Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOP)
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Conflicts - Tensions
Allies, Partners conduct joint naval exercises in South China Sea for Free and Open Indo-Pacific
Reuters The armed forces of five Allies and Partners conducted joint maritime exercises in a portion of the South China Sea in late September. New Zealand joined for the first time. Australia, Japan, the Philippines and the United States also participated in the exercises in Manila’s exclusive economic zone that sought to improve the militaries’ interoperability, the Armed Forces of…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
German naval ships to transit Taiwan Strait to uphold Free and Open Indo-Pacific
Reuters Two German Navy ships are set to transit the international waters of the Taiwan Strait in September 2024, becoming the first German military vessels to do so in 22 years, according to reports. The routine operation will demonstrate Berlin’s commitment to open navigation, the head of the naval task force said. “Safe and secure sea lanes, especially from Southeast…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Philippine troops acted lawfully, showed ‘remarkable restraint’ in confrontation with Chinese forces, experts say
FORUM Staff Philippine troops stationed at a South China Sea military outpost followed the rules of engagement and acted with “remarkable restraint” in displaying, but not firing, their weapons during a confrontation with Chinese forces, military officials and experts say. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., the Philippine Armed Forces chief, dismissed Chinese claims that the troops aboard the BRP Sierra Madre…
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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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Conflicts - Tensions
CCP weaponizes law to gain strategic advantage
FORUM Staff Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping’s slant on international conventions favors the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) objectives, often to other states’ detriment. These unilateral “lawfare” tactics are among the CCP’s gray-zone techniques in seeking global hegemony, analysts say. The CCP increasingly employs lawfare to gain leverage in Indo-Pacific waters, including the Taiwan Strait, and the…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Chinese trade hurt by Houthi attacks on ships attempting Red Sea passage
FORUM Staff Though not targets of Houthi rebels, Chinese traders are significantly affected by the militants’ attacks on cargo vessels traversing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and fear the crisis on one of the world’s busiest shipping routes could have lasting effects. One Chinese businessman said the cost of shipping a container to Europe spiked from about $3,000 in December 2023…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
U.S., Allies, Partners ensure safe, secure passage of global commerce
FORUM Staff In late November 2023, the United States Navy’s USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group transited the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf, demonstrating how regularly scheduled transits enable the U.S., Allies and Partners to assure economic prosperity via safe and secure sea passageways. “Our passage through this important strait and continued presence in the area plays…
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Features
Modern Movement
Gusty Da Costa Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Muhammad Herindra has served as Indonesian deputy defense minister under President Joko Widodo since December 2020. As a senior Army officer, he served as chief of the General Staff of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, as well as commander of the Army Special Forces Kopassus in 2015 and commander of the Regional Military Command…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Aging ships deliver sanctioned oil on shadowy missions
FORUM Staff A deadly explosion aboard the tanker ship Pablo has illuminated the growing “dark fleet” of older vessels that transports sanctioned crude oil and refined products such as diesel and jet fuel. The first of what has swelled to more than 600 such ships, many of them years past their prime, began ferrying the cargo when Western nations banned…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
Indo-Pacific allies, partners protect freedom of navigation
FORUM Staff To preserve the global maritime commons, the United States and its allies and partners are prepared to defend international waters in this era of long-term strategic competition. In collaboration with allies and partners, U.S. forces will protect national freedoms and impose costs on adversaries by lawfully denying the transport of war-supporting shipments through key global sea lines of…
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