Crazy Thoughts : Port Darwin for lease

Distance between Port Darwin and Robertson Barracks

Crazy thought of the day : Implications of leasing Port Darwin to the PRCs.

Australia signed a 99 year lease of the Port of Darwin to a subsidiary state own enterprise of China's "Temasek Holdings" equivalent.

In 2011 the USMC began unit rotation to Robertson barracks in Darwin (albeit a brigade-minus). Notice the distance between them, a mere 15 km apart ...

Solid ground intel to the Chinese. Well done. Any potential forward staging in Darwin in support of western pacific operations will be negated ?

On solid ground. Plug and play of ISO containerized powerful servers plugged into the grid from Darwin, direct hacked and download massive google-bytes of classified data.

Uncle Sam knows, the Japanese know, the Australians know the USA and the Japanese know and want them to know, the Chinese see what the Australians want them to see (and more).

A change of PM, who is not very keen to buy Japanese submarine**. But how to reject the later without souring the relationship and goodwill and friendship forged by Tony? Japanese state-of-the-art cutting edge offensive weapons are deem too provocative when one still need the Chinese market and trade. Unless you are Vietnam, Philippines, India, USA and maybe Taiwan* [Link], no GOV worth their salt would dare buy Made-in-Japan super duper offensive weapons.

Referring to above "on solid ground", which the Australians purposely allow the Chinese to camp there not for a day, not for a month, not for a year or even a decade, but a freaking century ! There is no guarantee classified Soryu submarine technology won't fall into communist hands. Not that the later don't know, but now they get to confirm and double confirm, can even photocopy the service manual at the Acme photo-printing shop at downtown Darwin flea market, next to the Chinese run sushi outlet.

It is a purely commercial transaction, they say. Yeah ... 

So maybe Temasek Holdings sold off the purposely loss-making NOL in anticipation of impending naval flashpoint and blockade and counter-blockade and targeting/sinking of national tanker carriers when the shit hits the fan, viola ! No worries because now that we have none :-)

Grand strategy at work? The former Lieutenant General took one for the team ?

This one is serious one [Link]

A few cut and paste of interest ...

SCS  1

SCS 2

SCS 3

SCS 4

* On second thought better not sell high tech stuff to ROC (Taiwan) - 有钱能使鬼推磨

Not only that, still got very real Chinese "jihadist" (not in the Islamic religious sense but really die-hard Chinese cultural "patriot" somehow cannot differentiate between the innocent Chinese culture/history/people from the Chinese Communist Party)

** IMHO - better for Australia to buy European. What is the probability of China going to war with France, Germany and Sweden ?

Is it time for my meds ?

18 December 2015

No Action Talk Only ? (Update) (Update)

NOT !

" ... i think the message which must be conveyed, and what people have to understand, is that we are training and training to win. To overcome any enemy, which wants to attack our way of living, our people, our territory, our way of understanding the world, which is what NATO countries have in common. " - Lieutenant General Rafael Comas (Commander, NATO Rapid Deployment Corp, Spain)

will the real NATO [Link] please stand up ?

Who Cares !? ...  Making $Money$ is more important ...

When the puppet master cuts the strings to the DPRK, do you think SK still need uncle Sam ?

The one - percenters

Do you know why there MUST be a world war ?

04 December - Update : Taxation 101 - The problem lies with the Gov that today they are incapable of exercising their people-given-power to re-BUILD the nation. Instead laws are enacted to siphon away wealth by private individuals, leaving the nation's infrastructure crumbling [Link] ...

09 December 2015 - Update : Closer to home, someone related to us the general conditions of the working class families in the heartlands ... As she was a former primary school teacher in a typical neighbourhood school... she saw primary students hunching over with hands clutching their tummy... reason because they were hungry... so this kind hearted teacher gave them some money, albeit a little, to go to the canteen to get some breakfast. Another primary school girl would come to school with very unkempt long hair, as if nobody at home has the time to help her learn some basic grooming... the teacher would proceed to comb her hair and get a rubber band to tie it neatly ... and she said we are seeing such cases now, how ironic.

Remember attending primary school (also a neighbourhood school) in the 70's. I don't remember seeing such level of "poverty", it is unprecedented to even seeing this in the new millennia in SG ! I remember all students in primary schools then were given a packet of milk for a period of time. We looked forward to the tetra pack, we get to choose Chocolate, Strawberry or plain ol' vanilla flavour... maybe now is a good time to bring back the milk distribution?

How many packets can one F-35 or a J-31 exchange for this ?

Cause and effect. There is a cause and an effect when we allow an individual to amass US$45, 000, 000, 000. That is 45 billion dollars. One individual, one person, owning 45 billion US dollars. It is not his fault. It is not the rich man's problem. We allow this to happen. We allow our society to be arranged for this to happen. We allow our laws to facilitate this ... We allow our business culture to come to this state. And we began to be desensitised to it ... There can be no consequence when we allow this to happen, nationally and globally.

