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US aircraft carriers are taking new routes into the South China Sea, Chinese think tank says. https://www.businessinsider.com/aircraft-carriers-new-routes-south-china-sea-think-tank-says-2022-1?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sf-insider-mildef&utm_source=facebook.com US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in Danang, Vietnam, March 5, 2018. REUTERS/Nguyen Huy Kham US carrier strike groups entered the South China Sea 10 times in 2021, compared with six times in 2020 and five in 2019. Use of alternative routes between islands may be designed to evade PLA radars and indicates skill diversification for US sailors, defence experts say. The US Navy's aircraft carrier strike groups have not only increased South China Sea transits since last year, but their routes and drill patterns are becoming more complicated and unpredictable, according to a recent study. Defence experts said the changes could indicate new countermeasures devised by the strike groups to face any contingencies in the region, such as a potential attack on Taiwan by Beijing's People's Liberation Army, or over South China Sea territorial disputes. Beijing sees self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province awaiting reunification, by force if necessary. It is also one of the rival claimants to several small islands and reefs in the busy shipping lanes of the resource-rich South China Sea. The US demands freedom of navigation in the region. The USS Carl Vinson CSG completed a five-day joint drill with the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) around the disputed Spratly Islands on Saturday, kicking off their 2022 naval schedule two weeks earlier than last year, according to the South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a maritime strategic study unit affiliated to Peking University's Institute of Ocean Research. USS Carl Vinson the South China Sea. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Jasen Morenogarcia/Released "The US military have drastically reinforced their military deployment in the South China Sea since last year, in terms of training scales, sorties and scenarios," SCSPI director Hu Bo told state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) on Friday. "USS [US ship carrier strike groups] entered the South China Sea 10 times last year, compared with six times in 2020, and five in 2019, with their training patterns becoming more complicated and unpredictable." In the past, the US warships used to enter the region via the Bashi Channel between the Philippines and Taiwan, but their routes and operation time spans had become diversified since last year, he added. Navigation records and satellite images show that the strike groups had tended to pass through narrow waterways between the Philippine archipelagos on their way to the region, including the Balabac Strait off Palawan province, a channel between Verde Island and Mindoro, and other points, the CCTV report said. In the latest transit last Tuesday, the CSG led by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier entered the region via the Balabac Strait to team up with the Essex ARG, a landing helicopter dock group, according to the US Navy. Lu Li-shih, a former instructor at Taiwan's Naval Academy in Kaohsiung, said the US strike groups appeared to be trying to come up with new countermeasures to the PLA's anti-access strategies aimed at stopping foreign military interventions in waters off Taiwan and in the South China Sea. A press conference in the hangar bay of US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson while anchored in Manila Bay, Philippines, November 30, 2010. US Navy/PO2 James Evans "I believe the US Navy is trying to escape the over-the-horizon (OTH) radars systems on the three artificial islands of Mischief, Subi and Fiery Cross reefs, which has targeted US warships and aircraft [before]," Lu said, referring to Beijing's three artificial islands in the Spratlys. "The US Navy can use the geographical features of the Philippines to approach the region and suddenly appear somewhere out of the PLA's expectations, because the OTH radars have limitations when it comes to monitoring approaching objects from a group of archipelagos." The USS Carl Vinson strike group fleet includes destroyers, frigates, submarines and supply ships. The new approach of warships sailing between island groups would also require US sailors to boost their skills in traditional terrestrial navigation, Lu noted. Collin Koh, a research fellow from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said the new movements and choices of route were in keeping with the dynamic force employment concept implemented by the US Navy. "Instead of using only those traditional routes, the increased use of lesser-known, alternative routes would reduce predictability with respect to the direction of movement of US military assets," Koh said. "This thereby increases operational and strategic flexibility in times of peace and contingencies. Such contingencies would include the Taiwan Strait scenario to be sure."

