Category: Indo-Pacific

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

RAYONG PROVINCE, Kingdom of Thailand  –  

The Indo-Pacific, named for two oceans spanning from the Arctic to the jungles of the equator, is a massive region comprising megacities and hundreds of island chains and is home to 60 percent of the world’s population. Across these 40 countries, this region is dynamic in cultures, beliefs, resources, and is the geostrategic weight of the world. In recognition of the importance of this region and to prepare the joint force for the enduring and emerging challenges across such a diverse area, America’s First Corps established an effort to study friction points, identify solutions, and share best practices across the force. The effort to share this knowledge across the Department of Defense includes sponsoring officers and senior NCOs through joint and multinational exchanges throughout the Indo-Pacific during Operation Pathways. The Pacific Exchange Program (PEP) is an innovative approach that shares valuable knowledge and builds upon critical experiences across the force and dynamic region.

During Exercise Cobra Gold 24 – a multi-service and multi-national exercise in the Kingdom of Thailand – 10 service members representing students from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) embedded in staff sections across I Corps forward in Thailand. These PEP participants joined in corps activities spanning various critical topics, including logistics, protection, and combined interoperability. The I Corps Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson, who initiated the program, directed PEP participants to have unparalleled access from the strategic to tactical level with which to make observations and offer recommendations and lessons learned.

“I Corps maintains a persistent presence west of the international dateline because it’s important that we can assist our partners and allies as challenges emerge. Inviting these service member-scholars to embed within this corps during Operation Pathways exercises reinforces that commitment,” said Brunson.

“The Pacific Exchange Program is just one way we are employing unique solutions to solve complex challenges across the Indo-Pacific, both to enhance the effectiveness of the joint force in this region and assure our friends that we are a committed and dependable partner and ally. I’m excited these participants are here to learn, but more excited to see their recommendations to enhance the joint force.”

Participants across the cohort shared equal excitement in the opportunity to learn from I Corps staff during such a dynamic joint multinational exercise.

U.S. Army Maj. Christopher Boss, an NPS student and PEP participant, shared, “While our professors excel at conveying the latest advancements in their respective fields, the Pacific Exchange Program offers invaluable insights into the practical implementation, or lack thereof, of these advancements…I view this program as indispensable for gaining a comprehensive understanding of the Indo-Pacific region.”

Part of the unique value of the PEP is its combination with formal education opportunities like the Naval Post Graduate School with the on-the-ground experiences these students receive when embedded in I Corps.

“The combination of participating in the PEP alongside our studies at NPS holds significant importance,” said Boss. “As students, we have the opportunity to reflect deeply on present challenges, but once we graduate, the demands of our roles can consume us to the extent that it becomes difficult to divert our attention to other critical matters, such as addressing issues surrounding contested logistics and sustainability.”

With eligible candidates representing officers and NCOs, strategists, fellows, innovators, and influencers throughout the Indo-Pacific, the program seeks to pull creative and unconventional ideas and observations to best prepare the joint force for the emerging challenges of the future.

“The majority of key takeaways I hope to take from Cobra Gold 24 are insightful observations of interoperability opportunities with our partners and allies within this area of responsibility,” shared U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Gessica Lillich. Representing the first cohort of NCOs participating in PEP, Lillich brings a new and valuable perspective to the program.

“I am looking forward to capturing those observations that will stand as a legacy to our time spent here” while also being “part of creating solutions to the challenges of this area of responsibility.”

This sentiment was shared across the cohort.

“Partnership between PEP and NPS is hugely beneficial for I Corps and students,” said U.S. Army Maj. Cody Chick, a student at the Naval Post-Graduate School.

Through this partnership, “I Corps is able to effectively dedicate graduate students to invest time and research to consider the challenges and potential opportunities present within the Indo-Pacific and can broaden the Commanding General’s understanding of the problem set…I believe it is exactly what NPS wants for students by having operationally-related research, as it says in its motto, ‘Where Science Meets the Art of Warfare.’”

