US Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Totoro

Major
VIP Professional
TERCOM is not some super secret god-like tech. Working principles behind it have been well known for a long time. The name itself tells you half the story. One needs detailed and current data of the flight route area, target area and of the target itself. Then you need a good set of sensors feeding the actual images into the missile's computer where the new set of images is compared with the stored set of images. A very rudimentary version of tercom could probably be done in some nerd's garage with a thousand bucks budget. It couldn't guide a missile but would probably be able to tell a remotely controlled model car how to navigate itself through a obstacle free apartment. With more time to practice and experiment, tons more money, and good experts i would say it's a given a decent TERCOM guidance is not used by just the western powers.
 

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Several retired US Army & USMC generals have called for old D. Rumsfield to resign. I have to agree with them. Personally I just don't like the guy. He has almost bankrupted the DoD and mishandled the War In Iraq. I wish he would retire or sumpthin'. You know old G W Bush won't fire him. Afterall they are pals.

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By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — A sixth former general joined the criticism of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday, saying Rumsfeld should resign for mishandling the war in Iraq.
"We need a new secretary of Defense," retired major general Charles Swannack, former commander of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, said on CNN. He said Rumsfeld had micromanaged the war.

ON DEADLINE: Will the list of generals grow?

Retired major general John Batiste, who commanded the Army's 1st Infantry Division in Iraq in 2003 and 2004 agreed. He told USA TODAY on Thursday that Rumsfeld should step down because he ignored sound military advice about how to secure Iraq after Baghdad fell. Batiste first criticized Rumsfeld in a speech last week.

"Sadly, we started something we weren't prepared to finish," Batiste said Thursday, adding that many senior officers shared his feelings on Rumsfeld.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said that President Bush "believes Secretary Rumsfeld is doing a very fine job during a challenging period."

The 73-year-old Rumsfeld has weathered calls for his resignation from Democratic lawmakers such as Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts. The new criticism, however, is rare because it comes from inside the ranks of the military.

Swannack and Batiste are the latest additions to the retired generals who have criticized Rumsfeld. They include:

• Marine lieutenant general Greg Newbold, the former Pentagon top operations officer, who called Iraq an "unnecessary war" in a Time magazine column this week.

• Major general Paul Eaton, who was in charge of training Iraqi troops in 2003 and 2004, wrote last month in The New York Times that Rumsfeld is "incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically."

• Army major general John Riggs, who told The Washington Post that his former colleagues in the military believe Rumsfeld and his close aides "should be cleared out."

• Marine general Anthony Zinni, the former command of U.S. Central Command and a longtime critic, said Rumsfeld should retire.

Despite Bush's support, such criticism could be enough to help force out Rumsfeld, said Loren Thompson, a military expert at the Lexington Institute, a Virginia think tank.

"It is so uncommon for senior military officers in the United States to criticize civilian leaders that it has to make an impression on the White House and Congress," Thompson said.

However, Kurt Campbell at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said he doesn't "see any sign that the secretary is contemplating stepping down."

Pentagon spokesman Eric Ruff disputed the contention that Rumsfeld failed to listen to military leaders. Ruff noted that Rumsfeld had met with the chiefs of the armed services 110 times last year. Retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael DeLong, Gen. Tommy Franks' deputy during the invasion of Iraq, said Rumsfeld solicited advice from military leaders involved in the fighting. "He listened to those who had information that was important and had the facts to back them up," he said.

Michael O'Hanlon, a defense expert at the Brookings Institution think tank, said the generals themselves deserve criticism for not making their concerns known during the run-up to the war.

O'Hanlon added that forcing Rumsfeld out would reflect badly on Bush.

"To ask for Rumsfeld to resign is to admit a big, broader mistake," O'Hanlon said. "It ain't going to happen."

Another Defense secretary who served during war, Melvin Laird, has known Rumsfeld for 40 years and said the criticism no doubt hurt.

Laird said that better relations with Congress and senior military officials would probably help Rumsfeld. But Laird, 83, a Republican who served as Defense secretary from 1969 to 1973 during the Vietnam War, didn't think that Rumsfeld would be forced out.

"I don't think this is going to influence him in any way," Laird said.

Posted 4/13/2006 6:06 PM ET
 
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bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
More on D. Rumsfield.

