Section

Indo-Pacific

Alliances, partners and the regional security architecture.

A US soldier in camouflage stands on a grassy range aiming a rifle-like counter-drone jammer skyward, with trees and tower blocks behind

US Army unit in South Korea tests a cheap acoustic sensor net to catch FPV drones

Project MANOWAR, run with South Korean troops at the ROK Army Drone Academy, pairs 3D-printed listening posts with soldier-built machine learning. The unit wants it made a programme of record.

TaiwanDefence · 3h ago · 3 min read

Rows of Indian Navy sailors in dark ceremonial uniforms, white caps and white gaiters march with rifles past spectators in a stand

Indo-Pacific

India's navy passes out its biggest recruit batch as Agniveers gain a route to permanent service

Of 3,358 trainees graduating at INS Chilka, 2,756 were Agniveers, and the navy chief told them a revamped scheme now lets them compete for full careers.

TaiwanDefence · 5h ago · 3 min read

More than a dozen grey Japanese navy minesweepers and larger support ships sail in a spread formation across a calm grey sea, seen from the air

Indo-Pacific

Japan's navy masses minesweepers off Kyushu for 11 days of mine-clearing drills with the US Navy

Sixteen Japanese ships, two helicopters and a US Navy mine countermeasures vessel will train in the Hyuganada sea from 16 to 26 November, with about 1,000 personnel.

TaiwanDefence · 8h ago · 2 min read

A grey Malaysian navy frigate with hull number 30 and a Malaysian flag sails across deep blue sea, seen from above

Indo-Pacific

Anwar says some Malaysian defence projects have dragged on for 20 years, blaming agents and high commissions

Malaysia's prime minister says the navy's ships were among the oldest and smallest he saw at Langkawi, and wants the armed forces, not politicians, to choose new equipment.

TaiwanDefence · 9h ago · 2 min read

A grey Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighter jet seen from above flying over farmland and scattered houses

Indo-Pacific

Chinese military aircraft hovered over Sikkim for 20 minutes despite Indian warnings, report says

An unnamed source told Outlook the Indian Air Force tracked the aircraft at 25,000 feet near the Siliguri Corridor on 12 November. The air force has not yet commented.

TaiwanDefence · 11h ago · 3 min read

A grey Indian Air Force Tejas light combat aircraft flying against a blue sky

Indo-Pacific

India's first Tejas Mk1A fighters could reach its air force in January after years of delays

HAL is said to be close to clearing the last radar-linked requirements and expects to hand over 10 jets by March 2027 as engine supplies from GE pick up.

TaiwanDefence · 14h ago · 3 min read

Two grey FA-50 light combat jets fly in formation with two US F-15C fighters above the sea

Indo-Pacific

Malaysia holds to its FA-50M timetable, with four more Korean-built jets due in April 2027

Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin says the air force will have six FA-50M light combat jets before LIMA 2027 and all 18 by March 2028, all based in Kuantan.

TaiwanDefence · 16h ago · 3 min read

A grey Japanese F-15J fighter jet with red roundels flies below a tanker's refuelling boom above a layer of white clouds

Indo-Pacific

Japan scrambled fighters 135 times in October, its busiest month this year, as Chinese flights surged

Japan's Joint Staff says 94 of October's 135 fighter scrambles were against Chinese aircraft, with the south-western command near Taiwan handling 73 launches.

TaiwanDefence · 19h ago · 3 min read

A Virginia-class submarine on the surface escorted by two tugboats across the blue water of Apra Harbor in Guam

Indo-Pacific

Pentagon policy chief Colby calls attack submarines indispensable to holding the First Island Chain

Elbridge Colby told the Naval Submarine League on 12 November that US attack submarines sit at the heart of a denial defence along the First Island Chain.

TaiwanDefence · 20h ago · 3 min read

Japanese soldiers in camouflage take up firing positions on grass after leaving a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter during a loading drill

Indo-Pacific

Japan raises pay for every rank of its Self-Defense Forces as recruiting shortfalls bite

A law passed by Japan's upper house on 13 November lifts base pay and bonuses for all SDF members, backdated to April, and adds a new transfer allowance.

TaiwanDefence · 22h ago · 2 min read

A grey twin-engine Su-30MKM fighter jet with Malaysian markings flying above the sea

Indo-Pacific

Malaysia says a BrahMos buy for its Su-30MKM fighters is still only being explored

Defence Minister Khaled Nordin told parliament no decision has been made, as the missile's maker says talks with other South-east Asian buyers are advanced.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

Indian and French army officers in camouflage uniforms talk and smile beside the wing of a grey drone in a desert range

Indo-Pacific

Indian Army lines up Pokhran trials for 540 jet-powered kamikaze drones as 11 Indian firms compete

The Rs 2,000 crore fast-track buy is the army's first dedicated programme for high-speed attack drones, which fly roughly three times faster than propeller types.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

A grey South Korean navy destroyer sails at speed in the foreground while a large US aircraft carrier steams behind it on calm sea