"Before you venture overseas, why not tour your own backyard first?" This line, from a gregarious guide, resonated with me prior to the start of the Raffles Lighthouse tour, which is organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Now, everyone knows that Singapore is a maritime trade powerhouse, but few realise that apart from the Tanjong Pagar and Tuas ports, our coastline is also dotted with docks and jetties. And as the second-busiest port in the world (Shanghai is the busiest), Singapore is home to several lighthouses, too. Five of them, including Raffles Lighthouse, are operated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). You'll travel by ferry from Marina South Pier to reach the Southern Islands Getting there First things first: Raffles Lighthouse is not the lighthouse you'll find in Raffles Marina. Raffles Lighthouse is the second oldest of the five lighthouses operated by MPA. It is located on Pulau Satumu, an island about 23km away from the mainland. It is the southernmost point of Singapore. To get here, one must join an MPA tour which costs around S$50 per person. The five-hour tour includes a guided visit to the Maritime Gallery, plus ferry passage to and from Pulau Satumu. Lighthouses operated by MPA, as seen on this map in the Maritime Gallery Prior to the tour, I mistakenly assumed that the entire trip took five hours because there was plenty to see and do at the lighthouse, and perhaps lunch would be catered as well. However, most of the time was spent travelling from Marina South Pier to Pulau Satumu and back. Three hours, to be exact, as it is a 1.5-hour ride each way. While the ferry chugged along, our guide enthusiastically pointed out the different types of ships (LNG, LPG, bulk carrier, etc.) we passed. Of greater interest were the outlying islands or Southern Islands. It didn't take long to see St John's Island, Kusu Island, and Lazarus Island. The Singapore skyline looks cool from this angle, too. The building in the foreground is Marina Bay Cruise Centre. In the distance, we saw Pasir Panjang Port, Brani Island, Jurong Island, and Pulau Bukom, home to the Shell Refinery. This part was the eye-opener for me. We all know that Singapore has other islands, but how many do you think we have in all? 10? 20? 30? Nope. My jaw dropped when our guide said we have 64 islands! Singapore is small relative to the rest of the world, but man, the geography lesson that afternoon was an eye-opener. Seeing the outlying islands and massive vessels anchored offshore was truly an experience. Here we are, a little red dot on the world map, yet all these vessels are on the way to one of our ports. Even if you regularly fly, the many ships dotting the sea is something you might not really notice, especially if you typically fly at night. You'll only have 40-45 minutes on Pulau Satumu, so take in the views while you can One-tree island 'Satumu' means 'one tree' in Malay. As the ferry approached the dock, the lighthouse seemed to shine in the sunlight. Completed in 1855, Raffles Lighthouse was designed by John Bennett, who also built Horsburgh Lighthouse on Pedra Branca. Next to the lighthouse are two network antennas. Photographing these structures is forbidden due to 'security issues' and attempting to feature them on social media could land you in trouble. At the very least, you might find parts of your pictures censored by the powers that be. At least that's what we were told. The waters surrounding the island are surprisingly clear Now, the lighthouse itself is not very large and unfortunately, you're no longer allowed to climb to the top. We were, however, ushered into an air-conditioned room and shown a collection of artifacts and memorabilia to add to the nostalgic feel. Interestingly, one of the 'museum pieces' was an unused armoury locker. Lightkeepers in the past must have needed rifles to defend themselves against marauding pirates in search of booty (or booze?). Each lightkeeper works on Pulau Satumu for 10 days before returning to mainland Singapore. If you despise crowds and love solitude, a career as a lightkeeper might appeal to you. It's too bad we couldn't interview the lightkeepers. But from what I could see, the cleaner air and gentle sounds of the waves lapping the shore make for idyllic surroundings. And even if you're far from civilisation, civilisation isn't far from you. I had 5G coverage the entire time, so you'll always be connected. I was glad that there was no souvenir shop, as it would have made the experience touristy (and not in a good way). But MPA obviously considered visitors' needs, as there were at least three toilets. Hoarding is good (sometimes) because we get to see stuff like this 4th Order Optic from 1968 Explore more I may have spent more time on the ferry than I did at Raffles Lighthouse, but that's not a bad thing. If I were on a faster vessel with a shorter travel time, I wouldn't have been able to hear the guide's stories. Knowing that Singapore is the second-busiest port in the world is one thing; seeing the vessel traffic is another. And learning a bit about our other islands was another pleasant surprise. Most of us don't know or don't care to know about the ports and maritime issues because they happen beyond our sight. But if there's one thing I learned, it's that without our maritime trade, commerce and life as we know it would slow to a crawl. Could I have learned about Raffles Lighthouse and our other islands online? Sure, but the experience wouldn't be the same. It's just like watching a travel vlog - you get ideas from the videos, but nothing beats travelling there yourself.

