The early experience of China Southern Airlines in facing competition from fast rail suggests that high-speed trains will inflict heavier damage on Chinese carriers than normally seen in other countries. Although the state of air/rail competition will become clearer as more Chinese fast lines open, China Southern’s current condition in the first big battle with fast trains looks serious: the carrier—China’s largest—has lost half of its business on an 840-km. (520-mi.) route in head-to-head competition with trains.

BEIJING – Japan is expected to decide by the end of the year whether to order four Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk surveillance aircraft that could later be upgraded to reinforce the country’s anti-ballistic missile defenses. The decision, which has been brewing for years, is due to appear in the National Defense Program Guideline, which will set out future military policy when it appears this year, program officials say.

ANDERSEN AFB, GUAM — U.S. Air Force and Navy Global Hawks operating from Andersen AFB in Guam may share ground support and occasionally cover each other’s missions as part of a June 12 agreement between the two services to coordinate their high-altitude surveillance operations.