The meeting of some of world’s largest warships involved the Carl Vinson and Japan-based Ronald Reagan, joined by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter-destroyer JS Hyuga. The drill, dubbed a Multi-Large Deck Event in naval lingo, took place in the Philippine Sea between Nov. 4 and Nov. 8.

It marked the second occasion over the span of a few days that a pair of US Navy aircraft carriers conducted exercises with each other. The Gerald R. Ford and Dwight D. Eisenhower staged a joint training the Eastern Mediterranean Sea the previous week.

This week’s event was also the second such meetup to be held in the Indo-Pacific this year, as the carriers Ronald Reagan and Nimitz were joined by Japan’s JS Izumo for a similar occasion in June.

Defense News was part of a small group of international media flown to the ships at a location roughly 500 miles (800 km) east of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon.

U.S. Navy Capt. Matthew Thomas, commander of the Carl Vinson, said the participating ships and aircraft undertook a variety of training missions, including air defense drills, sea surveillance, defensive air counter tactics and coordinated maneuvers.

Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, commander of the U.S. Navy’s Strike Group One, told reporters aboard the Ronald Reagan that the drill was meant as a “demonstration on how we can rapidly move to a point of crisis and interoperate and cooperate.”

The Carl Vinson had left its homeport of San Diego on Oct. 12, according to video footage captured by a publicly accessible webcam. Navy Times had previously reported that the sea service declined to disclose when the ship left port.

Improving the interoperability between the US Navy and Japanese forces was also a key objective of the exercise, according to the commander of the Ronald Reagan, Capt. Daryle Cardone. “Having been here last year and this year we see each and every time that we interoperate with our partners that the exercises increase in complexity and depth,” he said.

The Navy used a Bell-Boeing CMV-22B Osprey tiltrotor plane and a Northrop-Grumman C-2A Greyhound turboprop transport aircraft to ferry reporters from Kadena Airbase in Okinawa to the carrier and back, respectively, a practice the service calls Carrier Onboard Delivery, or COD.

Officials are in the process of phasing out the Northrop planes for such COD journeys, with the newer Ospreys taking over the missions.

Under the potential deal, the U.S. ally would buy 50 Lockheed Martin AGM-158B/B-2 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles with Extended Range through the Foreign Military Sales program, according to an Aug. 28 announcement by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

The planned sale, which the DSCA said is worth $104 million, will also include JASSM anti-jam GPS receivers, training missiles, as well as other spares and support equipment.

“The proposed sale will improve Japan’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing stand-off capability via advanced, long-range strike systems for employment on Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) fighter aircraft including but not limited to the F-15J,” the agency added.

The proposed sale now goes before Congress, during which quantities and price tags can change.

Japan plans to upgrade 68 of its Mitsubishi-built F-15J Eagle interceptors with new radars, mission computers and a standoff land-attack capability. The country had specifically planned for the JASSM weapon to provide the latter capability for its upgraded jets.

The Asian nation also plans to operate a future fleet of 147 F-35 jets that can employ the JASSM. Japan is currently on track to be the largest non-U.S. operator of the fifth-generation stealth fighter.

The AGM-158B JASSM-ER can deliver a 1,000-pound warhead up to 575 miles away, while the longer-range AGM-158B-2 has a warhead weighing 2,000 pounds with a range of 1,200 miles.

Other Japanese media outlets have reported the country is considering fitting a standoff missile capability on its Kawasaki C-2 airlifters, with the JASSM and the U.S. Air Force’s Rapid Dragon system cited as a possible option.

Japan has sought to acquire long-range land-attack capabilities in recent years as it seeks the capability to strike at potential threats as well as counter North Korean ballistic missiles or attempts by an adversary to seize Japan’s southern islands.

It had previously avoided acquiring such capabilities, as it deemed them too aggressive and in violation of its pacifist post-war constitution, which limited Japan’s self-defense forces to possessing capabilities required only for defending the Japanese mainland.

MELBOURNE, Australia — A satellite image obtained by Defense News shows what appears to be a WZ-8 supersonic reconnaissance drone parked outside one of two newly built hangars at China’s Lu’an Airbase.

China is continuing to revamp a bomber base that was identified in recently leaked U.S documents as hosting a new supersonic reconnaissance drone.

The satellite image, provided to Defense News by Planet Labs, shows Lu’an Airbase in China’s Anhui province. The previously unoccupied base is undergoing an upgrade, with construction beginning sometime between April 2018 and early 2019. Improvements include the resurfacing of the 3,200-meter (3,500-yard) runway, the widening of taxiways, and the construction of 20 bomber-sized aircraft shelters and two hangars to replace open aircraft parking bays.

