
Pacific Trident III: The Strengths and Weaknesses of the US Alliance System under Gray Zone Operations
June 25, 2020Author: John Hemmings
Categories: Tabletop Exercise
In this reflection piece, Dr. John Hemmings gives his insights as an observer of the Pacific Trident III Tabletop Exercise, noting what he observed were the main concerns of the participants and the applicability of the game play to real-world scenarios. He analyzes some of the principal strengths of the U.S. alliance system during the game, as well as its principal weaknesses.
Tags: gray zone tactics, security alliance, territorial disputes

Testing the U.S.-Japan and U.S.-ROK Security Alliances
December 6, 2018Author: Admiral Michael McDevitt
Categories: Tabletop Exercise
Tabletop Exercise Pacific Trident II was the second Sasakawa USA tabletop exercise (TTX) exploring trilateral cooperation mechanisms between the United States, Japan, and South Korea in the context of a crisis in North Korea. This report summarizes the exercise, its policy-level insights, and its final recommendations to policymakers in the United States, ROK, and Japan.
Tags: DPRK, Japan, North Korea, Pacific Trident, security, Tabletop Exercise, U.S.-Asia, us-japan alliance, us-japan relations

Testing Trilateral, U.S.-Japan, and U.S.-ROK Responses to North Korean Provocations: Tabletop Exercise Pacific Trident
March 22, 2018Author: Admiral Michael McDevitt and Yoichi Kato
Categories: Tabletop Exercise
Tabletop Exercise Pacific Trident explored trilateral, U.S.-Japan, and U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) responses to unexpected events and deliberate North Korean provocations. This report summarizes the exercise, its policy-level insights, and its final recommendations to policymakers in the United States, ROK, and Japan.
Tags: DPRK, North Korea, Pacific Trident, Tabletop Exercise, trilateral relations, TTX, U.S.-Asia, U.S.-Japan, U.S.-Japan-ROK, U.S.-ROK

Operation Rugby Daemon Cybersecurity Desktop Exercise
November 30, 2017Author: Linton Wells II
Categories: Cybersecurity, Tabletop Exercise
Sasakawa USA released a report in English and Japanese on November 30 about its recent “tabletop exercise” in Tokyo, which simulated a major cyberattack during the 2019 World Rugby Cup to be hosted in Japan.
Tags: cyber security, Japan, security, TTX

Senkaku Islands Tabletop Exercise Report
May 2, 2017Categories: Tabletop Exercise
Sasakawa USA held a tabletop exercise (TTX) at the Lockheed Martin Center for Innovation (“The Lighthouse” in Suffolk, Virginia) to explore crises between Japan and China over the Senkakus. Former officials and experienced analysts participated in the game teams. This report summarizes the findings and scenarios explored in this exercise.
Tags: China, Japan, Lockheed Martin, senkaku islands, Tabletop Exercise