Why Jack Ma can never dare to behave like the one-percenters of the USA and pull a fast one on the Chinese Communist Party? This is partly the reason but most importantly for the simple, brutal fact that the CCP still rule by the business end of the barrel !

And so Jack Ma is hand-on-heart a Chinese patriot. Patriotism is so passe with the one-percenters of the US of A ? Who cares, $money$ is more important than this piece of land of opportunity and her lumpen masses?

What the GOV of the USA need now is a kick ass, fearless, people's president - a FDR [Link]

The decline of a once great nation is in motion ...

The rise of Nationalism ...
After 70  years ...  here  we  go  again ...

Like the jungle is neutral, so is geopolitics. It abhors a vacuum. When the global super power leaves a vacuum, others will move in to fill the void. It is as natural as the laws of physics.

Call a spade, a spade. Russia has invaded Ukraine, period. China has invaded a global common corridor of the seas, period.

Might makes right. This is 100% true, period. The sooner we accept this the sooner we can move on.


Now, we are at war.*

* If you consider the cold war as war (i.e., fighting without firing), then we are already at war ...

Vive La France !

08 November 2015

update : 15 November 2015

Hobby : Navy - Balanced and Progressive

by 2022 ...

Major milestone :
- JMMS and LST integration complete and operational.
- LMV squadron operational.
- The formidable frigates will be launching the Extended Range Harpoon (250Km)
- Type 218 SG integrated into Submarine squadron and operational.
- Multi-Mission (+ Mine Counter Measure) Heli-ops increased by (x04).
- Integration of the MPA with the unmanned persistent high altitude UAV on going ...
- Roll out of experimental / operational UAV, USV, UHV and UUV platforms...

With the JMMS in operation with the ASW / MCM heli-ops, they will augment the Victory class missile corvettes as the latter prepare to be phased out for decommission. The JMMS can launched UAVs, USVs, UHVs as well as mine-hunting UUVs. The UAVs and the UHVs perform surveillance and detection to cue in the armed multi-mission heli-ops for possible interdiction of surface intruders, pirates or enemy naval combatants. The USVs perform sentry and operate in conjunction with manned RHIBs and multi-mission heli-ops to investigate and possible interdiction of surface threats. The UUVs are deployed to scan for naval mines and working with the MCM heli-ops to neutralize it.

The JMMS is also configured for SAR and HADR missions. The well dock facilitates HADR as well as amphibious combat operations utilizing 30T and/or 70T Fast Craft Landing. In addition, Air Force rotary assets such as medium and heavy transport helicopters as well as attack helicopters operate off its landing deck. Thus one JMMS with one set of crews are able to execute multiple missions staying on-station for far longer periods without the need to head back to port for resupplies, lending a persistent naval surface presence. 

by 2035 ...

 Major milestone :
- Formidable Frigates attained mid-life upgrade.
- Formation of a (x06) AIP submarine squadron completed.
- Endurance 140 LST replaced by new generation high speed LST platform.
- Formation of a 10 + 10 helicopters naval-ops squadron.
- Phased decommissioning of the Victory class missile corvettes completed.
- Progressive build of 8000T Air and Missile defence destroyers on going ...
- Introduction of the first Aircraft Carrier (Light) - RSS Paya Lebar into service ...

Closure of the Paya Lebar Airbase and relinquishment of military land for national development, valued at S$10 billion (2015).

New build of a 35,000 tonnage (full load) aircraft carrier enabling joint air-sea tactical maneuverability, increasing vector options for strike and defense. S$3 billion (2015) new generation AC operates the STOVL F-35B JSF, anti-submarine and multi-mission (+ MCM) heli-ops and Air Force rotary wing assets of medium/heavy transporters and attack gunships. A Search And Rescue naval helicopter is permanently stationed for SAR and HADR operations.

Combat radius of F-35B is 845Km
on internal fuel and w/o air refueling
(from the entrance to the Straits of Malacca)

On station at southern end of the South China Sea
Cruising at 16 Knots takes approximately
one 24 hour day's journey to reach 800Km

The AC is designed Enhanced Defence Capable. An  AESA 14' phased array S and X band radar integrated onto mast superstructure provides volume and horizon search, tracking, BMD discrimination/communication, target illumination, electronic attack/warfare and navigation. Data fusion enabled with carrier group air / missile defence destroyer and other assets, launching anti-air and BMD missiles or even anti-surface cruise missiles, surface or sub-surface launched.

If this can be done, we will potentially have one of the most capable 20' AESA radar
for Air and Ballistic missile defence on station. As we do not have the numbers of
AMD destroyers to escort the AC, so it must " ownself protect ownself ".

Equipped with Sylver A70 VLS (x16) (stern, port side) and Sylver A43 VLS (x32) ( fore, starboard) launching the Aster short and medium range aster-15s and BMD capable aster-30s block2 missiles. In addition, CIWS function is covered by four 150KW high energy fiber laser effectors (x02 fore of island, x02 aft of island), several point defence 30mm guns, 12.7mm machine guns, manned and unmanned as well as two 76mm/62cal (x01 bow, x01 stern, starboard) super rapid naval gun firing vulcano long range (40km) radar/laser guided fin stabilized canard driven KE rounds. EW, chaff and decoy installations provide soft kill defences.