China also built munitions checkout facilities on base, according to Decker Eveleth, a student at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey who reviewed the satellite photo given to Defense News. Eveleth explained that such checkout facilities are used to inspect munitions before they’re loaded onto aircraft for use.

These buildings are usually found at bases for bombers and ground-launched missiles, Eveleth added, and tend to be “long, tall buildings with doors at both ends,” with missiles usually fixed to a rail for inspection at various stations for examining various components.

Lu’an Airbase is home to the 29th Air Regiment of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s 10th Bomber Division, according to Andreas Rupprecht, who has authored several books on Chinese military aviation and the industry.

He told Defense News that the unit currently flies the Xi’an H-6K and H-6M bombers. The latter is the primary launch platform of the WZ-8, carrying the supersonic drone on an hardpoint on its fuselage underside and releasing it from a high altitude.

The WZ-8 was also seen on a satellite photo taken in December 2022, while another from early April 2023 showed continued progress in widening the aircraft taxiways leading to the base’s underground aircraft facilities south of the runway.

Using Google Earth’s measuring tool, Defense News assesses that the new taxiways are approximately 25 meters (82 feet) wide, compared to 14 meters (46 feet) previously. However, the underground facilities, which run underneath nearby hills, have yet to be widened.

The presence of WZ-8s at the base was noted in a document ostensibly from the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and leaked online through the social media platform Discord. A member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard is accused of leaking the highly classified information.

Defense News has been unable to verify the veracity of the document. Aric Toler, a researcher with investigative journalism group Bellingcat who has written extensively on the Discord leaks, told Defense News he had not seen the document before.

The published document showed two WZ-8s at the base, which it called “Liuan,” and claimed the imagery was taken during a reconnaissance satellite pass on Aug. 9, 2022.

One of the drones was outside the same hangar as that seen on the satellite photo provided to Defense News, while the other was being towed along the runway.

The document also outlined possible mission flight profiles of the WZ-8, suggesting that it could perform reconnaissance missions over South Korea and Taiwan with a daylight sensor suite including a synthetic aperture radar and electro-optical sensor while flying at Mach 3 at an altitude of 100,000 feet.

It also suggests the drones could recover at China’s coastal airfields following the completion of their missions, landing at bases such as Dashuibo in Wendeng on the Shandong Peninsula or Huian, which is west of Taiwan.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced Thursday its approval of a $1.41 billion program to develop a new airborne electronic warfare platform. The project is expected to run from 2024 to 2032, and the new aircraft will seek to improve joint operational capabilities and the survivability of the country’s air assets by jamming and disrupting adversarial air defenses as well as command and communications systems.

This latest acquisition will form part of South Korea’s future electronic warfare response system, and it represents the government’s latest effort to acquire or develop a range of aircraft for special missions.

DAPA also greenlighted the $2.84 billion acquisition of “heavy helicopters” to replace older helicopters currently used by South Korea’s Army and Air Force for special operations as well as search and rescue missions.

The agency did not identify the platform selected for either requirement, although the use of the term “heavy helicopters” hints at the Boeing-made CH-47F Chinook. South Korea already operates an older version of the Chinook, with both the Army and Air Force flying the type.

The Army currently operates 26 CH-47D and six CH-47DLR heavy-lift helicopters, while the Air Force has 11 HH-47Ds for transport and combat search and rescue roles.

DAPA had approved a smaller acquisition of CH-47Fs in March, clearing $1.14 billion to buy helicopters for the Army. Neither announcement disclosed the number of helicopters it will acquire, although the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency cleared a South Korean request for 18 CH-47Fs in December 2022 that was estimated to be worth $1.5 billion.

Another South Korean effort to acquire or develop aircraft for special missions includes a previous contract award to Korea Aerospace Industries to convert four Dassault Falcon 2000LXS business jets into Baekdu surveillance platforms.

The new platforms will replace four older Hawker 800XP (RC-800SIG) intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft operated by the Air Force and acquired under the Peace Pioneer program in the late 1990s. The new jets are expected to enter service in 2026.

South Korea has an ongoing need for ISR capabilities, chiefly to monitor neighboring North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The South Korean Air Force already has the Boeing-made E-7A Peace Eye airborne early warning and control aircraft; the Northrop Grumman-made RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone; and the Peace Krypton reconnaissance aircraft.

ST Engineering announced its subsidiary ST Engineering Marine won a contract “for the detailed design and construction of six Multi-Role Combat Vessels (MRCVs) for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).”

The company added in a news release that it “will be responsible for the procurement and integration of the platform equipment and [Ministry of Defence-]furnished equipment.”

