Hormuz on April 21. Photo: Tasnim News Agency via AP
Germany

‘Foolish decision’: Trump’s Germany troop removal rebuked by allies, Nato

Two US lawmakers said the move ‘risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal’ to Russia’s Putin.

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Ukraine war

Russia’s inching advance in Ukraine approaches eastern fortress belt

Kostiantynivka, along with other cities in eastern Ukraine, forms part of a so-called fortress belt well-fortified against Russian attack.

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