Propulsion and total ship power requirement is achieved by (x02) gas turbine and (x04) diesel engine generators driving (x04) advance induction motors each giving maximum power of 20MW.

The 35000T AC projected power demand of 60.3MW [105,000hp] at full load, thus it is to be equipped with : MT 30 Gas Turbine Generator 36MW [48,000hp] (x02) and MTU M90 Diesel Generator 9.1MW [12,000hp] (x04)

Giving a maximum power output of 108.4MW [144000hp]. Wide margin excess of 48.1MW in anticipation of future upgrade power demand, for example - EM rail gun and higher power laser weapons, etc. Typically at cruising need only to power up one gas turbine generator plus three diesel generators, leaving one each of GT and DG spare.

The AC is build on Integrated Electric Propulsion environment such that all the power generators (gas turbine and diesel gen) produces electrical power which is then distributed to the various ship systems, including powering the induction motors that directly drive the ship propellers. The IEP system eliminates traditional gearbox and transmission clutches and allow a freer placements of the power generators without being constrained by the need of a connecting propeller shaft from the generators to the gearbox/clutch assembly to the propeller.  

Typical load out : (x16) F-35B JSF [04 park on deck], (x03) anti-submarine heli-ops., (x03) multi-mission heli-ops., (x02) medium lift helicopter and (x01) SAR helicopter [park on deck].

by 2040 ...

Major milestone :
- Air / Missile Defence Destroyer squadron complete.
- New build 4000T combatant is progressively coming on line ...
- The formidable frigate is phasing out for decommission ...
- A second Aircraft Carrier is being build to be operational by end of 2050 ...

(x04) Air and Missile Defence Destroyer employs state of the art GaN AESA 14' phased array S and X band radar for volume and horizon search, tracking, BMD discrimination/communication, target illumination, electronic attack/warfare and navigation.

The 8000 ton surface combatant is primed for air defence escort for the aircraft carriers. Thus it has (x48) Sylver A70 VLS installed at the fore and (x32) Sylver A70 VLS installed mid ship. The 80 strike length VLS can launch Aster-30 block2 BMD missiles, Aster-15 missiles as well as the MBDA Perseus supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles (300km, Mach 3). It is also very desirable that the LM subsonic stealth autonomous LRASM (900km, Mach 0.9) may also be launched from the Sylver A70.

A typical mission load out : (x12) LRASM, (x12) Perseus ASM, (x24) Aster-30 block2 BMD missiles and (x32) Aster-15 short / medium range anti-missile missiles.

The AMD destroyer is also protected by (x02) 150KW high energy fiber laser effector at the fore and similar (x02) 150KW high energy fiber laser effector at the aft. An in-coming enemy cruise missile from the broadside will face the wrath of a combine heat energy on target of 600KW instantaneously out to a distant in excess of 9Km. State of the art optical stabilization system reduced aberrations on target. A medium to light naval gun in the form of the tried and tested 76mm/62cal super rapido is utilized more for defence at the bow and broadside sectors and also for engaging in littoral targets. There are two mounted starboard and port 35mm millennium CIWS gun system defending the stern as well as the broadsides. Small calibre 30mm guns and 12.7mm machine guns are placed for all round defence. 

By 2040 Permanent Magnet Synchronous motor (PMM) technology will have matured. Standard of making the motor and the lowered manufacturing cost make agreeable for installation. PMM motor drives greatly reduced power usage to the propulsion system, making more electrical power available for other system use.

beyond 2050 ...

The new 4000T surface combatant will received the electromagnetic rail gun system, a first for the RSN. Employment of the EM rail gun negates the use of anti-ship missiles such as the venerable harpoon because the EM projectile can reach a distance of 150Km at a fraction of the cost. The 100mm equivalent EM projectile launched from the rail gun reached a terminal velocity of mach 7, its kinetic energy slammed onto the target with the force analogous to a 5 ton school bus travelling at 510km/hr ! One can fire several successive rounds (subject to gun cooling efficiency) and it is still cheaper than launching an anti-ship missile in the littoral. The 4000T new generation surface combatant is slated to replace the 30+ year old formidable frigates.

The next aircraft carrier may utilized some of these matured technologies and weapon systems. By the time the RSS Tengah is launched, a good twenty years will have pass for the first RSN AC, the RSS Paya Lebar. It is prudent to have another AC on duty to cover the later when it is due for overhaul and mid-life upgrade.

By 2050, the F-35B will take off from the
 runway of Tengah AB for the last time ...  

 

Force Structure of the RSAF

It is only a matter of time when the Russian S400 Surface-to-Air missile system proliferate in this region. With the S400 SAM, the F-16 and F-15 ... at most stand a 50/50 chance ... with advance weasel EW/attack systems installed may likely buy you a few minutes ... if coupled with Stealth maybe can afford you a good few moments for you to do your thing ...

