Gordon Arthur

1. Article · Sep 17, 2026 · Gordon Arthur

   Japanese Global Hawk drone splashes down in crash (opens the original)

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   CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — A Japanese Global Hawk drone nosedived into the Sea of Japan on Sept. 15, instantly slashing the country’s fleet of these large-wingspan, unmanned surveillance aircraft by a third. Japan paid roughly $163 million for Northrop Grumman to manufacture each of its three RQ-4B Block 30i Global Hawks nearly a decade ago. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) on Sept. 16 revealed that it lost contact with the high-altitude drone at 12:55 p.m., before losing its radar

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2. Article · Sep 9, 2026 · Gordon Arthur

   South Korea supercharges defense budget to record levels (opens the original)

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   CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — South Korea will spend more on its military in the year ahead than it ever has before. The country’s defense budget is set to rise 8.2%, after government leaders announced the increased expenditure on Sept. 3. The boosted defense spending of KRW 73.28 trillion – around $53.9 billion – comes amid deepening security concerns about North Korea, China and Russia. U.S. President Donald Trump’s irascibility is also encouraging Seoul into greater self-reliance. Tru

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3. Article · Aug 31, 2026 · Gordon Arthur

   New Zealand ground forces drill to dock onto larger armies (opens the original)

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   WAIOURU, New Zealand — The whump of exploding 105 mm artillery rounds reverberate across the “battlefield” as Kiwi soldiers in NZLAV 8x8 armored vehicles race across a valley to assault a network of enemy trenches. Witnessed by Defense News on Aug. 27, this live-fire episode formed part of the New Zealand Army’s largest exercise of 2026. Called Hill 60 – named after the final battle in the Gallipoli campaign in World War I – the 16-day training event was a key check for the army as i

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4. Article · Aug 13, 2026 · Gordon Arthur

   US Marines roam far and wide from temporary Darwin base (opens the original)

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   This year marked the 15th deployment of U.S. Marines to Australia under the Marine Rotation Force-Darwin (MRF-D) initiative, but this year’s rotation looked different from the rest because of its certification as a Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF). “This is the first rotation in the 15-year history of the program to be certified as a MAGTF, and that’s a big deal,” Col. George Flynn, commanding officer of MRF-D 2026, explained to Defense News. Flynn noted that being

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5. Article · Aug 10, 2026 · Gordon Arthur

   Japan’s 2026 defense white paper highlights ‘new era of crisis’ in Indo-Pacific (opens the original)

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   Japan releases defense white papers each year, but its 2026 edition marked important shifts in the country’s approach to defense strategy, procurement and production. “The international community is facing its greatest trial since World War II and [is] entering a new era of crisis,” the document warned. “It cannot be ruled out that a serious situation similar to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine may occur in the Indo-Pacific region in the future, particularly in East Asia.” China,

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