The U.S. Navy is seeking to bolster cooperation with South Korea and other long-standing Asian allies to cope with security challenges and threats, including North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, a strategy report showed Monday.
  

In the report, titled "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower," the Navy named South Korea and five other Asian allies -- Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines and Thailand -- as strategic interest partners in the region.

  
The Navy is also trying to "cultivate partnerships with states such as Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Micronesia, Pakistan, Singapore, and Vietnam," the report said.
  

"Weapons of mass destruction threaten the United States, our allies, and our partners. North Korea continues to refine nuclear weapon capabilities and deploy long-range ballistic missiles," the report said.
  

"Likewise, Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technologies capable of delivering WMD. Additionally, terrorist networks seek these weapons for use against a wide array of targets. All constitute a direct threat to our homeland as well as to allies and partners," it said.
  

With strategic attention shifting to the Indo-Asia-Pacific, the report said the Navy will increase the number of ships, aircraft and Marine Corps forces, and by 2020 approximately 60 percent of Navy ships and aircraft will be based in the region, it said. (Yonhap)