US Weapons, Pacific, Commitment | DefenseTech: The deployment of the latest U.S. military hardware should serve as a symbol of American commitment to its allies in the Pacific region, an admiral said.
There is an air of uncertainty over whether a new Trump presidency will continue to honor the current American strategy to pivot its military forces to the Pacific region.
While he wouldn’t speculate on likely policies of a Trump administration, Navy Adm. Harry Harris said, “I have no doubt that we will continue our steadfast commitment to our allies and partners in the Indo-Asian-Pacific region.”
Speaking in Washington, D.C., at a leadership discussion sponsored by Defense One, Harris pointed to the future deployment of the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter to Japan as sign of that commitment.
The F-35 family is “the most capable aircraft that we have,” Harris said. “I think it is a powerful signal that we are sending our very best fighter aircraft to the Indo-Asian-Pacific before we deploy it anywhere else.
“It will showcase not only American technology but also American capability. There is no other aircraft on the planet that can touch it,” he said. “I am a huge believer in it.”
