The Loss of the Philippine Bases: Effects on USCINCPAC's Ability to Employ His Forces
Abstract
The major United States bases in the Republic of the Philippines, Subic Bay Naval Base and Clark Air Base, have been indispensable pillars of American foreign policy in the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas since the turn of the century. They have provided vital support to American military operations throughout the Pacific theater. As a result of the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, however, Clark Air Base has now been vacated. The Subic Bay/Cubi Point facilities also face closure in December 1992 as a result of the unsuccessful base rights negotiations between the American and Philippine governments. The U. S. government has recognized the possibility of withdrawal from the bases for several years, but had anticipated a phased withdrawal which would have lessened the shock effect on our warfighting capability in the region. The now- precipitous nature of the base closures, however, will result in a significant erosion of USCINCPAC's warfighting capability in the near term, particularly in the areas of sustainment and training. This paper examines how the base closures will affect the operational employment of USCINCPAC's forces, particularly in forward presence and crisis response roles, and recommends steps which should be initiated by USCINCPAC to mitigate these impacts. Philippines, Forward presence, Crisis response, Basing alternatives.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 13, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA249898
Entities
People
- Richard B. Southard Jr
Organizations
- Naval War College