In a conventional state-to-state all out war over land and seas, quantity has a quality of its own in that one exposed and exhaust your opponents defensive systems using unmanned assets before launching high-tech quality attack. In this sense, unmanned platforms will play an even more important role going forward. Sophisticated unmanned and even autonomous systems will increasingly be integrated into the CONOPS of coming air-land-sea warfare. In terms of manpower planning, seasoned and experience fighter pilots nearing the tail end of their "useful" attributes due to aging (eye sight and pulling 9G's) need not hang up their flight suits just yet, they will transit into the virtual cockpit of a not too distant future world where unmanned attack semi-autonomous stealth fighters awaits their manned pilots gut-feel-instincts-prescient-situational-awareness input into it's neural network and remote flight controls. An ever-ready supply of semi-autonomous unmanned combat air strike assets will lead the swam attack in the opening of an air assault.

Closure of the Tengah Airbase, consolidating the air corridor to the eastern side of the island do away height restrictions in the western side for national development. Consolidating air traffic management and providing concentrated air defence shield in the east. CAB (East) and CAB (West) sandwiched the civil aviation Changi International Airport gives pause to potential adversary, least they do collateral damage of lives and limbs and incur the condemnation of the world body. Relinquishment of military land for national development.

Proposed high rise urban farming. Marrying our high rise building construction know how and injecting new farming technology into the knowledge driven economy. In a food scare not so distant future. It is prudent to secure our food source not only abroad but also in-country for survival insurance.

The Tengah AB land for urban high rise farming, as a national survival imperatives? [Link]

Enclosed climate control technology and know how in farming can be a potential spin-off to drive our high tech knowledge base economy. It may open doors to industries such as space sustainment and exploration missions.

Underground Nuclear Energy facility [Link]

Non fossil fuel energy generation in the form of nuclear energy power plant can be constructed deep underground with concrete and steel double reinforcement. This nuclear energy facility will be sited away from main island, to proposed building it on Tekong island.

Update : Our Army [Link]

10 October 2015

Xi Kingpin and his China Dream

Is China ready to resume its imperial glory ? [Link]

by Feng Zhang

Since assuming the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership in November 2012, Chinese president Xi Jinping’s great ambitions have become well known. Domestically, he’s advanced the grand goal of what he calls the China Dream: ‘the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people’. He has surprised virtually every observer by the speed and efficiency with which he’s consolidated power in the party and military. Xi is now seen as China’s most powerful leader after Deng Xiaoping, if not Mao Zedong.

The two major pillars of Xi’s assertive foreign policy—security activism predominately in the maritime domain, and economic diplomacy by way of the so-called ‘one belt, one road’ policy—suggest that Xi isn’t content with making China a great power in the region and beyond; he also wants to make China a leading and even dominant power in key areas of Asia–Pacific regional relations. Indeed, as a keen student of history, Xi may be trying to restore the role of China in the contemporary East Asian system to its historical height during the era of the Chinese empire (221BC–1911AD).

Is Xi’s China ready to resume the glory of its imperial predecessor? We may compare China today with China during the early Ming dynasty (1368-1424), which achieved an incomplete regional hegemony in East Asia. By GDP, the economic position of Ming China at the height of its power was stronger than that of the US today. But hegemony is about more than material capabilities—it’s the conjunction of material primacy and social legitimacy; the ability to control important international outcomes and some degree of consent and acceptance from other states in the system.

Early Ming China’s neighbours adopted four principal strategies in their response to and dealings with the Ming imperial court. Ranked from the most to the least cooperative, these four strategies are identification, deference, access, and exit. Almost all of Ming China’s neighbours adopted a strategy of deference, whereby they deferred to, but didn’t necessarily accept as legitimate, imperial China’s hierarchical scheme of foreign relations embodied by the tribute system.

Ming China thus only achieved an incomplete hegemony in East Asia. But that’s hardly surprising: every hegemony is incomplete, even in the case of contemporary US hegemony. Ming China never had to confront a systemic, anti-hegemonic response in the form of, say, a counterbalancing coalition characteristic of modern European politics. On the whole, early Ming China’s material primacy in East Asia was also a Chinese hegemony accepted by its neighbours to varying degrees.

An important criterion for measuring Chinese influence today is the type and nature of regional responses to China’s rise. None of China’s neighbours are developing a strategy of identification, not many states are adopting one of deference either. The main strategy adopted by most states today is in fact access, an instrumental attempt to maintain relationships with China in order to obtain economic benefits from China’s rise. Some are also adopting a strategy of exit by downgrading their relationships with China or by switching to closer relationships with other countries, including China’s archrival, the US.

The contrast with early Ming China is thus clear and striking. Whereas Ming China succeeded in making deference the major regional strategic response to its power, with a nice addition of identification from Korea, today’s China has only achieved the level of an access strategy, and it is in fact struggling with a number of countries even at that level. Moreover, whereas Ming China never had to face a counterbalancing coalition from its neighbours, such balancing is a constant spectre for today’s China. Current Chinese foreign policy leaves much to be desired, and the PRC still has a long way to go before reaching the glory of its imperial predecessor—if indeed it can ever reach such heights.

