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SAN DIEGO – U.S. Navy Captain (Retired) David Williams Haas was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday on charges that he received at least $145,000 in bribes from foreign defense contractor Leonard Francis, who plied him with parties at luxurious hotels, prostitutes, top-shelf booze and food. In separate indictments, Master Chief Petty Officer (Retired) Ricarte Icmat David and Chief Petty Officer (Retired) Brooks Alonzo Parks were charged with honest services fraud for receiving cash, luxury travel, lavish hotel suites, dining and the services of prostitutes from Francis, owner and chief executive of Glenn Defense Marine Asia. The company provided...

It looks like this is the week China’s military rapidly advancing military tech keeps getting the limelight . First, we saw pics of the Asian giant’s new stealth fighter. Now, it looks like China is one step closer to fielding ballistic missiles aimed at holding U.S. forces throughout the Pacific at bay. Adm. Robert Willard, the top U.S. officer in the Pacific said this week that China’s new DF-21D anti-ship balistic missiles, with their 900-mile range, have reached an early operational status. Apparently, the missiles, widely fretted over in Washington as one of the most serious threats to the United...

The George Washington Carrier Strike Group (GWCSG) entered the waters west of the Korean peninsula to participate in a combined military exercise with the Republic of Korea (ROK) on Nov. 28. The exercise is part of the series announced at the 2 + 2 meetings in July and is scheduled to run until Dec. 1. "While this exercise, which is defensive in nature, has been planned for some time, it underscores the importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance and our collective commitment to regional security and stability," said Rear Adm. Dan Cloyd, Commander, Task Force 70. The purpose of the four-day...

South Korea and the United States have decided not to hold a joint naval drill, which was expected to take place in the Yellow Sea late this month, in consideration of geopolitical conditions ahead of an upcoming Seoul G-20 economic summit, defense sources said Sunday. "For the time being, there will be no joint aircraft carrier strike group exercise that South Korea and the U.S. considered holding late this month," a high-level government source said, requesting anonymity. "A training involving a U.S. aircraft carrier will not be held within this year." The allies initially planned to hold the exercise joined...

The nuclear-powered aircraft - carrier USS George Washington will make a port call in South Korea Wednesday, ahead of a joint naval drill in the East Sea next week. The 97,000-ton ship based in Yokosuka, Japan, will arrive at South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan with some 60 aircrafts, including F-18 Super Hornets, news agency Yonhap said. The report quoting the US military said, three destroyers from the US carrier's strike group, including the USS McCampbell and the USS John S McCain, will also arrive in South Korea on the same day. SKorea and the US have agreed to...

USS George Washington, the U.S. Navy's only permanently, forward-deployed aircraft carrier will visit the Korean port of Busan July 21-25, 2010, officials at U.S. Forces Korea announced today. In addition to USS George Washington, three destroyers from its strike group will also visit Korean ports. USS McCampbell and USS John S. McCain will visit Busan, and USS Lassen will visit Chinhae. "The U.S. Navy maintains a robust forward presence in the Asia-Pacific region and the people of the Republic of Korea are our good friends and allies," said George Washington commanding officer Capt. David Lausman. "Our presence here is a...

The United States may dispatch its high-tech F-22 Raptor stealth fighter to the Korean Peninsula for the upcoming joint military exercises with South Korea aimed at sending a warning message to North Korea for its continued provocative acts, a government source said Sunday. "Chances are high that the F-22 fighter jet will take part in the South Korea-U.S. joint drills to be held in the East Sea within July, in which a U.S. aircraft carrier will also participate," the source said on the condition of anonymity. "The U.S. is considering the F-22's participation in the training."In response to the March...

South Korea and the United States will push ahead with a joint naval exercise to warn North Korea against making attacks on the South, officials in Seoul and Washington said. But a defense ministry official told the JoongAng Ilbo that the two countries have arrived at a compromise to avoid angering China, which objected to the exercise being held in the Yellow Sea near its own territorial waters. “We will hold drills in both the Yellow Sea and the East Sea,” the official said. In addition, the U.S.S. George Washington, a U.S. Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, will participate in the exercise...

The United States announced Wednesday that some of the naval exercises planned with South Korean forces will be held in the Yellow Sea, between the Korean Peninsula and China, in spite of Chinese government concerns about the plan. The Pentagon also confirmed for the first time that a U.S. aircraft carrier will be involved in the exercises, but would not say whether the huge ship will participate in the Yellow Sea part of the event. Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said the United States respects and considers China's views, but will not be deterred from holding the exercises. They were...

South Korea's defense ministry said Tuesday it expects to hold joint naval exercises with the United States in July, though an exact date and location of the planned drills have yet to be set. Defense ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae told reporters the two sides are still working on the details of the joint drills, which were originally scheduled for last month to deter any further North Korean provocations in the wake of Pyongyang's deadly sinking of a Seoul warship in March.Still, the date, location and methods have not been decided, but I think it's right to say the South Korea-U.S....

