Military Technology
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Global Commons
Japan Cabinet OKs record defense budget as nation enhances counterstrike capabilities
The Associated Press The Japanese Cabinet approved a record $55 billion defense budget for 2025 as Japan enhances its counterstrike proficiency with long-range cruise missiles and begins deploying Tomahawk missiles to counter growing threats from North Korea, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia. The budget marks the third year of Japan’s five-year defense buildup under a national security…
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Philippines seeks to acquire missile system, defends deployment of U.S. system
Reuters The Philippines’ top defense official said the nation plans to acquire a medium-range missile system, while defending Manila’s April 2024 deployment of a United States missile system amid escalating confrontations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the South China Sea. “Any deployment and procurement of assets related to the Philippines’ security and defense fall within its own…
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Global Commons
Weapons expo helps Vietnam boost domestic defense industry, reduce reliance on Russian arms
Reuters Vietnam showcased locally made weapons at an international defense fair in Hanoi as it seeks to boost its arms industry and lessen its reliance on Russian military equipment. Top defense companies from Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific were among the nearly 250 exhibitors at the mid-December 2024 fair at Gia Lam Airport. Vietnam’s National Defence Ministry holds…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Taiwan targeted with more than $836 million in U.S. defense spending
Reuters The United States will provide $571.3 million in defense support for Taiwan, the White House announced in late December 2024, while the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale to the island republic of $265 million worth of military equipment. The U.S. by law must provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself despite a lack of formal diplomatic…
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Maritime security group examines Southeast Asian challenges, accessible U.S. technology
FORUM Staff A new public-private plan to transform maritime security in Southeast Asia will commit about $95 million annually for low-cost, commercially available solutions to strengthen maritime domain awareness (MDA), sustainment and security in the region. The United States Department of Defense (DOD) launched the Maritime Security (MARSEC) Consortium in November 2024. It will unite Southeast Asian government leaders, U.S.…
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U.S. missile intercept test bolsters Free and Open Indo-Pacific
FORUM Staff, wire report For the first time, the United States Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has intercepted an air-launched, medium-range ballistic missile target during a test off Guam, marking a milestone in the U.S. territory’s defense capabilities. The Western Pacific island is a strategic location for U.S. military assets. Less than 3,000 kilometers from the People’s Republic of China, Guam…
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Japan adding drone aircraft to boost maritime ISR
FORUM Staff Japan’s Defense Ministry will enhance its maritime situational awareness with new uncrewed surveillance aircraft deployed over waters surrounding the nation. The move comes as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) increases its presence in the vast region, including near the uninhabited Senkaku Islands, a rocky outcropping in the East China Sea administered by Japan but claimed by…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Kyiv, Seoul deepen security ties over North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia
Agence France-Presse South Korea and Ukraine will enhance their security cooperation in response to North Korea’s troop deployment to bolster Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. The announcement followed a November 2024 meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov after the countries expressed alarm about Pyongyang sending thousands of soldiers to western Russia. Yoon…
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Talent drain, innovation clampdown threaten PRC’s military capabilities
Tom Abke A surging exodus of top-tier talent fueled by restrictive political and economic policies may pose significant challenges to the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) defense sector, especially in key areas of technological innovation such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. Analysts say the outflow of skilled professionals and increased regulatory constraints on innovation under Chinese Communist Party (CCP)…
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ROK, U.S. troops review technology that detects, analyzes electronic intrusions
U.S. Forces Korea Combined Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States forces recently got firsthand looks at a PR-200 spectrum analyzer designed to detect electromagnetic intrusions, signals of interest and jamming within a contested area. U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Elliot Rappoport demonstrated the device during a team-building session at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, in mid-October 2024. Practical exercises showed…
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