What Arms Race In Asia?

What Arms Race? Why Asia Isn’t Europe 1913 -- Geoffrey Till, the Diplomat

Asia is not experiencing an arms race like the one that preceded World War I -- at least not yet.

Arms races, naval or otherwise, get a bad rap. They are usually regarded as the military expression and consequence of the existing state of international relations, but they can also develop a momentum of their own, wasting money, exacerbating already tense relations between states and threatening to destabilize whole regions. Instead of reflecting policy as Clausewitz reminds us the military should do, arms racers determine it. All too often, moreover, they seem to make conflict more likely.

Read more ....

My Comment: The operative word is "yet". But China is clearly leading the pack.

The Global Arms Race Is Now Shifting To Building Big-Ticket Naval Platforms

USS John C. Stennis is replenished at sea

U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Jan. 8, 2013) A helicopter assigned to the Eightballers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8 delivers supplies to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as it makes its approach alongside the Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10) during a replenishment-at-sea. John C. Stennis is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Armando Gonzales/Released)

Big-Ticket Arms Race For Supremacy At Sea -- The National

When it comes to "big ticket" items, they don't come much bigger than an aircraft carrier.

Although still five years from entering service, the price tag for the USS Gerald R Ford, the first of three new American carriers, has already jumped 18 per cent in four years to US$12.3 billion (Dh45.18bn), according to the US defence department.

And now, despite these times of austerity, suddenly everyone wants one. China is the latest nation to join the club, but existing carrier owners India, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States all have ships on the stocks.

But it is in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific where the consequences of this new arms race will be felt. At stake is a change in the naval balance of power.

Read more ....

My Comment: The days of the U.S. having a monopoly on aircraft carriers is probably coming to an end .... but it will take a sustained effort of a few decades from emerging powers like China and India to catch up .... and even then .... they may decide not to build such a fleet in view of how expensive it is to maintain a carrier group.

A New U.S. - Russia Arms Race?

Photo credit: Wikicommons

Russia And America’s New Arms Race -- Michael Cole, The Diplomat

If reports in Russian state media last Friday are accurate, the world may be on the brink of seeing a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) race, though of a conventional type rather than the nuclear arms race of the Cold War.

According to a report by RIA Novosti, Moscow may be developing a heavy-liquid-fuel, non-nuclear, precision-guided payload capability for a new class of ICBMs, which would give Russia near-global coverage similar to that sought by the U.S. under the controversial “Prompt Global Strike” program.

Read more ....

My Comment: This may surprise many Americans .... but as far as Russia is concerned (from what I read in their publications and news reports) .... there is a new arms race between the U.S. and Russia .... and Russia is determined to win it.

Russian President Medvedev Warns Of A New Arms Race

Russian President Medvedev Sees New Arms Race If Cooperation Fails -- Washington Post

MOSCOW - In a state-of-the-nation speech Tuesday that dwelled on overcoming the persistent weaknesses sapping Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev suggested that failure to reach agreement on missile defense cooperation could set off a new arms race in the decade ahead.

Those dark remarks appeared aimed as much at his own generals as at the West. Medvedev has indicated that he wants to bend the nation's resources toward diversifying the economy rather than restoring the military-industrial complex of old, and the Kremlin has come to see arms control as in its own interests.

Read more ....

More News On The Possibility Of A New Arms Race If Missile Defense Cooperation Fails

Medvedev Warns of New Arms Race -- New York Times
Dmitry Medvedev warns of Cold War-style arms race -- The Telegraph
Medvedev: Russia, NATO must reach missile deal -- Yahoo News/AP
Medvedev warns West of new arms race -- AFP
Russian president warns missile talks failure will provoke new arms race -- The Guardian
Failure of Antimissile Talks Would Spark "Arms Race," Medvedev Warns -- Global Security Newswire
Medvedev Warns Of Arms Race If No Missile Shield -- RTT News
Russia ready to cooperate on countering missile threats -- Xinhuanet
Russia's Medvedev warns of new arms race (Roundup) -- M&C
Russia, West have 10 years for full accord on missile defense - Medvedev (Update 1) -- RIA Novosti

An Arms Race In South America?

Venezuelan soldiers take part in a military parade on June 24, 2009, to celebrate the 188th anniversary of the battle of Carabobo in Valencia, where Simon Bolivar's decisive victory against Spanish forces led to Venezuela's independence. Carlos Garcia Rawlins/REUTERS

South America: Will Defense Spending Trigger An Arms Race? -- Christian Science Monitor

Venezuela's Chávez recently bought tanks and missiles from Russia. Several countries – including Brazil, Colombia, and Chile – are increasing their defense spending in a region that faces no major external threats.

Mexico City - Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez recently returned from Moscow flush with fresh deals for battle tanks and missile defenses – a shopping spree that spurred a rare US admonishment that the leftist leader is provoking a regional arms race.

Mr. Chávez claims that his latest move to stockpile weapons is in preparation for a future US attack to unseat him for better access to the country's vast oil reserves. He points to a new Colombian plan to allow US forces to use seven Colombian military bases as the latest example of US imperialist overreach. Relations between his country and the conservative government of neighboring Colombia have hit rock bottom.

Read more ....

My Comment: The three main countries that are propelling this arms race are Venezuela, Brazil, and Colombia .... and all three are doing it for different reasons. Colombia because of its drug wars. Brazil because of its natural resources offshore. Venezuela because of its paranoid President. The real crunch time will happen when these countries start to look at each other .... if that happens a "real" arms race will be the outcome.

The Impact Of Arms Sales To Latin America

The Dassault Rafale

The Choice Of French Fighter Aircraft In Brazil And Its Impact On Latin America -- The Gov Monitor

The past week in Latin America has been pretty busy due to the repercussions of President Lula’s comments during a visit by the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Besides being the guest of honour and besides the fact that it is the year of France in Brazil, Sarkozy came with two missions: the first one was simple and the second was relatively difficult. The simple mission was to carry out something that was already or partially agreed upon: the purchase of submarines and helicopters. The difficult mission would be to turn things around regarding the fighters Brazil intends to buy.

Read more ....

My Comment: The buying and selling of weapons has never had a positive impact for the buying country .... I expect the same will be realized by people in Venezuela and Brazil .... but only in a decade or two.