The American admiral slated to head the US Pacific Command is planning a buildup of American forces in the region along with closer alliances as part of the Pentagon’s new strategy to counter China.
Admiral Philip Davidson, the nominee for the command job, revealed in little-noticed testimony to a US Senate committee how he will restructure the 375,000 military and civilian personnel, 200 ships and nearly 1,100 aircraft in the region.
If confirmed for the position, a prospect likely in the coming weeks, Davidson said he would “recalibrate” the command in line with the Pentagon’s new national defense strategy.
“This effort entails ensuring the continued combat readiness of assigned forces in the western Pacific; developing an updated footprint that accounts for China’s rapid modernization and pursuing agreements with host nations that allow the United States to project power when necessary,” Davidson stated in written answers to questions posed by the panel.
Davidson did not elaborate on the plans.
But likely improvements in the US military posture are expected to include expanded naval forces with additional submarines and warships, including possibly a second forward-deployed aircraft carrier strike group. New deployments to Asia of advanced warplanes and drone aircraft also are expected, along with regional arms sales to American allies of ships, aircraft, missiles and drones.
Confronting China
“In the future, hypersonic and directed energy weapons, resilient space, cyber and network-capabilities, and well-trained soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coastguardsmen, will be crucial to our ability to fight and win,” he said.
Current forces in the region do not support Pacom’s defense requirements, Davidson noted.
The comments by the admiral reflect the more muscular policies of US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who have made confronting Chinese aggressiveness in Asia and around the world a strategic priority.
In addition to building up partnerships and alliances in Asia, Davidson stated bluntly he will “collaborate with other elements of the US government and our allies to confront regional competitors.”
Based on China’s development of asymmetric warfare capabilities like anti-satellite weapons, cyber weaponry and high-speed hypersonic missiles, Davidson urged Pacific Command to rapidly field its own advanced war fighting capabilities.
“Pacom is heavily dependent on high-end warfare capabilities, including fifth-generation aircraft; munitions capable of penetrating China’s anti-access/area-denial environment; undersea warfare dominance capabilities; and survivable logistics and mission partner networks,” he said.
“With China, the United States should expand the competitive space by investing in next-generation capabilities, for example, hypersonic technology, while simultaneously recognizing that China is already weaponizing space and cyber.”
Hypersonic missiles are weapons that travel at speeds of more than 7,000 miles per hour and can maneuver, making them difficult systems to counter with increasingly sophisticated air and missile defenses.
The United States is readying forces that would be used to counter what the admiral described as “Chinese malign activities,” ranging from the militarization of built-up islands in the South China Sea to anti-democratic subversion through the Beijing development program called Belt and Road.
Military modernization
“China claims that these reclaimed features and the Belt and Road Initiative will not be used for military means, but their words do not match their actions,” he said. “Our defense strategy provides the necessary guidance that will drive our actions.”
The Belt and Road program is part of Beijing’s bid to “shape a world aligned with its own authoritarian model while undermining international norms such as the free flow of commerce and ideas,” he said. Predatory loans and other actions used in the program are indicators China is using its Belt and Road program to coerce states into greater access and influence for China, he added.
On China’s military buildup, the admiral described it as “the most ambitious military modernization in the world.” And on China’s large force of missiles, Davidson said: “The threat to US forces and bases is substantial and growing.”
Specifically, the new US defense strategy outlines two military components that have not been clearly revealed in public. The concepts are part of Mattis’ military reform efforts that seek to produce more lethal and agile global forces.
American military forces are now structured on a post-Cold War posture when the United States was the dominant military power and the main threats were rogue states.
The first new concept is called “dynamic force employment” that seeks to increase military options for responding to conflict, ranging from major wars to regional actions in Asia and Europe.
Key capabilities
The second concept is called the global operating model that outlines how military forces would be structured and used in both pre-conflict global competition and wartime missions.
Key capabilities include nuclear arms, cyber warfare and space warfare arms, advanced command, control and communications, strategic mobility and forces for countering weapons of mass destruction.
The model calls for utilizing four layers described under the phrase “contact, blunt, surge and homeland.”
One key aspect involves contact with competitors that will seek to better position American military forces to compete more effectively against foreign threats below the level of armed conflict.
This is what military analysts call “gray zone conflicts,” like the covert Russian takeover of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014, and China’s covert militarization of built-up islands in the South China Sea that started in 2013.
Davidson testified that both concepts will guide forces in dealing with China.
“Due to the distances involved in the Indo-Pacific, we cannot rely solely on surge forces from the Continental United States to deter Chinese aggression or prevent a fait accompli,” the four-star admiral said. “Pacom must maintain a robust blunt layer that effectively deters Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.”
To ensure China will be deterred from expansionism or aggression, whether in the South China Sea, East China Sea or against Taiwan, Davidson vowed to regularly assess the military footprint in Asia.
Wow, scary war mongering and confirmation that the US navy cannot win a war in the South China Sea on China’s backyard.
US has no business being in the SCS in the first place.
americans are today’s Mongols. They have only one thing in their mind: fight, loot and dominate. I find it scary. The choice many countries now face is either be satellites to the USA or suffer the brunt of their aggression. Which takes many forms, economic, financial and military. There is no moral or legal concern that works with them As Rove said: we make history and the other countries have to swallow it.
