The subject of this study is a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of military-technical cooperation between the United States of America and the countries of Southeast Asia in the period from 2017 to 2025. The focus is on the dynamics of interaction in the context of the global strategic rivalry between Washington and Beijing, where the region has become a key theater of competition. Specific instruments of American policy are being studied, including large-scale arms supplies under the FMS program, regular joint exercises, and the formation of a legal security framework such as the ACSA agreements. Particular attention is paid to the transformation of the approaches of different US administrations, from the transactional bilateralism of the Trump era to the institutionalization of partnership under Biden. The reaction of the States of the region to external pressure, their desire to diversify sources of weapons, preserve strategic autonomy and manage escalation risks in the context of the security of the Indo-Pacific region and the central role of ASEAN are also discussed in detail. The paper uses methods of systematic and comparative analysis of foreign policy strategies. Statistical analysis of SIPRI and DSCA data on arms sales is used. A case study is also used to evaluate the strategies of individual countries in the region and a methodology for studying decision-making processes in conditions of uncertainty. The scientific novelty lies in a fundamental rethinking of the role of Southeast Asian countries in modern geopolitics. The author rejects the traditional concept of passive hedging, suggesting that the states of the region should be considered as active actors implementing a strategy of sovereign balancing to maximize national interests. The findings of the study indicate that US military-technical cooperation is a powerful but internally contradictory instrument of foreign policy. The main paradox was the combination of strategic determination with tactical instability, which undermines the long-term trust of partners. It has been established that regional states deliberately reject binary choices in favor of multi-layered partnerships to strengthen their own sovereignty. The long-term success of the American strategy depends not so much on the volume of supplies, as on the predictability of relations and respect for the strategic autonomy of partners. The systemic costs of cooperation have also been identified, including financial traps and risks of regional militarization, which may offset the stated goals of strengthening stability.
Daniil Igorevich Molokoedov (Thu,) studied this question.