Free and Open Indo-Pacific / FOIP
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Features
Maritime Maneuvers
FORUM Staff Ukraine, in its fight against Russia’s illegal invasion, is showcasing a military asset that could benefit Taiwan. To maintain a Free and Open Indo-Pacific and to deter the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) military from invading the self-governed island, experts say Taiwan should track Ukraine’s use of uncrewed surface vessels (USV), called sea or maritime drones, and the damage…
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Features
Arctic Aggression
FORUM Staff The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is not an Arctic nation. Its northern border is nearly 1,500 kilometers from the Arctic Circle and even farther from the Arctic Ocean. Yet the PRC is encroaching upon the frozen region to control its vast resources and exploit the strategic location for economic and potentially military purposes. The PRC arbitrarily declared…
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Features
Swarm Storm
FORUM Staff Great Britain and the United States developed the first pilotless vehicles during World War I. Britain tested its Aerial Target, a small radio-controlled aircraft, in March 1917 and the U.S. Kettering Bug, an aerial torpedo, flew its maiden voyage in October 1918, according to the London-based Imperial War Museums Institute. Both showed promise in tests, but neither flew…
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Indo-Pacific View
Dear Readers, W elcome to Indo-Pacific Defense FORUM’s issue on next-generation threats. Adm. Samuel Paparo, Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, has championed the advancement of new and emerging capabilities, ranging from tools employing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to drone swarms, advanced weapons, and integrated air and missile defense systems. Such developments are changing strategic cooperation, competition and…
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Features
Cobra Gold 2024
FORUM Staff Cobra Gold 2024 took multilateral cooperation to new heights with 30 nations engaging in or observing key training activities ranging from land, maritime and air drills to space and cyber exercises, humanitarian efforts and cultural exchanges. “We have expanded the scope of military operations to address the full spectrum of threats across all domains,” Gen. Songwit Noonpackdee, defense…
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Across The Region
Japan Assists Malaysia with Maritime Security
Japan and Malaysia have signed an assistance deal that includes a $2.8 million grant to boost Malaysia’s maritime security as Indo-Pacific nations seek to counter an increasingly assertive People’s Republic of China (PRC). Japan will provide equipment such as rescue boats and supplies under the agreement, signed by the countries’ foreign ministers in December 2023 on the sidelines of a…
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Features
Transregional Commitments to the Indo-Pacific
Forum Staff With deepening power competition, population shifts and growing economies in the Indo-Pacific, global stakeholders are refining, and in many cases expanding, their strategic investments and presence in the region. Many now count a Free and Open Indo-Pacific as vital to their own geopolitical and economic success. “The vast majority of countries throughout the region have rallied around the…
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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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Across The Region
Protecting Sea Lines of Communication
The oceans and seas that dominate the Indo-Pacific present a challenge of immense proportions to safeguarding sovereignty and upholding freedom of navigation and commerce — an obstacle that military planners call the “tyranny of distance.” Increasingly, satellites, sensors, uncrewed aerial and surface vessels, and other technologies — combined with comprehensive information-sharing endeavors among like-minded nations — are key to bridging…
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Features
Upholding International Norms in the Skies
FORUM Staff A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) fighter jet intercepted a Canadian Armed Forces CP-140 Aurora aircraft multiple times in international airspace in October 2023 in a “dangerous and reckless” manner, yet another example of Beijing’s disregard for freedom of navigation and aircrew safety, officials said. Such unsafe and unprofessional activities risk midair collisions and escalation. The nonstandard intercepts…
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