Dzirhan Mahadzir

Marine Rotational Force-Darwin 26 was recently certified as a Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, marking the first MRF-D unit to earn the certification since the rotational force was established in 2011. “Being the first rotation of MRF-D to be certified as an SPMAGTF is an incredible statement on the capability of the force,” U.S. Marine Corps Col. George Flynn, commanding officer of 5th Marine Regiment and MRF-D 26, said in a news release published last week. “Achieving this milestone highlights our commitment as a crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific.” The certification means that MRF-D is specially certified for

U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft will conduct take-off and landing drills on Japan’s largest warship JS Kaga (DDH-184) in June as the warship prepares to load equipment at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, according to the government officials. Helicopter carrier Kaga will make a port call from June 1-4 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni to load equipment for the Marine Corps’ F-35B fighters in advance of the joint U.S.-Japan exercise scheduled next month, reads a notice from Japan’s Ministry of Defense. Japanese warships typically do not make port calls at MCAS Iwakuni. The purpose of the

A Russian surveillance ship was loitering near an ongoing NATO submarine warfare exercise in the Norwegian Sea, NATO’s Maritime Command said Thursday. Portuguese Navy frigate NRP Dom Francisco de Almeida (F334) and a Royal Navy Merlin Mk 2 helicopter from aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09) shadowed Russian surveillance ship Yury Ivanov as it lingered near NATO forces participating in exercise Dynamic Mongoose in the Norwegian Sea. “We. Are. Watching. [Standing NATO Maritime Group 1] ship NRP Francisco De Almeida and a Merlin Mk2 from HMS Prince of Wales monitor Russian vessel Yuri Ivanov, seen loitering nearby during Ex

The U.S. and Japan will hold two exercises in Japan in late June, Resolute Dragon 26 and the Japan segment of Valiant Shield 2026, according to releases by the Japanese military on Friday. Valiant Shield see the deployment of the containerized Typhon missile system in Japan and in contrast to last year’s deployment, where the system was flown out of Japan, it will be stored in Japan on a U.S. military base following completion of its deployment. The field training exercise Resolute Dragon 26 will run from Jun. 20-30 with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and the U.S. Marine

The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Liaoning Carrier Strike Group is operating in the Philippine Sea east of Luzon, Japan’s Joint Staff Office said Tuesday. The Liaoning Carrier Strike Group was spotted Monday around 880 kilometers southwest of Okinotori Island, Japan’s southernmost territory. Aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning (16) was conducting flight operations Tuesday, according to Japan’s Joint Staff Office, which released a map of the group operating in the Philippine Sea, east of the main island of Luzon. The group includes Liaoning, cruiser CNS Wuxi (104), destroyer CNS Kaifeng (124), frigate CNS Luohe (545) and fast combat support ship CNS Hulunhu

North Korea test fired a newly-developed lightweight multi-purpose missile launching system and multiple tactical cruise missile weapons systems on Tuesday, state media Korean Central News Agency reported. North Korea’s Missile Administration and the Academy of Defense Science trialled the new missile launcher and missile systems as part of the country’s five-year plan to modernize its artillery and missile forces. The tests analyzed the power of the special mission tactical ballistic missile, the reliability of 240mm controlled artillery rockets with an ultra-precision autonomous navigation system that expanded firing range and the AI-guided hit accuracy of the tactical cruise missile, KCNA reported.

The Royal Navy’s mine countermeasures mothership RFA Lyme Bay (L3007) departed Tuesday from Gibraltar as the U.K. and France prepare to launch a multinational military mission to ensure freedom of navigation through the strait.

The head of the Pentagon called on U.S. Western Pacific allies to maintain military strength and called on China not to disrupt the regional equilibrium while praising the current state of affairs between Washington and Beijing. Speaking on Saturday in Singapore, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned China not to disrupt the equilibrium in the Pacific, but at the same time Hegseth said U.S.-China relations are better than they’ve been. He also praised a number of Indo-Pacific countries for their willingness to share the burden in defense of the region and stated that Washington was not seeking needless confrontation. In his

The U.S. will sell Australia three in-service Virginia-class submarines, pivoting from the planned acquisition of one new and two in-service Virginias, the countries announced Saturday. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey announced the revision to the AUKUS acquisition plan during the AUKUS Defense Ministers Meeting held on the sidelines of the International Institute of Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. “The Deputy Prime Minister and Secretaries welcomed the proposed approach to streamline Australia’s acquisition of Virginia-class submarines (VCS), simplifying supply chain management, operational and maintenance requirements and maximizing cost efficiencies.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Liaoning Carrier Strike Group has conducted 170 sorties in the past week as the group trains in the Philippine Sea east of Luzon while shadowed by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Embarked fighter aircraft and helicopters were observed doing 80 take offs and landings May 26, 50 on Wednesday and 40 on Thursday, according to Japan’s Joint Staff Office. Japanese destroyer JS Asahi (DD-119) shadowed the Chinese carrier strike group, which includes carrier CNS Liaoning (16), cruiser CNS Wuxi (104), frigate CNS Luohe (545), destroyer CNS Kaifeng (124) and fast combat support ship CNS