Collecting and reporting maritime intelligence is a core mission of China’s maritime militia.

The Mission Ready Podcast sits down with Ray Powell, a retired U.S. Air Force officer with 35 years of experience, to unpack key issues shaping the region: ➡️ U.S.–China relations & historical context ➡️ Defense strategy shifts in the Philippines ➡️ Multinational military exercises like Balikatan ➡️ Maritime transparency and public-private partnerships ➡️ China’s civil-military fusion strategy

China’s approach in the South China Sea is becoming far more aggressive. How does America view the rise of grey zone conflicts in the Indo-Pacific? In this illuminating episode, Ray Powell and James Carouso, hosts of the “Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific?” podcast, dive into the critical importance of this region for global security and its implications for the second term of the Trump administration.

On this episode of the Defense Tech Underground , SeaLight Director Ray Powell describes his 35 year career in the United States Air Force, his path to Stanford, and his journey to founding SeaLight. He explains China’s gray zone tactics in the South China Sea and SeaLight’s efforts to shed light on those activities. Ray offers insight into needed countermeasures to build up readiness and deterrence as well as the broader geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific.

China Maritime Report No. 46 from the U.S. Naval War College's China Maritime Studies Institute

Ray Powell, director of the Sealight initiative at Stanford University's Gordian Knott Center for National Security Innovation and host of the "Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific Podcast," joins Eric and CGSP Southeast Asia Editor Edwin Shri Bimo to discuss why the national security team in Washington remains appears to be more committed to the Philippines than other alliance partners.

Al Jazeera documentary on the tensions between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea.

Pressure Points by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyzes the Chinese military's use of air and maritime coercion to enforce Beijing's excessive territorial claims and advance China's security and defense interests in the Indo-Pacific.

The Submarine Cable Map is a free and regularly updated resource from TeleGeography.

Taiwan Security Monitor (TSM) is a student-driven research initiative dedicated to informing and improving the public discourse on cross-Strait security issues. Focused on the intersection of open-source research, geospatial data, and policy analysis, TSM provides timely and valuable insights into the evolving cross-Strait security landscape. TSM’s lines of effort includes tracking major military movements, maintaining a comprehensive repository of resources related to cross-Strait security, analyzing visual imagery, and compiling historical data on foreign military sales to Taiwan. By leveraging open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools and techniques, TSM’s team of student researchers monitor key developments and present clear, data-driven insights for policymakers, journalists, researchers, and the public. TSM is directed by Dr. Michael Hunzeker, an associate professor at George Mason University’s Schar School of Government and Policy.

A CBS News investigation has revealed that China is still secretly buying Iranian oil and evading U.S. sanctions by using what's known as a "dark fleet" to transfer oil from ship to ship in the middle of the sea.

A vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) was forced to turn back near Sandy Cay in the West Philippine Sea on Wesnesday morning after being blocked by at least three Chinese maritime militia ships, a maritime security analyst said.

India and the Philippines have staged their first joint naval exercises in the South China Sea in a signal to Beijing.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) challenged the presence of a China Coast Guard ship off the coast of Pangasinan in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines and India will hold their first joint maritime exercises next week in the South China Sea where China’s aggression has caused alarm.

Two Chinese government ships entered Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture in the East China Sea early Saturday.

India’s latest operational deployment to the South China Sea will feature its first joint patrol with the Philippines in the contested waters.

After severe weather conditions caused by a series of tropical cyclones and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) in the Philippines, several Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels returned to Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) on Saturday, according to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) monitor.

A China Coast Guard (CCG) ship that came alarmingly close to Manila Bay appears to have been forced to retreat by rough seas, maritime watchdog Sealight said on Thursday.

Pentagon Eyes Southern Philippines as Refueling Hub for U.S. Warships, Military Aircraft Aaron-Matthew Lariosa July 22, 2025 4:56 PM - Updated: July 22, 2025 5:32 PM Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) conducts a fueling-at-sea with motor tanker Allied Pacific while underway in the Philippine Sea, June 28, 2025. US Navy photo The Defense Logistics Agency is looking to expand its maritime refueling capacity from the Philippines by contracting companies on the southern island of Mindanao to supply up to 42 million gallons of fuel a year, according to new documents.