REBALANCING THE U.S. MILITARY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC.

• Author: Sylvester, John
• Position: Brief article

REBALANCING THE U.S. MILITARY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

By Michael E. O'Hanlon, Director of Research, Foreign Policy

http://www.brookings.edu/research/opinions/2013/06/09-rebalancing-us-military-asia-pacific-ohanlon

With the drawdown of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan the great change in American strategy appears to be a rebalancing in East Asia and the Pacific to counter the rise of China. In his Brookings article O'Hanlon examines the budgetary costs of the new Navy, Marine, and anti-missile deployments and concludes that they are modest, and, moreover, "sequestration will very likely cut about as much from our regional capability as the rebalancing will add."

He totals the costs of Marines rotating through Australia, long range missile interceptors in Alaska, new Navy attack submarines and Littoral Combat Ships, and a general 10 percent increase of Navy ships in the Pacific as running to about $10 to $12 billion. This is not...