Successfully Sustaining the Joint Force: Regionally Aligned, Joint, Multilateral Logistics Structure for the INDOPACOM Theater
Abstract
Encompassing the seas, islands, and coastal areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans between the western coast of North America and India (see Figure 1), the Indo-Pacific region hosts more than 375,000 U.S. military personnel using at least 66 distinct defense sites. The 2022 National Security Strategy describes the Indo-Pacific as the "epicenter of 21st-century geopolitics." The 2022 National Defense Strategy identifies attempts by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to "refashion the Indo-Pacific region" as part of "the most comprehensive and serious challenge to U.S. national security." Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has described Indo-Pacific defense infrastructure as "providing us with the ability to position our troops forward in theater so that we can deter much further forward." China has developed islands from reefs with capable military runways, has pre-positioned stocks within the Southeast Asia Sea, and claims that all waters and territory within the Chinese proclaimed 9-dash line are under exclusive Chinese sovereign control. The Chinese military is also continuously harassing civilian sailing vessels, fishing boats, and oil and gas drilling ships within that proclaimed 9-dash line. These harassed vessels belong to countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, claiming ownership of these waterways and islands.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 05, 2024
- Accession Number
- AD1227863
Entities
People
- Matthew C. Rivera
Organizations
- National Defense University