As the operational headquarters of the U.S. Army Pacific Command’s regionally aligned theater Army, I Corps is the ideal organization to lead this exchange of ideas and observations. I Corps maintains a persistent presence beyond the international date line, employing Army forces throughout the region to rapidly respond to crises, support U.S. allies and partners, and protect America’s interests through exercises and activities across 21 countries in the Indo-Pacific.

“Getting the opportunity to spend two weeks embedded with I Corps staff and tactical units certainly helped in understanding their focus, issues, and approach to regional threats in the area,” Chick shared. “I might be able to read about the larger problem-sets that operational units deal with, but there is a gap of information that can only be met with being physically present.”

I Corps’ persistent presence west of the international dateline ensures that exchange opportunities for students participating in the Pacific Exchange Program are varied across nations, cultures, and geography.

While the program offers an excellent opportunity for students to learn from units in the field and gain experience to take back to the classroom to apply to their lessons, many shared the sentiment that the Pacific Exchange Program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve their knowledge while also improving the wider joint force.

“It’s the kind of experience where you strive to soak in every aspect and glean as much knowledge as possible,” said Boss.

Though named for two oceans consisting of islands and archipelagos, the Indo-Pacific is more than a maritime theater; it is a joint theatre requiring the joint force to work together to meet and overcome enduring and emerging challenges throughout the region. Programs like the Pacific Exchange Program are one way I Corps incorporates unique talent across the Indo-Pacific to consolidate lessons learned, share knowledge, build experience, and prepare the force for the future.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

Department of Defense Spokesman LTC Marty Meiners provided the following readout:

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner met today at the Pentagon with Papua New Guinea’s Deputy Prime Minister, John Rosso, and his senior delegation. 

The two officials discussed how the United States and Papua New Guinea (PNG) have deepened their defense and security ties to further advance a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, including peace, stability, and prosperity in the Pacific Islands region. They welcomed recent milestones in the U.S.-Papua New Guinea bilateral relationship, including the 2023 signing of the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), as well as Secretary Austin’s historic trip in July 2023 as the first U.S. Secretary of Defense to visit Papua New Guinea. Both officials also committed to a robust agenda to deepen U.S.-PNG cooperation under the new DCA in the coming year.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

PAYA LEBAR AIR BASE, Singapore  –  

U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs participated in bilateral training with Republic of Singapore Air Force at Paya Lebar Air Base, Singapore for the first time March 4 – 7.

The F-35s from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and RSAF F-15SGs and F-16C/D+ Fighting Falcons conducted various training scenarios to enhance trust and increase interoperability between the forces.

“We are working with them, seeing how they fly and operate, and then how we can work together,” said Capt. Nicholas Villanueva, 356th Fighter Squadron pilot. “It’s actually a pretty easy transition to combine how they do things and how we do things, and working together to increase our interoperability.”

The training provided an opportunity to practice integrating the two air forces in order to enhance lethality, capabilities and competitiveness. While the components of the training are not new, participants added an element to make it original.

“We’ve been doing some [basic fighter manuevers] with them, as well as working with their tankers to get gas and doing a full integration with them,” said Lt. Col. Erik Gonsalves, 356th Fighter Squadron director of operations and F-35 pilot. “We’re doing our standard tactics, techniques and procedures that we would use to fight BFM here with the RSAF. What’s new for us is that this is the first time the 356th Fighter Squadron has conducted day-to-day operations at Paya Lebar, flying with the RSAF out to the [RSAF] airspace.”

Events like this develop ready and capable combat forces that serve as a deterrent to aggressors by emphasizing resolve to work together and promote regional stability.

“The F-16 is a really good platform especially when they’re flown by such talented pilots that the RSAF has,” Gonsalves said. “So, it’s been unique to show them some of the differences in terms of how the F-16 fights BFM versus the F-35. But then, in terms of the actual platform itself, it’s been good to have that crosstalk.”

Villanueva said that this opportunity has allowed him to get to know the RSAF pilots he is flying with both inside and outside of the jet.

“These are the guys who shook our hands. Going up there and knowing when I look at the jet next to me, I know that guy, I’ve talked to him and know how they operate, and know that they’re the professionals that they are,” Villanueva continued. “Our partnership activities enhance trust and increase global stability, security, and prosperity.”

