Mike Yeo 杨启铭
@thebaseleg.bsky.social
Defence reporter, military plane spotter, writer of books, scale model builder. Sometimes my worlds collide. An occasionally unserious X-ile. Personal account.
Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa is the largest US DoD installation in the Indo-Pacific, and is a hub for US & international ISR aircraft flying missions ranging from monitoring UN sanctions vs the DPRK to high-end SIGINT missions. More photos breakingdefense.com/2025/10/reap...
October 20, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa is the largest US DoD installation in the Indo-Pacific, and is a hub for US & international ISR aircraft flying missions ranging from monitoring UN sanctions vs the DPRK to high-end SIGINT missions. More photos breakingdefense.com/2025/10/reap...
Finally photographed Royal Navy OPV HMS Tamar and her striking motif on Saturday. She was heading eastbound in the Strait of Johor after leaving Sembawang in Singapore
January 6, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Finally photographed Royal Navy OPV HMS Tamar and her striking motif on Saturday. She was heading eastbound in the Strait of Johor after leaving Sembawang in Singapore
Japan stockpiling AMRAAMs with 1,200 AIM-120C-8/D-3s requested and approved
January 3, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Japan stockpiling AMRAAMs with 1,200 AIM-120C-8/D-3s requested and approved
2024 has not been a bad year for aircraft photography
December 31, 2024 at 12:59 PM
2024 has not been a bad year for aircraft photography
Singapore also saw 3x USN CMV-22B Osprey CODs from VRM-30 from the USS Carl Vinson arrive over Christmas, including 169459/72 using the callsign RUDY72 in this rather fetching Japan-inspired tail colours
December 26, 2024 at 3:02 PM
Singapore also saw 3x USN CMV-22B Osprey CODs from VRM-30 from the USS Carl Vinson arrive over Christmas, including 169459/72 using the callsign RUDY72 in this rather fetching Japan-inspired tail colours
Two for the price of one. Looks like Shenyang unveiled its own design today. Competition for the JH-XX award, or for another program?
December 26, 2024 at 1:30 PM
Two for the price of one. Looks like Shenyang unveiled its own design today. Competition for the JH-XX award, or for another program?
Bigger than a J-20. Looks like this is the bomber/fighter-bomber that was being talked about
December 26, 2024 at 9:19 AM
Bigger than a J-20. Looks like this is the bomber/fighter-bomber that was being talked about
And the semi-annual Christmas defence surprise from China has just dropped. Seen over Chengdu today
December 26, 2024 at 9:11 AM
And the semi-annual Christmas defence surprise from China has just dropped. Seen over Chengdu today
Japan’s ATLA releases concept artwork for its Stand Off Jammer aircraft based on the C-2 airlifter. For some reason I’m getting Total Recall vibes www.mod.go.jp/atla/researc...
December 24, 2024 at 1:11 PM
Japan’s ATLA releases concept artwork for its Stand Off Jammer aircraft based on the C-2 airlifter. For some reason I’m getting Total Recall vibes www.mod.go.jp/atla/researc...
USAF A-10s and C-130J at Hanoi’s Gia Lam Airport for the VIDEX defence expo. They are the first US combat aircraft to fly over Hanoi since 1972-73, I believe?
December 16, 2024 at 6:01 AM
USAF A-10s and C-130J at Hanoi’s Gia Lam Airport for the VIDEX defence expo. They are the first US combat aircraft to fly over Hanoi since 1972-73, I believe?
