The Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States air forces conducted a bomber mission above the Korean Peninsula in an exercise the two countries said strengthened the Allies’ operational capabilities and countered emerging threats from North Korea. Two U.S. B-1B Lancer bombers were joined by two F-16 Fighting Falcons, two Korean Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs and two Korean KF-16s for combined training in airspace over western South Korea, according to a U.S. Air Force news release. The exercise included offensive and defensive counter air training and combined tactics, techniques and procedures. The drills enhanced the Allies’ combined operational capability…
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As geopolitical tensions in Europe evolve, NATO Allies and the United States Army are ready to protect the Alliance’s eastern flank. Dynamic Employment of Forces to Europe for NATO Deterrence and Enhanced Readiness (DEFENDER) 25 began in April 2025 with the deployment of U.S. personnel and equipment to Europe. The goal is to test how quickly the U.S. military can mobilize forces across long distances, maintain operations and support its Allies from the Arctic to the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. DEFENDER is the largest U.S. Army exercise in Europe and is designed to confirm the Alliance’s ability to deny…
Japan and NATO are expanding their collaboration to enhance global security. In an April 2025 meeting with NATO’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Tokyo, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani announced his country’s interest in participating in the Alliance’s support to Ukrainian. Japan has provided Ukraine with defense equipment and support. Joining the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine command in Wiesbaden, Germany, reflects evolving threats — like North Korean soldiers joining Russian troops in their war against Ukraine — that connect Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, leaders said. “Both Japan and NATO face many challenges, and our security environment has…
The Commander of the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) says space weapons are a crucial piece of maintaining deterrence and stability, as strategic competitors develop their own capabilities. “Our opponents, most notably China, have accelerated the terrestrial and on-orbit space weapons, expanded their space-enabled kill chains, and are moving at breathtaking speed,” Gen. Stephen Whiting told attendees at the April 2025 Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, according to SpaceNews. The annual symposium brought together government and industry leaders to explore new aerospace technologies. Gen. Whiting said the U.S. needs space weapons to deter conflict by preventing adversaries from getting an…
United States lawmakers say the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) needs more power to safeguard the country’s nuclear stockpile from emerging threats. Their concern: Drones. A bipartisan group introduced legislation in March 2025 to give the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the semiautonomous DOE agency that manages the nuclear stockpile, the authority to build and develop technology to counter unmanned aerial systems. The NNSA’s missions include servicing U.S. nuclear weapons when they are not on missiles and bombers and making safety and security upgrades to warheads, according to a February 2025 report by National Public Radio. The bill, called the…
United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. plans to increase spending on offensive and defensive space operations. “I feel like there’s no way to ignore the fact that the next and the most important domain of warfare will be the space domain,” Hegseth said in March 2025 at the Department of the Air Force Summit — a gathering of senior leaders from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. “You’re going to see far more investment from this administration into that domain, both offensively and defensively … because that’s where we can continue to maintain an advantage,”…
United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on his first trip to the Indo-Pacific, called Japan a vital Ally in deterring an increasingly pugnacious China in the region. “Japan is our indispensable Partner in deterring communist Chinese military aggression,” Hegseth said in Tokyo before the late-March 2025 meeting with his Japanese counterpart, according to The Associated Press (AP). “The U.S. is moving fast … to reestablish deterrence in this region and around the world.” Hegseth, after his talks with Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, said the U.S. would abide by promises to increase security cooperation with Japan. That includes a previously announced…
The United States will build the world’s most advanced warplane — the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, which is considered pivotal to preserving air superiority of the skies over competitors such as China. The U.S. Air Force awarded a $20 billion contract to Boeing to develop the world’s first sixth-generation fighter jet. “Nothing in the world comes even close to it, and it’ll be known as the F-47,” U.S. President Donald Trump said at a March 2025 White House announcement attended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. Hegseth said the F-47’s…
The geopolitical landscape is undergoing a seismic shift as China, Iran, North Korea and Russia embark on an unprecedented level of cooperation. These burgeoning partnerships — while not codified — raise significant concerns among Indo-Pacific nations, NATO and the United States. The implications of their cooperation are profound, threatening the stable and open international system and democratic values shared by the U.S. and its Allies and Partners. In recent months, their collaboration has manifested in various forms, from joint military exercises to coordinated diplomatic efforts — and the four countries form what the U.S. government in December 2024 described as…
Next-generation defense systems will be faster, more accurate and more powerful to better protect the United States and its Allies and Partners from emerging threats. As the U.S. military and its Partners modernize their systems, new technology offers advanced capabilities that include offensive systems to detect and defend against threats to the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Russia increasingly seek to disrupt U.S. and Allied defense systems and the CCP continues to field its own offensive systems. Iran and North Korea also are expanding their arsenals and nuclear capabilities. “For U.S. forces and U.S. Allies and…