by admin on August 7, 2014
A good deal of polite Western snickering met the announcement that China was on the verge of building large seaplanes–an “old technology”, scoffed the haters, whose “heyday came and went with the demise of the Pan Am Trans-Oceanic Clipper”. But at least one Chinese aviation commentator dispensed a bit of wisdom for the doubters: “The […]
by admin on August 5, 2014
The Taipei Times, in a friendly gesture, used my story on China’s recent mine warfare exercises in the South China Sea to advance some wider discussion mine warfare in China’s near seas. Here’s my bit: Craig Hooper, a former teacher at the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, has reported that the Chinese navy conducted […]
by admin on July 29, 2014
Less than a month after I highlighted the real potential for mine warfare in the South China Sea (here), the Chinese Navy has, for the first time, publicly announced mine warfare drills in the South China Sea. From Xinhuanet: The Chinese navy has conducted a mine clearance drill in formation in the South China Sea […]
by admin on July 10, 2014
Mine Warfare in the South China Sea is inevitable. Look at the players. On one side, we have China, a country boasting an enormous, sophisticated arsenal of mines with a resurgent Navy holding a set of offensive Mine Warfare doctrines that are simply begging to be tested. On the other, we have Vietnam, the Philippines […]
by admin on February 8, 2014
The U.S. Navy’s desire for a direct Navy-to-Navy Hotline with China is not new, and has been articulated every few years to little or no effect. If direct Navy-to-Navy Hotlines between operational commanders have the potential to be important in Asian crisis management, then the U.S. Navy must start leading an effort to 1) make […]
by admin on November 16, 2013
Water, is, in a word, important. Even for an organization that puts “Warfighting First”, water purification and water distribution weighs in at the top of any commander’s list of concerns. And this is no a trivial matter, as the average requirement for a foot soldier or sailor is estimated to be about 4 to 8 […]
by admin on November 13, 2013
You might hate the “Global Force For Good” slogan, but I, for one, am darn proud of how the Navy is pivoting to the Philippines and preparing to project order ashore. But even as we (and many of our regional friends) cheer for this mission of mercy, the Fleet headed to the disaster zone faces […]
by admin on November 11, 2013
The U.S. and Japan must consider the potential geopolitical impact of Super-Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. This natural disaster will “change the game” in the South China Sea–The demand for disaster recovery assets alone will force the rapid deterioration of the Philippines’ ability to support their South China Sea outposts, leading to further Chinese encroachment (though some Filipino […]
by admin on August 9, 2013
The fate of VT Halter’s four Egypt-bound Fast Attack Craft vessels is up in the air. If Egypt’s current government continues to discomfit the United States, these small, capable surface combatants just might even end up in the US Navy, serving as a second, smaller repeat of the Kidd-Class (for those who don’t know, the […]
by Craig Hooper on March 8, 2011
With the impending release of a Hamilton-class high-endurance cutter to the Philippines, the U.S. is doing what it can to help provide the Philippines something–anything–that it can use to show the flag in the increasingly tough waters of the South China Sea. But does the gifting of the Hamilton Class mean that the U.S. is […]