Pacific White House tread
The main arm of the Pentagon, Ashton Carter, who recently took a 10 day visit to the Asia-Pacific region (APR) in February of this year, whose main goal was to participate in the 14 international security conference in the Asia-Pacific region and discuss treaties on military cooperation with leading countries this region. At the beginning of his trip, which began on 28 in May, the Minister of War told media representatives that the Pentagon’s new focus on this part of the world is a confirmation of its importance for ensuring US national interests, which protect and promote the prosperity of the countries located here during 70 years. He reaffirmed the firm intention of the White House to create an atmosphere of trust in relations between America and the countries of this region, to help solve their regional problems and ensure absolute stability and complete security in their territories.
A few days before the start of his trip, the head of the Pentagon, speaking at Stanford University, to the question of the audience about the significance of the APR said that "a significant part of the future of the country is associated with it." Carter said that Washington only welcomes the growth of economic and military power of China and India, but at the same time, the United States "must maintain its military presence in the APR, because it will give confidence to many in the region." He also noted that the international economic organization being created - the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) - is part of this strategy and fully corresponds to the interests of its member countries.
In the Asia-Pacific region, the minister said, half the world's population lives and is concentrated around 50% of the world economy. For this reason, the region acquires paramount "importance for the future of the United States and the entire population of the Earth."
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES IN THE PACIFIC ZONE
The White House officially announced the exceptional importance of the APR for national interests and security of the United States in early January, 2012, in the document “Maintaining US Global Leadership. 21st Century Defense Priorities ”(Sustaining US Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense). The latest national security strategy guide was developed by the Pentagon on the instructions of President Barack Obama in collaboration with the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the relevant American intelligence community services. This manual is actually a military development plan of the Defense Ministry, which must be completed before the end of 2020. This document includes a number of principles, according to which decisions on the size, structure and equipment of the Armed Forces should be prepared and implemented. It also lists the risks that the White House may face when implementing the formulated strategic installations.
When signing the strategy, Leon Panetta, then Defense Secretary, noted in his accompanying note that after 10 years of uninterrupted warfare, the White House and the Pentagon realized that the United States needed to form a "united armed forces of the future." He also stressed that the new Armed Forces will be reduced in number. However, the combined command will be able to solve all the tasks facing them and will receive the latest weapons and military equipment. The troops will be led by well-trained professionals with combat experience, and their powers will be significantly expanded.
The US Armed Forces units will be deployed in various regions of the world, and primarily in the APR and the Middle East. In addition, they will carry out all the tasks entrusted to them to ensure the security of European countries and, in accordance with the obligations of the White House, to participate in the operations of the international coalition forces.
The strategy states that the economic interests and security of the United States are inextricably linked to the situation prevailing in the territories of countries located along an arc that stretches from the western Pacific Ocean and East Asia to the Indian Ocean and South Asia. New economic opportunities for the United States are constantly emerging in this region, but implementation is complicated by new problems. Therefore, the US armed forces, while continuing to address the task of ensuring security on a global scale, should be largely reoriented towards the countries of the Asia-Pacific region.
America’s relations with its allies and major partners in the APR are crucial for ensuring the stability and orderly development of the countries of this region in the future. As indicated in the strategic leadership, Washington will emphasize military alliances with the APR states, which are the basis of security in this part of the Earth.
The White House also intends to expand the scope of cooperation with new partners throughout the Asia-Pacific region in order to create collective military capabilities and expand opportunities to protect common interests. The United States will continue to invest in the development of a long-term strategic partnership with India in order to maintain the ability of this state to act as the main economic leader and guarantor of security in a large region of the Indian Ocean.
Through effective cooperation with the allies and other states of the region, Washington intends to create all the necessary conditions for maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula. He intends to ensure the containment of North Korea, which actively continues to work under the program to create a nuclear weaponsand the protection of her neighbors from provocations by Pyongyang.
Maintaining peace, stability, free flow of goods and US influence in this dynamically developing region will depend in part on the balance of the potential capabilities of the US Armed Forces and be ensured by the presence of Pentagon troops there.
The transformation of the PRC into a regional power in the long run may have different effects on the economic development and national security of the United States. Each of these countries is heavily dependent on peace and stability in East Asia, and therefore Washington and Beijing are equally interested in establishing joint bilateral relations. However, as noted in the strategy, China should accompany the growth of its military power with greater openness in declaring strategic intentions in order to maximize the possibility of conflicts between the countries of the Asia-Pacific region.
