Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Will It Become a Formal Security Alliance?

Abstract

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has abstained from forming a formal defense or security alliance to meet external threats confronting the Association and its members. ASEAN was formed in 1967 to promote economic, cultural and political cooperation among the member states of Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei (who joined in 1984), Singapore, and the Philippines. This paper analyzes those external threats and several potential flash points facing the ASEAN region and its members, and reviews the current defense arrangements of the individual member states to meet the potential threats. An assessment of the threats indicates that ASEAN does not require a formal defense alliance to insure regional security.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA234518

Entities

People

  • Brian A. Erickson

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Asia
  • Cambodia
  • Islands
  • Malaysia
  • Military Personnel
  • Oceans
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Regional Security
  • Security
  • South China Sea
  • Southeast Asia
  • United States
  • Ussr
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union