Pentagon Announces Completion of Global Posture Review

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The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) will cross the Philippine Sea on November 11, 2021 for a port visit to Guam. US Navy Photo

The Department of Defense on Monday announced the completion of its Global Posture Review, which includes few changes to the force schedule and a number of previously announced troop movements.

In a press conference on Monday afternoon, Mara Karlin, who performs the duties of Deputy Defense Minister for Policy, allocated highlights of the review that will not be released to the public, citing the security classification and the confidentiality of the country’s consultations with allies and partner countries protection.

The review will be “internalized” by the Department of Defense as it will serve as a guide to the national defense strategy, she said.

The priority region will be the Indo-Pacific, which is in line with the defense minister’s focus on China as the country’s rising threat, Karlin said. The review calls for infrastructure changes in Australia and the Pacific Islands, including Guam, examples of the country’s attitude change. These improvements could include ammunition storage facilities, airfield upgrades, fuel storage facilities, and logistics facilities over the course of a few years, although Karlin did not provide a more precise schedule.

“In the Indo-Pacific, the review guides additional collaboration with allies and partners to advance initiatives that will contribute to regional stability and deter potential Chinese military aggression and threats from North Korea. These initiatives include finding better regional access for military partnership activities; Improving infrastructure in Australia and the Pacific Islands; and the planning of rotary aircraft operations in Australia, as announced in September, “the Pentagon said in a press release. “The GPR also announced Secretary of State Austin’s approval for the permanent stationing of a previously rotating attack helicopter squadron and Artillery Division headquarters in the Republic of Korea, which was announced earlier this year.”

Karlin did not have a cost estimate for the infrastructure changes or other components of the review and said these would be determined when the department conducts the budget reviews.

Other regional highlights include an ongoing presence in Germany, with President Joe Biden lifting the previous administration’s cap on the number of active forces in the country. The United States will also keep seven military bases in Germany and Belgium that were previously earmarked for return to host countries, Karlin said.

The posture review also includes plans for the Middle East and Central and South America, although Karlin provided few details in her briefing.

The Pentagon did not provide any information on how the new review would affect the Navy’s surface resources. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday In April said the Global Posture Review could lead to changes in the way aircraft carriers and other naval vessels are used.

“During the Defense Minister’s confirmation hearing, I noticed two things about the NDS: First, he wanted to assess for himself whether all the elements of the NDS were still applicable – in other words, did he have to change something in the NDS? And the second, and I think it gets to the point, are we providing the everyday posture of the globe in the right way? Are we implementing the NDS the way it should be implemented? ”Said Gilday at the time.

“I think the global posture review will help us better understand where we are now, to answer the secretary’s questions about implementing the NDS and whether changes are needed, and I think that shouldn’t just fuel our deployment to aircraft carriers but the entire common force. Carriers are of course an important part of this, ”added Gilday, and one of the top priorities for combatants.

In the meantime, the Navy and Pentagon are conducting separate studies on the future fleet architecture. USNI News previously reported. The Pentagon’s Cost Assessment and Program Assessment (CAPE) assesses the fleet design for FY 2023, which will be released early next year, while the Navy analyzes the fleet architecture required to address future threats beyond FY 2024.

Gilday said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin intends to release an updated national defense strategy in 2022.

“The Global Posture Review will be part of a bigger puzzle. The defense minister aims to publish an updated national defense strategy in 2022, which should give us additional guidance on how the globe will be set up, how he sees us in the competitive phase and then prepared for a possible crisis against China, “said the head of naval operations in September.

Gilday also said he expects the updated National Defense Strategy to transform the global force position for both regions and territories.

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Pentagon Announces Completion of Global Posture Review