The United States will continue to invest the necessary funds in the programs and development projects of this region in order to preserve access to it and freedom of action in accordance with treaty obligations and international law. America intends to work closely with its allies and partners in the APR and to promote the establishment of order based on international legal norms here. This, Washington believes, will provide an opportunity to create a foundation for ensuring the stability of the situation in this territory and will contribute to the peaceful formation of the Asia-Pacific countries, the dynamic development of their economies and constructive military cooperation with America.
CLAIMS OF WORLD DOMAIN
In February of this year, the White House presented to the public the next national security strategy (NSS). It is not much different from the previous similar document, released in 2010 year. In his introduction to his strategy, US President Barack Obama wrote that the cornerstone of "any effective strategy" containing provisions to ensure the existence of the American people and the interests of the national security of the country as a whole should be the immutable truth that America needs to maintain its leadership in the world. An effective and constantly supported US role as a leading state is a fundamental condition for the preservation of a world order based on certain rules, which ensures the preservation of stability on earth, as well as the prosperity of its peoples and respect for their legitimate rights. “This is not about whether America should or should not lead, but about how it heads the world,” the head of the White House announced.
The leadership of the United States, according to the president, is ensured by their practice in any direction of foreign policy from the position of a powerful country. However, this does not mean, as Obama explains, that America can or should try to dictate the order of events in the world. Despite the fact that the United States is a strong state and will remain so in the future, their influence and resources are still not unlimited. And in today's extremely complex world, many of the security problems that Washington has to face do not allow it to quickly find a simple way out of difficult situations. But the White House, as stated by Obama, constantly follows and will follow its obligations to its allies and partners and will try to solve all the problems that arise by peaceful means.
However, in the conclusion of the NSS, its drafters announced that this document outlines the directions of "strengthening and maintaining the US leadership at the beginning of the new millennium" and establishes areas for carrying out activities necessary to ensure national interests, validate moral values and fulfill America’s international obligations. implemented with regard to its power capabilities.
US strategists say the US will deter or destroy any adversary that threatens the national security of America or its allies. But at the same time, Washington is ready, together with other countries, to ensure the security of the planet and its prosperity exclusively by peaceful means. The United States intends to cooperate with all countries and in all areas of mutual security and the preservation of life on earth, even in those cases when America competes with them in economic and other spheres.
The White House will take all the steps necessary to preserve existing international standards, as well as to create new rules that will form the basis for the implementation of plans for such cooperation and global competition. The United States, as stated in the document, will realize its intentions and do significantly more, based on full confidence that the world system, the creation of which after the Second World War was carried out under the auspices of America, will continue to effectively serve the internal and external interests of the country and the world at large. According to Washington strategists, the provisions formulated in the published strategy can be fully and successfully implemented, since the United States, like no other country, is able to adapt to new conditions and successfully overcome all the difficulties that arise. A key element of the power of the United States, the National Security Council says, is the unity of political leadership and population and the conviction that America’s leadership in the current century, as in the past, is a prerequisite for the stable development of the world.
As indicated in the strategy, to maintain stability in troubled regions of the world, the United States uses not only sanctions, but also some other measures. Although these actions are perceived negatively by some countries, they are carried out in strict accordance with international legal norms and make it possible to prevent many threats to the stability of the situation at regional levels. By such actions, America is hindering aggressive forces destabilizing the internal situation in various countries and seeking to place the realization of its strategic concepts. In addition, in friendly countries, the United States implements long-term programs for their development, which makes it possible to maintain allied relations with them. The White House has developed and will continue to develop partnerships with many states that have embarked on the path of democratic development and have common interests with America. He also intends to support the processes of creating effective regional institutions that can contribute to the formation of a common world order.
The new strategy notes that the United States was and will remain a Pacific country. In the next five years, the growth of the national economy, located outside of America, will occur at the expense of economic and other structures located in Asia. However, in this part of the world, tensions are constantly growing between the countries located there, aggravated by aggressive provocations from North Korea, which can lead to armed conflicts. In this regard, the leading position of the United States, which can ensure the constant and sustainable movement of the region to peace and stability, the development of trade and commercial relations, as well as the guarantee of respect for the rights and freedoms of citizens, is of paramount importance for Asian states both in the near and in in the long term.
