Asia Pacific • Page 9 of 562 • The Defense Post

Sep- 2026 -

7 September

HMAS Anzac conducts maritime manoeuvres during the Indo-Pacific Endeavour 21 deployment. *** Local Caption *** Indo-Pacific Endeavour 21 (IPE21) is Australias flagship regional engagement activity, reinforcing Australias strong and enduring partnerships in Southeast Asia. Centred on a maritime task group, IPE21 involves HMA Ships Canberra and Anzac and approximately 700 people, including Australian Defence Force and civilian defence personnel, and sea riders from partner nations. Engagements have been modified in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and will be carried out primarily through contactless port visits, and will include a range of virtual workshops and at-sea activities.

Babcock Wins $93M Contract to Sustain Australian Anzac-Class Frigates

Australia has awarded Babcock a $129-million Australian dollar ($93-million) contract to sustain the Australian navy’s Anzac-class frigates.

7 September

Akhsan Erido Elezhar

India Advances Homegrown Drone Swarm System for Coordinated Strikes

Indian startup Armanetics has developed ARMANET, a mission control platform designed to coordinate multiple quadcopter unmanned aerial vehicles as a single swarm.

4 September

Artificial intelligence technology. Image: Wikimedia Commons

Samantha Alexa

China’s AI Attack Chain Trails Foreign Models, Researchers Find

China wants to turn AI into an offensive battlefield tool, but Chinese military researchers say the People’s Liberation Army still has a long way to go.

4 September

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Photo: Prime Minister’s Office of Japan

Samantha Alexa

Japan Puts AI at the Center of Record $55.6B Defense Push

Japan is seeking a record $55.6-billion defense budget for fiscal 2027, with AI, unmanned systems, and long-range weapons at the center of its military buildup.

4 September

Akhsan Erido Elezhar

Indian Navy Explores ‘Flying Torpedo’ With Glide Capability

A torpedo that glides through the air before diving beneath the waves is at the center of the Indian Navy’s latest push to counter distant underwater threats.

4 September

A law enforcer observes on the vessel "China Coast Guard (CCG) 3502" in the South China Sea, May 12, 2024

Giulia Bernacchi

US Alleges Chinese Cargo Ships Are Gathering Military Intelligence: Report

China's COSCO is allegedly using concealed equipment aboard commercial vessels to collect US military communications.

4 September

Akhsan Erido Elezhar

Japan’s New Attack Drone Comes in a Flashlight-Sized Package

Japan has offered a first look at a new combat drone roughly the size of a flashlight, giving troops a compact system designed to scout and strike ground targets at close range.

4 September

Christine Casimiro

Thales, KSSL Team Up to Produce Combat-Proven 70mm Rockets in India

Thales and Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited have joined forces to explore the production of unguided and laser-guided 70-millimeter rocket systems in India.

4 September

Jodesz Gavilan

Kratos Wins $20M Deal for Mobile SATCOM Systems in Asia

Kratos has won a contract worth more than $20 million to deliver mobile SATCOM gateways to an undisclosed defense customer in Asia.

4 September

Vantor satellite imagery shows a sanctioned Venezuelan oil tanker moving through the Caribbean Sea north of Guadeloupe. Photo: Vantor

Samantha Alexa

Indian Navy Brings AI Into the Hunt for ‘Dark Vessels’

The Indian Navy is set to gain an AI-powered view of the Indo-Pacific, with Vantor providing satellite intelligence designed to detect and track vessels.

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