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Timeline of the United States Indo-Pacific Command

RANA LYNN KENNEDY/COMMAND HISTORIAN

Since its founding in 1947, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) has maintained an enduring presence in the region and a consistent strategy for building alliances and partnerships. USINDOPACOM’s response to the region’s changing security landscape over nearly eight decades of commitment reveals how the U.S. and its Allies and Partners have strengthened ties by managing conflicts, responding to disasters, participating in joint exercises and building cooperation.

1940

  • 1 JAN 1947 Pacific Command (PACOM) is founded with headquarters in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Far East Command (FECOM) and the Alaskan Command (ALCOM) also are established. The PACOM area of responsibility (AOR) includes more than 10 sovereign nations and many colonial possessions. The commander in chief, PACOM (CINCPAC) also commands the U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT).
  • 25 JUL 1949 U.S. joins Canada and several Western European nations to form North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), first mutual security and military alliance in U.S. history, to provide collective security against the Soviet Union. NATO’s creation spurred Soviet Union to create an alliance with communist governments of Eastern Europe formalized in 1955 Warsaw Pact.

1950

  • 25 JUN 1950 Korean War begins when communist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea invades Republic of Korea (ROK). U.S. and United Nations send troops and military aid.
  • 27 SEP 1950 U.S. Military Assistance and Advisory Group arrives in Vietnam to assist the French in defeating the Viet Minh, a perceived communist threat.
  • 9 APR 1951 PACOM AOR expands to include Marianas-Bonin and Volcano Islands, both transferred from FECOM. Joint Chiefs of Staff later transfers the Philippines, Pescadores Islands and Taiwan from FECOM to PACOM AOR.
  • 30 AUG 1951 The Philippines and the U.S. sign mutual defense treaty to support each other if attacked by an external power.
  • 1 SEP 1951 Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. sign a security treaty to protect the Pacific.
  • 1 OCT 1951 ROK and the U.S. sign a mutual defense treaty to strengthen collective defense and security.
  • 27 JUL 1953  U.N. coalition and North Korean leaders sign Korean War armistice at Panmunjom. 
  • 8 SEP 1954 To prevent expansion of communism, Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the U.S. sign the Collective Defense Treaty. It is the basis for the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, created later that month. 
  • JAN 1955 Direct U.S. aid arrives in Saigon, South Vietnam. The U.S. offers to train South Vietnamese forces. 
  • 1 NOV 1955 U.S.-Taiwan Defense Command is established to provide planning support to defend Taiwan and Pescadores Islands.
U.S. Maj. Gen. Blackshear M. Bryan, left, exchanges credentials with North Korean Lt. Gen. Lee Sang Cho on July 27, 1953, at the opening session of the Military Armistice Commission at the Panmunjom Conference House. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • 1 JUL 1957 U.S. defense secretary dissolves FECOM and shifts responsibilities for Japan, the Philippines and Korean Peninsula to CINCPAC. U.S. Forces Korea and U.S. Forces Japan are set up under CINCPAC. The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force elements in Hawaii are added to PACOM.
  • 13 JAN 1958 CINCPACFLT becomes a separate component command.

1960

  • 9 JAN 1960 Japan and the U.S. sign Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, agreeing to jointly maintain and develop capacities to resist armed attack.
  • 1961 Foal Eagle, an annual ROK-U.S. combined field maneuver exercise, is conducted to demonstrate resolve to deter war on the Korean Peninsula. In 2001, Foal Eagle combined reception, staging, onward movement and integration (RSOI) exercises. In 2008, the RSOI portion was renamed Key Resolve.
  • 8 FEB 1962 U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam is established as a subordinate command to CINCPAC. It expands U.S. advice and support programs to South Vietnamese forces.
  • 15 MAY 1962 U.S. Military Assistance Command Thailand is created as a subordinate command to CINCPAC, supporting Thai forces.
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, center, meets with Southeast Asia Treaty Organization officials at the White House in Washington, D.C., in May 1960. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • 8 MAR 1965 The U.S. deploys 3,500 Marines to South Vietnam to protect air bases from North Vietnamese forces.
  • 8 AUG 1967 Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand sign the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Declaration. ASEAN grows to include Brunei, Burma (renamed Myanmar in 1989), Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam by 1997. Timor-Leste is expected to become a member in 2025.

