DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY WORK'S SPEECH ON THE CHINA AEROSPACE CHALLENGE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Right:  Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work gives the keynote address during the inaugural China Aerospace Studies Institute conference in Arlington, Va., June 22, 2015. The Air Force and the Rand Corp. co-sponsored the event, which focused on assessing Chinese aerospace training and operational competence. DoD photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Clydell Kinchen.  

Work: Institute to Help U.S. Meet China Aerospace Challenge
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2015 – Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work delivered the keynote speech yesterday in Arlington, Virginia, at an inaugural conference of the China Aerospace Studies Institute, or CASI, newly established by the Air Force and RAND Corp.

The institute’s focus is on China, which Work called a rising power that’s experiencing a growing economy and increased military technical capabilities.

“I hope that CASI, along with many organizations like it, are going to help us maintain an unfair competitive aerospace advantage far into the future,” Work said, “because that is the surest means to underwrite conventional deterrence, contribute to crisis stability and safeguard our nation's interests.”

The conference focused on a move by China to do more realistic training across the board under what they call actual combat or wartime conditions, the deputy secretary said, and improve their readiness.

Serious Challenge

“CASI needs to help us think on how we respond to this challenge. It's a serious one and one that we have to take seriously,” he said.

Work said the institute supports President Barack Obama's rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region and the Defense Department’s Defense Innovation Initiative, both of which are top priorities for Defense Secretary Ash Carter and himself.

“More generally,” Work noted, “it's an exemplar of what we need to do to prepare for the future.”

The United States will maintain enormous absolute power as far into the future as anyone can see, Work said, but its relative power will decline in an increasingly technological world and one in which U.S. leadership will be increasingly challenged.

Great Powers

The most significant challenge to U.S. global leadership and the one in Work’s view that promises to be the most difficult to manage is the possible reemergence of great-power competitions.

A great power, as defined by international relations theorist John Mearsheimer, “is a state having sufficient military assets to put up a serious fight in a conventional war against the most powerful state in the world, and that possesses a nuclear deterrent that can survive a nuclear strike against it,” Work paraphrased.

If China is not a great power now it has the potential to be, he said, “and under any circumstances they are going to provide us with an enduring and very difficult military challenge, which will stress us.”

China will present a more significant and perhaps enduring strategic challenge to the United States over the next 25 years if not beyond, the deputy secretary said, one that DoD must be particularly focused on.

Competitive Relationship

“This does not mean to suggest I think that we are doomed to have an overtly hostile relationship,” Work said.

The future U.S.-China relationship will have elements of cooperation and competition and not open hostility, he said, and DoD continues to pursue military-to-military cooperation and confidence-building measures with China.

But DoD can’t overlook the competitive aspects of the relationship with China, Work said.

“Since the end of World War II we have relied upon our technological superiority. Why? To provide a conventional overmatch to overcome an adversary's advantages in time, space and size of forces, because generally we are moving across oceans to meet them,” he said.

Margin of Superiority

Today the U.S. margin of technological military superiority is steadily eroding and China and Russia are pursuing levels of advanced weapons development that haven’t been seen, Work said, since the mid-1980s, near the peak of the Soviet Union’s surge in Cold War defense spending.

For the United States, he said, part of the solution is a long-range research and development planning program, or LRRDPP, under the direction of Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.

The program aims to identify promising technologies that can be moved into development within the next five years, and long-range science and technology investments that can be made now for big payoffs in 10 to 20 years, the deputy secretary said.

“The initial results of these efforts … are going to be reported to [Carter] next month and they will be used to provide me and the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff strategic guidance on how to approach the strategic portfolio in fiscal year 2017 budget preparation and submission,” Work explained.

Strategic Capabilities

Another shorter-term part of the solution is the Strategic Capabilities Office, or SCO, established by Carter to look at weapons and systems and platforms in production, in the field or programmed now, and use them in a different way than intended to offer an unexpected operational or tactical advantage, the deputy secretary said.

Work said the department is exploring new combinations of technologies, operational concepts and organizational constructs that will help maintain its ability to project combat power into a theater in a place and during a time of its own choosing, especially aerospace power.