The problem isn’t with the trajectory of China’s development, which is still largely sound and positive, but rather,  it’s with the ways in which some Chinese policymakers and analysts perceive China’s strengthening position in the international order and how that power should now be used. A palpable sense of triumphalism emerged in some segments of the Chinese policy and intellectual community after the country’s success through the Global Financial Crisis. Yet, as a senior scholar in Beijing pointed out to me, overestimation of China’s power is much more harmful to China’s interests than underestimation. China faces serious economic headwinds and the constraints on Beijing’s foreign policy have consequently tightened over the past few months. President Xi’s foreign policy remains in search of a foundation, a purpose and an effective strategic approach.

Chinese foreign policy has now entered an important stage of multiple changes and adjustments, and is open to be shaped by a variety of domestic and international factors. It will be wise for Chinese leaders to take a long-term historical perspective when considering the potential of Chinese influence in the region and the limits of current approaches. If they are really historically minded, the strategic goals of China’s Asia–Pacific policy should include both a positive and negative goal—a positive goal of encouraging a new kind of deference from regional states appropriate to the norms and conditions of 21st century world politics, and a negative goal of preventing an implicit or explicit counterbalancing coalition forming against China. Whether they can achieve those goals will depend heavily on their strategic wisdom and foresight.

Identification        Deference        Access        Exit

18 September 2015

Note : Whenever i typed "Xi Jinping" into the cell phone, the auto spell correct will always amend it to "Xi Kingpin". i thought its a rather fitting honorary description for his stature. 

The return of the Battleships

Russia, US, China returning to battleships era [Link]

Maybe it’s time to build new big battleships, American scholar Robert Farley suggests, adding that he expects the return of the era of big warships.

Although big ships went out of style decades ago maybe it’s time to bring back legendary battleships, Professor Robert Farley of the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce notes, calling attention to the fact that Russia and China have kicked off separate projects aimed at constructing large surface warships.

“For decades, naval architects have concentrated on building ships that, by the standards of the World Wars, are remarkably brittle. These ships can deal punishment at much greater ranges than their early 20th century counterparts, but they can’t take a hit. Perhaps it is time to reconsider this strategy, and once again build protected ships” Professor Farley wrote in his article for the National Interest.

The professor elaborated that the modern battleship originated from the British Royal Sovereign class vessels of the 1890s.

These warships, equipped with two heavy guns each in turrets fore and aft and protected by steel armor, displaced almost 15,000 tons. Remarkably, the world’s navies willingly adopted these design features, which allowed a vessel to fight and absorb punishment effectively.

“[L]ethality and survivability increased dramatically with ship size, and the navies of the world responded accordingly. By 1915 the first line battleships of the Royal Navy would displace 27,000 tons; by 1920 the world’s largest battleship (HMS Hood) displaced 45,000 tons. In 1921 international agreements would constrain warship size, although the Germans and Japanese in particularly imagined battleships of staggering proportions,” the US scholar explained.

However, the Second World War maritime battles indicated that huge warships could not resist “concerted air and submarine attack,” let alone striking back at sufficient range at maneuverable airplanes or underwater vessels. After the war big battleships had been little-by-little slipping into oblivion.

The “battleship” had caught its second wind in the 1970s: the USSR launched a project aimed at building Kirov class heavy missile cruisers. In response, the United States refurbished its four Iowa class warships, which nevertheless remained in service for only a few years.

“More recently, Russia, the United States, and China have all considered the construction of large surface warships,” the American scholar underscored.

“One of the [US Navy] proposals for the CG(X) program involved a nuclear powered warship approaching 25,000 tons,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, China is testing its Type 055 surface warship, Asia’s largest military vessel. The Russian Navy, in its turn, announced that it plans to begin construction of new Lider (Leader)-class destroyers in 2019.

According to designers, Russia’s new battleships will displace about 17,500 tons and carry 60 anti-ship cruise missiles, 128 anti-aircraft guided missiles and 16 anti-ship guided missiles. The warship is expected to reach a speed of 30 knots and remain at sea up to 90 days without support.

Commenting on the issue, Professor Farley underscored that big ships still have lethality and survivability advantages.

“For example, bigger ships can carry larger magazines of missiles, which they can use both for offensive and defensive purposes. Advances in gun technology (such as the 155 mm Advanced Gun System to be mounted on the Zumwalt class destroyer) mean that large naval artillery can strike farther and more accurately than ever before,” he noted.

“Larger ships can generate more power, increasing not only their lethality (rail guns, sensors) but also their survivability (anti-missile lasers, defensive sensor technologies, close-defense systems),” Professor Farley emphasized, adding that modern battleships will be most likely used to fight against shore-based systems.

Very feasible [Link]

06 September 2015

F-35 : Epochal - The First of the Fifth

A faster horse ?