The defense contract also said it will build the six vessels at its local facilities, and deliver them progressively from 2028 onward. The value of the contract was not disclosed.

ST Engineering is believed to have offered its Vanguard 130 multirole combatant, although Naval News reported that the vessels will be based on the Iver Huitfeldt and Absalon frigate designs by Denmark’s Odense Maritime Technology. The report also said the ships will likely be fitted with Thales’ Sea Fire radar and MBDA’s Aster and VL Mica surface-to-air missiles.

Both Danish designs measure about 137 meters (449 feet) long, with a 19-meter (62-foot) beam.

Thales has an agreement with Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency to facilitate upgrades to radars used by the country and to address future needs.

The agency also signed a memorandum of understanding with Swedish company Saab to partner on the multirole combat vessels in the fields of artificial intelligence and data analytics, according to an announcement by the agency on the sidelines of a defense technology summit held in Singapore last week.

Saab has been extensively involved with Singaporean naval programs, including the design and manufacture of the integrated bridge on Independence-class littoral mission vessels.

The Republic of Singapore Navy already operates the Aster and VL Mica weapons from existing ships, and the Army uses a land-based version of the Aster.

Singapore said the new vessels are to replace six 62-meter Victory-class missile corvettes. However, the ships on order will be larger and more capable than the corvettes.

Infographics and statements previously released by the Defence Ministry indicated that in addition to standard combat roles, the combat vessels will be designed for quick configuration depending on the mission, including the capability to act as a force multiplier by serving as a mothership for unmanned air, surface and underwater vehicles.

The multirole combat vessels will also feature extensive automation to reduce the ships’ crew size, which is in line with typical Navy requirements.

The Southeast Asian island has also declared its intention to acquire more naval platforms, including new amphibious ships to replace four Endurance-class landing platform docks and offshore patrol vessels.

Speaking at an aviation investment summit in Tianjin, China, on March 17, Zhang Yong, a project leader at the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials, told the audience that developmental bottlenecks for the WS-19 and WS-20 turbofans as well as an unidentified next-generation engine have been surmounted.

However, he added, material supply chain issues for the manufacture and delivery of the advanced alloys that will be used in the engines’ production still need to be ironed out. The official did not specify the supply chain problems.

The WS-19 afterburning turbofan is under development to power the Shenyang J-35, a next-generation fighter jet meant to operate from aircraft carriers for China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy. The WS-20 is a high-bypass turbofan engine that will power the Xi’an Y-20 airlifters operated by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

The Y-20 is currently powered by the Russian D-30KP low-bypass turbofan, which is also used by the Xi’an H-6J/K/N bombers of both armed services.

Zhang also confirmed that the WS-15 afterburning turbofan is ready for mass production. The engine will be used for later variants of the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighters of the PLAAF.

The WS-15, rated at 181 kilonewtons, is expected to provide a supercruise capability for the J-20, enabling it to attain supersonic cruise speeds without the use of its afterburner, which reduces fuel consumption.

Zhang also said at his presentation that China managed to achieve “98% localization” for the WS-10C engine, which is powering the J-20s currently being delivered to the PLAAF. Other variants of the WS-10 equip China’s Chengdu J-10, Shenyang J-11B and J-16 fighter fleets.

He did not provide details on the remaining 2% input, although it’s likely related to components or materials China still sources from foreign providers.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration, or DAPA, said the Defense Project Promotion Committee approved a $2.85 billion plan to buy more Lockheed Martin-made F-35A fighter jets. South Korea is to receive the aircraft by 2028.

DAPA did not state how many more F-35As the military will acquire under the latest plan, although South Korea received the U.S. State Department’s approval for 60 F-35As in 2013 and has already ordered 40.

The committee also gave approval for the first of a two-phase, $582.8 million plan to acquire the Raytheon Technologies-made SM-6 air defense missile to equip a second batch of KDX-III destroyers equipped with the Aegis weapons system. The missiles will be used for air defense and to counter ballistic missiles for the 8,200-ton ships, which currently operate the SM-2.

South Korea has three KDX-III destroyers from its first batch, which are also known as Sejong the Great-class ships, in service with its Navy. The ROKS Jeongjo the Great, which will be the lead ship of the second batch, was launched in July 2022 and is expected to enter service in 2024.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry also confirmed it still wants to develop an aircraft carrier. The local SBS news outlet reported that the ministry responded to inquiries from a parliamentarian that it will soon start feasibility studies into the prospects of building a 50,000-ton design.

