#Indo-Pacific Region

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci)

Crown-of-thorns starfish are found on reefs in the Indo-Pacific region.

(Image credit: Georgette Douwma via Getty Images)

[drone9futuristic]

US Army Tests Long-Endurance Drones and Balloons in the Philippines: Pushing Boundaries in Multi-Domain Operations

The US Army is actively exploring the potential of long-endurance drones and high-altitude balloons in the Indo-Pacific region. During the recent Balikatan military exercise in the Philippines (April 11-May 9, 2024), the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) utilized these innovative technologies to gather valuable data and experiment with their tactical applications.

[vincentblackbearmediallc]

The dragon eel is an eel that extends from Hawaii to southern Japan.  It may also be found in the Indo-Pacific region.  It will often change colors and color patterns as it grows and becomes larger.  It has very unusual patterns on its body and its head is pointed.  You can also find horns on top of its head.The dragon eel will live along the bottom of the waters in which it lives.  It also enjoys having a lot of places to hide.  It is a very aggressive eel and it has a lot of very sharp teeth in its mouth.  This eel can not shut its bottom jaw because it is curved.  Because it is so very aggressive, you will not want to put it in a tank with other fish or other eels.

[southeastasianarchaeology]

[Paper] The Beaked Adze in the Western Pacific

Discover the role of beaked adzes in Pacific prehistory: symbols of status in Micronesia and dual-purpose tools in Melanesia.

via Journal of Indo-Pacific Archaeology, 22 December 2023: The beaked adze, a distinctive tool with a pointed cutting edge, emerges as a significant artifact in the late prehistoric period of the Western Pacific. Recent studies highlight its unique presence in Micronesia and Melanesia, underscoring its role as a symbol of social identity and authority. In Micronesia, these adzes are associated…

[trendynewsnow]

Escalation of Russia-Ukraine Conflict with North Korean Troop Deployment

Escalation of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict: North Korean Troops Deployed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has raised alarm over the reported deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to Russia, indicating that it signifies a troubling expansion of the ongoing war beyond its original borders. In a statement on Telegram, Zelenskyy remarked, “There is only one conclusion — this war is…

[strategicandinternationalaf-blog]

Exploring India and West Asia Relations

Delhi Policy Group provides in-depth analysis on the evolving relationship between India and West Asia. As the geopolitical landscape shifts, the organization examines the economic, political, and security dynamics shaping these crucial ties. From energy partnerships to regional security, Delhi Policy Group offers strategic insights to help policymakers navigate complex challenges. Through research and expert commentary, the organization contributes to a deeper understanding of how India and West Asia can collaborate to address shared interests and strengthen their regional and global positions.

[kesarijournal]

India: The Emerging Global Hub for Manufacturing, Maintenance, and Logistics

Imagine a world where India isn’t just the land of vibrant cultures, ancient history, and spicy curry but also the backbone of global manufacturing, maintenance, and logistics. This vision is rapidly becoming a reality, transforming India’s role in the global economy and military alliances. As this transformation unfolds, the implications are profound, setting the stage for India to become an…

[newspatron]

Upgrade Alert: The Future of Indian Air Force Fighter Jets

What are your thoughts on the future of the Indian Air Force? Share your insights and questions in the comments below!

The Indian Air Force is famed for its skilled pilots and cutting-edge fighter jets. But with aging aircraft and a regional arms race, the IAF faces a turbulent future. This in-depth analysis explores their challenges, modernization efforts, and the roadmap for India’s airpower ambitions.-Kumar A. [editor@newspatron.com] When an IAF fighter jet goes down, the nation holds its breath. Recent…

[xtruss]

Vietnam ‘Has No Interest’ in Joining ‘US-Orchestrated’ Anti-China Coalition

US and Vietnam national flags fly on a street light in Hanoi on September 10, 2023, ahead of US President Joe Biden's visit to Vietnam. Sputnik International, © AFP 2023/Nhac Nguyen

As part of an effort to woo Vietnam to serve its geopolitical interests, US President Joe Biden is arriving in Hanoi on Sunday, nurturing hopes of signing a “comprehensive strategic partnership agreement” with the dynamically developing Southeast Asian nation.

Washington is eyeing “swaying Vietnam to its side,” for it believes the US can use Hanoi as “a counterbalance to China’s influence in South East Asia,” Professor Anna Malindog-Uy, Vice President of the Manila-based think tank Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute (ACPh), told Sputnik.