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

TAIWAN STRAIT  –  

The Arleigh-Burke guided missile class destroyer USS John Finn (DDG 113) conducted a routine south-to-north Taiwan Strait transit on March 5, 2024. U.S. ships transit between the South China Sea and the East China Sea via the Taiwan Strait and have done so for many years. The transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond any coastal state’s territorial seas. Within this corridor all nations enjoy high-seas freedoms of navigation, overflight, and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

DHAKA, Bangladesh  –  

Nearly 80 U.S. Air Force service members and two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 36th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron (EAS) integrated with Bangladesh for the bilateral tactical airlift exercise, Cope South 2024 (CS24) at Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) Bangabandhu Cantonment, Dhaka and Operating Location-Alpha, Sylhet, Bangladesh, Feb. 19 to 28.

Airmen from Yokota Air Base and Kadena Air Base, Japan; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, came together to participate in subject-matter expert exchanges (SMEE) and six tactical airlift sorties alongside BAF, which involved 77 personnel jumps and five cargo bundle airdrops.

Cope South 2024 is a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored bilateral tactical airlift exercise and provides an opportunity to strengthen the interoperability between U.S. and Bangladesh Air Forces, which directly impacts the ability to address shared security concerns.

“Cope South focuses on developing closer relationships with our BAF partners so we are better-equipped to operate together in the future,” said Capt. Jason Bentley, 36th EAS mission commander.

“We are building skills that assist in humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations (HADR), which encompass a wide-range of areas including crew resource management, aircraft formation, airdrop operations, aircraft maintenance and aeromedical evacuation,” he added.

Throughout the exercise, both U.S. and Bangladesh Air Force service members exchanged best practices-or SMEEs-in the operations, maintenance, medical and rigging career fields to strengthen relations and support the Bangladesh Armed Forces’ long-term modernization effort to maintain regional stability.

Relationships built with regional partners in the Indo-Pacific through exercises like CS24, civil-military operations and military exchanges are vital in HADR efforts and preserving stability in the region. CS24 has helped cultivate these common bonds, fostered goodwill and enhanced the mission readiness and interoperability between members of the Bangladesh and U.S. Air Forces.

“The BAF loadmasters were kind and made our interactions and SME exchanges feel like we’re simply talking to old friends and sharing lessons learned as aviators,” said Master Sgt. Tonisha Odom, 36th EAS senior enlisted leader. “In the short time we were there, we developed a warm relationship and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside the BAF, knowing we share a common commitment to protecting the sovereignty of free nations.”

Through bilateral exercises like Cope South 2024, the U.S. Air Force and involved regional partners strengthen human relationships under the common goal of stabilizing the region and ultimately safeguarding the security of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“The Pacific Air Forces’ participation in Cope South 2024 has indeed reaffirmed the strong bond of frivolity, friendship and cooperation between our two air forces,” said BAF Air Vice Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, Air Headquarters assistant Chief of Air Staff operations during the closing ceremony.

“Exercise Cope South has not only been about military events and strategic exercise, but has embodied the spirit of partnership amongst missions,” he concluded. “This exercise has surely paved the way for newer optimism in forming our existing bond and commitment to uphold the calls of humanity.”

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

U.S. Marines from across III Marine Expeditionary Force, and Marines from 1st Marine Division, I MEF, deployed from Japan and the United States to join their ROK counterparts to exercise as the Combined Marine Component Command during Freedom Shield 24.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

American automakers and auto workers are the best in the world. The iconic Big Three and American auto workers are leading the world in quality and innovation. A dynamic auto industry is vital to the U.S. economy.

China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, including by using unfair practices.  China’s policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security. I’m not going to let that happen on my watch.

Most cars these days are “connected” – they are like smart phones on wheels. These cars are connected to our phones, to navigation systems, to critical infrastructure, and to the companies that made them. Connected vehicles from China could collect sensitive data about our citizens and our infrastructure and send this data back to the People’s Republic of China. These vehicles could be remotely accessed or disabled.

