🇯🇵🇰🇷🇦🇺🇺🇸 - Research Fellow, Foreign Policy & Defence @USSC. Formerly Resident Vasey Fellow @PacificForum. Usual caveats apply.
Sydney, New South Wales
Joined August 2018
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Tom Corben retweeted
In time for the Quad FMM this weekend, my amazing coauthors & I have published on how the Quad could work better w/Southeast Asia. The region has always been a sensitivity for the Quad's security work, but its views should be investigated, not assumed. (1/n)
Tom Corben retweeted
“This spring, the U.S. military faced a similar dilemma in the Middle East. According to a Reuters report that cited Pentagon documents, U.S. forces used Starshield to pilot their drones for strikes against Iran. When SpaceX found out, it raised the price for Starshield service in that region from roughly $5,000 per terminal per month to $25,000. The Pentagon agreed to pay.
In Ukraine, Musk could be attempting a similar upsell.”
theatlantic.com/national-sec…
Tom Corben retweeted
The United States and Japan have reportedly reached an agreement for a new facility in Japan to produce advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles as part of a joint defense production effort called “Operation Supercharge." Chairman @RepMoolenaar made the following statement:
Hegseth proposes a new US-ASEAN defense cooperation agenda focussed on "strengthening maritime domain awareness, improving interoperability and advancing cooperation between U.S. and partner nation navies."
war.gov/News/News-Stories/Ar…
Tom Corben retweeted
Breaking news from me: Hegseth pushes out another Top General on the Joint Staff, this time the J-5 theatlantic.com/national-sec…
Tom Corben retweeted
NEW: Trump’s recent embrace of Russia has alarmed the GOP faction who most want to deliver his $1.5T defense budget.
Now, some top defense hawks are warning his lame duck agenda, namely a big defense boost, is in jeopary without a change.
w/@marksatter politico.com/news/2026/10/28…
Tom Corben retweeted
On Oct 28, DM Koizumi met with DM Chan of Singapore. Marking the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, they discussed deeper defense cooperation, including joint exercises, and agreed to further strengthen coordination for regional peace and stability🇯🇵🤝🇸🇬
Tom Corben retweeted
🇩🇪🇯🇵 Merz is in Tokyo today to discuss Germany possibly joining GCAP, Japan's fighter jet with Britain and Italy
His office sees a chance to strengthen ties with London & Tokyo. But defense officials want another plan
He must win over partners abroad — and officials at home 🧵
"Short, intense." Okay.
The U.S. has told several Gulf Arab countries to be prepared for a short, intense military campaign after the U.S. midterm elections, people briefed on the conversations said. on.wsj.com/4yHXmSL
Tom Corben retweeted
Does not account for cost of damage to US bases, similar to previous Pentagon estimates for Iran war — a data point that would dramatically increase this number.
DoD officials have testified they cannot provide estimates for cost of damage to US bases because they haven’t determined if those bases will be repaired/rebuilt.
But it means the true dollar amount remains unknown (though it is absolutely more than what the Pentagon has provided to Hill)
Tom Corben retweeted
The U.S. military plans to buy millions of drones. One problem: it has a massive deficit of the materials needed to make the drones go boom.
I wrote about one effort to start solving the explosives shortage that has afflicted the U.S. for decades. @WSJ
wsj.com/politics/national-se…
Tom Corben retweeted
News: The United States’ war in Iran has cost nearly $47.1 billion as of Oct. 16, according to a breakdown CENTCOM shared with the Hill.
That’s up about $3.5 billion over the last cost estimate the Pentagon sent lawmakers in early September.
Text subscribers got it first.
Tom Corben retweeted
#breaking The Albanese government will on Tuesday confirm Rio Tinto’s Kellie Parker as the inaugural National Armaments Director, to improve management of multi-billion-dollar acquisitions for the new Defence Delivery Agency thewest.com.au/business/mini…
Tom Corben retweeted
Defense of Japan 2026 English version (Annual White Paper) is now released!
For more details, please visit our website or refer to the book.
#JMOD #JSDF
↓Click below
mod.go.jp/en/publ/w_paper/in…
Tom Corben retweeted
"Well, gee, Mulder. There's also this report of a shipment of drugs and illegal weapons coming into New Jersey tonight."
"Ugh, I hardly think the F.B.I.'s concerned with matters like that!"
😬😬😬
"the potential for frictions to develop into a structural shift in Seoul’s alignment warrants close monitoring and, as necessary, concerted action."
chinaselectcommittee.house.g…
Tom Corben retweeted
Japanese companies exit China in record numbers ft.trib.al/G1w7jwO