However, there is no indication that Vietnam has any interest in joining the “US-orchestrated” coalition against China, consisting of Washington’s allies, Anna Malindog-Uy added.

US President Joe Biden’s meeting with Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other key leaders in Hanoi on September 10 comes as part of the latest page in the US’ Indo-Pacific playbook. Suffice it to recall how Biden hosted Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Washington in May, then welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in June, and threw open the doors of his Camp David presidential retreat to his Japanese and South Korean counterparts mid-August.

The trilateral summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is regarded by pundits talking to Sputnik as part of an effort blatantly tailored to forge a new alliance against China and the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK). The US has also been posturing in the Indo-Pacific region by holding a slew of large military drills with Japan, Australia, and the Philippines in the South China Sea in recent days.

Vietnam is vital to US foreign policy for several political, economic, and geopolitical reasons, the professor underscored. Firstly, the “strategic geographical location” of Vietnam in Southeast Asia (SEA) is important to the US. Vietnam boasts “close contiguity and nearness to major global shipping lines like the South China Sea (SCS), and it has a border with China,” Anna Malindog-Uy stressed.

Geopolitically Strategic Location

Vietnam plays a crucial role in US foreign policy due to its "strategic location, economic significance, and potential to counterbalance China," according to Professor Anna Malindog-Uy.

“American companies have invested in Vietnam, and trade relations have expanded. Since Vietnam is a member of ASEAN, a regional body that is important to the US, especially on issues such as economic integration, security, and diplomacy, this makes Vietnam a vital partner of the US in advancing its interests in the Indo-Pacific region. The US is likewise keen on upgrading its relations with Vietnam from a 'comprehensive partnership,' established in 2013, to a 'strategic' partnership.'"

Hanoi is being eyed by Washington for its perceived “potential to counterbalance China,” the expert added.

“The evolving relationship between the United States and Vietnam manifests the broader and active US engagement in the Asia-Pacific region and underscores Vietnam's growing importance as a regional partner,” Anna Malindog-Uy emphasized.

Vietnam became a focal point for US diplomacy when it became the sixth member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in July 1995, the same month Vietnam and the United States normalized relations, concurred Carl Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales Canberra at the Australian Defense Force Academy. Further along, Vietnam gradually emerged as a potential US security partner.

“The turning point came during President Barack Obama’s term in office when Vietnam and the US agreed in 2013 to a comprehensive partnership covering nine major areas of cooperation. Since that time, Vietnam has been identified as an important security partner in all US national security strategies, particularly because of China’s growing 'assertiveness,'” said Carl Thayer, adding that the US has been seeking to “counter the appeal” of China’s Belt and Road Initiative launched in 2013.

More recently, the Biden administration has “lobbied Vietnam to upgrade bilateral relations to a strategic partnership to end the situation where the US was listed at the bottom of Vietnam’s three-tiered hierarchy of partnerships – comprehensive, strategic and comprehensive strategic,” Thayer added.

Vietnam an ‘Important Trading Partner’

Vietnam has also emerged as an important trading partner for the US in recent years.

“As one of the fastest-growing economies of SEA, Vietnam is a market for US goods and services, especially in sectors like technology, manufacturing, agriculture, and services. Strengthening relations with Vietnam can give American businesses and exporters more economic opportunities, given Vietnam's rising middle class and a young, educated workforce with higher purchasing power. Since Vietnam is already a vital player in global manufacturing, particularly electronics, textiles, and machinery, US companies can benefit from diversifying their supply chains by investing in or partnering with Vietnamese firms,” the vice president of ACPh underscored.

Furthermore, Vietnam is part of several regional trade agreements, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) - the world’s largest free trade pact. The latter entered full force for all 15 member states following ratification of the pact by the Philippines in June. Thus, boosted ties with Vietnam could grant America more "reach" within these regional economic frameworks. Tourism, too, is fraught with benefits for the two nations.

It's worth noting that the United States is "not a party to the two most important multilateral free trade agreements," the CPTPP and the RCEP, to which Vietnam is a member, Carl Thayer pointed out.

Regarding the goals that the US president is pursuing in respect to Vietnam, he is “motivated mainly by economic issues such de-risking economic dependence on China by securing a reliable supply chain for Vietnamese semiconductors, and a more favorable environment for American investment, including American businesses relocating from China,” the professor said, adding:

“Biden hopes Vietnam will be a founding member of his Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity.”

