US-China relations: America is looking to outgun PLA in Indo-Pacific, observers say
- Military chiefs are reviewing their deployments in region to ensure they have sufficient firepower and troops to counter any threat from China, analysts say
- America worried its fleets will be kicked out of the western Pacific, naval expert says
The United States is reviewing its military deployments in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure it has sufficient firepower and troops to counter any threat from China, analysts say.
US Army Chief of Staff James McConville said at a recent online event hosted by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, he was making “long-range precision fire” his top priority and was looking at options for basing such weapons systems in the Indo-Pacific as part of America’s deterrence strategy.
The changes “will allow us to overmatch” potential adversaries like China and Russia, he said, adding the move would also include “establishing joint all-domain task forces”.
McConville’s comments came after US Marine Corps commander General David Berger said in March in his “Force Design 2030” plan he wanted to reduce the role of marines in ground warfare and leave the bulk of that responsibility to regular troops.
Meanwhile, the US Army National Guard said it would move most of its brigades under the command of its eight division headquarters to boost the combat power of the ground troops in the region, according to an August 1 report by the US military newspaper Stars and Stripes.
“The US wants to strengthen its strike capabilities by integrating its firepower systems on land, air, sea and space, and combine them with its troops in a powerful joint operation combat system,” he said.
