The Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Center hosted the fifth United States-Republic of Korea (ROK) Tabletop Academy (KTTA), marking a significant step in strengthening ROK-U.S. defense cooperation. The event, held from July 8 to 19, brought together key components of the ROK's defense branches, including the ROK Air Force, Air and Missile Defense Command, and the ROK Navy.

Several U.S. entities participated, including the Department of Defense, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC), Pacific Fleet (PACFLT), NSA Weapons, Space and Cyber Security, U.S. Space Forces – Indo-Pacific, Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-sUAS) Office, and the Joint Ballistic Missile Defense Training & Education Center (JBTEC). The academy focused on enhancing ROK-U.S. IAMD expertise through hands-on defense design planning and modeling using the International Simulations (I-SIM) program.

KTTA 24 was primarily a bilateral hybrid (in-person/virtual) IAMD event. It provided a classified platform for open collaboration, exchange of views, and regional dialogue on IAMD operations between the United States and the ROK. The event aimed to foster theater security cooperation while identifying combined IAMD capabilities and challenges within a multilateral environment, aligned with the U.S. INDOPACOM vision.

A highlight of this year’s KTTA was the integration of trilateral participation from the ROK, Japan, and the U.S. On Aug. 18, 2023, President Biden welcomed ROK President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to a historic trilateral summit at Camp David. During the summit, the three leaders affirmed ongoing progress in regularizing defensive exercises that strengthen trilateral responses to Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) threats (Fact Sheet: Trilateral Summit, Aug. 18, 2023).

In the spirit of this summit, the ROK Air and Missile Defense Command approved the U.S. Planner's invitation for Japan to observe portions of the event and share national IAMD presentations among the ROK, U.S., and Japan. This was the first KTTA enabling the trilateral nations to share their operational IAMD national briefs, strengthening trilateral cooperation in support of a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

"The training was beneficial due to the inclusion of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force," said ROK Air Defense Capt. Choi Jongwon. "It enabled our nations to share ballistic missile knowledge." Additionally, KTTA focused on IAMD observations and lessons learned from theater-wide exercises, making real progress toward ROK joint IAMD academics with both the ROK Navy and Air Force.

​This academy reflects the United States' commitment to strengthening the national defenses of the U.S. and its allies while demonstrating the significance of international partnerships in addressing complex security threats. By fostering collaboration and sharing expertise, the U.S. and the ROK work toward enhancing their collective defense capabilities and promoting stability in the Indo-Pacific region.