Defense of the Republic of the Philippines

Some exciting related news:

NRC Certifies First U.S. Small Modular Reactor Design
January 20, 2023

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued its final rule

in the Federal Register to certify NuScale Power’s small modular reactor.

The company’s power module becomes the first SMR design certified by the NRC and just the seventh reactor design cleared for use in the United States.

The rule takes effects February 21, 2023 and equips the nation with a new clean power source to help drive down emissions across the country.
Historic Rule Making

The published final rule making allows utilities to reference NuScale’s SMR design

when applying for a combined license to build and operate a reactor.

The design is an advanced light-water SMR with each power module capable of generating 50 megawatts of emissions-free electricity.

NuScale’s VOYGR™ SMR power plant can house up to 12 factory-built power modules that are about a third of the size of a large-scale reactor. Each power module leverages natural processes, such as convection and gravity, to passively cool the reactor without additional water, power, or even operator action.

The NRC accepted NuScale’s SMR design certification application back in March 2018 and issued its final technical review in August 2020. The NRC Commission later voted to certify the design on July 29, 2022—making it the first SMR approved by the NRC for use in the United States.

FAA NOTAM System Outage Causes Major Shut Down Of U.S. Flights
January 11, 2023

WASHINGTON—The FAA held all U.S. domestic departures on Jan. 11 from 6:29 a.m. EDT after the Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) system went down before lifting the nationwide order more than two hours later.

[Video] Chaos all across U.S. after FAA System Outage | Thousands of Flights Canceled

Susan Shirk touches on many the same political developments that Carl Minzner discusses in his own book.

Quote from: girder on May 20, 2019, 10:59:32 PM

Carl Minzner On The End Of China's Reform Era

Minzner is a lawyer who takes a heterodox approach to examining China in his book, looking at economics, ideology and politics to argue his point. To sum up the proposition of his book: he argues that recent trends in China are putting an end to the major features of the post-1978 reform era.
 
Specifically he argues that there were three major characteristics of the Reform Era (cultivated with the ruling elite):
1.   Rapid Economic Growth (particularly the inclusive growth)
2.   Outward-looking Ideological Openness and Pragmatism
3.   Political stability and normalization
 
He argues that recent trends are in confluence to end these pillars of the reform era and are threatening China’s rise:
1.   Slowdown of Economic Growth
2.   Ideologically: A turn inwards towards Chinese nativism (to fill the gap left behind, because socialism is too dangerously anti-establishment to bring up again)
3.   Breaking of Political Norms
a.   Targeting of older members of the elite
b.   Failure to appoint a successor to Xi Jinping
c.   Constitutional revisions
d.   Re-politicization of the bureaucracy (under the Party)
e.   Targeting and repression of groups that are not in accordance with the state ideology. (Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet)
 
Minzner argues that the core issue that led to these trends and the increase of authoritarianism was the failure to create alternative governance institutions during the reform era, particularly because political liberalization was off the table.

Shirk suggests that checks and balances against authoritarian overreach might be indeed possible under the Chinese communist system without necessarily going all the way to electoral democracy (ala Vietnam).

Book Event - Overreach: How China Derailed its Peaceful Rise  @ Center for Strategic & International Studies

For decades, China’s leadership sought to reassure the international community that its rise would be peaceful – but today, China is increasingly willing to threaten neighbors, utilize coercion, and stoke tensions with the United States and its allies. Now, as Xi Jinping prepares for a third term, he is expected to continuing charting an assertive course for China’s foreign policy that is only likely to stoke further global backlash. What changes in China’s domestic politics led to this shift from caution to combativeness?

https://ucsdnews-new.ucsd.edu/story/overreach-how-china-derailed-its-peaceful-rise

By definition, “overreach” means taking things too far by doing too much or trying to gain too much – ultimately defeating oneself in the process.

And a new book from Susan Shirk, director of the 21st Century China Center and research professor at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS), explores the concept of overreach in China’s politics and the country’s evolving role on the world’s stage since 2008.

She first visited China in 1971 and has been teaching, researching and engaging with China diplomatically ever since. Beyond the classroom, Shirk was the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the East Asia and Pacific Bureau during the administration of President Bill Clinton.

She sat down recently to discuss the concept for “Overreach: How China Derailed Its Peaceful Rise” and the worldwide implications of the country’s actions over the past 15 years.

Overreach: An Interview with Susan Shirk @ UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy

Amazon listing

[Video] Indo-Pacific Forecast 2023 (Streamed live on Jan 12, 2023)

What is the outlook for U.S.-China relations?  Which of the U.S. alliance networks in the Indo-Pacific is most promising?  Will IPEF thrive?  Join CSIS experts to explore these and other questions during our annual preview of political, security, and economic developments across the Indo-Pacific region.

