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.

Discussion on the motives and methods that guide China’s Non-War Military Operations (NWMOs) against a range of adversaries, and how targeted countries can better detect and deter Chinese salami slicing and incremental territorial expansionism. Hosted by Dr. Sreeram Chaulia and featuring expert analysis by Ray Powell, Founder and Director of SeaLight, a research project of Stanford University, USA.

Analysts say quiet incursions are part of a deliberate effort by China to normalise its presence in previously unpatrolled areas

With continued U.S.-Philippine cooperation in the Philippines, activity by Chinese-owned vessels in these waters demands close monitoring. More broadly, An Da Kang 3689 is not the only commercial Chinese vessel that raises concerns.

Three days underway with the Philippine Coast Guard in the South China Sea.

"China has become more active than ever," warned Japan's defense chief, as four nations voice serious concern and vow to increase defense coordination.

A United States destroyer recently conducted a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea, challenging claims by China and other countries, the Navy told Newsweek.

Today (May 31) is the fourth anniversary of a major air incursion by China PLAAF into the Malaysian controlled airspace which is under the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The PLAAF did not fly into Malaysian airspace though. Although PLAAF is staying away during the anniversary, China Coast Guard, is continuing its presence in the MY and other Asean countries EEZ.

China has a "deficit of trust and credibility" it needs to overcome in order to mend its fraught defence ties with the Philippines, though any breakthrough in the near term remains unlikely, Manila's top defence official said on Saturday.

The Philippine foreign ministry said on Thursday that China has no right to object to or interfere with its lawful and routine activities in the South China Sea. The ministry said it also "rejects and refutes" recent statements of the Chinese embassy in Manila that Beijing has indisputable sovereignty over the Spratly islands.

The naval relationship between the two nations has plateaued, but there’s a way to regain momentum.

Australia has both the right and the responsibility to challenge the normalisation of this kind of maritime aggression. We can push back by calling out each incident, continuing to deepen our regional partnerships, accelerating the development of our naval capabilities, and reinforcing international maritime law.