This Getty photo showing the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike at Al-Mezzeh airfield in Damascus is likely at 33.4819, 36.2363 judging by the wreckage of the L-29 Delfin and MiG-21 sitting outside the shelter, which looks like it has a 2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful) SAM inside
December 9, 2024 at 1:18 PM
This Getty photo showing the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike at Al-Mezzeh airfield in Damascus is likely at 33.4819, 36.2363 judging by the wreckage of the L-29 Delfin and MiG-21 sitting outside the shelter, which looks like it has a 2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful) SAM inside
Abraham Lincoln CSG including the destroyers USS Spruance (DDG-111) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) eastbound in the Singapore Strait right now. Another DDG USS Frank E. Petersen left Singapore heading east this afternoon as well
November 27, 2024 at 3:34 PM
Abraham Lincoln CSG including the destroyers USS Spruance (DDG-111) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) eastbound in the Singapore Strait right now. Another DDG USS Frank E. Petersen left Singapore heading east this afternoon as well
Just not quickly enough
November 21, 2024 at 2:35 AM
Just not quickly enough
Story of my life: see plane, photograph plane, buy model kit of plane 🫤
November 20, 2024 at 10:52 AM
Story of my life: see plane, photograph plane, buy model kit of plane 🫤
Welcome to all the new followers. As the bio says, I’m an occasionally unserious and sarcastic defence reporter, author and plane spotter focused on the Asia-Pacific with a side interest in scale modelling and Pacific War history. A sample of the stuff you’ll see me post here are in these photos
November 18, 2024 at 10:57 AM
Welcome to all the new followers. As the bio says, I’m an occasionally unserious and sarcastic defence reporter, author and plane spotter focused on the Asia-Pacific with a side interest in scale modelling and Pacific War history. A sample of the stuff you’ll see me post here are in these photos
USAF to start the drawdown of A-10s of the 25th Fighter Sqn from Osan AB in South Korea from Jan 2025 onwards. To be totally withdrawn by end of FY25 (Sep 2025). End of the permanent A-10 presence in the WestPac
November 15, 2024 at 10:04 AM
USAF to start the drawdown of A-10s of the 25th Fighter Sqn from Osan AB in South Korea from Jan 2025 onwards. To be totally withdrawn by end of FY25 (Sep 2025). End of the permanent A-10 presence in the WestPac
My workplace for a couple of days this past week.
It should be against the law to have to work in a place like this, even if work involved observing a ship-to-shore exercise
It should be against the law to have to work in a place like this, even if work involved observing a ship-to-shore exercise
November 15, 2024 at 3:07 AM
My workplace for a couple of days this past week.
It should be against the law to have to work in a place like this, even if work involved observing a ship-to-shore exercise
It should be against the law to have to work in a place like this, even if work involved observing a ship-to-shore exercise
I so want to build a Tamiya F-4B as a MiG-killer, but the photos of them as bomb trucks with unusual ordnance are so compelling. Here is NE102/151427 of VF-21 dropping M57/M81 WWII-vintage 250-lb bombs in 1965-66
December 12, 2023 at 11:39 PM
I so want to build a Tamiya F-4B as a MiG-killer, but the photos of them as bomb trucks with unusual ordnance are so compelling. Here is NE102/151427 of VF-21 dropping M57/M81 WWII-vintage 250-lb bombs in 1965-66
Hope everyone's enjoying/has enjoyed their meal as much as this Crimson Rosella outside my front yard
November 27, 2023 at 10:46 PM
Hope everyone's enjoying/has enjoyed their meal as much as this Crimson Rosella outside my front yard
PLAN hull 139 is the Type 956EM (Sovremenny-class) destroyer Ningbo
November 18, 2023 at 4:27 AM
PLAN hull 139 is the Type 956EM (Sovremenny-class) destroyer Ningbo
I do believe these are the first photos of RAAF F-35As carrying GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs. Taken during Ex Arnhem Thunder in northern Australia. Photos: Australian DoD
Full Ex Arnhem Thunder Image Gallery: images.defence.gov.au/S20233504
Full Ex Arnhem Thunder Image Gallery: images.defence.gov.au/S20233504
November 17, 2023 at 12:07 AM
I do believe these are the first photos of RAAF F-35As carrying GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs. Taken during Ex Arnhem Thunder in northern Australia. Photos: Australian DoD
Full Ex Arnhem Thunder Image Gallery: images.defence.gov.au/S20233504
Full Ex Arnhem Thunder Image Gallery: images.defence.gov.au/S20233504
You know it was bad when all 4 airframes pictured were lost during the Vietnam War. I came across this photo of four F-105D Thunderchiefs and out of curiousity searched for their eventual fates
November 16, 2023 at 11:52 PM
You know it was bad when all 4 airframes pictured were lost during the Vietnam War. I came across this photo of four F-105D Thunderchiefs and out of curiousity searched for their eventual fates
Managed to get a semi-clean shot of the USS Ronald Reagan through the crew chief's window of an MH-60S helicopter during our overnight embark on the carrier and the USS Carl Vinson in the Philippine Sea last week
November 13, 2023 at 1:48 AM
Managed to get a semi-clean shot of the USS Ronald Reagan through the crew chief's window of an MH-60S helicopter during our overnight embark on the carrier and the USS Carl Vinson in the Philippine Sea last week
No receipts, but I observed several AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS) pods being carried by the TDY USN P-8s currently operating out of Kadena in Okinawa
November 8, 2023 at 6:29 AM
No receipts, but I observed several AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS) pods being carried by the TDY USN P-8s currently operating out of Kadena in Okinawa