Key Issues
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Australia first to buy long-range, high-speed, air-to-air missile made in U.S.
FORUM Staff Australia will be the first nation to buy the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM), a highly classified air-to-air weapon built in the United States that Canberra can…
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Philippines-U.S. asymmetric capabilities effort raises Manila’s maritime security with sea drones
FORUM Staff The Philippines military acquired four autonomous sea vessels from the United States in June 2026 to boost Manila’s ability to monitor its waters and detect potential maritime threats.…
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Allies, Partners push to strengthen laws to curb China’s increased spying and foreign interference
FORUM Staff The August arrest of two former Chinese military personnel on espionage charges in South Korea underscores the urgency for Allies and Partners to counter the spike in nefarious…
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U.S. ready for expanded joint special forces drills with Philippines
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS United States Special Operations Forces (SOF) are ready to step up warfighting-readiness exercises with counterparts in the Philippines and other countries in the Indo-Pacific to further strengthen…
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New Zealand foils Beijing-linked plan to gather satellite information
Reuters New Zealand’s security agency said it disrupted an attempt by a Chinese Communist Party-linked observatory to install satellite-tracking infrastructure in the country, highlighting the case in its annual assessment…
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Philippine defense partnerships aid deterrence amid maritime coercion
Maria T. Reyes The Philippines’ evolving network of defense partnerships is entering a new phase, as Manila seeks to strengthen its deterrence posture amid China’s continued maritime coercion in the South China…
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Emerging Japanese chip hub gives regional defense sector boost
Felix Kim Rapidus Corp.’s semiconductor chip factory in Chitose City, Hokkaido, Japan, is racing toward mass production of key chips by 2027, attracting attention across the Indo-Pacific’s defense industrial base.…
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Australia solidifies role as Pacific island region’s largest aid provider, report says
FORUM Staff Australia has become the largest aid provider to the Pacific island region, according to the latest Lowy Institute Pacific Aid Map, which features data from 2008 through 2024.…
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PACAF sets theater with prepositioned materiel
U.S. Pacific Air Forces The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is moving prepositioned materiel into key locations throughout the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility. This effort, central to the U.S.…
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China’s military drills do not alter Philippines’ legal claim to Scarborough Reef
FORUM Staff China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) naval and airborne exercises around the contested Scarborough Reef do not change the Philippines’ legal claim to the South China Sea location, the…
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