Rapid Fire July 25, 2012: South China Sea Scenarios

Punching above its weight The 656-ton Singaporean mini-corvette RSS Victory successfully fires a Barak-1 anti-aircraft missile during joint exercises with the USN in the South China Sea. It’s hardly the 1st time, and the inconvenient truth its that these ships are far better armed than the $550+ million, 3,000 ton “Littoral Combat Ships” the USA wants to deploy to Singapore. * The International Crisis Group (ICG) nonprofit released a report [PDF] which concludes that conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea are at a deadlock. China’s actions are shaped by its own internal dynamics [PDF] and its neighbors are not passively watching: “Although major conflict is unlikely – Beijing carefully avoids using force to assert its claims and other countries do not want to engage in armed conflict with an important economic partner and major military power – tensions continue to escalate while the prospects of resolution seem to be diminishing.” * Russian test pilots make the 1st landing on India’s Vikramaditya carrier, during sea trials in the frigid Barents Sea. It’s just a touch-and-go, though, not a full trap. * Boeing and Warner Robins ALC deliver the 5th upgraded C-130 AMP transport plane. The question is how much […]