This book examines the security dynamics of the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, concentrating upon an analysis and evaluation of the air power capabilities of the various powers active in the two regions. The volume is designed to help improve understanding of the heritage and contemporary challenges confronting the global community in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, as well as to illuminate the policies of the various powers involved in the affairs of these regions, and the military capabilities that are available in support of those policies. The 16 individual chapters examine both the traditional and the non-traditional threats that confront the various Indian Ocean and Western Pacific powers, and assess the roles played by land-based and naval, fixed-wing and rotary-wing, manned and unmanned aircraft, as well as by offensively and defensively capable ballistic and cruise missiles in addressing these challenges. In doing so, the various chapters analyze and evaluate the air power doctrine, capabilities, deployment patterns, and missions of the respective states. In addition, they assess the future issues, challenges, and responses involving air power as it, acting in concert with other military instruments, seeks to contribute to securing and promoting the interests of the state. This book will be of much interest to students of air power, strategic studies, Asian and Middle Eastern politics, and International Relations.

A vital component of the interdependent global economy, maritime transit routes are nowhere more critical than those traversing the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific. Previously, areas of the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific have been viewed as separate and discrete political, economic, and military regions. In recent years, however, a variety of economic, political, and military forces have created a new understanding of these maritime expanses as one zone of global interaction. This book complements the material presented in its companion volume, Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, by analysing the perceptions, interests, objectives, maritime capabilities, and policies of the major maritime powers operating in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific. In addition, the book also assesses the contemporary maritime challenges and opportunities that confront the global community within what is rapidly becoming recognised as an integrated zone of global interaction. A valuable study for researchers and policymakers working in the fields of maritime security; military, security and peace studies; conflict resolution; and Asian affairs.

Scholars and policy makers have traditionally viewed portions of the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific as separate and discrete political, economic, and military regions. In recent years, however, a variety of economic, political, and military forces have made many within the academic community, as well as a growing number of national governmental leaders, change their perceptions and recognize that these maritime expanses are one zone of global interaction. Consequently, political, military, and economic developments in one maritime region increasingly have an impact elsewhere. Analyzing and assessing the contemporary maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, this valuable study highlights the current prospects for peace and security in what is rapidly becoming recognized as an integrated and interactive political, military-strategic, and economic environment. This work will be of interest to researchers and policy makers involved in regional studies, as well as security studies, conflict resolution, military, and peace studies.

This volume examines the South China Sea’s regional security dynamics, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for both littoral and non-littoral states. The South China Sea is a vital pathway for the great container ships and tankers, as well as for the naval vessels of today. Indeed, the security of the contemporary global economy is reliant more than ever upon the dependability of freedom of navigation through the waters of the South China Sea. This volume concentrates on the security of the South China Sea sub-region. It is designed to help illuminate the contemporary security dynamics within this important sub-region by highlighting its development, the contemporary challenges and opportunities confronting both the littoral states and the non-littoral powers that are active in the sub-region, and the policy responses of those states as they seek to defend and promote their national interests. This book is composed of 16 chapters and is organized into five thematic sections. Part I of the book is designed to set the historical context. Part II examines some of the contemporary challenges and opportunities that present themselves in the sub-region, while Part III focuses on Chinese policy in the South China Sea sub-region. Parts IV and Part V analyse and evaluate the contemporary policies of the various littoral and non-littoral powers that are active in the South China Sea sub-region. The collective analyses and assessments of the contemporary perceptions and policies of the various littoral and non-littoral powers active in the South China Sea in response to the traditional and non-traditional challenges within the sub-region that are examined in the chapters contained in Parts III, IV, and V, framed against the material presented in Parts I and II, provides the basis for observations concerning areas of conflicting and coinciding interests in the concluding chapter of the book. This book will be of interest to students of the South China Sea, maritime security, Asian politics, and international relations.

This book focuses on security dynamics in the contemporary Gulf and Arabian Peninsula. It highlights the development of the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula, the contemporary challenges and opportunities confronting the principal powers that are active in this important sub-region, and analyzes and evaluates their policy responses. The various perspectives of the chapters all suggest that the stability and security of the Gulf sub-region is now and will continue in the future to be of vital importance to the global community. The chapters that compose the volume are organized into three thematic sections. Part I, ‘Security Challenges and Power Configurations in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula: The Historical Context’, comprises three chapters. Part II, consisting of seven chapters, is entitled, ‘Contemporary Security Challenges and Opportunities in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula.’ Part III, ‘Contemporary National Interests, Objectives, and Strategies of the Major Powers in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula’, comprises five chapters. Finally, the volume ends with a concluding chapter. Unfortunately, the contemporary unstable, heterogeneous Gulf sub-region is fraught with extremely serious and often urgent challenges that threaten the sub-region’s security. This volume helps to illuminate the nature of the sub-regional environment and the contemporary challenges and opportunities that confront the various powers that are active in the Gulf. It also contributes to a greater understanding of the interests, contemporary objectives, and strategies of those powers as they formulate and implement policies in response to the challenges and opportunities that they confront. This book will be of much interest to students of security studies, Middle Eastern politics and International Relations.

Over the past decade, Northeast Asia has been dominated by quite significant strategic change, which is ongoing and brings with it many uncertainties. naval capabilities in Northwest Asia are instrumental in promoting maritime security interests - helping to build a stable security environment through active participation in regional naval co-operation. This landmark book explores the region's maritime peace and stability, and examines in depth the strategic, military and apolitical issues that underpin any effort to develop maritime co-operation.

Land-based anti-ship missiles (ASMs) feature prominently in the capabilities of many island nations in the Western Pacific, but the United States currently lacks such systems. This report illustrates the potential strategic advantages of the United States working with partners to build a coalition ASM capability, particularly in the event of a conflict with China, and includes an assessment of logistical challenges and positioning approaches.

Over the past thirty years Japan has shown that it is a highly dynamic society, and its economic policy-making has often astonished the world. Japanese politics, however, though sometimes showing dynamism, are very stable and frequently strangely immobilist. In this book, six specialists on Japanese politics seek to find out why.