By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
“Not distracted in the slightest,”…… were the words spoken by US Navy Pacific Commander Adm.Samuel Paparo on the question of whether the US is distracted away from the China threat in the Pacific.
The Commander of US Navy Pacific believes that the Pentagon will not be distracted from the growing China threat despite the ongoing time and energy consuming Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars.
Adm. Samuel Paparo referenced what he said were China’s “pressing unlawful claims” as an indication that indeed the People’s Republic of China threat appears to be escalating with an uptick in provocative maneuvers and aggressive actions related to the US presence and its connection with allies in the region.
Paparo’s comment makes sense, given the joint and multinational war preparations, continued high-op tempo training and forward presence now being maintained by the Navy in the Pacific.
“On the matter of distraction, I’ve not seen any distraction from the US government, or the US Department of Defense on the urgency in the Indo-Pacific and the importance strategically to the country,” Paparo told reporters at the Indo-Pacific 2023 Conference, as quoted in Breaking Defense. “And so, as I utter these words, while we talk about how there are two aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean, there are two aircraft carriers in the western Pacific as I utter these words.”
The continued dual carrier presence is indeed significant, as it is now not only preparing for the possibility of major war with China and a possible massive air-attack campaign but also sharpening connectivity with Japanese warships through joint wargaming and war preparations in the Philippine Sea. This is not surprising given recent tensions and provocations between the PLA Navy and Philippine vessels.
Paparo was clear about his sense of China’s intentions throughout the region, and expressed a measure of caution and firm resolve to sustain deterrence. He told reporters the China’s President Xi Jingping wants to “create tense, uncomfortable situations in the hope the US and partner forces will vacate the space that every force has the right to be in,” as quoted in Breaking Defense.
In support of this kind of deterrence posture, the US Navy published a picture of the dual-carrier, multi-national operational preparation now underway in the Philippine Sea. The USS Carl Vinson and USS Ronald Reagan are transiting the Philippine Sea in support of a “Multi-Large Deck Event” with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Escort Flotilla.
Paparo’s comments seem to suggest that the Pentagon is making a visible and decided push to “not” lose focus on the Pacific despite world conflict events. Certainly many have speculated that the PRC might seek to seize an opportunity to pursue more aggressive aims in the event that the US Navy were distracted.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization and Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