Noticed there are scattered current affairs threads for stuff related to military hardware, tactics etc. I'll kick it off with some of the more interesting things I learned about recently: On the US front: The F-117A Nighthawk AKA "Wobby Goblin" has been retired since 2008, after a remarkably short service life. Its shootdown in Yugoslavia in 1999 and subsequent compromise of the technology could have been a factor. F-14 Tomcat flew its last flight in 2006 - the only operator of the F-14 is now the Iranian air force. Moving to the UK, The country that invented and perfected the VSTOL fighter, the Harrier jump jet, no longer operates the type as of 2011. As a consequence of the Harrier retirement, the Royal Navy operates three STOVL aircraft carriers that do not have fixed wing aircraft. The Royal Navy has recently launched their latest aircraft carrier, the angled-deck Queen Elizabeth, but it is solely dependent on the F-35B to enable it to operate as something more than a helicopter carrier. As a cost saving measure, it is conventionally, not nuclear-powered. Japan Incidentally, the JMSDF's Hyuga class of helicopter carriers are only slightly smaller than the Royal Navy's STOVL carriers - which used to operate Harriers. Malaysia In the 2014 version of Cope Taufan, Malaysia gave the Americans a first taste of the SU-30MKM and they brought their newest toy, the F-22 Raptor to play. During the 2013 Lahad Datu standoff, BAe Hawks operated as strike aircraft, with the RMAF's Hornets performing target designation. General The Rheinmetall 120mm gun, pretty much the standard Western tank gun, has a barrel life of between 50-400 rounds, depending on the type of ammunition fired.Feel free to add on, or discuss current affairs topics. Please stay away from sensitive issues such as discussing classified information, or peeing contests in declaring Country X is better than Country Y, or whatever. These are hypothetical scenarios, whereas there is plenty going on just with the turmoil the world is in currently, and over the past decade to talk about.

hey guys!!! ho liao!!!! http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-drin...ao-4390356.html

If you have one read on: http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/11/dell-does-superfish-ships-pcs-with-self-signed-root-certificates/ Dell's response http://en.community.dell.com/dell-blogs/direct2dell/b/direct2dell/archive/2015/11/23/response-to-concerns-regarding-edellroot-certificate

This thread is about Norwegian Cruise Line, or NCL for short. This company is owned by the Genting group, which also owns Star Cruises. For this reason, NCL does not sail to Asia because the sister brands do not want to compete directly. NCL ships sail primarily in the Caribbean, Europe and Hawaii. We have only sailed with NCL once, but found the experience to be quite good. Compared to Royal Caribbean, their older ships are more 'basic' in features and certainly do not have all the 'Wow' factors like a Royal Promenade, Ice-Skating ring etc. However, their newer ships seem to be more exciting. We haven't sailed on the bigger and newer ships, so we don't have first hand experience. When we read the Cruise Critic Boards and other forums on cruising, many people said that NCL itineraries were more port intensive (i.e. fewer sea days) and also the suite life on NCL was superior to most cruise lines. So, when we found a very good deal in a 2-bedroom Penthouse suite, coupled with a good itinerary, we jumped on it. We sailed on the NCL Jade out of Rome late last year. We squeezed the maximum number of pax into the 2 bedroom suite, i.e. 6. A bit of a squeeze, but still fine for us as one big family. Here is the video I made of the suite. The best suite perks I felt were the suite-only breakfast and lunch at a speciality restaurant called Cagney's. What do I mean? Suite passengers are entitled to have breakfast and lunch every day at a speciality restaurant on board. The menu is the same every day, but more than adequate for us because we like the type of food they serve. These videos show you what I mean. Cagney's Lunch I will post more videos later.

Channel NewsAsia Singapore BREAKING - JURONG SHIP FIRE: 4 berthed ships caught fire in a shipyard at No. 1 Jalan Samulun at around 9:20pm. 1 ship sank after being engulfed in flames and 1 man has been sent to S'pore General Hospital for burn injuries. Civil Defence says the fire was brought under control within 90 minutes and is conducting a secondary search for casualties.

Any bros read today's Zao Bao? There was a pic with the Defence Minister next to a crew manning what seems like a Gatling gun. Didn't know our ships are armed with this type of rapid-fire weapon... The firing rate of this type of guns/cannons can go up to 6000 rounds/minute. That means 100 rounds/second! Similar systems are found on most US fighters (20mm on the M61 Vulcan series) and their navy's Phalanx CIWS (Close-In-Weapon-System).