The United States Army
10/20/2023 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/21/2023 04:01
USARPAC: Landpower essential in defending Indo-Pacific
[Link] 1 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption -U.S. Marines and U.S. Soldiers alongside their Indonesia National Armed Forces (TNI) partners conduct a Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX) during Super Garuda Shield 2023, at the 5th Marine Training Center (Puslatpur), Situbondo Regency, East Java, Indonesia, September 11, 2023. Super Garuda Shield 2023 is an annual exercise that has significantly grown in scope and size since 2009. SGS2023 is the second consecutive time this exercise has grown into a combined and joint event, highlighting the 7 participating and 12 observing nations' commitment to partnership and a free and open Indo-pacific. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army Reserve photo by Spc. Maria I. Garcia)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 2 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption -A group of Australian Defense Force (ADF) Soldiers, moves to their objective during a rehearsal for a Combat Live Fire Exercise during Exercise Super Garuda Shield 2023, at the 5th Marine Combat Training Center, Puslatpur, East Java, Indonesia., Sept. 9, 2023. Super Garuda Shield 2023 (SGS2023) is an annual exercise that has significantly grown in scope and size since 2009. SGS2023 is the second consecutive time this exercise has grown into a combined and joint event, highlighting the 7 participating and 12 observing nations' commitment to partnership and a free and open Indo-pacific. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. 1st Class Austin Berner)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 3 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption -A group of Australian Defense Force (ADF) Soldiers, takes a knee while moving to the objective with their assigned weapon during a rehearsal for a Combat Live Fire Exercise during Exercise Super Garuda Shield 2023, at the 5th Marine Combat Training Center, Puslatpur, East Java, Indonesia., Sept. 9, 2023. Super Garuda Shield 2023 (SGS2023) is an annual exercise that has significantly grown in scope and size since 2009. SGS2023 is the second consecutive time this exercise has grown into a combined and joint event, highlighting the 7 participating and 12 observing nations' commitment to partnership and a free and open Indo-pacific. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army Reserve photo by Sgt. 1st Class Austin Berner)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 4 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption -Members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense force conduct assessments on simulated casualties during the Orient Shield 23 training exercise at Kamifurano Training Area, Hokkaido, Japan, September 16, 2023. As a part of a bilateral training exercise, the U.S. Army and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force aim to acquire novel techniques and establish collaborative ties between allied countries.
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army National Guard photo by Cpl. Kalina Hyche)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 5 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption -U.S. Army Soldiers from the 5-20th Infantry Regiment and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Members discuss what lessons they learned during the bilateral live-fire exercise at Orient Shield 23, at Kamifurano Training Area, Japan, September 17,2023. Orient Shield 23 allows the U.S. Army and JGSDF to rehearse strategic movement and maneuver and demonstrate the unique contributions to the Joint Force. U.S. Army rotational forces to Japan help provide a capable, trained, and combat-ready force that will defend Japan. Orient Shield is the largest U.S. Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force bilateral field training exercise being executed in various locations throughout Japan to enhance interoperability, and test and refine multi-domain and cross-domain operations. (Photo Credit: Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Victoria Schiebel)VIEW ORIGINAL
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army National Guard photo by Cpl. Kalina Hyche)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 5 / 5Show Caption +Hide Caption -U.S. Army Soldiers from the 5-20th Infantry Regiment and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Members discuss what lessons they learned during the bilateral live-fire exercise at Orient Shield 23, at Kamifurano Training Area, Japan, September 17,2023. Orient Shield 23 allows the U.S. Army and JGSDF to rehearse strategic movement and maneuver and demonstrate the unique contributions to the Joint Force. U.S. Army rotational forces to Japan help provide a capable, trained, and combat-ready force that will defend Japan. Orient Shield is the largest U.S. Army and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force bilateral field training exercise being executed in various locations throughout Japan to enhance interoperability, and test and refine multi-domain and cross-domain operations. (Photo Credit: Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Victoria Schiebel)VIEW ORIGINAL
WASHINGTON - The Department of Defense conducts more than 40 army-to-army joint multinational exercises annually in the Indo-Pacific to increase integrated deterrence.
Allied partners and U.S. Army Pacific leaders spoke about the importance these exercises play in readiness and how landpower affects the region during a panel discussion at the 2023 Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C. last week.
"I believe that the security architecture that binds this region together is landpower," said Gen. Charles Flynn, U.S. Army Pacific commanding general. "The armies [in the area] play a central role in territorial defense and protecting their national sovereignty."
Allies and partner nations are moving toward multilateral and multinational operations because of the challenges they are facing from the People's Republic of China, Flynn said.
"This is a very serious threat that is facing the region," he added. "We have to do everything we can as a nation to get into the right place with the right capabilities in support of our allies and partners as a counterweight and as a method of deterring war."
