Korea peninsula – think tanks monitor

A flight deck crew member in a green vest watching a fighter jet take off or land on an aircraft carrier.

What the Iran War Taught the Pentagon About Missiles

April 10, 2026

Operation Epic Fury has provided the Pentagon with a critical reality check on missile warfare. While interception rates in the Gulf reached an impressive 90%, the “magazine depth” crisis is now a strategic liability. With the U.S. depleting nearly 30% of its Tomahawk arsenal and 40% of its global THAAD inventory in just weeks, the conflict has exposed a dangerous replenishment gap that could compromise deterrence in the Indo-Pacific theater against more sophisticated hypersonic threats.

A dark missile launching vertically from the blue ocean with a large plume of white smoke and a bright fire trail at its base.

Allied Missile Defense Could Reshape East Asia’s SLBM Threat

February 7, 2026

This analysis examines how a trilateral, sea-based missile defense architecture between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea could neutralize the evolving North Korean Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) threat. By moving away from the “sole defender” model depicted in the 2025 thriller A House of Dynamite, the alliance can leverage forward-deployed Aegis assets to create a layered, multi-azimuth defense that buys critical decision-making time.

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shaking hands during a high-stakes diplomatic summit.

Trump North Korea Engagement: Denuclearization Abandonment Risks Nuclear Proliferation Cascade

December 27, 2025

President Trump’s 2025 push to resume direct talks with Kim Jong Un has sparked fears of abandoning long-standing denuclearization goals. As Kim gains stature alongside Xi and Putin, critics warn that legitimizing a nuclear North Korea could trigger a proliferation cascade, undermining decades of U.S. strategy for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Map showing the Acheson Line (dotted blue line) defining the US defense perimeter in the Pacific, labeled in Korean

The New Acheson Line: How Trump’s ‘America First’ Strategy Abandons Asia

December 10, 2025

The 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) released by the Trump administration has shocked the Indo-Pacific, indicating a major shift in U.S. defense commitments. Framed as a “realist” recalibration, it is perceived by analysts in Tokyo and Seoul as a strategic retreat, echoing the Nixon Doctrine and repositioning a defensive perimeter along the First Island Chain, thereby conceding the Asian mainland to Chinese influence and prioritizing economic nationalism over alliance unity.

What South Korea’s presidential election means for the US-Korea alliance

June 5, 2025

COMMENTARY

What South Korea’s presidential election means for the US-Korea alliance
Some in Washington fear that a “quiet crisis“ may be brewing between Seoul and Washington.

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Category: Korea peninsula

What the Iran War Taught the Pentagon About Missiles

Allied Missile Defense Could Reshape East Asia’s SLBM Threat

Trump North Korea Engagement: Denuclearization Abandonment Risks Nuclear Proliferation Cascade

The New Acheson Line: How Trump’s ‘America First’ Strategy Abandons Asia

What South Korea’s presidential election means for the US-Korea alliance

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