The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, or ASD (IPSA), is the principal advisor to the

Under Secretary of Defense for Policy The United States under secretary of defense for policy (USDP) is a high level civilian official in the United States Department of Defense. The under secretary of defense for policy is the principal staff assistant and adviser to both the secr ...

(USD(P)) and the Secretary of Defense on international security strategy and policy on issues of DoD interest that relate to the governments and defense establishments of the nations and international organizations within the Asia-Pacific region. The position was originally titled Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs but was renamed by the

Trump Administration Donald Trump's tenure as the 45th president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican from New York City, took office following his Electoral College victory ...

alongside the renaming of the

United States Indo-Pacific Command United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific region. Formerly known as United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) since its inception in 1947, ...

Office holders

Role and responsibilities

Like the

Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs In the United States, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs or ASD (ISA) is the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USD (P)) and the United States Secretary of Defense on internation ...

, the ASD (IPSA) is responsible for oversight of security cooperation programs and foreign military sales programs within the regions under its supervision. The ASD (IPSA) also works closely with the

United States Central Command The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Ta ...

, and the

Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies The Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI APCSS) is a U.S. Department of Defense institute that officially opened Sept. 4, 1995, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Center addresses regional and global security issues, inviting militar ...

. Finally, the ASD (IPSA) represents the USD(P) and the Secretary of Defense in interagency policy deliberations and international negotiations related to the Asia-Pacific region. The Office of the ASD (IPSA) is an entity of the

Office of the Secretary of Defense The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is a headquarters-level staff of the United States Department of Defense. It is the principal civilian staff element of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and it assists the Secretary in carrying out aut ...

Structure

This office was created in 2007. It is composed of at least six country/sub-regional desks, each staffed by a Senior Country Director. Most desks are also supported by an Assistant Country Director or group of Country Directors. As of February 2011, the desks listed on the APSA website included: * Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific Islands * Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam * China, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Taiwan * Japan * Korea * Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, East Timor However, this list must be incomplete, since the office also has oversight of programs in Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as India and other Asian nations.John T. Bennett, "DoD Shakes Up Policy Shop," Defense News, 13 July 2009

/ref> Depending on their areas of coverage, the country/sub-regional desks report to four different Deputy Assistant Secretaries: * DASD East Asia * DASD China * DASD South & Southeast Asia * DASD Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia. DASDs are appointed by the Secretary of Defense. Some are appointed from civilian life, while others are career defense officials. Once at the DASD level, the latter are considered a part of the DoD

Senior Executive Service The Senior Executive Service (SES) is a position classification in the civil service of the United States federal government equivalent to general officer or flag officer rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. It was created in 1979 when the Civil Service ...

. The ASD (APSA) is also supported by a Principal Deputy, or PDASD, who helps oversee the DASDs and the office's country/sub-regional desks.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretaries for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs/Indo-Pacific Security Affairs

Deputy Assistant Secretaries of Defense Reporting to the ASD (APSA)

The list below details both the current DASD and previous DASD posts in this office.

References

External links

* {{official website, http://policy.defense.gov/OUSDP-Offices/ASD-for-Asian-and-Pacific-Security-Affairs/ United States–Asian relations United States–Oceanian relations