Space
-
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…
Read More -
Features
Advancing Space Partnerships
Lt. Stephen Schroeder/U.S. Navy, U.S. Space Command Joint Integrated Space Team Pacific The United States and its Allies and Partners are at the forefront of an emerging era of opportunity. Space’s critical role in the global commons has gained considerable attention in recent years, and the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) guidance has never been clearer: “Space is now a…
Read More -
Global Commons
U.S. monitoring, disrupting Cuba-PRC spy bases
FORUM Staff Expanded spy stations in Cuba suggest the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is attempting to monitor United States military activities and potentially intercept commercial communications, according to a July 2024 report from the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The study follows a 2023 report by The Wall Street Journal newspaper that the PRC was…
Read More -
Global Commons
Indo-Pacific Allies, Partners condemn North Korean spy satellite launch attempt
FORUM Staff The rocket explosion that ended North Korea’s latest effort to launch a spy satellite means the authoritarian regime has failed in three of its four attempts to put a military satellite into orbit. After two failed attempts delivered only international embarrassment in 2023, North Korea finally launched a spy satellite late that year, though experts have cast doubt…
Read More -
Global Commons
South Korea, U.S. accelerate space cooperation amid missile threats
Damin Jung South Korea and the United States are expanding their initiatives to shape military cooperation in the space domain. The longtime allies’ move comes amid growing threats in the region, including North Korea’s first successful spy satellite launch and its increasing illegal exchange of weapons and resources with Russia, officials said. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying South Korea’s…
Read More -
Features
Space Defense Partnerships
APOGEE STAFF Starting with Australia in 2013, the United States Department of Defense (DOD) has signed deals with more than 30 nations to share information about what’s up there circling the Earth. These space situational awareness (SSA) agreements, written in carefully crafted legal language, typically address space launches, avoiding collisions and objects dropping out of orbit. But the enduring value…
Read More -
Across The Region
Allies Look to Boost Tracking of North Korean Missiles
The Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States militaries want to bolster their combined tracking of North Korean missile launches, an effort that also may involve Japan, U.S. Space Force officials said in August 2023. The allies see space integration as key to tracking North Korean threats and responding to a conflict. The U.S. Space Force component in South Korea,…
Read More -
Global Commons
South Korea launches second reconnaissance satellite amid tensions with North Korea
The Associated Press South Korea recently launched its second reconnaissance satellite, days after North Korea reaffirmed its plan to launch multiple spy satellites in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. South Korea’s Defense Ministry said the reconnaissance satellite, which launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, entered orbit and communicated with an overseas ground station. With the early April…
Read More -
Features
Alliances and Partnerships
Dr. Alfred Oehlers/Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies Photos by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS We often hear that alliances and partnerships are a vital asset. These relationships distinguish the United States from its competitors. They also confer decisive advantages, especially at crucial moments. As the U.S. faces future challenges, it likely will again turn to Allies and Partners for…
Read More -
Global Commons
Japan’s rocket launch, moon landing boost space ambitions
Felix Kim Japan further elevated its status as a spacefaring nation with the launch of its next-generation H3 rocket in mid-February 2024 and by becoming the fifth country to achieve a lunar landing a month before. The milestones support Japan’s strategic objectives, including in defense, by showcasing technological prowess and contributing to a deterrence posture in space. Japan’s Smart Lander…
Read More