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Global Commons
AI ‘game-changing’ for strategic competition
FORUM Staff From protecting global shipping against rebel missile strikes in the Red Sea to augmenting war-gaming and scenario modeling to prepare for potential crises, artificial intelligence (AI) “transforms the very nature” of strategic competition, conflict and international cooperation, a top United States military commander told defense and security experts in March 2024. “New technologies such as AI and unmanned…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Accelerate to maintain deterrence edge, experts say
FORUM Staff The message to 1,900 representatives from 15 nations across the Indo-Pacific came repeatedly during the largest-ever Pacific Operational Science & Technology (POST) Conference in early March 2024: There is a need for speed. “Three words: Accelerate. Accelerate. Accelerate. I think we all agree we need to go faster,” said Maj. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, chief of staff, United…
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Oceania
U.S. bolsters partnerships with Pacific island nations
Benar News Renewal of close United States ties with the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Marshall Islands and Palau will strengthen regional security, leaders said after U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill that includes $7.1 billion for the three Pacific allies. “The FSM and the U.S. reached an agreement with an outcome that I am confident will benefit…
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Global Commons
Guam air base hosts hypersonic weapons training
U.S. Air Force, 36th Wing Public Affairs United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crews from the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron and the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron received hypersonic weapons training at Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base in late February 2024. The crews focused on hypersonic fundamentals, and operational and logistics considerations, and participated in tactical discussions to increase operational…
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Northeast Asia
South Korea strengthens defense ties in Middle East
Felix Kim South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik demonstrated the value of defense diplomacy with a tour of three Middle Eastern countries in February 2024, where he signed defense agreements and a $3.2 billion arms deal. Shin’s trip to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) followed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visits to the region in…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Chinese surveillance, DNA collection companies highlight perils of Xi’s military-civilian fusion strategy
FORUM Staff The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hired a company to surveil its detractors abroad, steal other nations’ data and promote CCP narratives on social media, according to February 2024 news reports. CCP authorities contracted the Chinese cybersecurity firm I-Soon to hack networks across Central and Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to help the party-state control dissidents and repress…
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Climate
Indonesia Defense University pioneers sustainable housing solutions in flood-prone areas
Tom Abke Sustainable housing is a priority for the Indonesian government, including its defense establishment. With millions of homes at risk from natural disasters in the world’s fourth most-populous country, the Indonesia Defense University, known as Unhan RI, launched an initiative to build floating and stilt houses in a fishing village in northern Jakarta. The project promises to be a…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Broader ties projected between India, Taiwan
FORUM Staff A potential deterrent to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) escalating its aggression toward Taiwan sits more than 4,000 kilometers west of the self-governed island. It’s the nation of India, which is confronting a long-standing border dispute with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). India has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and released a joint statement with…
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Partnerships
Multilateral Cobra Gold returns to Thailand with all-domain drills, humanitarian focus
FORUM Staff More than 9,500 participants and observers from 30 nations joined forces in Thailand in February and March 2024 for exercise Cobra Gold, the largest post-pandemic edition of the annual security cooperation drills co-hosted by Thailand and the United States. Cobra Gold kicks off in Thailand in late February 2024 with opening ceremonies, live-fire and medical evacuation training, and…
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Oceania
Australia pledges funds for maritime cooperation as ASEAN summit begins
Radio Free Asia Canberra will invest $41.8 million during the next four years to expand maritime cooperation in Southeast Asia, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in early March 2024. Wong made the pledge on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne, which marked 50 years of partnership between Australia and the 10-member…
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