Speaking of the US Pacific Army, it is a unit that conducts operations against China in particular among the Army. In this respect, its capabilities and strategies have a major impact on Japan's security.
The most recent Army event is the Annual Meeting of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA), which took place in the United States from October 11th to 12th, 2021.
Remarks by Secretary of the Army Christine Worms
(1) If deterrence fails in the future and China or Russia threatens the important interests of the United States with a military aggression, it can no longer afford to spend months to project forces overseas from the mainland United States.
(2) The US military has already quickly gained air superiority and cannot hit the target while suppressing damage to the mainland.
(1) is a statement that keeps in mind the lessons of the Crimea that was completely occupied and the expected invasion of China into Taiwan in the future. In modern warfare, there are many cases where troops suddenly invade and occupy the territory in a blink of an eye. It takes more than a few weeks to project Army troops from the US mainland, including tanks. By the time you arrive, it should have already been settled. Moreover, the threats facing the United States are not the kind of offensives they have made in Afghanistan and Iraq. It's basically a defensive battle. You want to pre-deploy the Army to the front, which is more threatening.
(2) refers to two things: air superiority and defense of the US mainland. US aircraft cannot gain freedom of action within China's A2 / AD range. In addition, he has expressed concern that attacks by ICBM and SLBM strategic weapons will hit the US mainland even when operating in distant foreign countries such as Asia and Europe. You can see the lack of room.
Remarks by Chief of Staff of the Army, James McConville
By 2023, the Army will deploy hypersonic missiles, prototype next-generation attack aircraft, deploy next-generation squad weapons, prototype selective manned combat vehicles, and directed-energy systems for suicide bombers. Make a prototype of.
When it comes to hypersonic missiles owned by the Army, it seems that anti-ship missiles are basically in mind when considering cost effectiveness. Although it was not included in the remarks, it can be said that it refers to HIMARS (range 500km ~), PrSM: Precision Strike Missile (range 1000km ~), LRHW: Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (about 2775km).
We recognize that the United States is the most advanced in the development of directed energy systems. One of the greatest threats of modern land warfare is arguably the "self-destruct drone." Regarding suicide bomb drones, Turkey has recently started mass production and is exporting at an exceptional price of millions per aircraft. For now, it is best to protect your troops with a directed energy system. I think the Ground Self-Defense Force will be introduced soon.
Remarks by Commander Charles Flynn, Commander of the Pacific Army
(1) China is the biggest concern, but China is not the only one that poses challenges to the United States and its allies.
(2) The United States is indispensable in a good sense for allies, and security, stability, and trust are important.
(3) Currently, the Army is planning a Global Defender Exercise (implemented from the US mainland to Europe to the Indo-Pacific region) in 2022.
④ The exercise in Alaska was a good training because the terrain was similar to India and Korea.
(1) is a statement that is conscious of North Korea, Iran, and Russia, and does not correspond only to China.
(2) and (3), like the US Navy and the US Marine Corps, show the willingness of the United States to actively rely on countries around the world and surrounding partner countries and allies when fighting China. Next year, it seems that most of the earth will be used for exercises, but perhaps it will be a global exercise that imitates the invasion of Korea and Russia's Ukraine in response to China's invasion of Taiwan.
(4) Looking at the development and deployment of long-range missiles by the Pacific Army, it is easy to misunderstand that, like the Marine Corps, they are mainly considering operations on the southwestern islands. Basically, the Ground Self-Defense Force is a walk or a vehicle. The ability to move troops through the sea and air is limited, and the most effective combat power is on land. In an emergency, operations in North Korea and India will be the main.
