![]() ![]() The fact that they have a very capable military allows them the leadership role that is necessary for this entire part of the world.Īnd I’m very happy with the tight coordination that our two nations exhibit on a daily basis. Clearly, Japan’s physical location puts them in close proximity to the People’s Republic of China. What do you think of Japan’s role in this Indo-Pacific region especially against China’s aggressive military activities? And that’s the flexibility that we bring as a forward deployed force. We’re always ready to do that type of operation. We did sail ー the Abraham Lincoln sailed up through the Sea of Japan ー just to make sure that other nations understood the versatility of this ship, and to maybe send a message to Kim Jong Un that we’re aware of your missile launches and not appreciative of the increased tempo. That’s the benefit of this aircraft carrier. And it was a statement by an aircraft carrier that had been sailing in the South China Sea just a week and a half earlier, could move that rapidly. This ship sailed up into the Sea of Japan in April. How are the US, Japan and other allies responding to North Korea’s missile launches? I’m very confident in our ability out here in the Pacific to keep an eye on the Russian fleet.Īboard the US 7th Fleet's USS Abraham Lincoln (April 23, 2022, pool photo). We’ve seen the strength and power of the free world come together when a country is aggressive and doesn’t abide by our international rules-based order and invades a sovereign nation. We're all learning from it, China's learning from it, Taiwan's learning from it, The United States is learning from it, and the world is learning from it. I'm not going to talk about the operations that were conducted, But I think all of us in the world are watching the events unfold over in Ukraine. Certainly Russia is a large country, and it has a fleet on this Pacific side as well. We’re certainly paying attention to what’s going on over in Europe and with the Ukrainian War, Russian aggression into a sovereign nation. ![]() Will the US have a further response to the invasion of Ukraine, and will Russia’s aggression impact the Indo-Pacific region? So, while I think there’s a tension, obviously, between our nations, there’s an understanding that it’s important that we communicate and try to find common ground we can agree on. We operate professionally around one another. Certainly as we’re out there operating in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, our ships are operating in the same water space. It's encouraging that we are communicating. That is the best deterrence that we can provide: all nations working on a common goal. There are numerous exercises in this part of the world to be able to operate at sea and exchange information, exchange tactics and be able to work as a consolidated force. Then there’s our mission Keen Edge that we just did. In one of the Pacific exercises we’ll have 30 nations out there operating together. How well would you say the US and its allies are walking the line? And so by being out here operating as a very visible, very agile dynamic force, there’s no better way to provide the deterrence that we need in this part of the region. It's really the opportunity and the exercises and that training that we do with all the other like-minded nations out here in the Pacific that provides that strength and that balance.Īs we saw over in Europe, the free world gets a vote and understands the importance of sovereignty, the importance of rules-based international order. I think you're standing on board a large piece of that deterrence, but it really is broader than that. As for our naval forces, the US Navy has deployed the 7 th Fleet, along with our US Marine Corps III MEF team, and then all of our allies and partners who we can sail and operate with every day. We’re watching China as they gain confidence and increase expansion exercises.Ĭertainly North Korea has launched more missiles recently. We’re all watching what’s happening in Europe with Russian aggression. How do you view the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region, with increased military activity from China, Russia, and North Korea?Ī lot of things happen in this region that are critical to the world. Thomas in an Apinterview in the Captain's Study aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |