![\"Image](\"http:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/15234973402_d6674c4400_z.jpg\")
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Sea State<\/b><\/p>\n
Tensions are mounting between China and Indonesia after an Indonesian naval vessel<\/span> fired<\/span><\/a> on a Chinese fishing boat near the Natuna Islands last Friday. Indonesia\u2019s navy said it fired warning shots at several Chinese vessels fishing illegally in its waters, but<\/span> told<\/span><\/a> Reuters<\/span><\/i> there were no injuries. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying<\/span> refuted those claims<\/span><\/a> on the ministry website, stating that the Chinese coast guard had rescued an injured fisherman from a damaged boat, and Indonesia had detained another vessel with seven people on board. It\u2019s unclear whether Indonesia is still holding the vessel and its crew. This is the third<\/span> such incident<\/span><\/a> in the area this year between the two countries,<\/span> fuelling tensions<\/span><\/a> caused by China\u2019s inclusion of part of Indonesia\u2019s EEZ near the Natuna Islands within its \u2018nine-dash line\u2019. <\/span><\/p>\n The US Navy\u2019s \u2018Great Green Fleet\u2019<\/span> entered the Mediterranean Sea<\/span><\/a> last week, in order to conduct military operations and demonstrate the importance of alternative energy. USN\u2019s bio-fuel project is aimed at cutting its oil consumption, but also comes with security benefits<\/span>\u2014<\/span>namely ensuring that the US and its allies aren\u2019t vulnerable to disruptions of fuel supplies. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus<\/span> highlighted<\/span><\/a> Russia\u2019s threat to<\/span> cut off Ukraine\u2019s fuel supply<\/span><\/a> as an example of that vulnerability, and emphasised that the approach would make the Navy a better war fighter. <\/span>USS Dwight Eisenhower <\/span><\/i>is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, while its accompanying strike group uses Italian bio-fuels.<\/span><\/p>\n Flight Path<\/b><\/p>\n Last week, the US Air Force won a victory in its efforts to keep the new<\/span> B-21 bomber contract price secret<\/span><\/a>, with the US Senate passing a defence policy bill without requiring the contract value to be made public. Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator John McCain, wrote about the decision on <\/span>War Is Boring<\/span><\/i>\u2014<\/span>urging USAF leaders to release the contract value<\/span><\/a> for reasons of transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility.<\/span><\/p>\n Is it time to<\/span> get rid of the Air Force<\/span><\/a>? That\u2019s the question being asked this week on <\/span>Reuters\u2019 <\/span><\/i>War College podcast. Professor Robert Farley from the University of Kentucky argues that the American armed forces should undergo a bureaucratic reorganisation and return to a time when air forces were integrated solely through the Army and Navy\u2014stating that the USAF is a \u2018bureaucratic wall\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n Some people get really excited over aircraft. A new article from <\/span>Popular Mechanics<\/span><\/i> has looked at<\/span> why the F-22 Raptor is such a badass plane<\/span><\/a>, citing its stealth and speed, with lots of cool pictures and videos to back up the claim. And last week, speaking on the future replacement for the A-10, the US Air Force Chief of Staff compared the desired capability to the convenience and flexibility of a soft drink vending machine. General Mark Welsh said he wants a \u2018<\/span>flying Coke machine<\/span><\/a>\u2019 where you could \u2018put your quarter in and you get whatever kind of firepower you want when you want it\u2019. Does it come with a diet option?<\/span><\/p>\n Rapid Fire<\/b><\/p>\n In response to<\/span> an \u2018increasingly unpredictable\u2019 Russia,<\/span><\/a> Norway will undertake its<\/span> largest military upgrade<\/span><\/a> since the conclusion of the Cold War. According to its new Defence White Paper\u2014presented to the Norwegian Parliament last week\u2014<\/span>Norway will increase its defence budget<\/span><\/a> to 7.2 billion kroner (US$19.7 billion) by 2020. The<\/span> military spending plan will see investments<\/span><\/a> made to improve situational awareness capabilities as well as bolster intelligence. However, that will also see cuts to improve internal efficiency, including the<\/span> closure of 11 military bases<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n NATO is also concerned about Europe\u2019s defences against Russia, with<\/span> military planning being undertaken to reinforce a 64-mile region on the Polish border<\/span><\/a> that neighbours the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. If a conflict with Russia were to occur, it\u2019s been suggested that forces from Kaliningrad could<\/span> effectively cut off Baltic States<\/span><\/a> from the rest of the NATO forces in less than 72 hours. In response, forces from Poland, the US and 20 other NATO allies undertook a 10-day<\/span> defence exercise<\/span><\/a> last week. However, those actions have been met with criticism from Germany\u2019s Foreign Minister, who suggested such<\/span> manoeuvres could further inflame tensions<\/span><\/a> with Russia.<\/span><\/p>\n Eurosatory 2016<\/span><\/a>\u2014<\/span>the<\/span><\/i> international land and air-land Defence and Security exhibition\u2014was held last week in Paris. With over 1,500 exhibitors from across the globe, <\/span>IHS Jane\u2019s 360<\/span><\/i> features a<\/span> series of articles<\/span><\/a> detailing some of the highlights.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sea State Tensions are mounting between China and Indonesia after an Indonesian naval vessel fired on a Chinese fishing boat near the Natuna Islands last Friday. Indonesia\u2019s navy said it fired warning shots at several …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":468,"featured_media":27238,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1695,261,163,31],"class_list":["post-27237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-f-22","tag-nato","tag-russia","tag-united-states"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n