{"id":135369,"date":"2018-04-23T16:28:47","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T16:28:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/04\/23\/incoming-us-pacific-command-chief-wants-to-increase-presence-near-china-isr-capabilities\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:50:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:50:25","slug":"incoming-us-pacific-command-chief-wants-to-increase-presence-near-china-isr-capabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/home\/left-column\/2018\/04\/23\/incoming-us-pacific-command-chief-wants-to-increase-presence-near-china-isr-capabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Incoming US Pacific Command chief wants to increase presence near China"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MELBOURNE, Australia \u2015 The nominee to be the next chief of the U.S. forces in the Pacific has called for an increase in U.S. forces from all three services stationed in the vital region<\/a>, adding that China is now effectively able to control the South China Sea and challenge the U.S. presence in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his testimony at last week\u2019s Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, Adm. Philip Davidson also said he will work to recalibrate U.S. force posture in the Indo-Pacific region to align with the recently released 2018 National Defense Strategy, an effort he said \u201centails ensuring the continued combat readiness of assigned forces in the western Pacific (and) developing an updated footprint that accounts for China\u2019s rapid modernization.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Davidson, who has been nominated to take over U.S. Pacific Command, or PACOM, also said the strategic and operational environment outlined in the NDS clearly identifies the importance of developing and fielding a force posture that is capable of \u201ccountering Chinese malign influence in the region,\u201d while describing actions in the South China Sea such as the One Belt One Road Initiative as China executing its own deliberate and thoughtful force posture initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the distances involved in the Indo-Pacific, Davidson stressed that the U.S. cannot solely rely on surge forces from the continental United States to deter Chinese aggression or prevent a fait accompli. He also said PACOM must maintain a robust, blunt layer that effectively deters Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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U.S. Navy Adm. Philip Davidson, the incoming PACOM chief, is shown addressing Marines and sailors during a joint promotion and re-enlistment ceremony on May 27, 2016. (Sgt. Rebecca L. Floto\/U.S. Marine Corps)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However, he added there is insufficient forward-deployed and rotational forces from all three services in PACOM\u2019s area of responsibility, or AOR, and the current force structure and presence does \u201cnot sufficiently counter the threats in the Indo-Pacific.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He specifically noted that PACOM only has a quarter of its required intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability in its AOR, although he declined to go into further details of the ISR shortfall, instead saying \u201cthe shortfalls are identified and have been highlighted in PACOM\u2019s regular contacts with the Joint Staff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional requirements for the AOR include command-and-control capabilities, as well as the \u201cintegration of long-range, high-speed, lethal, survivable and precision munitions capabilities in ships, submarines, patrol craft, land-based formations, bombers and fighters.\u201d These, combined with robust numbers of fifth-generation platforms and the necessary tankers and transports, will provide U.S. forces an advantage in a denied environment in the near term, the officer explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\t