ROK / South Korea
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Northeast Asia
ROK-U.S. air patrols strengthen Alliance’s capabilities
Sentry Staff The Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States air forces conducted a bomber flyover above the Korean Peninsula in an exercise the Allies said strengthened their operational capabilities and countered emerging threats from North Korea. Two U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons joined two U.S. B-1B Lancer bombers, two ROK F-35A Lightning IIs and two ROK KF-16s for combined training…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
U.K.-led Operation Highmast departs for Indo-Pacific deployment with Allies and Partners
FORUM Staff The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales departed Portsmouth Naval Base in late April 2025 to lead a multilateral deployment to the Indo-Pacific. The eight-month deployment of the U.K.’s Carrier Strike Group 2025, called Operation Highmast, will be joined by vessels and/or personnel from 13 nations, including Australia, France, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand,…
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Partnerships
Indonesia, South Korea reaffirm defense industry ties with focus on aerospace development
Gusty Da Costa Indonesia and South Korea have reaffirmed their long-standing defense partnership, placing a sharper focus on expanding cooperation in the aviation and aerospace industries. Indonesian Deputy Defense Minister Donny Ermawan Taufanto and Seok Jong-gun, head of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, recently reinforced the nations’ commitment to a strategic collaboration that transcends procurement and emphasizes joint development,…
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Departments
Strategy of Denial
Dongkeun Lee/Republic of Korea Navy In the Indo-Pacific, navies play a major role in shaping a balance of power that generates deterrent effects. The roles and strategies of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) are crucial to this deterrence. When we think about power in international relations, it’s easy to imagine armies clashing on…
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Across The Region
Dozens of countries endorse ‘blueprint’ for AI use in military, but China opts out
About 60 countries, including Indo-Pacific Allies and Partners such as the United States, have endorsed a “blueprint for action” to govern responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military. China, however, was among those that declined to support the nonbinding document. The Responsible AI in the Military Domain summit in Seoul, South Korea, in September 2024 followed a similar…
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Global Commons
Seoul mobilizes national cyber defenses amid surge in AI-driven attacks
Felix Kim South Korea has launched a multisector initiative to combat cyberattacks as concerns grow over North Korean-linked hackers exploiting artificial intelligence (AI). Seoul is implementing strategies outlined in its National Cybersecurity Strategy and National Cybersecurity Basic Plan, both introduced in 2024, to protect its critical infrastructure, financial systems and national defense from escalating digital threats. “The rise of AI-powered…
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Northeast Asia
Technical effects exercise enhances Tri-Command capabilities
Carrie Castillo/U.S. Forces Korea United States Army Maj. Gen. William D. “Hank” Taylor, director of operations for the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea, oversaw the Joint Cyber Center’s first Technical Effects Tabletop Exercise in early 2025. “Technical effects can leverage capabilities with Allies and Partners to enable synchronized combined, joint all-domain operations,” Taylor said. Such…
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Partnerships
Military technology, partnerships key components at POST Conference
FORUM Staff The need to rapidly advance military technology was a leading refrain at the Pacific Operational Science & Technology (POST) Conference in early March 2025. “The priority here is not just developing military technology but to do it in a way that can be expedited and transitioned rapidly,” said Choi Jang sik, director general of South Korea’s Advanced Force…
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Partnerships
Expanded multinational space domain component key part of Cobra Gold 2025
Tech. Sgt. Emerson Nunez/U.S. Air Force Exercise Cobra Gold, long a cornerstone of Thailand-United States military engagement in the Indo-Pacific, expanded into the space domain in 2025 with a multinational initiative to enhance interoperability and strengthen regional partnerships. “The goal is to establish a joint, combined, multinational component command specifically for space,” said Maj. Garry Stratiev, space operations planner for…
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Northeast Asia
USS Carl Vinson visit demonstrates ironclad commitment to South Korea
Reuters The USS Carl Vinson arrived in Busan, South Korea, for a scheduled port visit in early March, becoming the first United States Navy aircraft carrier to dock at a South Korean port in 2025. The arrival of the aircraft carrier and its strike group demonstrates the solid South Korea-U.S. alliance and boosts the interoperability of the longtime allies’ combined…
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