China’s first aircraft carrier started its sea trial Aug. 10, highlighting once again the country’s rapid military build-up. The Chinese are believed to have bought the old Soviet ship in 1998 without an engine, electronics, or propeller, reported AFP. Military sources have said the sea trial falls in line with the refitting project, adding that refit and test work will resume when the ship returns. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead told reporters in March that the US shares the concerns of regional partners about the recent developments in Chinese stealth aircraft and its anti-aircraft carrier capabilities. China’s growing assertiveness over territorial issues, specifically the South China Sea, has heightened such concerns in recent months. In June, a Su-27 fighter chased a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft across the centerline of the Taiwan Strait, turning back only after the Taiwanese scrambled two F-16s.
NASA Boss: Race to Moon Has National Security Stakes
Sept. 15, 2026
NASA is pushing hard to get astronauts back to the moon by 2028—and the urgency is driven in no small part by the national security implications of doing so before China does, Administrator Jared Isaacman said Sept. 15.