Speaking at the Singapore Forum, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter reiterated the White House’s firm intention to give priority to the Asia-Pacific region. Photos from www.iiss.org
That is why Washington is diversifying relations with Asian countries in the field of security, and also strengthens its position in the field of defense and expands its military presence in the APR. Currently, the United States is restructuring allied relations with Japan, South Korea, Australia and the Philippines and is strengthening the multilateral cooperation of these countries so that they are fully able to withstand regional and global threats. Washington contributes to the development of international institutions such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organization. These structures allow developing norms and rules of international relations, creating forms and methods for jointly countering common threats, as well as resolving disputed issues by peaceful means. In addition, the United States is helping countries in this region create open and transparent economies and ensure the implementation of international economic norms on a regional scale.
America, the strategy says, will continue to strengthen the security of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, and will also contribute to the further development of democracy and multilateral cooperation in this region. Developing partnerships with the countries of Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, is a key focus of the White House’s foreign policy activities. Washington intends to bring its contractual relations with South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and Thailand into line with the current situation. It should be noted that the issues of adjusting contracts with these and a number of other countries were discussed during the recent visit of the US Secretary of War to the APR, who took part in the 14-th annual international conference "Dialogues in Shangri-La" held in Singapore from 29 to 31 May At this conference, defense leaders from 26 countries of the world considered security threats in the APR.
The new White House strategic document notes that the United States will continue to develop constructive relations with the PRC, which are in the interests of each of the parties. Washington, which is Beijing’s main rival in the APR, intends to resolve all disputed issues only by peaceful means. However, he, as stated in the strategy, does not exclude the possibility of conflict situations. In this case, the United States will act from a position of strength and insist on China’s implementation of all norms of international law in various fields, starting with ensuring the safety of sea lanes and ending with the observance of human rights. The White House has stated that it will constantly strive to eliminate all misunderstandings and miscalculations in the relations of both parties. The US will also take all necessary measures to eliminate the possibility of cyber attacks from China.
The United States will continue to strengthen its strategic and economic partnership with India in such areas as security, energy, and environmental protection. Washington supports the position of Delhi, which considers India to be a regional leader in the field of security and expanding its presence in major international organizations. One of the strategic goals of the White House is to promote the strengthening of relations between India and Pakistan in the interests of ensuring regional stability, combating terrorism and economic integration of the APR countries.
MILITARY PRESENCE AND “GUARANTEE” PLANS
The USR is controlled by the United States Pacific Command in the Pacific (US Pacific Command - USPACOM), which is more often called simply the Pacific Command (TC). It provides security and protection of the national interests of America in the water and land spaces of this part of the planet. Therefore, the White House is making all the necessary efforts so that the military units stationed here are at the required level of combat readiness and are able to defeat any potential adversary.
However, the main stake in ensuring a military presence in the APR and maintaining its leadership here is the US doing to maintain positions in the advanced home areas of the TK military units. The responsibility of this command includes not only the Pacific Ocean, but also Alaska, Arctic regions, coastal regions of South Asia, the Indian Ocean. Here are located 36 states, whose population is more than 50% of the world's population. This region plays a crucial role in the development of the world economy. A large number of international sea lanes pass through it and here is the 9 and 10 of the largest ports in the world. ATP is one of the most militarized regions of the planet. In addition, there are five nuclear weapon states here.
In accordance with the White House’s strategic installations, the US Navy should ensure control of the main sea communications and territories of the APR countries by forward-based naval forces capable of operating in the waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, as well as ground-based units located here. All these tasks should be solved not only by Pentagon military units located in this region, but also by creating a system of military alliances ensuring the basing of naval and land forces of the US Armed Forces in remote geographic regions.
In the operational subordination of the TC are the military contingents of the ground forces (Army), Navy, Air Force, ILC and Special Operations Forces. The APR has units of the 25th Infantry Division, consisting of two brigades based in Hawaii, and two brigades based in Alaska, as well as a number of other military units deployed in Hawaii and Japan. In total, in the zone of responsibility of the Army, stretching from Japan and Korea to Alaska and Hawaii, there are about 106 thousand foot soldiers, more than 300 army aircraft aviation, as well as five groups of attached ships and vessels for various purposes.
The air force units that are part of the operational subordination of the Air Forces are designed to conduct offensive and defensive operations in the APR. These forces include 5 (Japan), 7 (Republic of Korea), 11 (Alaska) and 13 (Hawaii) air armies. The total number of military personnel and technical staff of the Air Force is about 29 thousand people who operate and maintain more than 300 aircraft. The direct control of these formations is carried out by the Pacific Air Force Command.
