The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Sunday, March 4, 2012

China's military budget...[ 2762 ]


China military budget tops $100bn

China's aircraft carrier is seen under construction in Dalian, Liaoning province (April 2011) (above) and on Google Maps (below)  
China first aircraft carrier began sea trials in 2011
BBC.,  4 March 2012 Last updated at 08:37 GMT

China's official defence spending will rise by 11.2% in 2012, pushing it above $100bn (£65bn) for the first time, the government has announced.
Beijing's defence budget has risen each year for two decades to become the world's second-biggest, behind the US.
-
It is developing an aircraft carrier, a stealth fighter jet, and missiles that can shoot down satellites.
The US promised to bolster its presence in the region last year, in a move seen as countering China's dominance.
Washington, which spends about $740bn on defence each year, already has bases housing thousands of American troops across the region.
The BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing says Chinese officials remain wary about growing American influence in the region, and believe Washington wants to encircle China.

'Peaceful development'
China's emerging military might has especially worried its near neighbours.
China has long-running territorial disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan, and has also positioned hundreds of missiles for a potential attack on Taiwan, which it views as part of its territory.

Big military spenders - official figures

  • US: $739.3bn
  • China: $106bn
  • UK: $63.7bn
  • Russia: $52.7bn
  • India: $31.9bn
Sources: IISS; Chinese government
Announcing the new budget, Li Zhaoxing, an official with China's parliament, sought to calm concerns over the spending programme.
"China is committed to the path of peaceful development and follows a national defence policy that is defensive in nature," he said.
"China has 1.3 billion people, a large territory and long coastline, but our defence spending is relatively low compared with other major countries."
As a proportion of its GDP, China's official military budget is far lower than either the US or the UK.
But foreign experts have estimated that Beijing's actual military spending could be as much as double the official budget.
During 2011, China carried out its first test flight of a stealth fighter jet, and the first sea trial of its aircraft carrier.
Both pieces of equipment remain years away from active deployment.
Beijing is also building new submarines and ships, and developing a range of anti-ship ballistic missiles.
The armed forces, known as the People's Liberation Army, boasts more than two million personnel - the biggest military in the world.
-
Graphic 

Related Stories

Αναρτήθηκε από στις
Ετικέτες

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)