“Aerospace power has always been and will always be fundamental to our ability to project power across transoceanic distances, to conduct theater entry operations, and to mount joint combined-arms operations,” Work said.

“And because of its rapid global mobility, air power will likely be the first on the scene in any unexpected crisis in the future,” he added.

Air-Land Battle 2.0

China is mounting a serious aerospace challenge against the United States and is intent on closing the gap between its aerospace forces and those of the United States, Work said.

China also is developing stealth aircraft, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and battle-management platforms, advanced air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, and top-of-the-line electronic warfare equipment, he said.

“In other words,” Work said, “we have to think about the nature and character of air-land battle 2.0 -- another area where CASI, I believe, will be central to our thinking.”

DEFENSE SECRETARY SAYS U.S. TO REMAIN PRINCIPAL SECURITY POWER IN PACIFIC

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Defense Secretary Ash Carter addresses attendees at the U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Pacific Fleet change-of-command ceremonies in Honolulu, May 27, 2015. Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris, who previously commanded U.S. Pacific Fleet, assumed command of Pacom from Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III. Carter’s stop in Hawaii is his first in a 10-day trip to advance the next phase of the Asia-Pacific rebalance. DoD photo.  

Carter Urges Peaceful Resolution of South China Sea Disputes
By Terri Moon Cronk
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 27, 2015 – The United States will continue to remain the principal security power in the Pacific region for decades to come, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in Hawaii today.

The secretary also urged countries to work toward a peaceful resolution to territorial disputes in the South China Sea region.

Change of Command

Carter made his remarks during change-of-command ceremonies at U.S. Pacific Command, the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and at the retirement of outgoing Pacom commander Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu.

Former U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. will take over as the Pacom commander from Locklear, while Navy Adm. Scott H. Swift, formerly assigned to the Pentagon as the Navy Staff director, will command Pacfleet.

“We come together at Pearl Harbor, 70 years after the end of World War II, to mark the change of command at Pacom, our oldest and largest combatant command,” Carter said. “Pacom’s leaders -- and all who serve under them -- are charged with protecting the nation while assuring the peace that’s been the hallmark of the Pacific region for many, many years.”

As Pacom’s commander, Locklear inspired and led DoD’s rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region, said Carter, adding that the admiral commanded 350,000 military and civilian personnel, nearly 2,000 aircraft and 180 naval vessels to meet commitments made by President Barack Obama when he announced the U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific.

Outgoing Commander’s Legacy

Locklear was a diplomat, strategist and leader who recognized the importance of people, Carter said. Locklear’s legacy will make the rebalance a reality, the secretary added.

“But along the way, he also taught so many of us, including me, about America’s enduring interests and commitments in the Asia-Pacific,” Carter said. “Sam has advised a generation of government and military leaders -- secretaries of defense, national security advisors, and the Joint Chiefs -- and we’re going to remember those lessons and build on his legacy as we enter the next phase of our rebalance.”

But as Locklear knows, Carter said, the region’s security is rooted in something deeper and more fundamental: a commitment to shared values and principles, such as a commitment to the rule of law, to resolving disputes through diplomacy instead of coercion, and maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the region.

“The United States, DoD, and Pacom have always stood up for those principles and we always will because they’ve assured the Asia-Pacific’s peace and prosperity for decades,” the secretary said.

South China Sea

Carter said he wants to be clear about the United States’ position on the South China Sea, where several Asia-Pacific countries, including China, have been engaged in territorial disputes.

“First, we want a peaceful resolution of all disputes and an immediate and lasting halt to land reclamation by any claimant,” the secretary said. “We also oppose any further militarization of disputed features.”

Carter added, “Second, and there should be no mistake: The United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as we do all around the world.”

And, “with its actions in the South China Sea, China is out of step with both international norms that underscore the Asia-Pacific’s security architecture, and the regional consensus in favor of noncoercive approaches to this and other long-standing disputes,” the secretary said.

China’s actions “are bringing countries in the region together in new ways,” Carter said. “And they’re increasing demand for American engagement in the Asia-Pacific. We’re going to meet it. We will remain the principal security power in the Asia-Pacific for decades to come.”

