China Supplies Cambodia with Anti-Aircraft Hardware in New Military Aid

China has provided Cambodia with shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, add FN-6 currently operated (photo : militaryphotos)

China have provided Cambodia with shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, Cambodia's defense minister said on Friday, as the two countries agreed on new military aid to boost close ties.

Cambodia is one of China's most stalwart allies in Asia, routinely backing China's position at international forums in a region where China and United States vie for influence.

"The visit of the defense minister of the People's Republic of China has achieved good results," Defense Minister Tea Banh told reporters after a signing ceremony with his visiting Chinese counterpart, Chang Wanquan.

Tea Banh attended a meeting of defense ministers from the region this week where they scrapped plans for a joint statement because they failed to agree on whether to include a reference to the disputed South China Sea, which China had objected to.

Tea Banh made no mention of those negotiations but said China had recently delivered shoulder-fired missiles.

"We don't need warplanes because in the current situation, we have already set up anti-aircraft system to defend our airspace," he said.

He gave no details about the type of missiles but said Cambodia was seeking longer-range hardware.

"We need to be additionally equipped to fire long range or even fast planes can't escape," he said.

He said China would also help with training and would build military academies.

Chang told Tea Banh that China would continue to help Cambodia develop and modernize its armed forces, deepening cooperation on every level, the Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"China and Cambodia are friendly neighbors, with a traditional friendship and that is long-standing and well established," Chang said.

Cambodia has border disputes with neighboring Vietnam and Thailand and one dispute with Thailand has in recent years occasionally resulted in brief exchanges of fire.

In 2013, Cambodia took delivery of 12 Harbin Z-9 helicopters using a $195 million Chinese loan. The next year, it received a donation of 26 Chinese trucks and 30,000 military uniforms.

China is also Cambodia's biggest foreign investor and a big buyer of its natural resource exports.

Cambodia receives 10 African giant demining rats

CARAT Cambodia 2014 kicks off

Photo - cpf.navy.mil

The fifth convening of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Cambodia exercise began at Ream Naval Base, Oct. 27.Vice Adm. Robert Thomas, commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, delivered opening ceremony remarks before participating U.S. Navy Sailors and members of the Royal Cambodian Navy."We've made steady progress in just a few years, growing CARAT from a basic port visit to a series of training events on Ream Naval Base and culminating this year in a two-day sea phase in the Gulf of Thailand," Thomas said.CARAT provides a credible venue for regional navies to share best practices and foster maritime security cooperation. The RCN joined the CARAT series in 2010, making it the first dedicated exercise between both navies in several decades.

Ashore, personnel will conduct hands-on training in damage control, navigation, tactical combat casualty care (TCCC), force protection and visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) techniques. For the first time, the Royal Cambodian Air Force will participate in a joint search and rescue exchange. Symposia will bring together professionals from both navies to discuss best practices in military law, military medicine and aviation search and rescue.At sea, the guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89), embarked with Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7 staff and two MH-60R helicopters, will train with two RCN Stenka-class patrol boats. In addition to maneuvering and surface gunnery drills, highlights include a shiprider exchange, maritime boarding scenarios and a search and rescue exercise.

Also as part of CARAT 2014, USNS Safeguard (T-ARS 50) and embarked an mobile diving and salvage unit (MDSU) conducted a bilateral diving exercise focused on diving medicine, port security and underwater hull inspection from Oct. 21-25."Maritime security challenges in this region are real," continued Thomas. "No one nation can address these challenges alone which is why exercises like CARAT are critical to promoting regional stability."Capt. Fred Kacher, Destroyer Squadron 7 commodore, remarked that he looked forward to this year's underway phase with the RCN.

"Successfully operating at-sea together is crucial as both our nations work hard to keep sea lanes safe throughout Southeast Asia," said Kacher. "I am impressed with the increased complexity that this year's CARAT exercise brings and am excited for the opportunity to operate underway with our Cambodian counterparts."

In its 20th year, CARAT is a series of bilateral naval exercises between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and the armed forces of nine partner nations in South and Southeast Asia.

Chinese made Z-9 Cambodian military training helicopter crash

Five Cambodian soldiers died and one was seriously injured

Five dead in Cambodian military helicopter crash

Five Cambodian soldiers died and one was seriously injured Monday in a helicopter crash during military training on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh, an official said. The helicopter was one of 12 choppers Cambodia bought from China last year to boost its military capacity.