1970

  • 1971 First biennial naval exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) is conducted. In 2024, 29 nations participated. Brunei, India and the PRC participated for the first time in 2014 as did two hospital ships, USNS Mercy and PLAN Peace Ark. In 2018, the  PRC was disinvited because it continued to militarize artificial islands in the South China Sea. In 2019, the U.S. Congress banned the PRC’s participation until it changes its behavior.
  • 7 AUG 1971 Australia, Fiji, Nauru, New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga establish the South Pacific Forum, later becoming the Pacific Islands Forum. Membership will grow to 18, including the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. 
Military personnel from 29 nations participated in RIMPAC 2024 in Hawaii. LANCE CPL. BLAKE GONTER/U.S. MARINE CORPS
  • 15 AUG 1972 CINCPAC deploys air, naval and Marine support for Operation Saklolo to assist the Philippines after extensive flooding. 
  • 1 JAN 1973 CINCPAC AOR expands to include Afghanistan, India and Pakistan, parts of the Indian Ocean, Aleutian Islands and Arctic Ocean.
  • 1976 First annual ROK-U.S. Ulchi Focus Lens is held on the Korean Peninsula, focused on readiness, deterrence and ROK defense. In 2008, the name changes to Ulchi Freedom Guardian
    and Ulchi Freedom Shield in 2022. Through 2024, over 12 U.N. Command member states have participated.
  • 1976 First ROK-U.S. annual exercise Team Spirit held to enhance force flow and force-on-force operations.
  • 20 FEB 1976 Southeast Asia Treaty Organization is dissolved.
  • 23 NOV 1978 CINCPAC deploys the first Disaster Area Survey Team in response to a cyclone in Sri Lanka.
  • 30 APR 1979 The U.S. drafted and signed into law the Taiwan Relations Act allowing for diplomatic relations with mainland China while maintaining all substantive relations with Taiwan.

1980

  • 1981 Singapore hosts Tiger Balm, an annual exercise to promote regional security and interoperability between the Singapore Armed Forces and the U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC).
  • 1982 Thailand holds the first annual Thailand-U.S. Cobra Gold. The 43rd iteration in 2024 involves 30 nations.
  • 1982 The annual command post exercise Yama Sakura begins. It simulates Japan-U.S. military operations to defend Japan and builds U.S. Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ties.
  • 3 OCT 1983 Pacific Command is renamed U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM). Its AOR expands to include all of the Aleutian Islands, Madagascar, Mongolia, North Korea and the PRC.
  • 1 NOV 1983 Special Operations Command Pacific activates as a subordinate unified command to support USPACOM commander’s Theater Security Cooperation program. 
  • 1986 Japan first hosts the alternating annual exercises Keen Sword and Keen Edge.
  • 27 FEB 1987 USNS Mercy conducts its first operational mission in support of an exercise in the Philippines.
  • 9 FEB 1989 Joint Chiefs of Staff reassigns responsibilities for Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Oman from USPACOM to U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM). 
  • 10 FEB 1989 Joint Task Force-Five (JTF-5) is activated in Alameda, California, to thwart drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific.
  • 7 JUL 1989 Alaska Command (ALCOM) is activated as a subordinate unified command to USPACOM.

1990

  • 1990 Singapore and the U.S. begin Exercise Commando Sling, which tests long-range mobilization ability of deploying U.S. forces and interoperability with the Singapore Air Force.
  • 1991 The Philippines hosts first Balikatan, a command post and field training exercise aimed at improving Philippines-U.S. combined planning, combat readiness and interoperability. 2024 was the 39th iteration.
  • 29 APR 1991 Cyclone Marian strikes Bangladesh, causing massive flooding. USPACOM conducts Operation Sea Angel to provide humanitarian assistance.
  • 12 JUN 1991 Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupts, causing the evacuation of USPACOM elements as part of Operation Fiery Vigil. 
  • 1994 On the Korean Peninsula, Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, and Integration (RSO&I), a ROK-U.S. command post exercise, replaces Team Spirit until 2007, when it evolves into Key Resolve.    
  • 4 SEP 1995 The Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies is founded to build relationships among Indo-Pacific militaries and civilians. 
  • 23 OCT 1995 Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman reassigns responsibilities for Arabian Sea and portions of the Indian Ocean from USPACOM to USCENTCOM. 
  • 15 SEP 1996 JTF-Pacific Haven launches at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to help resettle about 6,500 Kurds from Iraq.

