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Air Force to Expand Operations in the Indo-Pacific Region

The U.S. military as a whole is seeking to strengthening its posture west of the International Dateline.

A U.S. Air Force pilot assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron from Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, prepares an F-16 fighting falcon for takeoff at Korat Royal Thai Air Base, Kingdom of Thailand, on March 7, 2023, during Exercise Cobra Gold 2023. The service is looking to increase its operations in the Indo-Pacific region. USAF/PACAF photo by 1st Lt. Jade Watkins

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has mapped out specific funding as part of its Pacific Deterrence Initiative to strengthen its forces and capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region as a deterrence to China’s increased threats.

The DoD’s $9.1 billion Fiscal Year 2024 Pacific Deterrence Initiative request is a subset of its total military funding request and is designed to modernize and strengthen the military’s presence; improve logistics, maintenance and pre-positioning; carry out exercises, training and experimentation; improve infrastructure; build defense capabilities of allies and partners; and improve capabilities available to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), according to the FY 2024 Budget Request.

“The FY 2024 PDI [Pacific Deterrence Initiative] funding request includes significant increases to Pacific resilient distributed air basing, logistics and pre-positioning of equipment, Defense of Guam and INDOPACOM operations funding,” the budget document stated.

The military has mapped out Pacific Deterrence Initiative investments for the next five years (FY 2024-2028) along the lines of: modernization and a strengthened presence; logistics; exercises, training and experimentation; infrastructure improvements; building defenses and cooperation with allies and partners; and increased capabilities for INDOPACOM.

The funds considered for FY24 are the largest across the five-year plan, and drop to $8.1 billion in FY25, $6.3 billion in FY26, $5.5 billion in FY27; and $5.7 billion in FY28.

To provide enhanced and resilient air power to the region, the Air Force is requesting $163.8 million to modernize and strengthen its capabilities in the region. Specifically, the Air Force is proposing to increase its operations with INDOPACOM by $96 million and it is requesting $1.5 million for more Cyber Mission Defense Team contractor support to protect local network security centers in the region.

The service’s modernizing and strengthening Pacific Deterrence Initiative request also includes $42.4 million in Air Force research and development efforts for “enhanced F-35 procurement,” and $23.9 million to add winglets—wingtip structures that decrease drag—to its KC-135 tanker aircraft to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions, according to the department.

As part of the Pacific Deterrence Initiative request to improve logistics, maintenance capabilities, and pre-position equipment, munitions, fuel and materiel, the Air Force is seeking another $916.6 million, which will help support its Agile Combat Employment, or ACE, ventures in the Indo-Pacific.

“ACE is a proactive and reactive scheme of maneuver that shifts generation of airpower from large, fixed centralized bases, to networks of smaller, dispersed bases,” the department stated. “The investments necessary to enable distributed resilient basing and make ACE effective include a mix of concealment, hardening, pre-positioned essential supplies, tactical mobility, improved expeditionary communications, and both active and passive defenses, in addition to expanding the number of bases from which to operate.”

The service would add air traffic control and landing systems, runway equipment, base operations, maintenance and support equipment, fuel support, and cargo and utility vehicles, as part of the plan.

Notably, that portion includes $47.8 million in requested funding for FY24 to create live, virtual and constructive training ranges in the region for allies and partners. The Air Force aims to “form the world's largest fully instrumented coalition range system with the most advanced capabilities for virtualization, simulation, and operational rehearsal over long distances via integrated Joint Live, Virtual and Constructive training,” the budget specified.

The Air Force, which already hosts extensive allied and partner activities in the Indo-Pacific region, is also seeking $154.8 million in FY24 for exercises, training, experimentation and innovation. The funding would go to joint and allied air operations training to enhance and maintain skills, to base support, facilities sustainment and restoration as well as for a modernized global command, control, communications and intelligence, and early warning capabilities.

Meanwhile, another $667.4 million was requested for the service’s related military construction needed to support Indo-Pacific Operations, including resilient distributed air basing in the Pacific, from which to conduct dispersed air operations, the budget indicated. Some of the proposed projects include bomber apron construction at Tindal Air Force base, Florida; a Pacific Deterrence Initiative transient aircraft parking apron, and the first increment of a North Aircraft Parking Ramp at Joint Region Marianas on Guam. Some of the funding, if approved, would support projects from previous years.

The Pacific Deterrence Initiative also includes a separate $100.3 million of requested funds for the U.S. Special Operations Command to construct a special operations forces maintenance hangar and a composite maintenance facility in Kadena, Japan. Another $66 million was requested for Pacific Deterrence Initiative activities to be executed by the U.S. Cyber Command, including increased network and platforms capabilities. Cyber Command would also add three Cyber Protection Teams to mitigate readiness challenges in the region, increase low-level network sensing and defense, enhance existing alternative access support, and increase discovery and characterize adversary network efforts, the budget indicated.

“The investments under the Pacific Deterrence Initiative support the DoD’s effort to prioritize China as its preeminent pacing challenge and develop capabilities, operational concepts, and planning to strengthen deterrence against the People’s Republic of China in the Indo- Pacific,” the budget stated. The Pacific Deterrence Initiative consists of targeted investments that enhance U.S. force posture, infrastructure, presence, and readiness, as well as the capacity and capabilities of U.S. allies and partners, specifically in the Indo-Pacific region primarily west of the International Date Line.”