ASIA-PACIFIC REBALANCE CONTINUES

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Asia-Pacific Rebalance Remains Central to Strategy, Spokesman Says

By Claudette Roulo

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2014 – Despite recent events in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and the Defense Department remain dedicated to the U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters today.

“Given the fact that there's a lot going on in the world, that we're still making these visits and still having these discussions, speaks volumes about how important we believe the Asia-Pacific theater is,” he said at a Pentagon news conference.
With more than 350,000 American troops based in the Pacific -- including the majority of Navy assets -- and with five of the seven U.S. treaty alliances there, DoD is very committed to the region, Kirby said.

“It doesn't mean that we take our eye off the ball of the rest of the world,” he said. “We know we have security commitments around the world in the Middle East, in Africa [and] in Europe, and we continue to work mightily on those commitments. And there's been no slackening in that regard.”

But, Kirby noted, if sequestration remains the law of the land, “it's going to be harder and harder for us to meet those commitments.” Unless Congress acts to change the law, sequestration spending cuts will return in fiscal year 2016.
“The defense strategy that we put forward, which allows us to conduct this rebalance and still focus on those parts of the world, will be put in jeopardy” under sequestration, Kirby said.

Hagel returned yesterday from a trip that included a stop in India, where he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to discuss the importance of continuing robust defense cooperation.
“It was a very successful visit. … There are opportunities here for co-development and co-production that we hope will come to fruition here in the future, particularly with the Javelin anti-tank missile, shows great promise,” Kirby said. “But we were warmly received by Indian officials, came away from it feeling very, very positive. In fact, the secretary was talking about that this morning to the staff about the trip and feeling very, very encouraged by it.”
The department is looking forward to continuing to develop the defense relationship with India’s new government, he said.

“We had a great set of discussions. We believe the relationship is on a good, strong path forward, and that's the secretary's focus -- it’s on the future,” he added.

IN OP-ED DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL DISCUSSES ASIA-PACIFIC-REBALANCE AND PARTNERSHIPS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel Describes Role of Partnerships in Asia-Pacific Rebalance
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2014 – In a world where security challenges do not adhere to political boundaries and economies are linked as never before, no nation can go it alone and hope to prosper, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel wrote in an op-ed article published yesterday on the Defense One website.
“Achieving sustained security and prosperity in the 21st century requires nations to work together and to meet common challenges with uncommon unity and purpose,” Hagel added.

The secretary noted that the response of more than 25 nations to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 shows how that kind of unity is increasingly visible in the Asia-Pacific, which he called one of the most critical regions for global security and the global economy. And Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines led to a massive international relief and recovery effort last fall and produced Japan’s largest overseas military deployment in the post-war period, Hagel wrote.
“In both cases, nations in the region were able to set aside rivalries and differences and instead work together,” the secretary wrote. “At the same time, both cases underscore the reality that nations must engage in more practical security cooperation ahead of time in order to work together more effectively when challenges arise.”

Deepening cooperation does not materialize on its own, Hagel wrote, but requires deliberate and sustained efforts such as those of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, to continue building a stronger regional security architecture that can address shared challenges.

These efforts have the full support of the United States and will be highlighted this week in Hawaii, at the first U.S.-hosted gathering of U.S. and ASEAN defense ministers, Hagel wrote. By hosting this meeting at the start of his fourth visit to the Asia-Pacific region -- which will include stops in Japan, China and Mongolia -- it serves to underscore the growing role ASEAN members are playing in promoting regional stability and enhanced security cooperation, he added.

The United States also has a key role to play in this endeavor, the secretary wrote.
“As a leading economic and military power in the Pacific -- one with no disputed territorial claims or ambitions in the region -- the United States is uniquely positioned to continue to help Asian nations build a vibrant regional security architecture,” he explained. “My upcoming trip emphasizes three ways in which the Department of Defense will contribute to this effort.”

First, the U.S. military will increase its role in cooperative security efforts and exercises as it continues to shift forces and operational focus to the Asia-Pacific region, Hagel wrote.