Indo-Pacific

South Korea seeks to widen its navy's anti-piracy zone toward Hormuz as Iran warns Seoul off

Seoul's plan adds a P-8A patrol aircraft and mine-clearing drones to the Cheonghae Unit, while Tehran says any naval role near the strait would count as hostile.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

Rows of uniformed Philippine, Australian and US service members stand facing a stage with Philippine and Australian flags inside a hangar, several saluting

Indo-Pacific

Australia and the Philippines set to sign a defence pact replacing their 1995 framework

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Australia's ambassador are due to sign a new Defence Cooperation Arrangement on Sunday, with Anthony Albanese in attendance.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

A grey Indian Navy stealth frigate sails on choppy blue sea between two Japanese destroyers on the horizon under a pale sky

Indo-Pacific

Quad navies wrap up Malabar 2026, closing a week of anti-submarine and boarding drills off Japan

India says the four-navy exercise ended on 12 November after anti-submarine, boarding and gunnery serials, as its frigate INS Sahyadri left Yokosuka.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 2 min read

The long stone facade of the US Department of Justice headquarters building in Washington under a clear sky

Indo-Pacific

US moves to seize $1.2 billion that North Korean military hackers stole from Binance

The Justice Department says it has court approval to seize or restrain part of last month's Binance theft and has taken down infrastructure behind a deepfake scheme.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

Two rows of Indian and Sri Lankan Army soldiers in camouflage uniforms posing in front of an India-Sri Lanka joint training banner

Indo-Pacific

Indian troops head to Sri Lanka for two weeks of joint counter-terrorism training in Mitra Shakti

A 170-strong Indian contingent, led by a Rajputana Rifles battalion, has joined Sri Lanka's army at Maduru Oya for the 12th Mitra Shakti exercise.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 2 min read

A Google Street View camera car with a roof-mounted camera mast, seen from behind on a road

Indo-Pacific

South Korea confirms Google has hidden military sites before taking its detailed map data abroad

Seoul says Google met security conditions for exporting 1:5,000-scale map data, including masking military facilities and deleting nearby Street View images.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

A US Navy admiral in uniform speaks at a lectern during a press conference

Indo-Pacific

US Pacific submarine chief warns China can keep building nuclear attack submarines at pace for a decade

Chris Cavanaugh says the PLA Navy fielded eight Shang III boats in under four years, while Chinese survey work maps seabed near Taiwan, Guam and Hawaii.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

Two grey Japanese F-35A stealth fighters taxi side by side on a runway at an air base

Indo-Pacific

Japan warns defence firms of deep order cuts as Tokyo eyes a smaller five-year military budget

Finance officials want 50 to 60 trillion yen for 2027 to 2031, well below the 80 trillion yen some planners sought, putting F-35 and missile buys at risk.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

A grey Philippine Navy offshore patrol vessel with hull number 20 sails on open sea

Indo-Pacific

Philippine Navy commits most of its Manila-based fleet to guard the ASEAN summit

Two new 2,400-tonne offshore patrol vessels will join Marines, naval commandos and aircraft securing Manila Bay for the ASEAN leaders' meetings on 16 to 18 November.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 2 min read

A grey French Navy frigate with hull number F734 sails on calm sea while a helicopter flies overhead

Indo-Pacific

France offers to help Vietnam build its own frigates as a French warship visits Hai Phong

France's ambassador used a frigate's port call at the Vietnamese navy's home city to pitch helicopters, satellite work and support for building warships locally.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

Two Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighters and three Mirage 2000 jets flying in formation against a clear blue sky

Indo-Pacific

Indian Air Force officer passed war plans and drone unit secrets to a suspected Pakistani spy, police say

A Delhi police chargesheet says a serving wing commander shared war-plan pages, secret drone unit details and fighter movements with a suspected Pakistani operative.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

A grey Philippine Navy frigate sailing out of a harbour with green hills in the background

Indo-Pacific

Marcos puts Western Command chief Alan Javier in charge of the Philippine Navy

Vice Admiral Alan Javier, who has spent recent years commanding forces facing the West Philippine Sea, succeeds the retiring Vice Admiral Jose Maria Ambrosio Ezpeleta.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 2 min read

A South Korean cadet in uniform wearing an augmented reality headset during a training session

Indo-Pacific

South Korea scales back its military academy merger, keeping the Navy and Air Force campuses

Seoul's defence ministry now wants a joint campus in Daejeon, an Army academy moved out of Seoul and shared first and final years for cadets from 2029.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

Philippine and US service members in camouflage uniforms stand facing a stage with a Balikatan 2026 closing ceremony banner

Indo-Pacific

Philippine defence chief plans to turn the Visayas Command into a central military logistics hub

Gilberto Teodoro says the command's Cebu bases will supply territorial defence, internal security and disaster missions across the central and southern islands.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 2 min read

A grey twin-boom unmanned aircraft with landing gear down flies against a pale sky

Indo-Pacific

Thai commanders say the Cambodia border war showed they need armed drones, not just spy drones

