Throughout 2023, the United States worked with allies and partners to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region and achieve milestones for peace, stability, and deterrence. As Secretary Austin stated, “In this defining decade, 2023 will be remembered as a defining year for the implementation of the U.S. defense strategy in Asia.”
Transforming the posture of U.S. regional forces
In 2023, the United States, together with our allies and partners, achieved historic accomplishments to make our military posture in the Indo-Pacific more mobile, distributed, resilient, and lethal.
- Advancing the presence of major U.S. military units in Japan, including the Marine Corps’ most advanced formations, the U.S. Marine Coastal Regiment and the U.S. Army Watercraft Unit, to significantly enhance credible deterrence in combat.
- A series of new agreements with Australia include increased long-duration expedition visits by AUKUS submarines, increased rotations of U.S. bombers and fighters, expanded Navy-Army cooperation, enhanced space and logistics cooperation, and continued refurbishment of major bases. We will begin efforts to improve our military readiness. , and moves towards the creation of Australia’s Submarine Rotation Force-West by 2027.
- Expands U.S. rotational access throughout the Philippines by designating four new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) locations as strategic locations. This will enhance interoperability between the U.S. and Philippine militaries and enable both countries to address common challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Conclusion of a defense cooperation agreement with Papua New Guinea (PNG). It builds on decades of bilateral defense and security cooperation, strengthens the U.S.-PNG relationship, and strengthens regional stability and security.
- Strengthen deterrence and strengthen the rotation of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula. This includes the first U.S. SSBN port visit to the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in more than 40 years and the first landing of a nuclear-capable U.S. B-52 on the Korean peninsula. 1988.
Make historic investments in capabilities
The United States is fielding cutting-edge military capabilities today, developing the capabilities needed to maintain deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region in the future, and encouraging allies and partners to invest in their own capabilities by: We are supporting.
- Releases the most strategically driven defense budget in Department of Defense history, including $170 billion in procurement to expand air, sea, and land forces. $145 billion for research, development, test and evaluation. And with $9.1 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, more funding than ever before is proposed for these key initiatives.
- Announcing the best route for Australia to acquire conventionally armed nuclear submarine capability through AUKUS.
- Japan’s decision to acquire new capabilities to strengthen regional deterrence, including indigenous and acquired counterattack capabilities like the Tomahawk land-attack missile, and to double its defense budget over the next five years and increase research, test, and industrial supports Tokyo’s decision to develop expertise in promoting peace and stability in the region.
- Agreeing to develop capabilities to jointly produce guided multiple launch rocket systems (GMLRS) by 2025, announcing the AUKUS Innovation Challenge focused on electronic warfare, and launching a new series of maritime autonomous experiments and exercises. Promote defense industrial infrastructure cooperation with Australia, including Through Oaks.
- Strengthen India’s defense modernization plans. This includes advancing the priorities outlined in the U.S.-India Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap to co-produce fighter engines and Stryker armored vehicles, as well as the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X). It also includes launching. Fostering partnerships between U.S. and Indian researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors.
Promoting a common regional vision
The United States is working with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific in ways that strengthen peace and security across the region, including acting together in unprecedented ways. The main examples are:
- Following this year’s historic Camp David Summit, Japan and South Korea are deepening their cooperation more than ever. In December, the three countries realized two key goals from the summit: a multi-year trilateral exercise program and the full activation of a real-time North Korean missile warning data sharing mechanism.
- Australia and Japan will strengthen cooperation through participation in bilateral and trilateral exercises and integrate Japan into the existing US-Australia Force Posture Initiative.
- India is modernizing the scope of its military engagements, including incorporating advanced fighter aircraft and strategic bombers in exercises, which will enhance interoperability and provide common ground to promote stability and security in the Indo-Pacific. efforts are emphasized.
- The Philippines has issued the alliance’s first-ever bilateral defense guidelines to chart a vision for defense cooperation across all sectors.
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This includes capacity building programs and training courses to help integrate women, peace and security principles into regional security planning and operations, as well as the Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program for young civilians and youth. There are things. Indo-Pacific defense leaders.
- Investing more than $1.2 billion in security cooperation initiatives across the Indo-Pacific region. This includes the largest investment in U.S. history to strengthen the capabilities and capabilities of Indo-Pacific partners, maritime domain awareness, and resiliency to coercion.
- Exercise BALIKATAN with the Philippines saw the participation of more than 17,600 military personnel from the Philippines, Australia and the United States, and featured for the first time littoral live fire and cyber defense elements to support deeper interoperability.
- With the return of Japan to the Philippines for the first time in over 30 years, we conducted the “Cope Thunder” training exercise involving 5th generation fighter jets.
- Representing Indonesia and more than 10 other countries, Exercise Super Garuda Shield saw more than 4,000 military personnel participate in amphibious and airborne operations training, command and control simulations, academic exchanges, and professional development exercises.
- The MALABAR exercise by India, Japan and Australia was held in Australia for the first time this year, facilitating advanced training in anti-submarine exercises, communications and air defense.
- Exercise Pacific Vanguard with South Korea, Japan, and Australia strengthened interoperability at sea by bringing together more than 2,000 naval forces from the United States and three of its closest allies.
