The Need for an Air System of Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

In March 2011, a massive earthquake rocked the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan, creating a chain reaction of disasters that included a tsunami. Amid the major destruction throughout the island nation, the damage from the tsunami triggered a nuclear accident at the Fukushima power station along the coast, causing significant radiation exposure in the area. The death toll from this disaster was between 18,000 to 20,000 people, and Japan still remains decades away from a full recovery. The Japan Self-Defense Force along with US forces in the region was mobilized to support the recovery. Several other countries provided aid in different ways, illustrating the generosity and cooperation that can come from the international community during times of disaster.¹  

Airpower played a critical role in Operation Tomodachi, both as a part of the Joint force and as an independent effort. As the US Air Force demonstrated during its rescue and recovery efforts, airpower can be applied in many ways in disaster relief and humanitarian responses, including airlift capabilities, air medical evacuation, and other logistical capabilities. Within days of the incident, the US Air Force provided HH-60s from Kadena Air Base to conduct search and rescue missions, C-17s from all over the United States to support airlift, and RQ-4s to conduct reconnaissance of the affected areas while bringing in other capabilities to provide additional support.² The US Air Force’s involvement in this and other disaster responses demonstrates that while airpower has evolved to be an instrumental part of warfare, it also presents many applications for peace and cooperation.

The quick-response capabilities that are the hallmark of airpower can be further enhanced by air-element-focused multinational cooperation. Multinational cooperation among other air forces in the region could enhance future responses to such disasters. With partners working and planning together, a cooperative system would improve communication, streamline control structures, and better integrate the unique capabilities of member air forces to establish a more holistic response to crises. Each air force has its own strengths, weaknesses, and nuances; a cooperative system would bring different air forces together to capitalize on improving interoperability even before a disaster occurs.

The need for such a cooperative effort became evident with Operation Tomodachi. While it was generally considered successful, several follow-up analyses have pointed to issues that must be addressed for future disaster responses.³ One major challenge was a lack of clear, definitive guidance on interagency processes and structures, particularly in establishing uniform standards and guidelines for handling radiological contamination.⁴ Another significant challenge was disseminating critical information rapidly across multiple organizations operating on varying networks.⁵

As Operation Tomodachi revealed, such challenges can be further complicated when multiple different organizations work together without precedent. Unfamiliarity amplifies the stressors induced by a chaotic environment following a disaster, with organizations often reluctant to change their processes or organizational structure, even when the situation may call for it. Large-scale operations during disasters require interactive and adaptive responses that are able to cross military, political, humanitarian and other applicable dimensions. Any responding organization must be capable of managing multiple lines of effort that support the overall recovery.⁶ Development of a cooperative system would cultivate many opportunities to overcome these challenges and establish an organization that is able to cross the complex political dimensions during a time of crisis.

Like Japan, many islands and coastal communities within the Indo-Pacific are especially vulnerable to natural disasters—including cyclones, earthquakes, and floods—which is further exacerbated by the consequences of climate change in the region.⁷ Air forces and other related entities in the Indo-Pacific region have capabilities that can be leveraged to respond to these disasters, presenting opportunities for multinational cooperation. While many vulnerable island states do not have air forces in the Pacific, there are several that are in free association with larger states that could be included in the organization.⁸ A formalized, volunteer organization among the air forces in the Indo-Pacific could promote future multinational aid efforts to an array of disasters to alleviate some of the suffering among affected populations and facilitate a more rapid return to normalcy post-disaster.

In the Western Hemisphere, an organization such as this already exists: the System of Cooperation among American Air Forces (SICOFAA), comprising air forces from North and South America. SICOFAA offers a framework for creating a system of cooperation among the Indo-Pacific air forces that could provide for the greater good of regional populations during difficult times. Creating a similar system in the Indo-Pacific region would necessarily include elements of SICOFAA, but such a system could develop with its own processes and culture to fit the unique regional challenges.

The System of Cooperation among American Air Forces (SICOFAA)

SICOFAA was created in 1961 at the first Conference of Chiefs of the Air Forces of America (CONJEFAMER) with the goal of forging greater cooperation and understanding among the air forces in the Western Hemisphere.⁹ For over 60 years, the organization has continued to evolve, providing an array of benefits for member states. Today, the organization has 23 member states—Costa Rica being its newest member as of July 2023—that contribute unique capabilities to multinational humanitarian responses and other opportunities for cooperation.