At a Bangkok drone forum, Thai officers said surveillance drones exposed Cambodian artillery and tanks but left strikes waiting on fighter jets.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 3 min read

A dark submarine sails on the surface of calm blue water with a tug boat nearby and a low industrial shoreline behind

Indo-Pacific

US Pacific submarine chief says AUKUS is on plan and ahead of schedule in several areas

Rear Adm. Chris Cavanaugh pointed to a revived submarine squadron and USS Colorado's planned 2027 return to Western Australia as evidence of progress.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 2 min read

A dark amphibious armoured vehicle drives along a dirt track between palm trees and tall grass as soldiers walk beside it

Indo-Pacific

Indonesia tests a home-built kamikaze drone boat during a joint amphibious assault drill

The Berani Mati unmanned attack boat, developed with shipbuilder PT PAL, was shown to the defence minister in an exercise involving 1,718 personnel.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 2 min read

A green box-shaped laser air defence weapon with a mast-mounted sensor and turret, standing outdoors under a blue sky

Indo-Pacific

South Korea draws up its first military energy plan as laser weapons push up power demand

The defence ministry's 12-task plan aims to keep deployed units powered without outside help and to protect critical military loads during outages.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 2 min read

A dark grey submarine with crew standing on its sail moves through calm harbour water with green hills behind

Indo-Pacific

North Korea threatens action over nuclear submarine plans in South Korea, Japan and Australia

A senior party official said Pyongyang will answer a US-led naval build-up with shows of force, naming Seoul's Jangbogo-N and the AUKUS submarine plans.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 2 min read

A small black four-wheeled robotic ground vehicle with honeycomb wheels and antennas stands on a gravel track

Indo-Pacific

US Army soldiers put robot supply vehicles through jungle and jamming lanes in Hawaii

Six firms are competing in a US Army Pacific trial of uncrewed ground vehicles for resupply and casualty evacuation on Oahu, with winners due on 13 November.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 3 min read

Philippine soldiers in helmets and camouflage kneel beside rows of artillery shells next to a howitzer in a dry field

Indo-Pacific

Philippine military to move shore-based anti-ship missiles to Bolinao for its DAGIT-PA joint exercise

An AFP spokesperson says the missiles will back a joint maritime strike drill during the 17 to 27 November exercise across Northern Luzon and two other commands.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 2 min read

A grey angular navy frigate with the hull number 2501 moored at a pier with green hills behind

Indo-Pacific

Malaysia picks Turkey's Atmaca missile for its littoral combat ships after Norway blocks the NSM

Defence minister Khaled Nordin says Malaysia will now negotiate only with Turkey, with missiles possibly arriving by 2029 through an existing corvette order.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 3 min read

A US general and his wife fold a red four-star flag held by two soldiers at an outdoor military ceremony

Indo-Pacific

South Korea's defence minister says the conditions for taking wartime command from the US are met

Kang Shin-chul told lawmakers the handover could happen now, though a leading Seoul daily reports gaps in air defence, counter-fire and surveillance.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 3 min read

A Japanese Type 12 anti-ship missile launches from a truck-mounted canister, leaving a trail of smoke

Indo-Pacific

Japan plans to put denial capabilities at the heart of its revised defence strategy

Officials briefed ruling-party lawmakers on longer-range missiles, drone swarms and state-owned arms plants, as the coalition also opens a debate on nuclear submarines.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 3 min read

Grey New Zealand navy offshore patrol vessel with pennant number P148 under way at sea, with other warships behind it

Indo-Pacific

New Zealand's revived patrol ship Otago misses its deployment after a fuel system failure

A NZ$35 million effort to bring HMNZS Otago back after the Manawanui sinking has stalled, and the defence force cannot say when the ship will sail again.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 2 min read

Olive-green tracked robotic vehicle with a front dozer blade, cameras and antennas parked on a concrete apron under blue sky

Indo-Pacific

Japan's defence research agency shows home-built robot ground vehicles of up to 10 tonnes

A panel at ATLA's technology symposium showed three uncrewed ground vehicle classes, from under one tonne to 10 tonnes, as Tokyo moves beyond imported robots.

TaiwanDefence · 2d ago · 3 min read

Crew stand on the sail of a black submarine as it comes alongside a pier next to a white tugboat

Indo-Pacific

Australia puts A$88 million into retraining tradespeople for nuclear submarine work

New Tradie2Trainer and early-career schemes target up to 275 apprentices in WA and SA, as a Perth firm wins its first Virginia-class submarine orders.

TaiwanDefence · 3d ago · 3 min read

A grey Indian Navy destroyer sails at the head of a line of warships on a calm blue sea

Indo-Pacific

India hosts Myanmar's navy for the eighth IMNEX exercise at Visakhapatnam

A Myanmar Navy ship joins INS Rana and INS Sumedha for five days of harbour exchanges and sea manoeuvres, as ASEAN keeps Myanmar's junta leader out of its summit.

TaiwanDefence · 3d ago · 2 min read