2000

  • 1 JAN 2001 The Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance begins reporting to USPACOM. Founded in 1994 by the U.S. Congress, it coordinates pre-crisis humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).
  • 2002 Shangri-La Dialogue starts as a huddle of about a dozen defense ministers at the Shangri-La hotel in Singapore. In 2024, representatives from more than 40 countries participated.
  • JAN 2002 Special Operations Command, Pacific forces begin deployment to Operation Enduring Freedom–Philippines to support counterterrorism efforts.
  • 29 OCT 2002 CINCPAC is designated as Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (CDRUSPACOM).
  • 4 NOV 2002 ASEAN member states and the PRC sign the “Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.” Since then, however, the PRC has failed to heed the declaration’s core intent.
  • 27 AUG 2003 The Six-Party Talks begin in Beijing, China, in response to North Korea’s withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The talks include Japan, North Korea, PRC, ROK, Russia and the U.S. 
  • 14 APR 2004 The Nimitz-MacArthur Pacific Command Center dedicated as the new headquarters for USPACOM.
  • DEC 2004 Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. begin maritime cooperation that will lead to the creation
    of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad partnership.  
  • 26 DEC 2004 A magnitude 9.0 earthquake strikes northwest of Sumatra, Indonesia, in the Indian Ocean. The resulting tsunami impacts coastlines throughout the region, killing more than 300,000 people. USPACOM deploys relief forces two days later as part of Operation Unified Assistance, providing disaster relief and assistance through February 2005, delivering more than 2.8 million tons of supplies and helping more than 70,000 people.
  • 12-17 JUN 2005 First Talisman Sabre exercise trains Australian and U.S. forces in combined task force operations. 
  • 8 OCT 2005 USPACOM begins Operation Lifeline in response to a magnitude 7.5 earthquake in northeast Pakistan and supports operation to transport about 1,900 victims for medical care, treat 14,000 patients and restore key infrastructure.
  • 17 FEB 2006 USPACOM begins Operation Hope Renewal after a landslide engulfs a village on Leyte Island, Philippines. Command diverts U.S. Marines from Exercise Balikatan to assist Philippine search and rescue teams. 
  • 9 OCT 2006 North Korea conducts its first underground nuclear test. The U.N. adopts Security Council Resolution 1718 on October 14, 2006, requiring North Korea to refrain from nuclear weapons testing and return to the Six-Party Talks. 
  • 30 SEP 2007 The sixth round of Six-Party Talks fails to reach consensus for verification inspections of North Korean nuclear facilities. 
  • 15 NOV 2007 A Category 5 cyclone strikes Bangladesh, affecting over 3 million people. USPACOM responds with Operation Sea Angel II, providing over 53,000 liters of fresh water, 112,000 kilograms of relief supplies, and medical and dental treatment for over 4,000 residents.
  • 2008 ROK hosts Max Thunder, a biannual exercise that focuses on increasing interoperability between ROK and U.S. Air Forces. 
  • 21 FEB 2008 USS Lake Erie destroys a failing U.S. satellite by launching an SM-3, successfully concluding Operation Burnt Frost. With U.S. Strategic Command, Missile Defense Agency and other U.S. agencies, USPACOM facilitates an operation that vaporizes the satellite’s debris upon re-entry.
  • 2 MAY 2008 A Category 4 cyclone hits southern Myanmar. By May 12, Myanmar allows daily relief flights from Thailand. CDRUSPACOM and other officials accompany the first flight to deliver aid and organize additional assistance from U.S. Navy ships waiting offshore. 
  • 12 MAY 2008 A magnitude 7.9 earthquake strikes Sichuan province in central China. By May 16, PRC requests U.S. assistance. USPACOM immediately dispatches two C-17 cargo planes with more than 91,000 kilograms of tents, generators, tools and other emergency supplies.
  • 2009 ASEAN Regional Forum Voluntary Demonstration of Response, a biannual, civilian-led, military-supported HADR exercise, is conducted with more than 20 countries. 

