Taiwan to Build Its Own Submarines

choi

J Michael Cole, Taiwan Giving Up on US Subs, Eyeing Local Plan: Analyst. Taipei Times, Dec 15, 2011 (available now).
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/ ... 11/12/15/2003520765
("Mark Stokes, executive director at the US-based Project 2049 Institute and a vocal proponent of a submarine program for Taiwan, said the Ministry of National Defense had given up on acquiring submarines from the US and had decided to launch an indigenous program with foreign assistance")

My comment:
(a) When Mr Ma Yingjeou was the KMT leader, he opposed purchase of sobmarines from US, blaming US for gouging and other claims. US warned him and KMT (which most critically dominated Legisalture and thus budget) there would be consequences but they were unmoved. So Taiwan pays the consequences.
(b) For Nazario Sauro-class submarine, see Sauro class submarine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauro_class_submarine
(S518 Nazario Sauro - completed 1980 - decommissioned 2002 (named after Nazario SAURO [1880-1916]); since september 2009, this unit has been a museum ship in Genoa)
(c) Houbei class missile boat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houbei_class_missile_boat
(Type 022; built by Qiuxin Shipbuilding Factory at Shanghai; In commission: 2004–present)

(i) Chinese Wiki: 北約代號：“紅稗級”，英文：Houbei class
(ii) Qiuxing is 上海江南造船(集团)公司 求新造船厂.

(2) The USMC Has Something To Die For. Strategy Page, December 14, 2011.
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htatrit/articles/20111214.aspx

Two consecutive paragraphs:

"the marines have a higher rate of combat casualties. That is largely caused by a different approach to combat. Marines are trained as assault troops, especially amphibious assault. When attacking a defended beach, you have to push the enemy back, so you can bring in your own support forces, or be at a deadly disadvantage. Retreat is not an option.

"Even before the marines began expanding and specializing in amphibious warfare a century ago, they were aggressive. That's because their main job was close combat. This was in the age of sail, when ships often crashed into each other and the crews fought it out hand-to-hand. The marines were expected to specialize in that kind of combat. The marines were also expected to carry out or lead (sailors armed with rifles) raids ashore. Again, this required aggressive behavior in order to succeed.

(3) China Kicks MiG-21s To The Curb. Strategy Page, December 14, 2011
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htairfo/articles/20111214.aspx
("China has officially withdrawn its MiG-21 clone (the J-7) from first line service")

Note:
(a) "kick someone/something to the curb
informal reject someone or something:
things get complicated for Alfie when he’s kicked to the curb by his girlfriend"
Definition for kick. Oxford dictionaries Online (US English), undated.
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/kick?region=us
(b) A previous report:
China Slips Away From Failure.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htatrit/articles/20111004.aspx
("Without any publicity at all (as in stories about its 'glorious career'), China is beginning to retire its J-8 jet fighters. * * * But the J-8 was a failed design, in that it was less maneuverable than the original MiG-21 it was based on.")

(4) The Russian Serial Numbers. Strategy Page, December 14, 2011
http://strategypage.com/htmw/htada/articles/20111214.aspx
("Over the last six months, Russia has cooperated with NATO in identifying some 20,000 shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles that had been sold to Libya. This was appreciated because thousands of these missiles are believed to have been stolen.")

(5) 缅甸总统命令克钦邦政府军停火. VOA Chinese, December 14, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/n ... ting-135604463.html
("缅甸民选政府下令军方停止攻击东部边境地区的少数民族武装 [克钦独立军(KIA)[，这使得对该政府的改革承诺持怀疑态度的人感到惊讶。缅甸政府作出这一举动之前，受到来自国际社会敦促和平的压力")

Note:
(a) Kachin Independence Army
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kachin_Independence_Army
("The Kachins are a coalition of six tribes whose homeland encompasses territory in Yunnan, China and far-eastern India, in addition to Kachin State in Burma")
(b) Jingpo people
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingpo_people
(The Jingpho people 景颇族 or Kachin people are an ethnic group who largely inhabit the Kachin Hills in northern Burma's Kachin State and neighbouring areas of China and India. The Jingpo form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where they numbered 132,143 people in the 2000 census)

(6) 埃及选民在议会选举中挤爆投票站. VOA Chinese, December 14, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/n ... IONS-135576878.html
("埃及全国三分之一省份的投票站都被参加第2轮议会选举的选民挤爆。伊斯兰党派希望扩大它们在选举中的胜利")

(7) 美专家预测中可能在台选前试射导弹. VOA Chinese, December 14, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/n ... hina-135597173.html
(5年3度111测试武器: 2007年1月11号，中国军方在四川西昌发射导弹，击落“风云1-C”气象卫星; 2010年1月11号中国举行了一次反导弹拦截技术试验; 2011年1月11号 J-20)

My comment: US at last connects the dots, about meanings of Jan 11.

(8) 帕内塔：美国正在赢得阿富汗战争. VOA Chinese, December 14, 2011.
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/n ... STAN-135575123.html

(9) 美情报机构已准确定位中国网络间谍团体. VOA Chinese, December 14, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/n ... kers-135580258.html
(华尔街日报星期二报道)

(10) 菲海军启用新舰巡逻南海争议水域. BBC Chinese, December 14, 2011.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/si ... lippines_ship.shtml

Note:
(a) Hamilton class cutter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_class_cutter

Quote:

"USCGC Hamilton (WHEC-715) (Decommissioned March 28 2011, transferred to the Philippine Navy May 13 as the BRP Gregorio del Pilar (PF-15)) [of] Philippines

"USCGC Dallas (WHEC-716) (To be decommissioned on the 1st or 2nd Quarter of 2012) (To be transferred to the  Philippines - Philippine Navy)

Note:
(a) USCGC Hamilton and Dallas were commissioned in 1967 and 1968, respectively, by US Navy. CGC represents Coast Guard Cutter.
(b) US GAVE the two cutters to the Philippines, which, when confronted by China early this year, did not have a war ship that was in a fighting shape.
(c)
(i) cutter (n):
"2b : a single-masted fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel
c : a small armed vessel in government service"
www.m-w.com
(ii) cutter (boat)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutter_(boat)
(see all kinds of boats in this page, including section 5 Customs services)

(11) 金正恩的发型成为朝鲜最时髦发型. BBC Chinese, December 14, 2011.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/si ... kim_hairstyle.shtml