7th Fleet Focus: Asian Military Buildup Continues

The naval buildup in Asia continues. If you are keeping score, Japan and South Korea are both finishing new AEGIS destroyers, China is fielding a little bit of everything, Russia intends to buy 6 new aircraft carriers and rebuild its fleet, Taiwan wants AEGIS destroyers and new submarines, India is currently building 2 aircraft carriers and looking to field nuclear submarines, Pakistan is buying new submarines, and Australia is buying new destroyers and new LHDs.

Oh and this just in, Indonesia is buying 2 new submarines while making plans for "a fleet of 10 submarines and 260 surface ships in the longer term."

INDONESIA will finalise a $1.2 billion deal with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, in Jakarta tomorrow, to fund the purchase of Russian submarines, tanks and helicopters.

The acquisition of two high-performance Kilo-class submarines has significant strategic implications for Australia and could erode its naval dominance in the region, military experts believe.

An Indonesian Navy spokesman, Sugeng Darmawan, told the Herald long-term plans to buy another eight of the new submarines were already being discussed.

Tomorrow's agreement will deepen military links between Russia and Indonesia as well as upgrading Indonesia's army, navy and air force. It will reduce Indonesia's dependence on US military supplies.

You know, if war ever does break out in the Pacific, with all those submarines it is going to be difficult for any surface ship to survive, and that ignores the air power of the various nations listed.