East China Sea (ECS)
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Japan strengthens island defenses with new submarine, multilayered strategy
Felix Kim With growing concern over a potential invasion of self-governed Taiwan by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) forces, Japan is enhancing the defense of its southwest Nansei Islands, the Japanese territory nearest Taiwan. Any attack on the island chain, which is protected by robust air defense systems and Japan’s steadfast alliance with the United States, would prompt a formidable and…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Quad leaders to expand maritime security cooperation in face of PRC aggression
FORUM Staff Australia, India, Japan and the United States will launch joint Coast Guard patrols in the Indo-Pacific in 2025. The enhanced security cooperation will improve interoperability and boost maritime safety, the leaders of the four member nations of the Quadrilateral partnership, or Quad, announced after their late September 2024 summit in the U.S. The initial Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Australia, Japan boost defense ties in face of PRC incursions
The Associated Press Australia and Japan will increase joint military exercises as the nations share concerns over the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) recent incursions into Japanese airspace and territorial waters. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara met for a regular summit with their Australian counterparts, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles, in…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Chinese military aircraft enters Japanese airspace for first time, spurs condemnation
Voice of America Japan scrambled fighter jets after confirming a Chinese military surveillance aircraft violated its territorial airspace off Nagasaki prefecture’s Danjo Islands in the East China Sea in late August 2024, Japan’s Defense Ministry said. The People’s Liberation Army Y-9 intelligence-gathering aircraft remained in Japanese airspace for about two minutes, officials said. It was the first incursion by a…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Japan, U.S. defense alliance gets ‘historic’ upgrade for greater interoperability in Free and Open Indo-Pacific
FORUM Staff The United States is making a consequential and historic upgrade to its U.S. Forces Japan, which will become a Joint Force Headquarters allowing for greater interoperability between the U.S. military and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. “We welcome an historic decision to modernize our Alliance command and control to better meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” U.S. Defense…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Japan’s USV technology gains momentum amid escalating maritime tensions
Thisanka Siripala The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is prioritizing implementation of uncrewed surface vessels (USV), describing the technology as a game changer in intelligence gathering, surveillance and combat support. Tokyo is seeking to boost its maritime observation capabilities in response to the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) repeated incursions around the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Japan’s annual defense white paper highlights intensified threats, emphasizes deterrence
FORUM Staff The world faces “a new era of crisis” with potential implications for the Indo-Pacific, Japan’s Defense Ministry warned in its annual white paper that echoes previous reports while amplifying the need for deterrence. The July 2024 report assesses Japan’s security environment from April 2023 to March 2024. It identifies North Korea, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Landmark Japanese, Philippine defense pact spurred by growing Indo-Pacific tensions
FORUM Staff Japan and the Philippines will allow troops to deploy on each other’s soil for combat training and joint operations including disaster relief. The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) increasingly assertive actions in the South and East China seas prompted the enhanced military cooperation. The Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which both nations’ legislatures must ratify, paves the way for…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
U.S. challenges excessive maritime claims in Indo-Pacific, worldwide
FORUM Staff The United States Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey patrolled near the South China Sea’s Paracel Islands in May 2024 to assert navigational rights and freedoms under international law. The operation took place despite the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) unsupported claims that the maritime region is its territory and that foreign vessels must receive transit permission from Beijing.…
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Features
Freedom of the Seas
FORUM Staff The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) conducted a regional campaign supporting a Combined Joint All-Domain Operations (CJADO) effort throughout the past year to ensure economic prosperity worldwide via safe, secure and open sea passages. USINDOPACOM coordinated the campaign with other U.S. combatant commands (COCOM) and like-minded Allies and Partners using routine operations across the globe to demonstrate defense…
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