“It has been more than five years since President Barack Obama came to office determined to lead America’s rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific, and it remains front and center in our national security strategy,” he added. “The rebalance has helped to strengthen our alliances and partnerships in Asia and led to increased engagement, exercises and training on a bilateral and multilateral basis.”
The deployment of advanced military capabilities to the region has also proven indispensable, Hagel wrote, noting that the U.S. contributions to the search for Flight 370 included the world’s most advanced maritime patrol aircraft -- the P-8A Poseidon -- which was recently deployed to Japan.

Second, the U.S. military will continue to build new types of partnerships that tackle nontraditional security challenges more effectively, the secretary wrote. “The military presence we maintain in the Pacific -- including approximately 330,000 personnel, 180 ships, 2,000 aircraft, the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force and five Army brigades -- provides unparalleled capabilities,” he wrote. “But the kind of nontraditional security challenges that pose a growing threat to stability in the region, such as climate change, natural disasters and pandemic disease, cannot be resolved through military efforts alone.”

Those changes require strong partnerships across military and civilian agencies and with the private-sector and nongovernmental organizations, he added, noting that Rajiv Shah, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, is leading a session during the conference in Hawaii.

Even as the United States looks for new ways to tackle shared challenges, Hagel wrote, the U.S. military will defend its allies and consistently champion the international laws and norms that have provided the basis for regional security and prosperity for generations.

“Over the course of 10 days, I will meet with 13 defense ministers whose nations represent more than 30 percent of the global economy,” Hagel wrote. “They recognize that there can be no economic growth without stability and prosperity for their people. Continuing the positive trends in the region will depend on upholding the principles of free and open commerce, the rule of law, open access to sea lanes, air, space, and cyberspace, and resolving conflicts and disputes peacefully.

“As we have recently seen in Ukraine, threats to these principles are threats to peace and security in the 21st century,” he continued. “That’s why all nations must commit to resolving disputes peacefully, without coercion and in accordance with international law.”

For more than 60 years, Hagel wrote, the Asia-Pacific region has enjoyed relative peace and stability and become an engine for global progress and prosperity.
“The beneficiaries of this progress have been the people of the region, and that includes the American people,” he added. “The region has benefited from American leadership, and it will continue to do so. But sustaining this progress is not the work of any single nation -- it is a shared responsibility. And the more nations that embrace this responsibility and spirit of cooperation, the more confident we can be that Asia in the 21st century will be defined by security and prosperity for all its people.”

READOUT OF DEPUTY SECRETARY CARTER'S MEETING WITH JAPANESE PARLIAMENTARY SENIOR VICE MINISTER ETO

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Readout of Deputy Secretary Carter's Meeting with Japanese Parliamentary Senior Vice Minister Eto

           Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:

           Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter hosted Japanese Parliamentary Senior Vice Minister of Defense Akinori Eto today at the Pentagon. 

           Deputy Secretary Carter welcomed Parliamentary Senior Vice Minister Eto and expressed admiration for the strong work the United States and Japan have accomplished together in support of the bilateral Alliance.  Deputy Secretary Carter emphasized the steadfast nature of the U.S. commitment to the Asia-Pacific rebalance, and noted the significant role of the U.S.-Japan Alliance in maintaining regional security and stability.  The two leaders discussed the strategic environment and the possibility of a review of the 1997 U.S.-Japan Defense Guidelines in order to meet emerging opportunities and challenges. They agreed that strengthening cooperation with other regional partners, including the Republic of Korea, is an important element of promoting peace and stability.

           Parliamentary Senior Vice Minister Eto updated Deputy Secretary Carter on the status of Japan's National Defense Program Guidelines, including the content of the interim report released on July 26.  Deputy Secretary Carter and Parliamentary Senior Vice Minister Eto agreed to make steady progress on the realignment of U.S. Forces Japan, including the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Henoko and of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam.  They also discussed progress being made with respect to the Joint Strike Fighter program. The two leaders agreed to stay in close touch to build upon the strong bilateral relationship between their two countries.

U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA SAYS REBALANCE IS PROGRESSING

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta conducts a press conference during his flight to Perth, Australia, Nov. 12, 2012. Panetta participated in Veterans Day ceremonies in Hawaii Nov. 11, before continuing on a six-day trip to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta: Rebalance to Asia-Pacific Shows Early Progress
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, Nov. 12, 2012 - The Defense Department's strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region is a long-term effort that is beginning to show tangible progress, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.