Agenda
8:00-8:05 AM - Welcoming Remarks
Victor Cha
Senior Vice President for Asia and Korea Chair
 
8:05-8:45 AM -  Roundtable Discussion: Networking in the Indo-Pacific     
Kurt Campbell
Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs, National Security Council

Taeyong Cho
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States

Jose Manuel G. Romualdez
Ambassador of the Philippines to the United States
 
Moderated by
Nicholas Szechenyi
Senior Fellow, Japan Chair and Deputy Director for Asia, CSIS
 
8:45-9:30 AM - Panel I: China
Jude Blanchette
Freeman Chair in China Studies, CSIS

Scott Kennedy
Senior Adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics, CSIS

Bonny Lin
Director, China Power Project and Senior Fellow, Asian Security, CSIS

Lily McElwee
Fellow, Freeman Chair in China Studies and CSIS-Chumir Global Dialogue, CSIS
 
Moderated by
Nicholas Szechenyi
Senior Fellow, Japan Chair and Deputy Director for Asia, CSIS
                       
9:30-10:15 AM - Panel II: Allies and Partners
Charles Edel
Australia Chair and Senior Adviser, CSIS

Christopher Johnstone
Senior Adviser and Japan Chair, CSIS

Ellen Kim
Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Korea Chair, CSIS

Yuko Nakano
Fellow, Japan Chair, and Associate Director, U.S.-Japan Strategic Leadership Program, CSIS

Greg Poling
Senior Fellow and Director, Southeast Asia Program and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, CSIS
 
Moderated by
Victor Cha
Senior Vice President for Asia and Korea Chair, CSIS
 
10:15-11:00 AM - Panel III: Economics and Trade
William A. Reinsch
Senior Adviser and Scholl Chair in International Business, CSIS

Matthew Goodman
Senior Vice President for Economics, CSIS

Erin Murphy
Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Economics Program, CSIS

Raymond Vickery
Senior Associate (Non-Resident), Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies, CSIS
 
Moderated by
Emily Benson
Senior Fellow, Scholl Chair in International Business, CSIS
 
11:00 AM - Adjourn

I had to add another postscript as I had recently re-read one of Jovito R. Salonga's lectures from the collection Ethics in politics (1994).

On the matter of the misusing of the image of People Power, one actually need not look further from the original event than when the then incumbent President Cory Aquino's attempted to invoke it to call a rally on Tuesday, 10th September 1991 in support of the passing of the treaty for the renewal of the lease of the U.S. bases.

In Mr. Salonga's own words:

It occurred to me that this would be a horrible perversion of "people power."

(pg. 58)

So best to push my previously mentioned timeline a decade further back.

[IDEF 2021] Turkish Company System Defence Presents New MFR 56 Light Machine Gun
September 3, 2021

At the IDEF 2021, System Defence showcased the family of light machine guns, based on the AR-15 lower receiver. Their new dual-feed LMG is called MFR 56 (MFR stands for Multi Funtional Rifle). MFR 56 is chambered in 5.56 and feeds from an M27 belt (used in FN Minimi/M249, HK21, and the Negev machineguns among others) or STANAG magazines. It weighs just 4.2 kg (9.35 lbs), unloaded, and 4.8 kg (10.5) loaded, which makes it significantly lighter, compared to most light machine guns on the market.

There are three versions of MFR 56 LMG. The first one is a classic open bolt design, typical for belt-fed machineguns (pictured above). This version has controls similar to M249, with a cross-bolt safety.

The second one is closed-bolt, since certain countries restrict open-bolt weapons, and also closed bolt machineguns are generally considered to be slightly more accurate. This version has a standard M16 selector, with safe, semi, and full-auto positions.

The third version is closed bolt and semi-automatic in order to comply with the various restrictions for civilian market sales.

All versions feature a quick-change barrel – the lever used to detach the barrel is located on the top of the receiver. According to the information provided by the manufacturer, the 16.2 inches (412 mm) barrel is hammer forged and has a 1/7 twist rate. The charging handle is on the right side of the receiver.

The company also offers an upper receiver that is compatible with standard AR-15 lowers.

Japan defense force pledges to donate Huey choppers to PH Army
Published December 19, 2022, 11:48 AM
by Martin Sadongdong

The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) committed to transfer UH-1J Huey multi-role helicopters to the Philippine Army (PA) through a government grant to improve the latter’s disaster response capabilities.

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, PA spokesperson, said the Army expects to receive the air assets “two to three years from now.”

“The utility helicopters will significantly boost the capabilities of the Army Aviation ‘Hiraya’ Regiment especially in the field of humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR), medical evacuation, transport of personnel and supplies, and for damage assessment flights in times of national emergencies and calamities,” Trinidad said on Monday, Dec. 19.

The UH-1J helicopter is an improved version of the Bell UH-1H helicopter and is produced by Fuji Heavy Industries. Among its features include a vibration reduction system, an infrared exhaust suppressor, and a night-vision-goggle-compatible cockpit.

It is powered by a single Kawasaki T53-K-703 turboshaft engine with 1,800 horsepower, two bladed main and tail rotors.

The JGSDF made the commitment during the first-ever Japan-Philippine-US Trilateral Key Leaders’ Engagement at Camp Asaka in Tokyo, Japan last week.

Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., PA commanding general, discussed potential areas of military cooperation with JGSDF during his meeting with Gen. Yoshida Yoshihide, JGSDF Chief of Staff, including capability development, trainings and exercises, and defense materiel assistance.