In Geopolitics Today: Tuesday, December 27th
Japan to Deploy Missile Defence System near Taiwan, Russia Bans Export of Oil to Price Cap Participants, and other stories.
Israel Grounds 11 F-35 Jets After US Fighter Crashes During Test
The Israeli Air Force has grounded 11 of its advanced F-35 stealth jets after a similar F-35B crashed during a test flight in the United States earlier this month. The Israeli military said that these jets would be checked for a similar issue to the one that caused the crash before being returned to service.
The F-35I is the Israeli version of the F-35, which is based on the F-35A, and is used for conventional takeoff and landing. The B variant, used by the US Marine Corps and other navies, allows for short takeoff and vertical landing on aircraft carriers. Israel has agreed to purchase at least 50 F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin, with 36 aircraft having been delivered so far, with the remaining planes scheduled to arrive until 2024.
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Japan to Deploy Missile Defence System near Taiwan
Japan's Defense Ministry is planning to deploy a surface-to-air missile unit on the island of Yonaguni, located approximately 110 kilometers from Taiwan. The deployment is intended to strengthen the defense of the Nansei Islands in response to increased military pressure on Taiwan by China.
The ministry has allocated funds in its 2023 budget to acquire 180,000 square meters of land near Camp Yonaguni, where the missile defence unit will be stationed, and to construct facilities. An electronic warfare unit will also be deployed to the camp in 2023. Japan's defence ministry has previously deployed missile units on other islands in the Nansei chain, including Miyako Island and Amami-Oshima Island, and plans to deploy another unit on Ishigaki Island.
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Kosovan Serbs Erect Roadblocks as Tensions Soar in Kosovo
There are rising tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic ordering his army to assume the “highest level of combat readiness” to protect ethnic Serbian areas in northern Kosovo that he says are under threat.
Ethnic Serbs in the north recently erected nine roadblocks dividing the area where they live, which has angered the Kosovo government led by an Albanian majority. There have also been reports of a shooting near a NATO peacekeeping patrol unit. The European Union has called for calm and urged both leaders to come to the table to find a political solution.
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Taiwan Extends Military Service
Taiwan's President, Tsai Ing-wen, has announced that the country will extend its compulsory military service from four months to one year, starting in 2024. The decision follows increased military pressure from China as 43 Chinese planes entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone earlier this week.
Taiwan currently has a professional military force of 165,000, but the extension of compulsory service is expected to add an additional 60,000 to 70,000 personnel annually from 2027. The move is intended to improve the country's ability to defend itself, with conscripts tasked with guarding key infrastructure and receiving more intense training, including combat techniques used by US forces and operating advanced weapons.
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Russia Bans Export of Oil to Price Cap Participants
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree banning the supply of crude oil and oil products from February 1 to countries that abide by a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil.
The price cap has been implemented by the Group of Seven major powers, the European Union and Australia, and is aimed at limiting Russia's ability to fund its war effort. Russia is the world's second largest oil exporter, and a disruption to its sales could have significant global consequences for energy supplies. The decree includes a clause allowing Moscow to overrule the ban in special cases and will be in effect from February to July. The ban on oil products will be determined later by the Russian government and could come into effect after February 1st.