Section 1251 of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish a Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) “to carry out prioritized activities to enhance the United States deterrence and defense posture in the Indo-Pacific region, assure allies and partners, and increase capability and readiness in the Indo-Pacific region.”
And while we maintain the ability to respond across the globe, our campaigning efforts will be focused on the Indo-Pacific and Europe. Through the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and other regionally-focused efforts, we make investments that support our comparative military advantage and bolster our posture and logistics in the Indo-Pacific region.
Deputy Defense Secretary Hicks
May 6
Responding to the congressional direction to highlight investments focused in the Indo-Pacific, President Biden’s FY23 DoD budget features $6.1 billion in targeted PDI investments to enhance U.S. force posture, infrastructure, presence, and readiness in the Indo-Pacific region west of the International Date Line (IDL).
Chart I identifies the six categories used to fund PDI and provides the budget request for each of those categories. They are discussed in further detail below:
MODERNIZED AND STRENGTHENED PRESENCE – $1.8 BILLION
This effort responds to China’s recent progress in modernizing and strengthening its forces and capabilities as U.S. capabilities and assets are aging. By using forward-based and rotational Joint Forces armed with the right capabilities, the U.S. can demonstrate resolve, provide flexible response options, and assure allies and partners. The plan includes $377 million for the Army focused on communications and electronics equipment. The budget request includes $899 million for the Navy (and the Marine Corps) with the majority of that targeted towards base operating support which includes Marine operating forces. The plan also includes
$539 million for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) of which over 70% is for Guam defense development.
IMPROVED LOGISTICS, MAINTENANCE CAPABILITIES, AND PREPOSITIONING OF EQUIPMENT, MUNITIONS, FUEL, AND MATERIEL – $302 MILLION
Currently DoD lacks the logistics posture and capability to sustain the force or support operations in a contested environment. DoD is constructing a posture west of the IDL constructed around a tactical and commercial distribution network that provides joint and combined logistics solutions. Over half of these funds in DOD’s plan are for the Army ($167 million) for prepositioned stocks and a Maneuver Support Vessel (MSV). The plan includes $7 million for Navy maritime prepositioning and COCOM core operations. The plan includes $129 million for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) for bulk fuel storage tanks in Japan.
EXERCISES, TRAINING, EXPERIMENTATION, AND INNOVATION – $2.3 BILLION
To maintain readiness, U.S. forces need to conduct exercises with allies and partners and test tactics and technology in a dynamically changing environment. The PDI supports enhanced Joint Force participation in exercises, experimentation, and innovation that will improve interoperability across all domains with allies and partners while testing new concepts to improve effectiveness.
The plan includes $754 million for the Army with nearly $400 million for maneuver units and $303 million for Kwajalein Atoll. Requested Navy funding includes $138 million of which $67 million is for COCOM Direct Mission Support. There is also funding for Pacific Multi-Domain Training and Experimentation Capability (PMTEC) range enhancements which include network design, the establishment of war gaming analysis, and the establishment of an exercise experimentation program in support of joint battlefield operations. The $194 million planned for the Air Force is for PMTEC activities which include funding for the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex to procure and sustain Radar Threat Emulators as well as to complete site enhancements for upgraded radar systems. The Joint Staff would receive $189 million primarily for the OSD Strategic Capabilities Office.
INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO ENHANCE RESPONSIVENESS AND RESILIENCY OF U.S. FORCES – $1.2 BILLION
The FY23 PDI invests in infrastructure supporting an updated posture to enable employing dispersed air, maritime, and ground capabilities with resilient logistics nodes that are critical to enhanced responsiveness and survivability. The majority of this plan is targeted toward the Navy with $849 million for military construction projects in the INDOPACOM AOR (Area of Responsibility). The Air Force would receive $280 million in military construction funding to improve capability in the Mariana Islands and Japan. USSOCOM would receive $72 million for improved operations and warehouse capacity in Japan.
BUILDING THE DEFENSE AND SECURITY CAPABILITIES, CAPACITY, AND COOPERATION OF ALLIES AND PARTNERS – $453 BILLION
Investments in this category feature capabilities to improve interoperability and enhance U.S. partners’ abilities to defend against aggression, to conduct maritime security and domain awareness operations, and to participate in combined operations with
U.S forces. DOD’s plan includes $47 million for the Army, with most of that focused on classified programs and a Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (PED) Reach center to ingest sensor-agnostic data. The Navy would receive $96 million for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and for Special Operations Command Pacific within the Philippines. The plan includes $30 million for the Air Force Mission Partner Capabilities Office (MPCO) under the line item Global C3I and Early Warning. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) would receive $279 million for prioritized security cooperation activities in support of strengthening alliances.
IMPROVED CAPABILITIES AVAILABLE TO U.S. INDO-PACIFIC COMMAND (JOINT AND ENABLING HEADQUARTERS CAPABILITIES)
The sixth, and final effort, of the PDI in the FY23 Budget would fund additional capabilities to maximize the employment of initiatives, the deterrence of adversaries, and the assurances to allies and partners. These include critical manpower positions, technical advances, and joint management offices to coordinate and execute the initiative. DOD’s plan includes $5.9 million for the Army Mobile Integrated Ground Suite (MIGS) to perform Space Control Missions in INDOPACOM. The Navy would receive $19 million for INDOPACOM Combatant Commander’s core operations headquarters staff and the Joint Intelligence Operations Center.