While the focus is on air capabilities, such as airlift and evacuation, SICOFAA has begun to expand to other capabilities that can enhance humanitarian responses, including medical, space, and engineering. Annual conferences and committees also offer opportunities for representatives from each member air force or its equivalent to interact and facilitate cooperation among members.

Each year, the chiefs or their representatives from the member air forces meet at CONJEFAMER to review the work of the organization and conduct new business. Throughout the year, liaison officers meet at quarterly committees to discuss proposals and plan for upcoming events. The administrative functions for SICOFAA are accomplished by the Permanent Secretariat, currently hosted at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona. The secretariat ensures continuity of activities and programs for SICOFAA as a centralized body chaired by the secretary-general. All of these functions serve as a foundation for the system and create the network for humanitarian operations and other activities performed by the member states.¹⁰

If a member state is affected by a natural disaster, it can request assistance through the Information Technology and Telecommunication System of the American Air Forces (SITFAA). This network is housed with the secretariat and is the primary means of communication between member states within SICOFAA. A member state may request assistance based on the available capabilities, and support from the other member states is voluntary. SICOFAA is meant to be apolitical, enabling member states to focus on cooperation despite geopolitical differences. This creates many opportunities for back-channel dialogue for fostering cooperation and understanding while also cutting through bureaucratic challenges. Many of the processes and operations use NATO standards to create uniformity when member states respond. Air assets fall in under a combined forces air component command structure with the host nation as the lead to direct air taskings throughout the affected area.

SICOFAA has responded to disasters throughout the Western Hemisphere. In 2016, an earthquake in Ecuador killed 650 people and injured over 16,000. Ecuador reached out through SICOFAA  after the incident, and within hours it received responses from several other member states that provided airlift and other services.¹¹ The system also fosters relationships and hones operations through exercises. For example, in the Cooperacion exercise, member nation air assets work together to support humanitarian assistance missions. The exercise is held on a three-year cycle with a tabletop version in the second year and a multinational exercise in the third year. Leveraging air capabilities among member states enhances humanitarian responses for the better of all member states.

This model provides a useful framework for the Indo-Pacific region, which currently lacks a formal, organized system of international cooperation among air forces and related entities for disaster response and management. Such a system promotes cooperation in other areas as well to build capacity within each other’s air forces; each member realizes that a more capable system means a more effective response during times of need. By leveraging air assets, SICOFAA illustrates the power of collaboration within a holistic response framework. Given the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific region, it is imperative to develop unique means to meet the challenges of the region, utilizing the resources and capabilities that are available.

The Indo-Pacific Region

In addition to a geography that lends itself to natural disasters—including remote island nations as well as areas with extended coastlines and low-lying land—many Asia-Pacific nations have large, growing populations with high levels of poverty. Urbanization has caused more people to locate along the coasts in poorly constructed infrastructure that is especially vulnerable to such disasters. Many coastal populations also lack adequate disaster defenses as a whole, which can often result in the destruction of crops, supply routes, and ultimately economic livelihoods.¹²

Regional natural disasters—including floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons—have become an all too frequent occurrence within the Indo-Pacific region and have confounded the efforts by various nations to rebuild again and again. In 2023, the small island state of Vanuatu declared a state of emergency after being struck by two tropical cyclones and an earthquake in the span of a few days, putting the country’s 300,000 people at severe risk.¹³ During these disasters, politics are often set aside as nations work together to provide support to those affected areas.¹⁴

Global markets ensure regional events have global impacts. Thus, the United States is highly committed to strengthening partnerships in the Pacific region to overcome many of the collective challenges, ranging from security concerns with the shifting geopolitical landscape to issues related to cultivating markets that are beneficial to the global community. The US State Department highlights many of the benefits that the United States and its Pacific partners and Allies derive from cooperation across the spectrum of different areas. Recent efforts include empowering the US-ASEAN relationship, elevating several critical bilateral relationships, and improving cooperation between many other nations.¹⁵ As the United States increases its presence in the Pacific region, there are many opportunities to continue to grow and foster these relationships. The world looks to the United States for leadership, and it must step up through strengthening its partnerships and addressing some of today’s most serious challenges.