Yes, the automobile will run faster than the war horse in time to come. But first, it has to take it's first step...

For now, the force structure still need a good quantity of "war horses" even when the F-35 is being roll out concurrently.

30 July 2015

Aristocrat - of the last dynasty

Runqi Gobulo - China's Last Royal

The Odyssey of a Chinese Imperial Favourite [Link]

BEIJING— People come from all over to Runqi Gobulo's small clinic in a spartan concrete apartment block here. The poorly lighted stairwell, gloomy and forbidding, does nothing to dampen their hope that he can help them.

"What takes years and surgery to cure, I can cure in one month," boasted the 88-year-old, who uses traditional Chinese medicine to treat gynecological diseases and nervous disorders. "But I don't dare advertise. I have so many patients already."

Although he is a respected physician, Runqi's path to medicine was circuitous. He was 10 years old when his only sister, Wan Rong, was betrothed to the last Qing emperor, Pu Yi.

Six months before the wedding, the 17-year-old monarch sent an entourage of eunuchs and ladies-in-waiting to the palatial courtyard of the Gobulo clan's house on Maoer Lane to prepare his fiancée for her new position. "They taught her how to bow and behave with the emperor," Runqi said. "She rebelled. She was fed up with the lessons, unhappy about marrying someone she had never met before."

But she went ahead with the marriage, and in December 1922 was taken behind the high crenellated walls of the Forbidden City. It was the last court ceremony at the imperial residence.

Sitting in his small, simply furnished apartment eight decades later, the former duke is worlds away from his aristocratic upbringing. He was raised with the tradition that his family would always be linked to the imperial Aisingioro family. His great-grandfather was a border guard of Inner Mongolia's Daur minority, who had won battles for the Qing emperors. As a reward he was given land and titles. Four generations of Gobulos had married sisters of the Manchu emperor. Runqi himself would later marry Pu Yi's younger sister, Yunying.

Through his sister's marriage, Runqi was introduced early on to the mysterious and cloistered life of Chinese emperors. He was often taken out of school to keep the newlyweds company. His affable personality won the heart of the boy-emperor. "Pu Yi would often phone to ask my mother if I could come to visit. She was angry that I was missing school, because for each visit I would stay one or two months in the Forbidden City. But he would phone so often she couldn't refuse," he said with a chuckle.

The carefree lifestyle would not last long. The country was being torn apart. As Chinese society went through tumultuous change, Pu Yi realized his days in the Imperial City were numbered. He had abdicated during the 1911 Nationalist revolution but was allowed to stay in the palace and be educated in modern-day subjects. But the former emperor longed to escape his sheltered life, Runqi said. He wanted to study in Britain, the only foreign country he knew well, thanks to the teachings of his private tutor, the Scotsman Reginald Johnston.

Pu Yi's premonitions came true in 1924. He was expelled from the Forbidden City his ancestors had triumphantly entered nearly 300 years before. He took refuge in a mansion in the Japanese concession in the neighboring city of Tianjin.

Runqi and the court followed. For a few more years they continued a life of luxury and recreation as private citizens. The emperor became known in the international community as Mr. Henry Pu Yi and Runqi as Jack Gobulo. But they became restless. By 1928 they felt they had to do something to change China. They began to dream of the restoration of the Qing dynasty. "We were thinking very simply when we spoke of bringing back the Qing. But we realized we needed an army to do so," Runqi said.

They decided they would have to go overseas for military training. Again they thought of Britain, but were discouraged by their families from going so far away. Pu Yi decided his younger brother, Pu Jie, and Runqi would instead go to Japan to be educated. "It ends up we took the wrong road," said Runqi, grimacing at the cost of that mistake.

He would spend the next 16 years in Japan studying law and military tactics. It was not an unpleasant stay. They were treated as royal guests. And the sojourn would have a lasting effect. His Japanese is still as good as his Chinese.

When he returned in 1944, Runqi joined Pu Yi's "Manchukuo," the puppet government set up by the Japanese in northeastern China. Japan's defeat a year later ended that "restoration" and Pu Yi and other members of the Manchu court, including Runqi, were arrested by Soviet troops.

They were taken to a camp in the northeastern city of Khabarovsk where they would stay for the next five years. While the former monarch was treated more leniently, Runqi was later sent to a Soviet labor camp where many inmates died of starvation. When he was finally repatriated, Runqi found China had vastly changed.

The Communists under Mao had come to power a year earlier and Wan Rong, already on the verge of a nervous breakdown when they were arrested, had died. Runqi's father had also died, while in detention. The Gobulos' 100-room courtyard home, which had been confiscated under the previous Kuomintang government, was returned. But Runqi would have to wait another seven years in a "war-criminal detention center" before being reunited with his family.

In 1957 Runqi was finally released. He was 45. His mother had died a year earlier and much of the home on Maoer Lane had been sold off. Runqi was assigned a job at menial labor. But his imperial background insured that he was among the first to be attacked as a counter-revolutionary when the Cultural Revolution began in 1966. Pu Yi died a year later of cancer. What remained of the Gobulo clan's residence was again taken away, and would never be returned. Today it houses a retired official of the Air Ministry.