U.S. Army Pacific is tackling these challenges by implementing the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center, utilizing Operation Pathways, and building joint interior lines.
The readiness center was established three years ago to provide realistic training opportunities to U.S. service members and partner nations in the region. It's the first new combat training center outside the continental U.S. in 50 years.
Each year, the center executes three training rotations, one in the terrains of the Hawaiian Islands, one in Alaska's extreme cold weather, and one at a satellite location.
[Link] 1 / 2Show Caption +Hide Caption -U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys from Marine Corp Base Hawaii, air inserts 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division opposing forces on Pohakuloa Training Grounds, Hawaii, Nov. 7, 2022. Bilateral and multilateral exercises strengthen relationships and enhance interoperability with allies and partners through shared experiences and tough, realistic training. We routinely invite and encourage allies and partners to participate in JPMRC rotations. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Proper, 25th Infantry Division)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 2 / 2Show Caption +Hide Caption -U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, move across a snow-filled landing zone during Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Alaska 23-02 at Yukon Training Area, Ft. Wainwright, Alaska, March 28, 2023. With more than 8,000 participants and observers from 12 different countries, JPMRC-AK 23-02's multinational environment helps increase Arctic proficiency throughout the Army and the joint force, in support of the nation's, and the Army's Arctic strategy. (Photo Credit: U.S. Air force photo by Senior Airman Patrick Sullivan)VIEW ORIGINAL
The deployable version was used in Indonesia in 2021-2022 before making its way to Talisman Sabre 23 for a one-of-a-kind collaboration with the Australian Combat Training Center.
"The region sees the value of what our combat training centers present, and they want to get that level of high-end training in their countries," Flynn said.
Through Operation Pathways, USARPAC strengthens regional defense partnerships by training with allies and partners on numerous exercises including Talisman Sabre, Super Garuda Shield, Orient Shield and Yama Sakura.
U.S. Soldiers and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members recently participated in Orient Shield 23, which aimed to improve bilateral targeting processes ahead of the large-scale Yama Sakura exercise in December.
"I believe Orient Shield and the Yama Sakura exercise are extremely important and a rare opportunity to improve our cross-domain and multi-domain operational collaboration," said Lt. Gen. Kobayashi Hiroki, vice chief of staff, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force.
USARPAC is building joint interior lines through protection, sustainment and command and control.
"The joint interior lines are us building forward positions to create enduring advantage, to create operational reach and to build operational endurance for the joint force," Flynn said.
The protection piece comes through counter-unmanned aerial systems, engineering and medical, as well as short-, medium- and long-range air defense.
For sustainment, the Army is building distribution centers and using Operation Pathways to test the deployment of pre-position stocks of equipment throughout the Pacific.
[Link] 1 / 2Show Caption +Hide Caption -Seaman Boatswain's Mate Qwante Huggins, right, and Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Joshua Banks, both assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, work together to affix the buoy connector aboard the commercial Australian vessel Bandicoot during Talisman Sabre 23 in Weipa, Australia, July 21, 2023. Huggins and Banks are part of the Joint Petroleum Over-the-Shore operation demonstrating critical logistical capabilities in the IndoPacific region. Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States, with multinational participation, advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening relationships and interoperability among key allies and enhancing our collective capabilities to respond to a wide array of potential security concerns. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Jonathon Daniell)VIEW ORIGINAL[Link] 2 / 2Show Caption +Hide Caption -Army mariners discharge vehicles on the beach via the causeway ferry as part of the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore operation during Talisman Sabre 2023 in Bowen, Australia, July 31, 2023. JLOTS demonstrates the critical capability of bringing vehicles and equipment to the shore in austere environments or when port facilities are unavailable. Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States, with multinational participation, advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening relationships and interoperability among key allies and enhancing our collective capabilities to respond to a wide array of potential security concerns (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Maj. Jonathon Daniell)VIEW ORIGINAL
Talisman Sabre 23 tested those lines during joint petroleum over-the-shore and joint logistics over-the-shore operations.
Joint petroleum over-the-shore simulated the transfer of fuel pumped from an offshore vessel to inland distribution points used for operations. The joint logistics over-the-shore tested the discharge of vehicles and equipment from sea to shore in harsh environments.
"What those joint interior lines are doing, along with Operation Pathways, and along with training in the region, is to take time and space away from [China], to deny them terrain, and to keep our physical presence forward with hard power to deter a war from happening," Flynn explained.
These efforts combined with the establishment of two multi-domain task forces in the region give the Army scalable, survivable and maneuverable land forces that create multiple challenges for the enemy across all domains, he added.
"The goal is no war," Flynn said. "Landpower's contribution to the joint force is to prevent that from happening."
RELATED LINKS:
Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center strengthens Indo-Pacific partnerships
Orient Shield 23 exercise enhances US-Japan readiness, deterrence