JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --
The Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Center hosted the third annual Korea Table Top Academy (KTTA), here July 11-20.

KTTA is a bilateral IAMD academic event involving the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United States and is as a venue for open collaboration, exchange of views and regional IAMD operations at a classified level between the U.S. and the ROK.

The hybrid course, which involved virtual and in-person participants, used a simulation tool to learn concepts and practice defense designs for IAMD. Events such as the KTTA promote theater security cooperation while identifying combined IAMD capabilities and challenges in a multilateral environment. The first iteration of the course, in 2020, was fully virtual due to COVID-19, while the 2021 and 2022 KTTAs were hybrid engagements.

The students that attended the KTTA in-person had the opportunity to tour various facilities throughout Pacific Air Forces Headquarters, Hickam Air Force Base and Pearl Harbor, including the 613th Air Operations Center.

“Observing the 613th Air Operations Center (AOC) provided an opportunity to capture best practices to enhance ROK and US Operations within the Pacific theater," by David Scofield, KTTA lead facilitator.

Additionally, the KTTA also allowed an opportunity for open dialogue, collaboration and exchanges of ideas between the bilateral participants invited.

“We're an Ally with the ROK, which means we're committed together, and for us to be able to effectively provide a deterrent presence, we need to be able to operate together and demonstrate that,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Lynn Savage, Pacific IAMD Center director. “So, the importance of that today is to increase that understanding to any antagonists in the region that we have a united front, and we will continue to maintain that Allied partnership.”

The aim of the KTTA is to enhance regional cooperation and cross-domain understanding of integrated air and missile defense operations.

“The U.S. – ROK Alliance has evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership that is critical for stability, security and prosperity in the region,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Meghan Cummings Talsky, A5I Directorate of International Affairs, country director for the Republic of Korea.

In a recent joint statement, U.S. President Joseph R. Biden and ROK President Yoon Suk Yeol affirmed the U.S. - ROK Alliance as "the linchpin for peace and prosperity in the region," noting it has "grown far beyond the Korean peninsula, reflecting the pivotal role of our countries as global leaders in democracy, economy and technology."

This academic event allows participants to explore IAMD operational concepts in a non-attributional, bilateral environment and facilitates collaborative training and education opportunities.

“We're stronger together,” said U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Matthew Plowman, Pacific IAMD Center noncommissioned officer in charge. “It complicates the decision cycle for any adversary that wants to attack us, our Allies or our partner nations.”