Working with Indo-Pacific allies critical for upholding rules-based order

Working with Indo-Pacific allies critical for upholding rules-based order
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Oct 25, 2024

The commander of United States Space Forces Indo-Pacific highlighted the importance of collaborating with regional allies to deter adversaries and support a rules-based international order during a discussion on Oct. 22.

Speaking at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies near Washington, Brig. Gen. Anthony J. Mastalir emphasized how U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific region are moving beyond bilateral exercises toward more comprehensive multilateral engagements with their partners and allies.

"Demonstrating on a daily basis with your allies and partners that you're prepared to fight and win a war, should you need to, is really the ultimate way to deter a war; so that's really important," Mastalir said.

He noted that the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command actively work with partners regardless of their current space capabilities. "The interesting thing about Space Force [and] Space Command in terms of military operations is our partners and allies are in different places in their own journey; and we can engage with those partners where they're at, and really kind of bring them along," Mastalir explained.

In particular, Mastalir highlighted progress with partners in Asia, noting the activation of U.S. Space Forces Korea in December 2022, and plans to establish U.S. Space Forces Japan by the end of the year.

"Having the [U.S. Space Forces Korea] component really allows a tighter integration with the other components and U.S. Forces Korea," he said. "And we're going to put the same construct in Japan when we activate," he added.

Mastalir emphasized that Space Force units in both South Korea and Japan will enable closer integration not only with U.S. military forces but also with the host nations' armed forces. As Japan and South Korea develop their space capabilities, these Space Force components will help facilitate joint exercises and strengthen the nations' ability to integrate space operations across the broader joint force, he added.

Discussing the shift from bilateral to multilateral exercises in the Indo-Pacific, Mastalir stressed the shared interest in maintaining a rules-based international order. "All of those nations - and Japan and South Korea specifically - [when you] think about where they were in terms of their own development as a nation at the conclusion of World War II, and where they are today ... it's absolutely amazing," Mastalir said. "So, they of course have a vested interest in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific. Absolutely."