The building of the island bases by the Chinese was not covert. The US and whole world knew about it. The US just chose to do nothing which is tantamount to allowing it. When there was a standoff in Scarborough shoal, the US brokered a deal where both China and the Philippines would simultaneously withdraw their warships. The Philippines withdrew but the Chinese didn’t and the US did nothing. The admiral speaks of grandiose plans but did not discuss how the US will fund it. Their government is already bankrupt. Their revenues are not enough to run their givernment. Their budget deficit is staggering. It is only a matter of time before their creditors realize that they will not be paid. That they cannot be paid.
What would Americans do without war, war drums and guns? Life would not be worth living, it seems like.
just another future commander of u.s.naval forces pacific fleet blathering in front of his bosses to get the job. the u,s navy is a force that cant even steer its ships. they have a very undiciplined untrained force. the moral and training are lacking no matter that even their suppoded equipment doesn t operate as advertised. the carriers f35 is a nightmare of software problems never mind the mechanical ones!!
Bill Gertz should read the Asops Fable " Tortoise and the Hare". He might learn something there. The US has been terrorizing the globe with it`s military forces for close to a century now. This Admiral like the Hare in the story is planning a leap for the lead will soon be exausted and rest on it`s laurals. The US with it`s enormous national debt cannot hope to compete with a financially sound China in an arms race. In the meantime China ( The Tortoise) just keeps up the steady progress needed to win the race and win they will.
Just a look at the last 60 years should tell the US something. 60 years ago the US was the unquestioned leader in economic power and in military power and in particular, military technology. China starting from nothing has had one war with the USA and that was the Korean War. and China clearly matched the USA in that one. Now not only are the Chinese almost equal to and in some cases in the lead in military technology they are rapidly closing the gap in economic power. There is no reason to expect that the next 60 years will be any different, with the Chinese surely and steadily moving ahead and the US slowly but steadily losing ground. The US will not win this one especially right in China`s backyard. The US does not have the money anymore and China does.
Notice that in all of this there is not one word about defense of the US. It is all about imperialism. The US navy is the most powerful the world has ever known; it could defeat a combination of every navy in the world. There is no port it could not blockade. Yet all of this rests on a foundation of sand. The era of gunboat diplomacy is gone, and the admiral doesn’t listen to either Clauswitz or Sun Tzu when they tell him war is political. He is busy preparing himself for the last war.
An unpaid debt is instant unearned wealth.
Only China has the business to militarized the South China Sea and to occupy illegally Philippine territories.
Considering that communist china has already weaponized cyberspace then why not just ban them from the internet? Or block their ISP’s?
Galen Linder….It seems you were implying that China may use war against small potatos, but not the US against China. As a matter of fact, wll the other commentators were implying the same.
Willie Anas …..It seemed to me, you were alone. All the other comments are unified to one idea: USA, go home and leave China alone to use war against small potatos.
Carlo Geneletti…..Bu the Chinese are closedly related to the Mongols. The difference is, when the true Mongols conquered
China, there was no US to help China defeat the Mongols. And now, when the related Chinese Mongols want to conquer others, there is the US to help others to defeat the related Chinese Mongols. The present day Mongols call foul.
Wood Wu i dont care if im alone. As a filipino, i detest the raping of china of our territories and our natural resources. China is always a user.
US is and will remain a global superpower as its technology is already hovering beyond pluto and will strike hard if need be with support of democratic allied powers and Russia China simply idly stand by on the side whenever US displays its might ex the missile attacks twice of Syria…Rogue NK was muted of its penchant loud badmouthing against the US gently prodded by China to keep quiet.
I don’t think Chinese against US navy this movement. All Chinese are doing is to make US this shift very costly.
America must step in. If they still want stability economic in the region on Philippine west sea.
Idiot!
What a misinformed old man from Peru, if you stop snorting Peruvian cocaine and read more you will understand current events better, idiot!
Can you explain to us how the hell you think the US is bankrupt?
Wood Wu your point is well taken. Perhaps I took the metaphor too far. But I don’t know that China wants to conquer the world through war. I thinks China wants to conquer it through trade, and that is fine with me. The USA, instead, is always looking for war. It wants to "contain" China, but it is natural that China may seek to project its power in the region. What business does the USA have in that region? The USA wants to "contain" Russia, but what business does the USA have in Europe? The USA’s foreign policy in the past 30 years has been essentially a military, aggressive, policy. It is based on the Pentagon far flung bases all over the world. It is military domination. I don’t think China is guilty of the same.
There’s no admission and the US does have business in the SCS.
Always like those who specializes on character assasination instead of countering arguement hihihi
china speaks peace but actions are aggressives..use belt and road to blackmail nations who will fall into their trap in disguise of Loans and aides..like the americans said..nobody trust china
Rashid Mansur, it’s called deflection. Normally when most people of his kind feel constrained to respond, but have no tangible material to proffer, they resort to name calling using gutter lexicon.
Wood Wu, NO HE’S NOT ALONE!
Vietnum, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines and all the small countries straddling the South China Sea region can now get an uninterrupted eight hour sleep knowing they have a powerful friend capable and willing to protect them from Chinese harassment.