The US is beginning to train its soldiers to fight in such a geographical context, in view of a possible, hypothetical, eventual war with China, or with North Korea. Such a conflict would be fought on land, at sea, in the air and even in space. So US forces have begun to prepare for any scenario. But how?
The deserts of the Middle East? They belong to the past. The US military has its sights set on Asia, or rather the Indo-Pacific. ‘Indo-Pacific’ has become a buzzword. Whether for economic, technological or security issues, analysts never tire of emphasizing the importance of the region. In recent years, many countries and organizations have adopted new Indo-Pacific strategies and policy guidelines, including, among others, the EU and Germany. The consensus is that the geopolitical center of gravity is shifting to the Indo-Pacific. But what does this mean in practice?
The US is beginning to train its soldiers to fight in such a geographical context, in view of a possible, hypothetical, eventual war with China, or with North Korea. Such a conflict would be fought on land, at sea, in the air and even in space. So US forces have begun to prepare for any scenario. How? Reorganizing themselves, demonstrating that they can deploy quickly in case of need; learning to move under enemy fire. Also because the Chinese have sophisticated tools at their disposal to monitor the movements of their opponents.
ARMY PREPARATION
In short, the large and heavy US military is adapting to the present after two decades of fighting terrorism in Afghanistan and the Middle East. As the New York Times explained, American paratroopers have been training to jump from volcanic mountains in Hawaii for months, while ground troops are familiarizing themselves with the region’s humid jungle valleys, the Navy is training at Pearl Harbor to jump effectively and quickly.
Military equipment and men, and other soldiers work to make camouflage more effective in the dense green forests. The Navy will have to transport and unload people and vehicles in hot territories. The Air Force would be required to open corridors to facilitate unrestricted movement, for example, between the Philippines and other US-allied islands. The United States, remember, already has some troops on the ground: about 54,000 in Japan, 25,000 in South Korea, and a much smaller number in the aforementioned Philippines.
NEW TACTICS
Then there is the morphological factor to consider. It is no coincidence that the recent exercises held in Hawaii were designed to replicate the conditions troops might encounter in a war with China. Gone is the desert sand camouflage, the US military donned jungle camouflage suits and face paint for the occasion. US forces have also begun dismantling and moving large, command-heavy operations at short notice and communicating with each other without using military satellites, as well as learning how to advance in small teams to attack and then disperse into the air.
WASHINGTON PARTNERS
The Army has sent troops deployed to Asia 96 new tropical green infantry squad vehicles that can quickly move up to nine soldiers each through the jungle. Additionally, teamwork between the US and regional partners will be crucial. Washington is building nuclear-powered submarines with Australia, involving South Korea in nuclear weapons planning, producing fighter jet engines with India, sharing maritime surveillance duties with small Pacific islands, and finally cooperating with Japan to add adequate offensive offensive capability.
At the same time, US officials are also testing new communication systems with their partners and signing agreements to co-produce artillery with allies and to guarantee the blood supply of hospitals in the region in case of conflict. There is still much to do and time is running out.