Runqi toiled in the countryside for nearly a decade, but he was determined to survive. He began to work at perfecting the acupuncture skills he had learned in Japan and became a traveling medic. He eventually earned his release.

After the Cultural Revolution, Runqi was assigned to work in the Institute of Legal Research in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Since retiring in 1987 he has devoted himself completely to his medical practice.

Now he yearns for the day when his monthly income of 2,000 yuan ($250) will allow him to set up a clinic outside his home. And he rarely returns to the Forbidden City, today China's largest museum. "I have no nostalgia for that period," he said. "Maybe it's because I feel like I am now an ordinary citizen. But my thinking also changed. For a while I wanted to reinstate the Qing dynasty, but now I know it was wrong to think like that. It was the thinking of kids."

By Mia Turner ( Published: February 8, 2000 )

Last Aristocrat

An Interview with Runqi Gobulo [Link]

Q : Did you ever get into trouble when you were playing in the Forbidden City?

RG : Not really. Due to my position I felt very powerful; many people had to listen to me so my actions were usually unreported. For instance, I liked climbing onto the roofs. I would tie one end of the rope to myself and the other end to a eunuch, and then I would climb on one side of the roof and the eunuch would be on the other side.

For a leader in the 21st century who still hacks back to aristocracy just so to justify and cement his position and authority is epic !

For everything else there is still room for discussion but NO aristocracy !

Our "Asian Values" and Asian DNA will ensure this will
happen to Singapore if we subscribe to Aristocracy

08 July 2015

Politics and Religion

Present : Politics make used of Religion to nail him (figuratively)

Past : Religion make used of Politics to nail HIM (literally)

Religion and Politics - strange bed fellows

Or in a post Pax Americana

Yin Yang bed fellows

The world may be changing but human nature remain the same ...

07 July 2015

Singapore's 5th Generation Strike Fighter

Singapore Delegation Visits Cameri [Link]

F-35 JSF assembly plant, Cameri, Italy.

01 July 2015

Group Think Not !

IDF using Autistic soldiers ;-) [Link]

IDF Intelligence Unit Using Soldiers With Autism Produces Stellar Results

The Israeli Defense Force achieved a series of operational successes in recent years thanks to a group of soldiers with autism who contributed their unique abilities to Intelligence Unit 9900, Israel’s Channel 10 reported on Wednesday.

The Israeli Satellite Intelligence Unit provides essential information used by the military to execute highly complicated operations. This data is gathered using satellites orbiting Earth, high above the combat arena. In addition to satellites, Unit 9900 uses manned and unmanned aircraft, and advanced sensors.

The autistic young men and women who serve in Unit 9900 can sit for hours  in front of electronic maps spotting the minutest changes, Channel 10 said. This is a rare ability that eludes most non-autistic soldiers.

Mossad chief Tamir Pardo is credited with initiating the program aimed at integrating Israel’s autistic population into the country’s military apparatus.

Soldiers who fall within the autistic spectrum must first complete a special course before joining Unit 9900, Channel 10 said. During the training, young men and women learn how to decipher maps and aerial photographs. Through the course, the soldiers also achieve greater independence as they learn to execute basic but essential tasks such as riding the bus to and from base.

Author : Gidon Ben-Zvi

something bout Amos [Link]

26 June 2015

B1-R Short Legs Bomb Truck

A squadron of 20 proposed B1-R can complement up-coming 5th gen Joint Strike Fighters.

Bomb Truck - External hard points can load up to 22 beyond visual range AIM-120 AMRAAM (180km) fire and forget air-to-air missiles per B1-R. This allow the future 5th and 6th gen strike fighter force to negate potential aggressors' quantity has a quality of its own doctrine by turning the table on them, utilising B1-R "bomb trucks" and incorporating them into the force structure. 

Super Cruise - all the way ...With not 2 but 4 Pratt & Whitney F-119 engines (also used by the F22 raptors) can go to a top speed of mach 2.2. It can go super cruise ( flying at twice the speed of sound) without using after-burners, massive savings on fuel, that enables the B1-R to extend on-station time. This speed also allows the B1-R to do e and e-ing (escape and evasion) back to base for fast turn-around.

Short Leg - However, the B1-R differs from the original/upgraded B1-B in that it losses the extended range of the latter by 20%. So not likely for the B1-R to do strategic bombings, rather it is designed more for regional defence augmentation. With this design compromise, its combat range is further reduce due to the need to fly tactical maneuvers. 

B1-B upgraded cockpit

17 May 2015    

Finland 900,000 reservists

Finland's 900,000 reservists put on pre-activation notice. [Link]

The big BEAR in the room ... ?

Finland Armed Forces : "We want to have a word with you ..."

But the action is in Ukraine what, nothing to do with Finland...

Where's next ? The South China Sea ? Never Say Never ( touchwood ) !

