Federated Defense in Asia (CSIS Reports): December 2014

This report is the first regional study in the CSIS Federated Defense series. The Federated Defense Project aims to shift the paradigm with key allies and partners from capacity building to a federated approach that would expand regional security and prosperity by joining regional allies and partners together in the pursuit of shared security objectives across the conflict spectrum. Federated defense should include forward-thinking strategies for how to develop and share capabilities and capacity, thereby more deeply integrating the US military with its allies and partners. In this report, the CSIS project team highlights six potential federated initiatives in the areas of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, information and intelligence sharing, maritime security, undersea warfare, missile defense, and cyber security. Federated approaches such as these are vital to developing and integrating Asian security capabilities to manage emerging security challenges.

Michael J. Green is senior vice president for Asia and holds the Japan Chair at CSIS. Kathleen H. Hicks is senior vice president and holds the Kissinger Chair at CSIS. Zack Cooper is a fellow with the Japan Chair at CSIS.