Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin delivers remarks during the change of command ceremony for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command on April 30, 2021. DoD Photo
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command welcomed a new commander as Adm. Phil Davidson handed the leadership to Adm. John Aquilino in a Hawaii ceremony while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin provided his first public comments on how the U.S. military will operate in the region. Read More
Adm. John Aquilino, U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, speaks with 13 other heads of navies or their representatives from allied and partner nations throughout the Indo-Pacific region during a virtual key leader engagement to discuss outlooks and perspectives in this COVID-19 environment on Sept. 23, 2020. US Navy Photo
The Senate today voted to confirm Adm. John Aquilino as the new head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Read More
This post has been updated to include a statement from Republican senators about the Biden administration’s request and comments from Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.
The Biden administration is requesting a $715 billion budget for the Pentagon, keeping defense spending largely flat when adjusting for inflation, the White House announced today.
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USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) transits the Gulf of Alaska on May 25, 2019. US Navy Photo
The Navy and Marine Corps will team up with the Air Force for the first time in an Alaska exercise that will serve as a testbed for emerging joint warfighting ideas in all three services, planners told reporters on Thursday. Read More
Paladins from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division conduct a live-fire as part of Artillery Table XII qualification at the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, Republic of Korea. US Army Photo
The Army’s new emphasis on long-range strike is designed to offer combatant commanders options in longer campaigns, not take over Marine Corps and Air Force missions, the service’s top general and senior commander in the Pacific said Tuesday. Read More
H I Sutton Image used with permission
China is gathering data on the undersea environment in the Indian Ocean as evidenced by two government survey ships seen operating in the region via open source satellite photos. Read More
Adm. John Aquilino, U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, speaks with 13 other heads of navies or their representatives from allied and partner nations throughout the Indo-Pacific region during a virtual key leader engagement to discuss outlooks and perspectives in this COVID-19 environment on Sept. 23, 2020. US Navy Photo
A military takeover of Taiwan is the top concern in the Indo-Pacific, according to the admiral nominated to lead the region’s combatant command. Read More
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) arrived at Norfolk Naval Shipyard on July 7 for an Extended Carrier Incremental Availability. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated to include a statement from Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.).
The Pentagon is again considering a reduction in aircraft carrier force structure as part of the upcoming Fiscal Year 2022 budget submission to Congress, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. Read More
Soldiers from a M110A2 self-propelled artillery squad from the Republic of China (Taiwan) Army. CNA Photo
China could attempt to take control of Taiwan by the end of the decade, the admiral leading U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said today. Read More
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and U.S. Sailors manning the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Test Complex (AAMDTC) at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) at Kauai, Hawaii, successfully conducted Flight Test Integrated-03 (FTI-03). MDA photo
Building an Aegis Ashore facility on Guam would relieve three guided-missile destroyers from missile defense work and make them available for Navy tasking, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Thursday. Read More