The US has been bolstering its presence in the Indo-Pacific region by forming alliances such as AUKUS, which groups the country with Australia and the UK, and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) with Australia, India, and Japan. Washington is also part of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) initiative, launched by Biden in May 2022 and now including 13 other members, such as Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, and New Zealand.

'US-Orchestrated Coalition' Against China

While visiting US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently hailed Vietnam as "a key partner" in an effort to reduce dependence on China, Hanoi is “careful not to take sides between the US and China,” Anna Malindog-Uy said. Furthermore, taking sides between the US and China would be “costly for Vietnam both geopolitically and economically speaking.”

“As far as the US-led global coalition against China is concerned, I don’t think Vietnam has the intention or interest to be part of this. I don’t see any indication that Vietnam will join the US-orchestrated and led global coalition against China consisting of US allies... From my vantage point, it [Vietnam] wants to maintain good relations with neighboring countries like China as much as possible. Vietnam knows that joining a US-led coalition against China could potentially adversely impact its economic relations with China, which is vital to Vietnam’s economic development and progress,” the pundit believes.

ASEAN-member Vietnam “values neutrality,” and “follows a policy of non-alignment in major power conflicts, competition, and rivalry,” the vice president of the Manila-based ACPh think tank accentuated.

While Washington has been escalating trade and tech wars with Beijing, Hanoi has been steadily maintaining a “stable, pragmatic, and productive win-win relationship and cooperation with China, its largest neighbor and trading and economic partner.” China is "indispensable to Vietnam's economic well-being," and is a crucial market for Vietnamese exports, "particularly in electronics, textiles, and agriculture sectors." China is also one of the top foreign investors in Vietnam, particularly when it comes to infrastructure development. Many Vietnamese industries are deeply integrated into Chinese supply chains.

“China is crucial to Vietnam due to its economic significance, shared border, historical ties, and geopolitical factors. Balancing its relationship with China with its relationships with other regional and global powers is a crucial feature of Vietnam's foreign policy,” the pundit highlighted. Bearing in mind the sum total of economic significance, shared border, historical ties, and geopolitical factors, Anna Malindog-Uy emphasized:

“I don’t think Vietnam will compromise its sound economic and political relations with China by joining a global US-led coalition.”

Carl Thayer agreed with this opinion, telling Sputnik:

"Vietnam will not abandon its 'Four No’s' defense policy (no alliances, no foreign military bases, no joining one country to oppose another, and no use of force in international relations). Vietnam will not join any US-led anti-China coalition."

Russia of 'Strategic Importance' for Vietnam

At this point it should be noted that Vietnam has comprehensive strategic partnerships with only four countries - China, Russia, India, and South Korea. The significance of both China and Russia for Vietnam cannot be overestimated, pundits have underscored. Russia bears strategic importance to Vietnam due to a historical relationship stretching all the way back to the Cold War era, Anna Malindog-Uy recalled. The professor clarified that Moscow plays a vital role in Hanoi's "strategic, defense, and security considerations," along with potential for energy collaboration.

Furthermore, Joe Biden’s "courting" of Vietnam comes as the Southeast Asian nation has been reluctant to support Western sanctions against Russia. This is due to a “complex interplay of historical ties, foreign policy principles, and national interests,” Professor Anna Malindog-Uy underscored. She added:

“During the Cold War, the Soviet Union provided significant support to North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. This created a foundation of goodwill between the two countries. Vietnam also has a close defense and military relationship with Russia. Russia is a key supplier of military equipment and technology for Vietnam, including fighter jets, submarines, and other advanced weaponry. This defense partnership is vital to Vietnam's security and defense capabilities. Russia and Vietnam also have relatively strong economic and trade ties, especially in machinery, textiles, and agricultural products.”

Supporting Western sanctions against Russia "could potentially harm Vietnam’s economic interests and disrupt ongoing economic cooperation," Anna Malindog-Uy pointed out.

Indeed, Vietnam has a longstanding policy of opposing the unilateral imposition of sanctions by one state against another, Carl Thayer added. He recalled that Hanoi has not forgotten the bitter fallout from the US trade embargo imposed in the 1960s during the Vietnam War. But furthermore, Vietnam is “also practical, it does not want to harm relations with a Russia, a long-standing reliable partner,” said Thayer.

— Svetlana Ekimenko | Sputnik International | September 10, 2023

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Flamboyant cuttlefish

Another unappetizing cephalopod, the flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi), can be found along shallow, muddy ocean bottoms in the Indo-Pacific region. Its flame-like coloration and frilly body shape provide an eye-catching warning against consumption. 

