The United States is aiming to expand its defense cooperation with ASEAN members, focusing on enhancing regional security through advanced domain awareness, cybersecurity, and maritime defense.
This initiative aims to protect Southeast Asian sovereignty and strengthen collective responses to growing external threats, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
Securing domain awareness across air, maritime, cyber, and information environments is highlighted as the foundation for enabling defense capabilities, according to a statement released by the US Department of Defense.
The US asserts that “responding to illegal intrusions and coercion” hinges on this awareness, ensuring that regional allies can protect their territories effectively.
“The United States will continue ongoing efforts to improve the capability of Southeast Asian partners to detect and identify activity within their sovereign airspace, their Exclusive Economic Zones, and their Air Defense Identification Zones; fuse that information within their government information systems; and exercise their sovereign authorities, commitments to international agreements, and their ability to share the information regionally,” the joint statement declared.
The US also announced plans for a second ASEAN-US maritime exercise in 2025, building on a series of joint military operations such as “BALIKATAN,” “COBRA GOLD,” and SUPER GARUDA SHIELD.”
“We will work to expand the cooperation of Southeast Asian allies and partners through multilateral exercises and activities, building interoperability and relationships that promote resilience and peace,” the statement said.
To boost defense industrial capacity, the US plans to foster collaborations between government, the academe, and industry. This initiative will include technology demonstrations and academic exchanges to enhance regional defense infrastructure.
The US vows to continue active participation in ADMM-Plus Expert Working Groups (EWGs), focusing on areas like counterterrorism and humanitarian assistance.
