Indo-Pacific View
Dear Readers,
Welcome to Indo-Pacific Defense FORUM’s issue on safeguarding seas.
As the Indo-Pacific’s global importance continues to increase, nations and militaries have developed greater appreciation of the vital role of maritime security in preserving peace.
This edition of FORUM highlights some of the region’s leading maritime challenges, from ensuring freedom of navigation and commerce to protecting fisheries and other resources to maintaining respect for sovereignty and international law.
The United States and like-minded militaries are striving to enhance collaboration and partnerships to preserve shared and enduring values and their manifestation in security practices across the region.
The opening article explores how Allies and Partners work together to expand undersea cable connectivity and protect cutting-edge communication technologies. Another FORUM staff article examines how the Philippines is using a campaign of transparency to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s aggression and threats in the South China Sea, part of Beijing’s coercive strategy to overtake the resource-rich area.
Providing a broader view, Dr. Andre J. Stridiron III, who leads the U.S. Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability (PMTEC) program office, explains how PMTEC is linking advanced live, virtual and constructive range technologies across the region to rapidly enhance and enable joint and coalition interoperability. PMTEC will provide an asymmetric advantage by enabling Allies and Partners to achieve the highest level of readiness and force posture to respond to any contingencies, crises or conflict, he writes.
Diplomacy, meanwhile, has long been considered key for securing sea power and achieving peaceful resolutions of disputes. Spencer Petersen, a U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency officer and U.S. Air Force reservist, considers how intelligence diplomacy, a collaborative effort among governments to use data to create solutions for maximum public benefit, may become key to solving regional and international security dilemmas.
Other contributed articles probe the importance of sea control, the resurgence of naval mining operations, and the expanding role of coast guards in strengthening alliances and enhancing maritime security.
We hope these articles encourage discussion on the importance of safeguarding seas and their lines of communication. Please contact the FORUM staff at ipdf@ipdefenseforum.com to continue the conversation and share your comments.
All the best,
FORUM Staff