Sherwin E. Ona is an associate professor of political science and development studies at De La Salle University. He is a senior fellow of the Philippine Public Safety College and the Stratbase Institute. Dr. Ona is also an alumnus of the DKI-Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies and an international fellow of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research of Taiwan.
Sherwin E. Ona is an associate professor of political science and development studies at De La Salle University. He is a senior fellow of the Philippine Public Safety College and the Stratbase Institute. Dr. Ona is also an alumnus of the DKI-Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies and an international fellow of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research of Taiwan.
South Korea’s undersea future isn’t SSNs or UUVs—it’s both. Nuclear subs hedge dual crises; unmanned systems impose constant pressure on North Korea’s SLBMs. In a crowded Pacific, layered integration—not prestige—will decide deterrence.
The map isn’t the war. Ukraine is fighting systems—power grids, drones, attrition. Russia leads this phase by compounding pressure, not breakthroughs. Outcome still contested, but arithmetic, not headlines, is deciding January 2026.
Japan’s F-2 shows co-development fails when power is asymmetric. Today, Japan–South Korea symmetry and shared threats create a rare chance to jointly build real deterrence—quietly, modularly, and beyond symbolism.
The AFP’s final modernization phase marks a bold shift—new missions, tougher challenges, and evolving defense paradigms. As tensions rise, sustaining reforms and credible deterrence becomes vital for the Philippines’ security future.
The Saudi–Pakistan nuclear pact mirrors NATO’s Article 5 but raises serious legal dilemmas—can “shared deterrence” justify collective violations of the UN Charter’s prohibition on force?
Israel’s Iron Dome showed the value of layered, integrated defense. South Korea must bridge its low-altitude gap or risk chaos in a North Korean barrage. Civilian protection is no longer optional—it’s deterrence.
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China’s 2025 Security White Paper talks “people-first” and “shared peace”—but behind the rhetoric lies a militarized, surveillance-heavy state vision. Holism in words, hard power in action.
India faces a serious two-front threat as Pakistan leverages advanced Chinese military tech. The recent air battle exposed key weaknesses. Urgent reforms in doctrine, tech, and alliances are now critical.
Longer reach wins the skies. South Korea must urgently close its air-to-air missile gap—or risk falling behind rivals like China and allies like Japan. Delay isn’t just dangerous—it’s strategic surrender.
Indonesia and Jordan are quietly forging a deeper defense bond—military training, industrial ties, and joint aid missions signal a maturing partnership grounded in trust, not talk.
If power in sport now lives in city halls, boardrooms, and algorithms—not stadiums—how will the U.S. wield cities, capital, and code as it hosts the world’s biggest events over the next decade?
Four years on, Ukraine’s war drags across 1,200 km, cities in ruins and millions displaced. Russia entrenched, Kyiv defiant, the West divided—how long can a war of attrition outlast political will before exhaustion decides the peace?
After joining ASEAN in 2025, Timor-Leste is leveraging sustainable, high-value tourism to boost soft power, diversify beyond oil, and cement its regional role—positioning itself as Southeast Asia’s next authentic frontier, not its next mass market.
How close is Cuba to collapse? Energy strangulation, fading allies, and Trump’s oil squeeze after Venezuela’s shift have left Havana isolated and rationing. For the first time in decades, the regime’s survival feels uncertain.
Madrid 2026 wasn’t diplomacy—it was redesign. Washington moves past Algeria’s veto politics, backs Morocco’s autonomy plan, and seeds a Tunis-Rabat axis built on energy sovereignty, phosphates, and geo-economic integration. The Maghreb’s balance is shifting.
