One of the world's largest air shows has just wrapped up in Singapore, with governments from around the world joining aviation industry figures to check out the latest hardware and cut multi million dollar deals.
The US dispatched its top diplomat overseeing arms sales to show off American hardware like the $95 million a pop F-35 fighter jet.
Meanwhile China also made a big splash at the show, showcasing its new Wing Loong armed drones.
And as our correspondent Giles Gibson reports from Washington, arms sales are part of a wider battle for influence between Washington and Beijing amongst ASEAN nations:
UPSOT FIGHTER JET
VO The F-35 fighter jet is a 21st century killing machine, designed to strike fear into the hearts of your enemies.
VO But arms sales aren't just about trading in military might - they're a key currency of international diplomacy.
VO For decades the US has used arms sales to maintain its close partnerships in Asia.
VO But President Trump's America First foreign policy means there's new uncertainty about those deep ties.
VO Jonah Blank is a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation:
SOT Jonah Blank, Senior Political Scientist, RAND Corporation
"Over the past year the US commitment to alliances and partnerships has been called in to some doubt. In US military circles there has been no change. But the line from the White House is that the US might be more interested going forward in bilateral or unilateral approaches. So it's a very big question mark just how committed the US is going to be with ASEAN in the future."
VO In the 2017 financial year, the US government approved $76 billion in global arms sales.
VO The Asia Pacific region had the second highest number of deals behind the Middle East and almost $6 billion in sales (2).
VO China is also getting in on the action, selling military hardware to ASEAN members Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia.
VO Meanwhile military drills like Forging Sabre, a biennial exercise with Singapore, also underpin Washington's historic defence ties in Asia.
VO Brian Harding, a South East Asia analyst at CSIS in Washington, says that strategy is set to continue
SOT Brian Harding, Deputy Director SE Asia Program, CSIS
"There's been a lot of uncertainty, a lot of questions about overall US policy in South East Asia - on the defence side I think it's been a story of continuity, building off a strong basis that Secretary Mattis inherited when he came in."
VO China doesn't have the same history of military cooperation in the region, but it's trying to catch up.
VO Beijing recently announced that it will hold its second round of military exercises with ASEAN member Cambodia in March.
VO Despite China's progress, Brian Harding says the US is still ASEAN's dominant military partner
SOT Brian Harding, Deputy Director SE Asia Program, CSIS
"If you went around and polled the military establishment in each of the ten countries, of course there's a continuum, you'll find that they are looking for US equipment, US doctrine, US education and training, and it's on quite a different level than it is with these relatively nascent relationships with China."
VO But as China makes inroads in South East Asia, US military partnerships with ASEAN countries are inherently splintered
VO Deepening a partnership with a historic ally like Singapore is one thing, but replicating that with a former adversary like Vietnam, as they're simultaneously courted by China, is quite another. Sign off