US Indo-Pacific Command Seeks Doubling of Budget, Ring of Missile Sites Off Chinese Coast - Report
Sputnik International
https://sputniknews.com/asia/202103061082269483-us-indo-pacific-command-seeks-doubling-of-budget-ring-of-missile-sites-off-chinese-coast -report/
China has set a goal of becoming a “fully developed nation” and “a global leader” by 2049, the centennial of its socialist revolution, but the US has accused the 1.3 billion-strong country of plotting to overturn the world order it has carefully constructed in its favor.
In a five-year investment plan submitted by the head of Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) to Congress this week, commander Adm. Philip Davidson asked for the annual budget to more than double to $4.7 billion, for a total of $27.4 billion by 2027.
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US Pacific Commander Defends $27 Billion Plan to Confront China The Pacific Deterrence Initiative calls for a precision-strike network of long-range missiles around China
Adm. Philip Davidson, the head of US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), is defending a $27 billion wishlist his command submitted to Congress to confront China in the region.
Speaking at the American Enterprise Institute on Thursday, Davidson recognized that the plan, known as the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI), is “not without controversy” but argued it was worth the massive price tag. He compared it to the European Defense Initiative (EDI) that the PDI was based on.
By WYATT OLSON | STARS AND STRIPES Published: March 4, 2021 The head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command sees one overriding and essential first step in deterring China’s military expansion in the Pacific. “Funding for the air and missile defense of Guam is my No. 1 priority,” Adm. Philip Davidson said Thursday during a virtual talk hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington D.C.-based think tank. “Guam is absolutely critical in maintaining deterrence and stability in the region,” he said. “It’s our most critical operating location west of the International Date Line.” The U.S. territory is “a critical nexus for command and control, for logistics and sustainment and for our power projection,” Davidson said. The small island is home to a deep-water port, Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base.
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In a virtual address to the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association TechNet Indo-Pacific Conference on March 1, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Phil Davidson outlined his message for the Pentagon and the U.S. Congress, to be delivered over the next few weeks, when it comes to the INDOPACOM’s force posture and warfighting requirements for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI).
According to the admiral, both revolved around one “fundamental truth”: “The greatest danger we face in the Indo-Pacific region is the erosion of conventional deterrence vis-à-vis China.” Davidson noted, “Without a valid and convincing conventional deterrent, China will be emboldened to take action to supplant the established rules-based international order.”
US boosting Guam’s vital role in its Indo-Pacific strategy
Dr. Theodore Karasik
March 03, 2021 22:20
Andersen Air Force base on the island of Guam, a U.S. Pacific Territory, August 11, 2017. (Reuters)
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The Biden administration is turning Guam into a key forward operating base for deployments and other operations in the Western Pacific, with China the primary target. Guam’s centrality in America’s Indo-Pacific security strategy makes the island a key node.
On Monday, Indo-Pacific Command submitted a request to Congress for an almost $5 billion-dollar budget, along with an additional $23 billion over the next five years. This request comes under the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI), which is designed to enhance US military preparedness in the face of China’s military buildup. This move brings into sharp relief where Washington is building its capacity over the next few years.