On Tuesday, August 29, the U.S., Japan and South Korea conducted a trilateral ballistic missile defense exercise in the East China Sea in response to North Korea’s failed satellite launch last week. On Thursday, Pyongyang launched a rocket based on its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) technologies. Two days later, U.S., Australian, Japanese and Philippines military officials flew over the South China Sea in a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) as part of the activities around a meeting of the four nations in Manila. Aegis-equipped guided-missile destroyers USS Benfold (DDG-65), JS Haguro (DDG-180) and ROKS Yulgok Yi (DDG-992) carried out the ballistic missile defense exercise in the East China Sea.

On Tuesday, August 30, it was reported that North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Wednesday night, its neighbors said, hours after the U.S. flew long-range bombers for drills with its allies in a show of force against the North.

The launches, the latest in the North’s barrage of weapons tests since last year, came amid ongoing annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises that North Korea regards as a rehearsal for invasion. There were no reports of damages caused by Wednesday’s launches. But observers say North Korea likely aimed to demonstrate again it has missiles capable of striking key targets in South Korea in protest at its rivals’ military exercises.

Also on Tuesday, the U.S. and South Korean militaries want to more closely integrate their systems for tracking North Korean missile launches, an effort that may soon see more cooperation with Japan as well, U.S. Space Force officials said on Wednesday. Led by a small contingent of U.S. Space Force personnel - the branch's first official component set up overseas - the allies see closer space integration as key to better tracking North Korean threats and responding to a conflict. U.S. President Joe Biden agreed with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at an Aug. 18 summit that by the end of this year the three countries would share North Korea missile warning data in real time.

On Wednesday, August 31, Japan’s defense ministry announced plans to strengthen air and missile defenses and acquire counterstrike capabilities to counter North Korean military threats on Thursday, unveiling the country’s largest-ever defense budget. The Ministry of Defense has requested a total of $52.8 billion (7.7 trillion yen) for fiscal year 2024, citing an increasingly severe security situation surrounding Japan. The budget plan lists seven key pillars of “necessary efforts to drastically strengthen Japan’s defense capabilities,” asking for $8.7 billion for “integrated air and missile defense capabilities” to respond to airborne threats.

Click here to read all of this week's headlines.