South Korea and the United States will stage large-scale anti-submarine drills in the Yellow Sea after the United Nations takes action against Pyongyang for sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, Yonhap news agency said. "The joint drills will be carried out after the U N Security Council takes measure against North Korea," the agency quoting Col. Lee Bung Woo said. The United States’s 97,000-ton USS George Washington, an Aegis-equipped destroyer, and a nuclear-powered submarine are reportedly participating in the joint naval drills and a 4,500-ton destroyer, a submarine and F-15K fighter jets will take part from the South Korean...

US and Japanese naval forces have successfully completed the Undersea Warfare Exercise (USWEX) in the western Pacific Ocean. The American nuclear-powered super carrier, USS George Washington (CVN 73) participated in the exercise held from June 21 to 25. The exercise was conducted by elements from Commander, Battle Force 7th Fleet (CTF 70), Commander, Patrol & Reconnaissance Force, 7th Fleet (CTF 72), Commander, Submarine Force, 7th Fleet (CTF 74), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and components from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). "This year during USWEX we continued to strengthen interoperability between the US Navy and...

South Korea and the United States are expected to fix dates for their joint naval exercises after assessing progress in Seoul's diplomatic efforts to rebuke North Korea at the U.N. Security Council, an official here said Monday. The two countries agreed last month to hold the drills after a multinational team of investigators blamed North Korea for torpedoing a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, in the Yellow Sea on March 26. The attack left 46 sailors dead. Seoul has referred the incident to the Security Council, urging its members to punish North Korea. "The dates for the joint exercises are...

South Korea and the United States have agreed to stage joint naval exercises later this month in the West Sea, an official at the Ministry of National Defense said Friday. “We’ve decided to stage joint naval drills in the final week of this month,” the official said. “U.S. warships belonging to the U.S. 7th Fleet, including an aircraft carrier, will join the drills as planned before.” The two governments were originally scheduled to hold naval exercises, including a joint anti-submarine drill, in early June in a show of force against possible North Korean provocation in waters near the sea border....

East-Asia-Intel.com, June 9, 2010 The Obama administration is debating whether to dispatch the aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS George Washington to waters near Korea as a show of force. The strike group would ratchet up pressure on North Korea over its provocative sinking of the South Korean ship Cheonan in March that killed 46 sailors. The carrier strike group would be sent for a joint U.S.-South Korean anti-submarine drill. The drill was put on hold June 4. Officials in the Obama administration are opposing the exercises and the carrier strike group deployment over concerns that the show...

US aircraft carrier will join a major anti-submarine naval exercise with South Korea next week in a show of strength to North Korea after the sinking of a warship, reports said Wednesday. South Korea, which accuses the North of torpedoing its ship Cheonan in March with the loss of 46 lives, is also mounting a diplomatic drive at the United Nations but indicated it would not seek new sanctions. The USS George Washington will leave its base in the Japanese port of Yokosuka around Saturday and arrive in the Yellow Sea early next week, Yonhap news agency quoted a military...

Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Cheyenne (SSN-773) in conjunction with Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet and members of Naval Special Warfare Group (NSWG) 3 successfully fired a Block IV-E Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. The missile launch took place off the southern coast of California into China Lake Test Range and marks the first time a forward-deployed operational command acted as the Tomahawk strike coordinator and primary missile controller for an operational test launch. "The Navy's ability to conduct strike operations on re-locatable targets is currently very challenging," said Master Chief Fire Controlman (SW) David Brewer, U.S. 7th Fleet Tomahawk strike coordinator....

For much of the Cold War, China's navy was little more than an elaborate coast guard. It was barely a blip on the maritime horizons of Japan and Southeast Asia. Today the Chinese armed forces are in the midst of an intense and sustained modernization program, and the navy has emerged as a key service for protecting and advancing national interests. It gets more than one-third of the declared military budget. China's navy, like those of other leading nations, aims to protect vital trade routes, project power and influence, and deter potential adversaries. What makes the Chinese navy significantly different...

The US Navy's Seventh Fleet command ship USS Blue Ridge arrive in Vladivostok on Friday to take part in festivities dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Allied victory in the World War II. Seventh Fleet Commander, Vice Adm. John M. Bird who also arrived in Vladivostok will attend the Victory Day celebrations. RIA Novosti quoting a spokesman for the US Consulate-General in Russia's Far East said, the Blue Ridge crew would take part in a military parade in downtown Vladivostok to symbolize the allied relations between the United States and Russia during the Second World War. The cultural agenda...

The growing capacity of China military force tip the balance in the regional stability of the Asia Pacific area including Taiwan Strait and Southeast Asia, noted Admiral Robert F. Willard, the current Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), while adding that in a broader context, the biggest challenge to US navy in the Pacific Ocean is China, according to Liberty Times report. “In response to China’s immense presence in the Pacific Ocean, the PACOM will step up its efforts to maintain the regional stability,” said Willard at an interview by the Straits Times, a Singaporean news media. China is...