2010

  • 11 JAN 2010 The Pacific Warfighting Center opens on Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. As lead training facility for the AOR, it supports the CDRUSPACOM’s joint training program and provides joint context to exercises and battle simulations.
  • 11 MAR 2011 A magnitude 9.0 earthquake causes a devastating tsunami to hit Japan’s northeastern coast. USPACOM supports HADR efforts through Operation Tomodachi and provides more than 245 metric tons of relief supplies and 7.5 million liters of water to aid nuclear reactor cooling while deploying 24 ships and 189 aircraft to assist the Japanese government. 
  • 6 APR 2011 Arctic responsibility is divided between USNORTHCOM and USEUCOM. USPACOM retains command and control of forces within Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.
  • 16 NOV 2011 Australia and the U.S. expand military coordination with the deployment of a company-size U.S. Marine Corps element to Darwin, northern Australia. U.S. Marines will deploy on a six-month rotation to train with Australian forces. The pact allows greater U.S. military access to Royal Australian Air Force facilities.
  • 17 NOV 2011 The U.S. president announces a shift in national security priorities to emphasize the Indo-Pacific.
The U.S. Pacific Command headquarters, front, and U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, headquarters at Camp H.M. Smith in 2011
CAPT. KALI PINCKNEY/U.S. AIR FORCE
  • 8 NOV 2013 Typhoon Haiyan, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, hits Leyte Island, causing immense damage and impacting more than 12 million people. USPACOM forces join Operation Damayan, providing more than $31 million in medical aid, relief supplies and assistance. 
  • 28 APR 2014 The Philippines and the U.S. sign the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, allowing for more training and interoperability of U.S. forces within the Philippines. 
  • 2 JUL 2014 Armed Forces of French Polynesia and USPACOM agree to set up annual senior-level talks enabling military-to-military activities. 
  • Aug – Nov 2014 USARPAC conducts initial iteration of Pacific Pathways, expanding U.S. Army’s presence and engagement in the region. 
  • 5 JAN 2015 Malaysia and the U.S. sign a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement, marking a milestone in collaboration on security and trade.
  • 4 MAY 2015 U.S. JTF 505 leads Operation Sahayogi Haat to provide relief to Nepal after a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April. U.S. Airmen began delivering personnel and cargo April 27.
  • 4 JUN 2015 India and the U.S. sign a 10-year framework to highlight defense cooperation growth.
Nepalese Soldiers and U.S. Marines unload relief supplies at Orang, Nepal, during Operation Sahayogi Haat in May 2015. CPL. ISAAC IBARRA/U.S. MARINE CORPS
  • 16 JUL 2015  South Korea and the U.S. sign a successor agreement to build on more than a half-century partnership of peaceful nuclear cooperation by setting up a high-level bilateral commission to advance mutual objectives in the civil nuclear industry.
  • 25 SEP 2015 Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping pledges not to militarize artificial islands in the South China Sea or “target or impact any country.”  Since then, however, the CCP has militarized many of the disputed outposts, deploying anti-ship cruise missiles, expanded military radar, signals intelligence capabilities and more. 
  • 10-26 FEB 2016 More than 100 aircraft; 490 members of the Australian, Japanese, New Zealand, Philippine and ROK Air Forces; and over 930 U.S. Air Force and Navy personnel participate in the long-running Cope North exercise at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to enhance multilateral operations. 
  • 26 FEB 2016 Sri Lanka and the U.S. convene the inaugural Partnership Dialogue in Washington, D.C., to highlight growing bilateral cooperation. Sri Lanka hosted the fourth dialogue March 23, 2022, in Colombo.
  • 5 MAR 2016 Leaders from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Philippine Navy and U.S. 7th Fleet meet aboard the USS Blue Ridge to discuss strengthening relationships.
CCP structures at Mischief Reef in the South China Sea as of February 1999, left, and March 2022. The CCP has since militarized at least three maritime features in the Spratly Islands. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • 12 JUL 2016 An international tribunal rules under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea that Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea have no legal basis and that the PRC’s construction of maritime features, including military outposts, also violates the law.
  • 7 MAR 2017 Pacific Partnership stops in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, for the first time. Subsequent stops include Malaysia and Vietnam.
  • 18 APR 2017 U.S. Marines aboard MV-22B Ospreys deliver relief supplies to Kyushu island, Japan,
    to support Japan Ground Self-Defense Force relief efforts after earthquakes struck the island.
  • 7 MAR 2017 Pacific Partnership stops in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, for the first time. Subsequent stops include Malaysia and Vietnam.
  • 15-16 DEC 2017 Australian, Japanese, ROK and U.S. senior officers meet for the region’s first F-35 symposium on fifth-generation aviation.
  • 18-19 DEC 2017 New Delhi hosts inaugural India-U.S. Counterterrorism Designations Dialogue on increasing cooperation on terrorism-related designations and international mechanisms.  
  • 17 APR 2018 The Philippines and the U.S. break ground on a warehouse at Cesar Basa Air Base, Pampanga, to preposition equipment and supplies critical for response efforts. It is the first major project under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.
  • 20 MAY 2018 Thailand hosts Pacific Partnership for the first time in 12 years. More than 130 personnel from Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. conduct health exchanges and preparedness training alongside the Royal Thai Armed Forces. 
  • 29 MAY 2018 U.S. defense secretary renames USPACOM to USINDOPACOM in recognition of increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific oceans.
  • 11 MAR 2019 Royal Thai, Singapore and U.S. Air Force units support the 25th Cope Tiger exercise, with 76 aircraft enhancing interoperability. 
  • 6 SEP 2019 ASEAN maritime forces and the U.S. Navy complete the first ASEAN-U.S. Maritime Exercise in Singapore, led by staff from each nation to promote shared security commitments and capacity. 
  • 29 DEC 2019 Indonesia and the U.S. mark the 70th anniversary of their relationship and advance bilateral cooperation.