(Image credit: Ullstein Bild / Contributor)

[dailyoverview]

Clouds float over the Kikori River Delta in southern Papua New Guinea. Part of the Gulf of Papua, this coastal mangrove forest is considered one of the most important wetland regions in the Asia-Pacific due to its cultural and biodiversity value. It is a habitat for Indo-Pacific humpback and Australian snubfin dolphins, both listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

-7.428366°, 144.428927°

Source imagery: Airbus Space

[herpsandbirds]

Broadclub Cuttlefish (Sepia latimanus), family Sepiidae, found in the Indo-Pacific region

These images, of the same individual, were taken just seconds apart from each other.

photographs by Nick Hobgood

[vestaignis]

Рог тритона , или харония тритон , или тритонов рог— брю­хоногий моллюск из рода Charonia . В древнегреческой ми­фологии существует легенда, что Зевс наг­радил Пана рогом Три­тона, который издавал громкие звуки, слу­жа сигнальной трубой.

Раковина Тритониса одна из самых больших ракушек в мире - ее длина до 45 см. Имеет ба­шневидную форму, с крупным последним оборотом и стройной заострённ­ой вершиной. Общая окраска раковины харонии— бежевая, с множеств­ом С-образных пятен и линий коричневого цвета. Спиральные бо­роздки оранжевые, за­родышевая раковина фиолетовая. Окраска ноги моллюска ярко-жёлтая с широ­кими поперечными чер­ными полосами.

Тритонов рог обитает на глубине 5—30 м. Насе­ляет коралловые рифы и мелководья. Этот брю­хоногий моллюск хищни­к. Питается в основн­ом морской звездой «терновый венец», мор­скими ежами, гребешк­ами. Слюнные железы моллюска вырабатывают секрет, содержащий 3—4 % свободной се­рной кислоты, а также аспарагиновую кисл­оту, приводящую игло­кожих в состояние оц­епенения.

Распространена харония тритон в Тропическом Индо-Тих­оокеанском районе - от Филиппинских остров­ов до Окинавы. На островах Океании раковины этого моллю­ска применяли в каче­стве музыкального ин­струмента — трубы. Островитяне высверли­вали отверстие в вер­хних оборотах завитк­а, что позволяло по��­учать звуки различных тональностей и исп­олнять мелодии.

Triton's horn, or Charonia triton, or Triton's horn is a gastropod mollusk of the genus Charonia. In ancient Greek mythology, there is a legend that Zeus awarded Pan with Triton's horn, which made loud sounds, serving as a signal trumpet.

Triton's shell is one of the largest shells in the world - its length is up to 45 cm. It has a tower-shaped shape, with a large last whorl and a slender pointed apex. The general color of the Charonia shell is beige, with many C-shaped spots and lines of brown color. Spiral grooves are orange, the embryonic shell is purple. The color of the mollusk's foot is bright yellow with wide transverse black stripes.

Triton's horn lives at a depth of 5-30 m. It inhabits coral reefs and shallow waters. This gastropod is a predator. It feeds mainly on the crown-of-thorns starfish, sea urchins, and scallops. The salivary glands of the mollusk produce a secretion containing 3-4% free sulfuric acid, as well as aspartic acid, which causes echinoderms to become stupefied.

The triton charonia is widespread in the tropical Indo-Pacific region - from the Philippines to Okinawa. On the islands of Oceania, the shells of this mollusk were used as a musical instrument - a pipe. The islanders drilled a hole in the upper turns of the curl, which allowed them to produce sounds of various tonalities and perform melodies.

Источник: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV1D_QmbehA&ab_ channel =JamesKregness, //dzen.ru/a/X5nMW5A3CFgh7EpC, /animals.pibig.info/37363-haronija-triton.html,//i-prize.ru /products / charonia-tritonis,/seaforum.aqualogo.ru/topic/54178-улитка-рог-тритона-charonia-tritonis/,http://www.underwaterkwaj.com /shell/ triton/Charonia-tritonis.htm.

[strawlessandbraless]

In Honor of National Crab Day, Behold the Candy Crab 🦀 🦀 🦀!

The candy crab (Hoplophrys oatesi) is a small but stunning crustacean that lives on soft corals in the Indo-Pacific region

It hides itself by mimicking the colors of the coral it takes refuge in. The candy crab will even attach polyps to its carapace for added camouflage

Their colors vary depending on the color of the coral they hide in so they can be white, pink, yellow or red

Love to sea it 🌊