During the latter half of the 20th century, the United States developed a global system of overseas military bases primarily to contain aggression by the Soviet Union. U.S. overseas presence aligned closely with U.S. interests and likely threats to those interests. However, this overseas presence posture, concentrated in Western Europe and Northeast Asia, is inadequate for the new strategic environment, in which U.S. interests are global and potential threats in other areas of the world are emerging.
A reorientation of the posture must take account of new challenges, particularly anti-access and area-denial threats. New combinations of immediately employable forward stationed and deployed forces; globally available reconnaissance, strike, and command and control assets; information operations capabilities; and rapidly deployable, highly lethal and sustainable forces that may come from outside a theater of operations have the potential to be a significant force multiplier for forward stationed forces, including forcible entry forces. One of the goals of reorienting the global posture is to render forward forces capable of swiftly defeating an adversary's military and political objectives with only modest reinforcement. Decisively defeating an adversary would likely require substantial reinforcement even after transformation.
Transforming the U.S. global military posture begins with the development of new ways to deter conflict. Deterrence in the future will continue to depend heavily upon the capability resident in forward stationed and forward deployed combat and expeditionary forces, including forcible entry forces, along with the rapidly employable capabilities that the U.S. military possess throughout the globe. U.S. forces must possess a wide range of offensive and defensive capabilities that can achieve strategic and operational objectives in the face of determined adversaries, to include those armed with asymmetric weapons of war. DoD will pursue new deterrence tools that not only hold at risk an adversary's military forces and other valued assets, but also extend greater protection to allies and friends in crisis through capabilities such as missile defenses, defensive information operations, and counter-terrorist operations.
Capabilities and forces located in the continental United States and in space are a critical element of this new global posture. Long-range strike aircraft and special operations forces provide an immediately employable supplement to forward forces to achieve a deterrent effect in peacetime. New forms of deterrence, emphasizing the strategic and operational effects that U.S. capabilities can impose upon an adversary, can incorporate globally distributed capabilities and forces to rapidly strike with precision mobile and fixed targets at various distances.
One of the goals of reorienting the global posture is to render forward forces capable of swiftly defeating an adversary's military and political objectives with only modest reinforcement. Key requirements for this reorientation include new combinations of immediately employable forward stationed and deployed forces; expeditionary and forcible entry capabilities; globally available reconnaissance, strike, and command and control assets; information operations; special operations forces; and rapidly deployable, highly lethal and sustainable forces that may come from outside a theater of operations. Decisively defeating an adversary will require substantial reinforcement even after transformation.
Based on changes in the international security environment, DoD's new strategic approach, and this transformed concept of deterrence, the U.S. global military posture will be reoriented to:
- Develop a basing system that provides greater flexibility for U.S.
forces in critical areas of the world, placing emphasis on
additional bases and stations beyond Western Europe and
Northeast Asia.
- Provide temporary access to facilities in foreign countries that
enable U.S. forces to conduct training and exercises in the
absence of permanent ranges and bases.
- Redistribute forces and equipment based on regional deterrence
requirements.
- Provide sufficient mobility, including airlift, sealift, pre-
positioning, basing infrastructure, alternative points of
debarkation, and new logistical concepts of operations, to
conduct expeditionary operations in distant theaters against
adversaries armed with weapons of mass destruction and other
means to deny access to U.S. forces.
Accordingly, the Department has made the following decisions:
- The Secretary of the Army will accelerate the introduction of forward-stationed Interim Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) to strengthen deterrence and improve U.S. strategic responsiveness on a global basis. In consultation with its European Allies, the United States envisages that an IBCT should be stationed in the European area by 2007. In addition, the Secretary of the Army will explore options for enhancing ground force capabilities in the Arabian Gulf.
- The Secretary of the Navy will increase aircraft carrier battlegroup presence in the Western Pacific and will explore options for homeporting an additional three to four surface combatants, and guided cruise missile submarines (SSGNs), in that area.
- The Secretary of the Air Force will develop plans to increase contingency basing in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as in the Arabian Gulf. The Secretary of the Air Force will ensure sufficient en route infrastructure for refueling and logistics to support operations in the Arabian Gulf or Western Pacific areas.
- The Secretary of the Navy will develop new concepts of maritime pre-positioning, high-speed sealift, and new amphibious capabilities for the Marine Corps. The Secretary of the Navy will develop options to shift some of the Marine Corps' afloat pre-positioned equipment from the Mediterranean toward the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf to be more responsive to contingencies in the Middle East. In consultation with U.S. allies and friends, the Secretary of the Navy will explore the feasibility of conducting training for littoral warfare in the Western Pacific for the Marine Corps.
- DoD will also recommend changes in the worldwide alignment of special operations forces assets to account for new regional emphases in the defense strategy.
- The United States will maintain its critical bases in Western Europe and Northeast Asia, which may also serve the additional role of hubs for power projection in future contingencies in other areas of the world.
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