2020

  • 26 MAR 2020 USINDOPACOM cancels Balikatan exercise to protect health and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • 11 JUL 2020 Vietnam and the U.S. mark 25 years of diplomatic relations.
  • 15 AUG 2020 Japan and the U.S. build on 60 years of cooperation under their alliance with a joint operation in the Philippine Sea involving the JS Ikazuchi and the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group.
  • 23 SEP 2020 The U.S. joins the Pacific Power Association as an affiliate member with the shared goal to increase energy capacity in the region by improving infrastructure and workforce training. 
  • 30 SEP 2020 Bangladesh and the U.S. sign an Air Transport Agreement consistent with the U.S. Open Skies international aviation policy that includes unrestricted capacity and frequency of services, open route rights, a liberal charter regime, and open code-sharing opportunities. 
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Ikazuchi, from left, U.S. Navy fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Ericsson and aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan steam ahead in August 2020 during a joint operation in the Philippine Sea. PETTY OFFICER 3RD CLASS JASON TA/U.S. NAVY
  • 5 JAN 2021 The Maldives and the U.S. agree to operationalize the 2020 Security and Defense Relationship Framework with maritime security, counterterrorism and HADR activities.
  • 1 FEB 2021 The Myanmar military junta seizes power in a coup, sparking a resistance movement. A resistance coalition operation launched in October 2023 weakens the military to an unprecedented degree. By late August 2024, fewer than 100 of the nation’s 352 towns (28% of the country) remain under military control.
  • 11 MAR 2021 Japanese and U.S. forces mark the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and honor the more than 15,000 people who died. Under Operation Tomodachi, the forces provided assistance to thousands. 
  • 29 MAR 2021 The Philippines and U.S. celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
  • 2-27 AUG 2021 USINDOPACOM conducts all-domain Large Scale Global Exercise with the Australian Defence
    Force, Japan Self-Defense Forces and U.K. Armed Forces.
  • 23 AUG 2021 Singapore and the U.S. agree to enhance collaboration between their financial authorities, cybersecurity agencies and militaries. 
  • 26 AUG 2021 Maritime forces from Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. kick off the annual exercise Malabar in the Philippine Sea to show commitment to upholding international maritime laws.
  • 1 SEP 2021 Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. hail the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty, signed in San Francisco in 1951, to confirm their shared vision for a secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
  • 16 SEP 2021 Australia, the U.K., and the U.S. announce the creation of an enhanced trilateral security partnership called AUKUS to promote deeper information and technology sharing and foster the integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases and supply chains.   
  • 22 SEP 2021 The ROK and the U.S. hold their first joint repatriation ceremony for the remains of Korean War POW/MIA personnel.
  • 6 DEC 2021 The U.S. and partner nations launch the 70th annual Operation Christmas Drop, the longest-running U.S. humanitarian assistance training mission, delivering food, tools and clothing to over 55 remote Pacific islands.
  • 1 JAN 2022 USINDOPACOM celebrates its 75th anniversary. It is the oldest and largest U.S. geographic combatant command.  
  • 12 APR 2022  India and the U.S., the world’s largest democracies, enhance cooperation with dialogue between defense and foreign ministers. They stress their nations’ shared commitment to safeguard sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. 
  • 26 APR 2022 South Korea and the U.S. sign an agreement to strengthen joint space capabilities.  
The first batch of 1 million COVID-19 vaccines donated by the U.S. to Cambodia arrives in Phnom Penh in July 2021. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • 5 MAY 2022 Nepal and the U.S. sign a five-year agreement for the U.S. to provide $659 million to support Nepal’s goal of becoming a middle-income country.