30 April 2015

Amos Yee needs help (update) (update)

Amos Yee

Didn't bother to view Amos video but briefly read/glance through Amos writing which was lifted from his blog here

Feel for Amos mom and dad. Especially in Sg, the
demand for conformity is much higher.
Not only our "asian values" driven society,
he also need to contend with national service.* 

He needs help. Today's Singapore is in a better position with very developed specialist in counselling as compared to, say,  twenty years ago...

Just feel scarred for Amos and sad for mom and dad.

Please don't let this happen again [Link]

This time, with social media and blogs and what not, we are able to "catch" him in time. To intervene in terms of counselling and guidance. Don't let this chance slip by. Don't let history repeat.

* There must be enough eccentrics and weirdos in Israel to form at least a battalion! I wonder how a conscription armed force like the IDF deal with their social mis-fits during their "national service".

31 March 2015



Update : [Link]

This boy ... the more he writes, the more we know him ...

What Amos Yee needs now is a good blanket party ... 
then go for counselling !

30 April 2015



" ... Finally, conventional psychiatric treatment does not work for some teenagers with ASD. What Amos needs are creative mental health professionals who can customise a treatment plan specifically for him so as to engage him and motivate him to have healthy ways of coping and mastering life. ... " - Dr Ang Yong Guan [Link]

The Israeli Defence Force create meaningful contributions for Autistic soldiers [Link]

People are trying to find a way out for this boy ... but cannot be too obvious ... 人在江湖 , 身不由己 .

1) Try to "scold" him on the internet so as to placate the establishment somewhat ...
2) Try not to give him a criminal record ...
3) Try to get him some kind of a medical record ...
4) With no. 3) above try to get him "down graded" during NS so as to get him out of combat vocation ...

Some of these types maybe able to function "normally" in a civilian environment but when you put them in an "abnormal" (to them) environment like the military ... if he survive, good training for him. Worse case scenario ... its either he kill himself or he kill someone ...

i don't know.

Please don't let this happen again [Link]

26 June 2015

Hobby : 6000T Multi-Mission Combatant (beyond 2040) Ver 3.0

6000T Multi - Mission Combatant (beyond 2040)

x 02  High Energy LASER CIWS situated at the fore and aft positions of the combat ship, working in tandem with the Oerlikon Millennium 35mm CIWS gun system, for an all round defence of the naval combatant. In-coming projectiles or UAVs from the broad side can be targeted with a combine heat energy of up to 120KW at a distance out to 3500m, instantaneously engaging target after target in succession at light speed.  The High Energy LASER effector brings to the fight an endless "magazine" of CIWS "ammunition" in the form of high energy Laser beam as long as there is supply of electrical power. 

The A gun is swapped for the 76/62 from the 127/64 (Version 2.0 design) - to lighten the bow section of the combatant and to make space due to the addition of a forward placement of the Laser effector.

The multi-mission combatant suite of armament has to be versatile because the operational theatre encompasses the littorals, near seas and also anticipating the likelihood of operation beyond the island chains.

The familiarity of the 76mm/62cal Oto Melara super rapid gun system to this Navy coupled with the complement of new guided munitions that extends the target range out to 40Km gives ample employment for the main bulk of the missions engaging in the littorals and the near seas.

The new Strales radar guidance system built into the mounting of the 76/62 gun, firing the new DART anti-missile / surface guided munition adds to the overall defensive posture especially in light of future proliferation of anti-ship cruise missiles and swarm attack tactics utilizing manned and/or unmanned assets.

x 06 Metal Storm Anti - Swarm Weapon System fires the 35mm proximity fragmentation projectile. Total of 64 barrels in one weapon rack fires 64 projectiles all at once and in succession creating a counter swarm of metal wall in return. It goes to auto zero position for self loading of fresh magazine after depletion of ammunition.

x 36 individual cells containing the Sea Ceptors point defence anti-air / anti-missile missiles serves as the first line of defence out to 25Km intercepting hostile threats.

x 48 M41 or equivalent strike length VLS cells contain the main offensive arsenal of the naval combatant in the form of anti-ship cruise missiles - long range and super sonic. Some cells are utilized for air defense missiles which are capable of Ballistic Missile Defence. ASROC rockets are among the long range strike weapons launched from the VLS, enhancing Anti-Submarine Warfare in the coming foreseeable under water challenges presenting a real danger to surface ships. The combatant is also augmented by a pair of triple tubes B515 torpedo launchers for close in anti-submarine defence.

x 02 Mission Bays - Mission Bay No.1 (Labeled as "A") is the main launching and retrieving of large assets whereas no.2 serves as the launching of unmanned small craft surface vessels as well as under-water UUVs.

x 06 decoy and chaff launchers and the advance proprietary SEWS electronic warfare detection/jammer (the real defensive first line but often under-stated) completes the defensive posture.

Main hanger for naval ASW/multi-mission helicopter. Sub hanger for UAVs and UHVs utilized for reconnaissance ISR and Electronic Warfare.

Navy Force Structure (beyond 2040)

11 March 2015