The ministry had told Jung Sung-ho, who sits on the parliament’s National Defense Committee, that it would also be possible to develop a carrierborne variant of the KF-21 fighter, locally made by Korean Aerospace Industries, within a decade if the government allocates sufficient funding.

South Korea previously floated the idea of developing a 30,000-ton class carrier for operating the F-35B, the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. But a larger ship from which the KF-21 could operate means the military can conduct flight operations using catapults for aircraft launches and arrested landings.

This would be a more complex and expensive system than F-35B carrier operations, and it is expected the ministry will make a decision by the end of this year about whether to proceed with the program and which option it will pursue.

South Korea is technically still at war with its nuclear-armed neighbor, North Korea, having only signed an armistice agreement. The North has continued to develop its ballistic and cruise missile programs, and frequently test-fires these into the waters around the Korean Peninsula.

The Northrop Grumman-made high-altitude, long-endurance UAV was sighted at Changi Air Base (East) on multiple occasions from January onward, and Defense News has obtained a photograph of it being towed at the base.

The image was taken from a commercial airliner during takeoff in late February from Singapore’s Changi International Airport, which shares a runway with the base.

This is the first known operational deployment of the Global Hawk to Singapore, although it has previously visited the island nation for air shows in 2018 and 2022.

Singapore’s Defence Ministry confirmed in a statement to Defense News that the country “facilitated the short-term deployment of an RQ-4 Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, as part of the 1990 Memorandum of Understanding Regarding United States Use of Facilities in Singapore.”

The ministry provided no further details of the deployment, and the U.S. Air Force referred questions about the deployment to Pacific Air Forces, an American command in the region. Neither Pacific Air Forces nor the U.S. Embassy in Singapore has responded to questions about the deployment.

However, sources in Singapore have told Defense News the unmanned aircraft arrived in January and was still operating from the island in early March, and that it has flown missions almost exclusively at night during the deployment.

The Global Hawk’s long endurance, which the U.S. Air Force says is in excess of 34 hours, means it can take off at night and stay in the air during daylight hours before landing again the next evening.

The deployment also coincided with the presence of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Nimitz and the amphibious assault ship Makin Island — as well as and their respective strike groups — in the South China Sea. Both of those ships and several of their escorting vessels visited Singapore’s Changi Naval Base during this period.

In addition to hosting a U.S. Navy logistics facility, Singapore is a security partner of the United States. A 1990 memorandum signed by both countries — and renewed in 2019 — allows American forces to access Singapore’s air and naval bases on a rotational basis. This has seen the southeast Asian nation host rotational deployments of U.S. Navy littoral combat ships and P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

Singapore has separate agreements for its Air Force jet and helicopter detachments to train in the continental United States and conduct rotational air combat training in Guam.

Stephen Losey in Washington contributed to this report.

Speaking to lawmakers during a budget hearing, Singaporean Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the decision came after a “full evaluation” of the F-35, which followed increased access to the aircraft program thanks to the country’s initial order.

That access included Republic of Singapore Air Force pilots getting the opportunity to fly F-35 mission simulators under the tutelage of operational F-35 instructor pilots, as well as conducting an evaluation of the electronic systems onboard the aircraft.

Singaporean personnel also visited overseas operators to study various aspects of F-35 sustainment, and they flew with Australia and the U.S. Marine Corps operators during a multinational air combat exercise in northern Australia.

The U.S. State Department in January 2020 approved Singapore’s request to buy four F-35Bs — the short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. The approval also included an option for eight more aircraft.

The small Southeast Asian island nation has likely selected the F-35B because it can take off fully loaded with a runway of about 600 feet, and land vertically. This allows the Republic of Singapore Air Force to reduce its reliance on long runways and to mitigate potentially devastating effects of an attack on its airfields.

Singapore currently has five established airports and air bases on its 280-square-mile main island, with a smaller emergency landing strip on one of its smaller offshore islands. One of the established bases is due to close in the early part of the next decade.

The Air Force will replace its current fleet of 60 Lockheed Martin-made F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighters with the F-35B, with the service to retire the F-16 fleet starting in the early 2030s, according to Ng.

The F-16s are spread among three locally based squadrons and a training detachment based at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. The detachment is due to move to Ebbing Air National Guard Base at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and will become the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s F-35 training detachment when deliveries begin in 2026.

Accompanying documents released by the ministry during the budget debate also revealed Singapore will acquire ST Engineering’s improved Bronco 3 armored tracked carrier to replace the original Broncos in service with Singapore’s Army. However, the documents did not reveal an acquisition timeline, a quantity of vehicles or a contract value.

The country is setting aside $13.4 billion for its 2023 defense budget, a 5.6% increase over last year’s figure.