Currently, the 3, 5, and 7 fleets of the US Navy are subordinate to the TK. The area of responsibility of the first of these includes sea areas from the US West Coast to a conditional line on the surface of the globe, passing from pole to pole, which is called the date change line. This fleet is also responsible for the safety of the waters of the coast of Alaska and some regions of the Arctic.
The 5th fleet is on alert in the Persian Gulf region and the western Indian Ocean. The main base is the port of the capital of Bahrain, Manama. Part fleet ships of the Atlantic and Pacific fleets of the US Navy enter on a rotational basis.
The 7 fleet provides the solution to the main tasks of ensuring the protection of US interests in the APR and maintaining stability in this region. It is the main fleet of forward bases in the Pacific.
The fleet of the TK fleets includes the 41 nuclear strike submarine, about 200 ships and more 600 aircraft, including five carrier strike groups (AUG), and one amphibious assault group (ADG). The total number of personnel is more than 140 thousand people.
In the Asia-Pacific region, two-thirds of the forces and facilities of the USCM are located (about 85 thousand people), including the 1 and 3 expeditionary corps (EC). Each EK consists of one division, one aviation wing, and one logistics support group. Operatively all these contingents are subordinate to the TC. The headquarters of the Marine Corps in the Pacific are deployed in Hawaii, and the corps headquarters are based at Pendleton Camp in California (USA) and Okinawa (Japan).
The units of the Special Operations Forces deployed in the APR countries account for more than 1200 military personnel equipped with the most modern means of warfare.
According to the US Department of the Navy, a total of about 360 thousand troops and civilian personnel are in the APR. Most of them are specialists of the Navy and the ILC.
In mid-March this year, the US Navy Department published a new strategy called the Cooperative Strategy for the 21st Century Naval Forces (A Cooperative Strategy For 21st Century Seapower). The strategy declares that dominance at sea is the main instrument of the United States as a maritime power for solving political problems, ensuring control over the world economy and balancing the maintenance of America’s military potential on a global scale.
This document separately addresses the issue of the significance of the APR in ensuring US national security and protecting their interests. Now in the list of military priorities of the Navy, this region is also designated as one of the most important.
In accordance with the strategic plans of the Pentagon, by the year 2020 more than 60% of the ships and airplanes from the general structure of the Navy and the USAF will be deployed in the APR. The most modern weapons and military equipment, including shipboard missile defense systems, submarines of various classes, as well as reconnaissance, surveillance and recognition aircraft and a number of other systems will be placed here. In addition, the Pentagon intends to include in the forces of the APR additional units of the ILC, which will act on a temporary and rotational basis.
Giving the White House of the APR a priority level in the tasks of protecting US national interests and ensuring security is due to a number of factors. According to American experts, the threat to US security comes from terrorist groups based in uncontrolled regions of South Asia, North Korea’s active creation of nuclear and missile weapons, and China’s nuclear potential, which is constantly developing and strengthening its strategic nuclear forces. China is gaining increasing influence, consciously strengthening its leadership role and consistently increasing its military capabilities.
In the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA), the majority of units equipped with ground-based CSS-4 ICBMs and capable of hitting targets at ranges up to 13 thousand km are subordinated to the Second Artillery Corps. In addition, the PRC has sea-based missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. These missiles can hit targets within 1700 km.
China is of the greatest concern to the United States in the Asia-Pacific region. The increase in the power of the PRC at the current pace, according to the Pentagon, is the main threat to regional security that could lead to a large-scale war on this territory. The PRC is trying to solve in its favor a number of territorial disputes on its borders. According to American experts, since the middle of the 20th century, more than half of the military clashes in the APR have been held with the participation of China, and 80% of them took place in the last two decades.
Washington constantly says that it is doing everything possible to ensure that Beijing plays a “constructive role” in the APR. However, many American international experts say that in fact the United States simply wants China to join the security system in the region, but only solve the tasks strictly assigned to it.
True, China does not agree with this position of overseas leaders and continues to follow its military-political guidelines. The military-political leadership of the PRC is extremely negatively responding to the expansion of the US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region and clearly realizes that a country’s threats to national security can come not only from America, but also from its allies and partners, who too literally perceived America’s warranty statements about their protection. Therefore, Beijing is strengthening cooperation with Moscow in the military sphere. Together, Russia and China are fully capable of giving such a response to the American offensive, followed by its complete stop.
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