Palau
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Oceania
U.S. bolsters partnerships with Pacific island nations
Benar News Renewal of close United States ties with the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Marshall Islands and Palau will strengthen regional security, leaders said after U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill that includes $7.1 billion for the three Pacific allies. “The FSM and the U.S. reached an agreement with an outcome that I am confident will benefit…
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Global Commons
Pacific Partnership 24-1 wraps final mission stop building humanitarian, disaster response
FORUM Staff The numbers are impressive: 7,667 pairs of prescription glasses and at least 7,440 pairs of sunglasses distributed; more than 6,847 dental procedures completed; nearly 4,000 hours of construction project labor provided; 300 surgeries conducted; and 38 concerts performed. That is the final tally of Pacific Partnership 24-1, which ended its five-mission tour in January 2024 in Chuuk, Federated…
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Global Commons
Pacific Partnership boosts humanitarian and disaster response, security and stability
FORUM Staff Pacific Partnership 24-1 recently concluded a 16-day mission in Palau, including providing medical and dental care, as well as engineering, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). The United States-led Pacific Partnership originated in response to a December 2004 tsunami that devastated parts of Southeast Asia and has evolved from direct care to enhancing partnerships. It is the…
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Global Commons
USNS Mercy delivering medical care, humanitarian assistance to Pacific islands
FORUM Staff The United States Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy is bringing doctors, dentists and other medical experts, as well as engineers and disaster response personnel, to the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau and the Solomon Islands. The deployment kicks off Pacific Partnership 2024, which began when USNS Mercy left its home port in San Diego, California, in October 2023 —…
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Conflicts - Tensions
U.S. to enforce maritime law around Palau
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The United States has signed a new agreement with Palau, which gives U.S. ships the authorization to unilaterally enforce maritime regulations in the Pacific Island Country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the U.S. Coast Guard said in August 2023. The agreement follows pleas from Palau’s president for Washington’s help to deter Beijing’s “unwanted activities” in its coastal waters.…
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Northeast Asia
Task Force Koa Moana 23 strengthens South Pacific partnerships
FORUM Staff About 200 United States Marines and Sailors visited three South Pacific nations from June through September 2023 to bolster relationships, enhance infrastructure and improve citizens’ lives. Task Force Koa Moana 23 deployed in detachments to the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and Papua New Guinea (PNG). Combat Logistics Battalion 11, part of the 1st Marine Logistics Group, conducted…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Palau seeks more U.S. patrols of its waters after Chinese incursions
Reuters The Pacific Island Country (PIC) of Palau has asked the United States to increase patrols of its waters after several incursions by Chinese vessels into its exclusive economic zone, Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr. said in mid-June 2023. Whipps said he would also welcome a bigger U.S. military presence in the country, with troops stationed alongside existing coast guard…
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Conflicts - Tensions
U.S. Coast Guard tackles IUU fishing, deepens partnerships in Oceania
FORUM Staff A collaborative mission of enforcement and engagement brought success on both fronts during the United States Coast Guard cutter Oliver Henry’s monthlong, 9,700-kilometer patrol of the Pacific Ocean. The fast-response cutter traversed the exclusive economic zones of partner nations Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia, as well as international waters between the Pacific Island Countries to counter…
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Key Issues
Cope North 2023 hones strategic combat skills, coordination among Pacific partners
FORUM Staff Allies and partners in the Pacific launched exercise Cope North 2023 in February, bolstering their capacity for airborne force coordination, agile combat and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). The exercise, sponsored by United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), brought together about 2,000 members of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), French Air and Space Force, Japan Air…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
U.S. plans over-the-horizon radar facility in Palau
BENAR NEWS The United States military plans to install over-the-horizon radar in Palau by 2026, adding to its early warning capabilities for the western Pacific as the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) military strength increases. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) awarded a U.S. $120 million contract in late December 2022 to build reinforced foundations and pads in Palau for…
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