The secretary is traveling to Perth, Australia, to attend the annual ministerial consultations between the United States and Australia, known as AUSMIN. It's his first official visit to Australia, an ally and partner to the United States for more than 60 years.

Panetta will join Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, in meetings with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and sessions of the conference.

The secretary also will meet with Defense Minister Stephen Smith and Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett before continuing on to Thailand and Cambodia on his fourth official visit to the region, three of them this year.

In a briefing with reporters on his military aircraft, Panetta characterized the region as one in which the historical sacrifices of many nations, including the United States, have not been in vain.

"We've obviously sacrificed a great deal in the Pacific region, and the sacrifices that have been made have produced a safer and more secure and prosperous Asia-Pacific region," he said. "That sacrifice led to some 60 years of stability and allowed our many allies and partners in this region to be able to rise and prosper. Many of them have been able to take millions out of poverty."

Panetta said the region's success is equally important to the United States' national security and economic future.

"Looking ahead, we're going to continue to invest in the region in order to continue the progress that's been made," the secretary noted, describing some tangible early results of the long-term effort.

Panetta cited the deployment of Marines for rotations to Darwin, Australia, and an effort to send littoral combat ships to Singapore.

"We have announced that we're looking at a 60-40 split with regards to our Navy ships between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and that will ... take effect over the next few years as we go towards 2020," he said.

The Defense Department has completed the deployment of 12 MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft to Japan, Panetta said, and it is working closely with U.S. Pacific Command on investing in the capabilities of several countries in the region.

"In Korea, we've strengthened our cooperation on space and cyberspace, [and] we will continue to strengthen that relationship in a very critical nation that is extremely important to our security for the future," the secretary said.

"We're working with the Philippines to develop a greater presence and access there [and] ... working to develop their capabilities," he added.

Panetta noted he traveled to Beijing in September to improve the U.S.-China military-to-military relationship and develop a strategic dialog in key areas, and that Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter is working closely with officials in India to develop increased defense cooperation.

"But let me emphasize that the rebalance cannot just be about moving more ships or aircraft or troops to the region," the secretary said. "Ultimately, it has to be a whole-of-government approach. That means we have to continue high-level engagements [such as those] with the secretary of state, the chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff and myself at AUSMIN."

President Barack Obama also will visit the region next week, Panetta said.

"We need to continue diplomatic, economic and development assistance and engagement, and we need resourcing to ensure that this commitment is sustainable for the future," the secretary told reporters traveling with him. He added that the hope is to continue to make new partners in the region, working with countries to develop their capabilities and opportunities for a rotational U.S. military presence.

Later this week in Bangkok, Panetta will meet with his counterpart, Defense Minister Sukampol Suwannathat, and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Afterward, he will travel to Siem Reap, Cambodia, where he will meet with Cambodian Defense Minister Gen. Tea Banh and with defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the organization's annual security conference.

"We want to deepen and modernize our existing partnerships and alliances," Panetta said, "and build regional institutions, particularly working with ASEAN."

The secretary said ASEAN can bring countries together to deal with some of the challenges in the region. "There's a real opportunity here to make that work," he said.

The rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region will not take U.S. attention off critical events in the Middle East, Panetta said.

"The United States is the strongest military power in the world, ... and that means ... we have to cover the threats that exist in the world -- not just in the Asia-Pacific region -- and that's what we're doing," he said. "Even as we rebalance our efforts to the Pacific, we are maintaining a significant force in the Middle East to deal with contingencies there. We are still meeting our responsibilities with regards to other allies and partners in the world."

The new defense strategy accommodates the rebalance and U.S. responsibilities elsewhere, Panetta said. "That's why it's very important that ... we have some degree of certainty as to what the defense budget is going to look like," he added, "not just now, but in the next five years."

In the meantime, Panetta said, there are new areas of potential cooperation in the Pacific.

"It's going to take a lot of work and a lot of focus, but we are ... a Pacific nation, a Pacific power, [and] we're going to remain a Pacific power," the secretary said. "Our fundamental goal here is to work with other countries to advance the peace and prosperity of the region.