  • 23 MAY 2022  The USINDOPACOM commander and the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff sign the Maritime Security (Bantay Dagat) Framework. A testament to the strength of the nations’ alliance, it is designed to enable a holistic, intergovernmental approach to maritime security through the interoperability of Philippine and U.S. maritime forces.
  • 7-8 JUN 2022 ROK and U.S. Navies agree to enhance their partnership by sharing information on oceanography, hydrography and meteorology best practices.
  • 1-14 AUG 2022 Super Garuda Shield becomes one of the region’s largest multinational exercises, with more than 4,000 personnel, including from first-time participants Australia, Japan and Singapore. It features the first trilateral airborne jump among Indonesia, Japan and the U.S. Observer nations include Canada, France, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, South Korea and the U.K.
  • 29 SEP 2022 The Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and the U.S. sign a declaration on the U.S.-Pacific Partnership, agreeing to maintain peace and security across the Blue Pacific.
  • 1 JAN 2023 Royal Australian Air Force veteran Carl Newman becomes the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) deputy commander at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Air Force Base.
  • 1 MAY 2023 After a 13-year hiatus, Cope Thunder – Philippines, designed to provide combat training between the Philippine Air Force and PACAF, resumes at Clark Air Force Base, Philippines.
  • 4-6 JUN 2023 Multilateral naval Exercise Komodo, first held in 2014, resumes in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, for first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme is “partnership to recover and to rise stronger.” The Indonesian Navy invites 19 nations to contribute to HADR planning.  
  • 18 AUG 2023 Japan, South Korea and the U.S. announce a security partnership that commits the countries to guidelines for cooperation. 
  • 25 SEP 2023 The U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit in Washington, D.C., renews a commitment to enhance partnerships to achieve the shared vision for a resilient Pacific region. 
  • NOV 2023 Pacific Partnership returns to Tonga after a decade and Vietnam for the 12th time to conduct the region’s largest annual multinational HADR mission with nearly 1,500 personnel from Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, New Zealand, the ROK, the U.K. and the U.S.
  • FEB 2024 The U.S. has delivered over 693 million COVID-19 vaccines globally — more doses than any nation. For every vaccine administered in the U.S., nearly one more has been shipped to more than 110 nations. For example, the U.S. sent 35 million vaccines to Indonesia.
  • 5 FEB 2024  Royal Australian Air Force, French Air and Space Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, ROK Air Force, and U.S. Air Force, Marines and Navy aircraft participate in exercise Cope North in Guam to enhance integrated deterrence.
  • 12-15 FEB 2024 U.S. Marines provide HADR, including delivering supplies for more than 75,000 people, after devastating flooding and landslides in Mindanao, Philippines.
Multinational partners participate in exercise Cope North 2024 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. STAFF SGT. GERALD R. WILLIS/U.S. AIR FORCE
  • 13 MAY 2024 Marine and naval forces from Indonesia and the U.S. kick off the 30th iteration of Exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia, marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the nations. 
  • 11 JUN 2024 ROK and U.S. defense officials meet in Seoul as part of the Nuclear Consultative Group, established in April 2023 to coordinate responses to potential North Korean nuclear threats.
  • 12 JUL 2024 Pitch Black becomes the largest iteration in 43 years of the Royal Australian Air Force’s biennial exercise, drawing participants from 20 countries. 

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