Jane's Fighting Ships is your essential reference to the world's navies. Country by country, you will find authoritative commentaries for each ship, complete with comprehensive details of: displacement and dimensions, main machinery, speed and range, weapons systems, construction and modernisation programmes, latest operational status and strength of fleet including sales to other navies.
Maritime power has been a key defining parameter of economic vitality and geostrategic power of nations. This book explores how the first decade of the 21st century has witnessed the rise of China and India as confident economic powers pivoting on high growth rates, exponential expansion of science, technology and industrial growth.
A comparison of Singapore and Taiwan presents an interesting case study for those wishing to understand how small states struggle to overcome their strategic disadvantage. Since their independence, Singapore and Taiwan have faced numerous challenges resulting from their relative strategic disadvantage. They have struggled to overcome vulnerable bases, an unformed conception of state, and weak governmental institutes for defence. While territorial borders are difficult to change, both states have focused on nation building, economic growth, and military build-up in order to overcome their predicaments. During the Cold War, both states employed similarly authoritarian policies to preserve their survival. However, in the post-Cold War era, Taiwan has experienced political and economic weakness in the face of the rising China, while Singapore, with its polity of one-party domination, has continued to strengthen its hard and soft power. This book examines the unique context for each case, drawing comparisons and offering analysis of their distinct approaches.
The year 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of normalization of Sino-U.S. relations. Over the past 30 years, the bilateral relations have developed by twists and turns. It is not until recent years that some stability and forward-looking exchanges have returned to the central stage, albeit tension, grievances, and mistrust continue to persist. Washington has encouraged China to become a “responsible stakeholder” in the world affairs, while China has urged the U.S. to work with China to build a “harmonious world.” Both sides want to work together to solve their differences through dialogs and negotiations. In the wake of the worldwide financial crisis of 2008–2009, China has contributed greatly in financing the crumbling U.S. financial market and lent a helping hand in stabilizing the world economy. Nevertheless, the foundation of the relationship remains very fragile and the long-term prospect for a constructive cooperative relationship is still full of uncertainties. For many Americans, China’s increasing global reach and growing political and economic influence constitute the greatest challenge to world dominance by the United States. As a result, some perceive China’s rise as a threat to Americans’ core national interests. The recent changes in the global geostrategic landscape and economic interdependence have suggested that some new ideas, factors, conditions, and elements are shaping the relations between the two countries. The task of Thirty Years of China-U.S. Relations: Analytical Approaches and Contemporary Issues is to explore these factors, issues, and challenges and their impact for the bilateral relations in the 21st century.
An account of the infamous 1967 attack on the USS Liberty by Israeli forces draws on interviews with survivors and intelligence officials as well as newly declassified documents to challenge Israel's position that the attack was an accident based on a case of mistaken identity.
Bernard Cole takes a comprehensive look at China’s Navy, a Navy that continues to grow while the U.S. Navy shrinks. Of particular note, according to the author, is Beijing’s increased attention to guarding its vital sea lanes because of the nation’s growing dependence on maritime trade, especially energy supplies. He provides a thorough description of China’s naval establishment, including its personnel system, followed by a detailed view of its ships, submarines, and aircraft, all marked by technical sophistication and capability as China reaches the top rank of the world’s maritime powers. His evaluation is based on extensive interviews with Chinese and other naval experts, in-depth perusal of original documents, and visits to Chinese warships, training facilities, and shore establishments. The Great Wall at Sea is on the U.S. Navy's Professional Reading List.
CSIS's Mark Cancian annually produces a series of white papers on U.S. military forces, including their composition, new initiatives, long-term trends, and challenges. This report is a compilation of these papers. It takes a deep look at each military service, as well as special operations forces, DOD civilians, and contractors in the FY 2022 budget. The report also discusses the debate about legacy equipment, the interaction of the budget and force size, and the decline in force size that the services face with retiring older systems without adequate replacements.
This book aims to redefine maritime diplomacy for the modern era. Maritime diplomacy encompasses a spectrum of activities, from co-operative measures such as port visits, exercises and humanitarian assistance to persuasive deployment and coercion. It is an activity no longer confined to just navies, but in the modern era is pursued be coast guards, civilian vessels and non-state groups. As states such as China and India develop, they are increasingly using this most flexible form of soft and hard power. Maritime Diplomacy in the 21st Century describes and analyses the concept of maritime diplomacy, which has been largely neglected in academic literature. The use of such diplomacy can be interesting not just for the parochial effects of any activity, but because any event can reflect changes in the international order, while acting as an excellent gauge for the existence and severity of international tension. Further, maritime diplomacy can act as a valve through which any tension can be released without resort to conflict. Written in an accessible but authoritative style, this book describes the continued use of coercion outside of war by navies, while also situating it more clearly within the various roles and effects that maritime forces have in peacetime. This book will be of much interest to students of seapower, naval history, strategic studies, diplomacy and international relations.
