Taiwan tracks 26 Chinese military aircraft, 4 naval ships around nation

Chinese fighter jets have crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait again, with at least nine entering Taiwan’s southwest Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). 

26 Chinese aircraft, including J-10, J-11, J-16, and SU-30 fighter jets and H-6 bombers, were detected by Taiwan on July 4, 2023.  

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Chinese ships continue intruding into Malaysia's gas fields with impunity

China has now been illegally surveying deep inside Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) at south Luconia Shoals for the past 2 weeks straight, with its closest approach within 100nm of the Malaysian coast.

🔗 Ray Powell

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GERMANY – Rheinmetall will produce at least 400 F-35 II center fuselage sections at its German integrated assembly line. This could be the answer to increasing production beyond the currently planned 155-160 F-35 II a year, since center fuselage production is often identified as a bottleneck.

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BREAKING – Occupied Ukraine: There have been several explosions in temporarily Russian occupied Berdyansk

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Footage of Ukrainian strike on a Russian ammunition depot in Makiivka, eastern Ukraine.

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🚨 BREAKING – Israel reveals Israeli citizen kidnapped in Iraq four months ago is being held hostage by Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah - i24NEWS

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INDIA – Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) Ship JSSAmidare, under command of RAdm Nishiyama Takahiro, Commander Escort Flotilla 1 arrived the port of Vizag 05 July 23, to participate in the 7th bilateral Japan India Maritime Exercise JIMEX23.

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BAKHMUT AXIS /1645 UTC 5 JUL/ Front line reportage on 5 JUL indicates that UKR forces have advanced 250 meters and have taken the hilltops dominating the village of Klischiivka [See Inset]. The capture of this key terrain will likely lead to further advances south of the Bakhmut urban area - Source

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SYRIA – Turkey sent military reinforcements from Tel Abyad area in the north of Raqqa, northern Syria, to Sharkrak silos in the north of Ain Issa town in the same region on Wednesday.

The area is the contact line between the Turkish forces and their affiliated armed opposition factions, known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

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UKRAINE – The Ukrainian Armed Forces will get soon the 155-mm self-propelled guns Fırtına T-155 from Turkey.

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NEW – US Navy intervened to stop Iranian Navy ships attempting to seize two oil tankers in separate incidents in the Gulf of Oman early this morning, according to a US defense official.

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UKRAINE – Makeevka in the Donetsk region was hit again by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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NEW – South Korea plans to introduce an integrated defense system to counter hostile unmanned aircraft at key military and government facilities after North Korea's drone incursions late last year - Yonhap

Under the project, DAPA seeks to purchase the counter-drone system to be operated by the Army, the Navy and the Air Force from local companies. It will accept bids through Aug. 8.

The system is expected to be able to detect small-sized drones and neutralize them by jamming their signals.

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CHINA – The construction of the mysterious PLA air base in the heart of the Xinjiang desert is almost complete.

According to some information, a test site for new weapons will be located at the facility.

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USA – Rare launch footage from the catapult of the American jet drone XQ-58 Valkyrie.

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BREAKING – SYRIA: Violent clashes are now taking place between the Assad's regime forces and a local resistance group, trying to block the progress of regime forces near the main road in the western city of Tafas.

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UPDATE – After 27 years of service, the Ariane 5 rocket bowed out last night in Kourou, French Guiana, sending a French and a German satellite into orbit.

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UK – A Royal Air Force A400M Atlas flew to Guam, completing the longest ever flight by this aircraft type, to start the RAF deployment for exercise "Mobility Guardian 23".

Flying non-stop for 20hrs 36mins, it was refuelled on the way three times.

🔗 RAF Air Mobility Force

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Balance of Arms: War and aid have reduced Russia's advantage in heavy weapons

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NEW – The New York Times, according to a senior US official: We expect Washington to announce the supply of cluster bombs to Ukraine.

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Lockheed Martin has shared a geometric drawing of the 6th generation fighter (picture on the right). Some designers have also tried to reconstruct its appearance.

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