Indo-Pacific: New US Joint Force Command

Written by: (Contributed) on 5 August 2024

(Source: US Joint Forces Command powerpoint)

Two seemingly unrelated and carefully worded official Pentagon media releases in Australia have revealed their regional military planning for war with China. The planning has included upgrading the US-led Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) and using the Philippines as a central consideration as a potential 'theatre of war'. The role of Australia was downplayed.

In late July the Pentagon announced it had established a new Joint Force Command with Japan led by a three-star general with the specific plan to 'co-ordinate military operations with the Japanese, plan joint exercises and participate in the defence of the country if hostilities erupt'. (1) The command system has been placed at the forefront of US-led regional defence and security provision and has a special status with the Indo-Pacific Command based in Hawaii. (2)

Other publications with compliant pro-US journalists elsewhere also covered the upgraded US-Japan alliance. It was noted that 'Tokyo pledge to act as America's global partner … and that … Japan was to have a direct leadership role over American forces … with deeper interoperability … although … US forces in Japan would be reconstituted as a joint force headquarters reporting to the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command'. (3)

The upgrade to the already existing IPS has revealed how far diplomatic tensions have been continually escalating. The IPS consisted of the US-Japan alliance being central to global considerations; resting upon the 'Quad', China was effectively hemmed in from all sides. (4)
Other regional allies including South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and others, were included in the IPS as lower-level partners. (5)

The US is clearly concerned at the changing balance of forces across the Indo-Pacific and the ability of China as a major competitor, backed by strong diplomatic links between Beijing and Moscow. The announcement about the new command, for example, stated that ''the US and Japan also have to contend with increased military co-operation between Russia and China'. (6) It coincided with a major diplomatic statement issued from Vientiane, Laos, that 'Russia and China should join efforts to counter interference from external forces in South-east Asia … as … the strategic partners push for strong co-ordination in the region as a counterweight to the US'. (7) It was also noted that 'the two also discussed implementing a new security architecture in Euro-Asia … and … Beijing was ready to work with Russia to uphold the ASEAN-centred, open and inclusive regional co-operation architecture in the face of external disturbances and obstacles'. (8)

A few days earlier another Pentagon-issued regional diplomatic statement drew attention to the Philippines signing a new defence security agreement with Singapore, a 'fortnight after finalising a landmark pact with Japan'. (9) The IPS was not referred to, although remains the central framework through which the US conduct their regional planning. The new Philippine-Singapore security agreement was also categorised as going 'beyond broadening military-to-military engagement, the deal adds heft to Manila's strategy of building a defensive web of partners and allies as it contends with growing Chinese hostility in its maritime waters'. (10)

In recent times the Marcos presidential administration has been moved by the US to a central regional consideration; the Marcos grouping are little other than compliant puppets with every US-led move. Almost daily diplomatic hostilities between the Philippines and China are openly applauded by the US, who pull the strings of their puppets.

The fact the Philippines rests upon an arc with Singapore which also swings through the South China Seas, the Straits of Malacca, military facilities in Japan, Guam and sensitive areas of the South Pacific, shows clearly why the US regard a compliant government in the Philippines so highly, and necessary for their regional operations with allies. (11) Australia, for example, has also recently upgraded its military links with Singapore; in June Australian-based facilities were used by the Singapore Air Force for joint training accompanied by an official media release stating it 'represented the close and enduring defence ties between the two countries'. (12)

Singapore has also hosted the sensitive Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) for intelligence-gathering which have AI facilities for using 'data from these different sources … fused … to then be … analysed to produce operations intelligence as the basis for decision-making on response', linked to the Quad. (13)

No reference, however, was made in the media release to the role of the Australian-based regional Jindalee (JORN) radar facilities, which include Singapore; they are, at present, subject to a $1.2 billion upgrade to ensure 'Australia remains a world leader in maritime and air defence'. (14) The Philippines, through Singapore, would now appear part of the JORN facilities.

It is interesting to note a significant part of the two Pentagon media releases contained reference to the military-industrial complex: the new US joint force command was diplomatically noted as including 'Japanese efforts to shore up the West's industrial base ... while … Tokyo has agreed to help Manila acquire more coastal ships and radar capacity'. (15) No doubt the shareholders in the Australian defence industries, including Australian universities which provide much of the necessary expertise, are quite content to uphold such developments so long as they are supported by generous state and federal government grants:
We need an independent foreign policy!

1. Pentagon to set up joint HQ in Japan, Australian, 29 July 2024.
2. Ibid.
3. See: In historic move, US to upgrade, The Japan Times, 28 July 2024; and, US to revamp military forces in Japan, CNN., 28 July 2024.
4. The reasons behind Washington's push for GSOMIA., Hankyoreh, 12 November 2019.
5. Ibid.
6. Australian, op.cit., 29 July 2024.
7. Moscow, Beijing's joint bid to keep US out of Asia, The Weekend Australian, 27/28 July 2024.
8. Ibid.
9. Manila adds to its security network, Australian, 26 July 2024.
10. Ibid.
11. See: Peters Projection, World Map, Actual Size.
12. Singapore deploys combat jets to WA., The Indian Ocean Defence and Security Supplement, Australian, 24 July 2024.
13. AI revolutionises maritime intelligence, The Indian Ocean Defence and Security Supplement, Australian, 24 July 2024.
14. See: Wikipedia – Jindalee Operational Radar Network, Footnote reference to 'Rough Seas', ABC World Today, 16 December 2010; and, JORN., BAE Systems.
15. Ibid., and, Australian, op.cit., 29 July 2024.