Navy Ships Redeploying to Pacific Region, Up to 60% By 2020

By: Michael Ruiz

The United States will move 60 percent of its warships to the Asia Pacific region by 2020, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Saturday. The move is part of President Barack Obamas pivot to Asia that many experts feel is a response to Chinas increasingly hostile regional posture. Panetta is in Singapore for an annual defense forum and analysts expect him to divulge further details on future U.S. military reconfigurations.

South China Sea

Many experts believe Obamas decision to realign military forces into the Pacific region is a reaction to tension in the South China Sea, although the seas to north near South Korea and China and the Indian Ocean have also witnessed recent flare-ups. China is pushing more aggressively than ever before in asserting its claims over nearly the entire maritime region from the Sea of Japan to and including the South China Sea. In addition, it is acting increasingly aggressive in the Bay of Bengal, which is exacerbating an already tense land border conflict with India.

Smaller, leaner Navy

Although the projected number of naval warships will decline in coming years, the Defense Department plans to replace many existing ships with newer more capable models. Currently, the U.S. Navy has 282 ships including non-combatants and that number will decrease to 276 over the next two years. The number will then rise to about 300 ships; however, this is lower than previous projections. The Navy currently assigns about 50 percent of its warships to the Pacific region and the plan is to increase the number to 60 percent by 2020. Littoral Combat Ship An example of the new type of combat vessel that the Navy is deploying to meet future contingencies. The vessel is particularly useful in patrolling shallow water areas like those around the contentious Spratly Islands. Singapore will host four of these ships on a rotating basis.

 Aircraft carriers The Navy plans to assign six aircraft carriers to the Asia Pacific region. Currently, there are 11 total carriers in the Navy, but that number will dip down to 10. Cruisers, destroyers and submarines Panetta said that the majority of these combat ships will operate in the Pacific region by 2020. While some military experts have complained about the downsizing of military forces while at the same time taking on a major new Asia Pacific assignment, Panetta said the smaller force will have more capability. New aircraft like the F-35, for example, have the combined capability of modern fighters along with stealth features for strike missions. The high tech jet fighter also has the capability of short take-off and vertical landing, which means that it can operate in combat areas that are prohibitive to fighters like the F-15 and F-16.

Chinas motivations
Experts are unsure about why China is showing an increasingly aggressive posture toward its neighbors in Asia. Some believe that the move may have some connection with the upcoming shift in the Communist Party leadership. Recent news stories suggest a party purge with reformers moving against more traditional Maoists like former party secretary Bo Xilai. Whatever the case, recent tensions exceed anything in the region since China and Vietnam battled over the Paracel Islands in 1974. The situation today, however, is more widespread with China locking horns with Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea and India. Even close ally North Korea has had a flare-up with Beijing over territorial claims.

Partnerships Not Bases

The pivot toward the Asia Pacific region will not involve setting up new military bases in treaty or friendly countries. Bases under the control of foreign military forces are a sticky political issue these days and the administration is bypassing this approach in order to move quickly. Instead of building their own bases, U.S. forces will deploy on a rotational basis to facilities run by friendly countries. For example, up to 2500 U.S. Marines will work out of Australian bases in Darwin. Singapore will open up its ports and naval bases to the Navys Combat Littoral Ships. Washington and Manila are discussing how to step up military cooperation between the two countries. Currently, the Philippines conducts joint military exercises with the United States under the Visiting Forces Agreement.

In addition, a semi-permanent special operations unit on the southern island of Mindanao assists Philippines forces in combating terrorist groups. The plan is to increase the level of joint activity to include the possibility of setting up additional locally controlled repair and replenishment facilities for U.S. ships and aircraft. Panetta said the U.S. was moving away from a Cold War approach of building up permanent bases to partnerships that involve a greater degree of collaboration along with access to air bases, ports and other facilities in partner countries. Personnel assignments will be temporary with units deploying on a rotational basis.