A New System of Cooperation

A system of cooperation in the Pacific similar to SICOFAA in the Western Hemisphere would be beneficial to partners in the region for overcoming the impacts of natural disasters. The US Air Force has an opportunity to lead by engaging with regional partners to establish this system of cooperation. As an apolitical system, this organization would offer opportunities for engaging and learning from other states, opening the doors to other collaborative efforts. Liberal institutions, such as SICOFAA, are the building blocks of the current world order that have paid dividends to the United States as a leader.¹⁶

While the US Air Force and several Indo-Pacific regional air forces work together for disaster response and exercises, no formal structure codifies relationships and operating procedures. The use of military assets in responses should be based on the humanitarian need with the establishment of standard operating procedures, doctrine, multinational training, and direct lines of communication being key areas that would improve commanders’ abilities to support humanitarian efforts.¹⁷ A system of cooperation would strengthen the bonds between partner air forces across the region and create more opportunities for interaction in mutual areas of interest.

The Air Force already has a contingency response group at Anderson AFB, Guam, which responds to natural disasters, and an extensive network of bases in the Pacific.¹⁸ In August 2023, partners from the United States, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia conducted Pacific Airlift Rally 23, a multinational disaster response exercise showcasing the relationships and interoperability that already exist in the region.¹⁹ These partners possess capabilities that could be leveraged during times of disaster to assist affected areas. Other nations that could provide assistance as members of a SICOFAA-like system include South Korea, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and other states with air services.

Such a system of cooperation would also alleviate some of the pressure on the larger contributors in the region by pooling the resources and capabilities of other air forces or equivalent services. This is especially important for the many islands that are in security association with the United States, Australia, and New Zealand that are vulnerable to volatile weather patterns in the Pacific. These island states are sometimes at the mercy of only a few states and the limited resources that they are able to prioritize or commit to at that time.²⁰ A formal system would allow for requests to be issued to a pool of committed member states with the appropriate capabilities to aid other member states or states in free association.

As the 2022 National Security Strategy states, the United States’ network of partners and Allies is one of its greatest strategic assets, emphasizing the importance of the continued growth of those partnerships.²¹ The need to work with partners in the Indo-Pacific region and maintain a persistent role there is highlighted in the US Indo-Pacific Strategy, as are the US objectives of bolstering connections, building regional resilience, and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.²² Such efforts would be enhanced by a SICOFAA-like system of cooperation that would solidify US commitment to its partners and Allies and formalize those relationships, expanding on the budding interoperability established through exercises such as the Pacific Airlift Rally exercise.

As SICOFAA bases many of its operating procedures on NATO procedures, an Indo-Pacific system could do so as well. There are several partners and Allies in the region with robust military capabilities that would enhance disaster responses to earthquakes and severe flooding, for example, as many states in the region have adapted their forces to contend with these ongoing threats. The pooling of unique capabilities and platforms creates opportunities for further capacity building. Through exercises and other engagements, members of each air force could develop stronger bonds and a deeper understanding of one other, building capacity and greater interoperability and benefiting those who need assistance during a time of crisis.

Conclusion

The current world order is founded on liberal institutions such as SICOFAA, and it is in the interests of the United States to continue to build upon this order through the development of new institutions that promote mutual cooperation. As an influential power in the region, the United States has an opportunity and a responsibility to its partners and Allies to lead such a multinational effort. A system of cooperation in the Pacific, much like SICOFAA in the Western Hemisphere, would encourage professional relationships between the air forces while improving interoperability for disaster response. Such a cooperative system would advance US, Ally, and partner interests in the region while serving the populations the air forces were established to protect. Using “hard power” to accomplish “soft power” missions is a continuation of politics by other means.

Major Shawn Cagle, USAF, currently serving as the J4 (logistics) lead for Joint Task Force–Micronesia. He is the author of the Engineer Support Annex (adopted July 2023) for the System of Cooperation of American Air Forces’ Humanitarian Response Operations Manual.