China imposes restrictions on American autos and other foreign autos operating in China. Why should connected vehicles from China be allowed to operate in our country without safeguards?

So today, I am announcing unprecedented actions to ensure that cars on U.S. roads from countries of concern like China do not undermine our national security. I have directed my Secretary of Commerce to conduct an investigation into connected vehicles with technology from countries of concern and to take action to respond to the risks. 

As President I vowed to do right by auto workers and middle-class families that depend on the auto industry for jobs. With this and other actions, we’re going to make sure the future of the auto industry will be made here in America with American workers.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

SA KAEO PROVINCE, Thailand  –  

Hundreds of soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Lancer Brigade,” 7th Infantry Division, arrived in the Kingdom of Thailand to participate in the 43rd iteration of Exercise Cobra Gold 2024.

The annual Cobra Gold exercise, the largest joint exercise in mainland Asia, will be held from Feb. 27 to March 8, 2024. This year, 10 nations will fully participate in the training, including Thailand, the United States, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and the Republic of Korea, with approximately 20 additional nations serving as limited participants, planners and observers.

The multilateral exercise strengthens regional relationships and enhances interoperability among Allies and partners through shared experiences and rigorous training.

“We are deeply honored to participate in the 43rd iteration of Exercise Cobra Gold,” said Col. Andrew Gallo, commander of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division. “We look forward to enhancing our strong relationship with our Thai counterparts through rigorous field training and live-fire exercises.”

During the exercise, the Lancer Brigade will conduct small arms ranges, platoon situational training exercises (STX), squad and platoon-level live fire exercises (LFX), mortar training and evaluation program (MORTEP), field artillery firing tables, and conclude with a final exercise (FINEX).

2-2 SBCT is based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington and supports various missions, exercises, and training throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

For this iteration, 2-2 SBCT subordinate units participating in the exercise are the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment; 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery Regiment, and elements from the 14th Brigade Engineer Battalion and the 2nd Brigade Support Battalion.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke today with Republic of Korea (ROK) Minister of National Defense Shin Wonsik. The two leaders discussed shared defense and security priorities on the Korean Peninsula, underscoring the strength of the U.S.-ROK alliance and its critical role in the stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

The Secretary reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. extended deterrence commitment to the defense of the ROK. The two leaders agreed that they and their respective departments will continue to communicate frequently about key security issues. They also commended progress on U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral security cooperation and emphasized the importance of expanding broader regional cooperation by the United States and the ROK with other partners.

The call between the two leaders comes as the United States and the ROK continue to deepen defense and security cooperation to advance a shared regional vision for peace, stability, and prosperity.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

SEOUL, South Korea  –  

Representatives from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Far East Fraud Resident Unit attended the 3rd Korea-U.S. Workshop on Antitrust Criminal Enforcement in Seoul, Republic of Korea, February 26, 2024.

This annual workshop was held so U.S. and Republic of Korea law enforcement and legal agencies could share cases of criminal and civil sanctions related to antitrust activities in both countries, and discuss emerging issues. The key speaker for the U.S. was Manish Kumar, the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division’s Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Enforcement.

Kumar was joined by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Section Chief Leslie Wulff, and Trial Attorney Sarah Bartels of the Washington D.C. office. Together they presented an overview on U.S. antitrust law, Department of Justice antitrust operations, and key case studies to their Republic of Korea counterparts from the Seoul Prosecutors’ Office, Ministry of Justice, and Korean Fair-Trade Commission.

Representing Army CID at the workshop were Supervisory Special Agent Simon Park, Special Agent Derrick Lee, and Special Agent Vince Makiling.

Republic of Korea, Shin Shin-yong, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, said in his opening speech, “As the fair-trade field also needs to establish a close cooperation system and joint response to transnational crimes, I hope that this event will be a venue for valuable information exchange.”

Crime is not confined to the perimeters of Army installations or international borders and workshops like this strengthen national and international partnerships by sharing and discussing tactics and techniques, to help identify, disrupt, dissuade, and dismantle criminal activities.