This is what the generals are saying about old Rummy.....I wonder if his little feelings are hurt???..Who cares? I agree with the generals on most accounts.

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THE GENERALS SPEAK OUT

Quotes from the retired generals who are calling for the ouster of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld:
"We went to war with a flawed plan that didn't account for the hard work to build the peace after we took down the regime. We also served under a secretary of defense who didn't understand leadership, who was abusive, who was arrogant, who didn't build a strong team."
— Retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste

"My sincere view is that the commitment of our forces to this fight was done with a casualness and swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions — or bury the results."
— Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold

"They only need the military advice when it satisfies their agenda. I think that's a mistake, and that's why I think he should resign."
— Retired Army Maj. Gen. John Riggs

"We grow up in a culture where accountability, learning to accept responsibility, admitting mistakes and learning from them was critical to us. When we don't see that happening it worries us. Poor military judgment has been used throughout this mission."
— Retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, former chief of U.S. Central Command

"I really believe that we need a new secretary of defense because Secretary Rumsfeld carries way too much baggage with him. ... I think we need senior military leaders who understand the principles of war and apply them ruthlessly, and when the time comes, they need to call it like it is."
— Retired Army Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack

"He has shown himself incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically, and is far more than anyone responsible for what has happened to our important mission in Iraq. ... Mr. Rumsfeld must step down."
— Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton
 

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Booze lockdown in effect on Andersen AFB Guam!..this is due to numerous recent alchol related incidents.

Geezz...Well I don't drink..but if I did and I was on Guam I wouldd
be thirsty!..

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Guam base hit with three-day alcohol ban after series of incidents

Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, April 17, 2006

A three-day ban on booze will be imposed on servicemembers on and
off Andersen Air Force Base in Guam this weekend in an effort to
curtail what's being described as "an alarming rate" of alcohol-
related incidents.

The direct order forbids military members from consuming alcohol for
72 hours starting 6 a.m. Friday, April 21 through 6 a.m. Monday,
April 24, according to 36th Wing spokesman 2nd Lt. J.D. Griffin in
an article in the Pacific Edge, a base newspaper.

The order was given by 36th Wing Vice Commander Col. Stephen
Wolborsky and applies to the entire wing, according to the article.

The Air Force's 734th Air Mobility Squadron and the Navy's
Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Two-Five's commanding officers are
ordering their units — also based at Andersen — to comply with the
restriction. Wolborsky also has asked that Department of Defense
civilians consider voluntarily participating in the drinking ban.

The article stated that "a number of alcohol related incidents have
occurred recently on Andersen at an alarming rate that have been
connected with a number sexual assaults, domestic violence and other
offenses punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice."

Andersen's public affairs office was closed Saturday and base
officials could not be reached for comment on specific details of
incidents that triggered the upcoming ban.

Wolborsky, however, was quoted in the article as saying, "Drinking,
especially binge drinking, cannot be the off-duty focus for anyone
on Team Andersen. Unfortunately, all too often airmen and sailors
decide to drink first and then figure out what to do.

"By that time they're already impaired and risk injury, criminal
activity and even death," he said.

There was no indication in the article how enforcement would be
carried out or whether on-base sales of alcohol would be curtailed
for the 72 hours.

Wolborsky, however, said commanders will hold unit functions over
the weekend at which drinking is not emphasized, in addition to
holding Monday morning physical-training sessions.

"Even if this is not their normal schedule of events it will help
the accountability process," Wolborsky was quoted as saying. "There
will also be a follow-up session with commanders to determine our
success."

The theme for the 72-hour period is "Find the Fun." The idea is that
living in a "tropical paradise offers lots of activities that don't
have to be centered on alcohol," the article stated
 

MIGleader

Banned Idiot
bd popeye said:
More on D. Rumsfield.

This is what the generals are saying about old Rummy.....I wonder if his little feelings are hurt???..Who cares? I agree with the generals on most accounts.

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THE GENERALS SPEAK OUT

Quotes from the retired generals who are calling for the ouster of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld:
"We went to war with a flawed plan that didn't account for the hard work to build the peace after we took down the regime. We also served under a secretary of defense who didn't understand leadership, who was abusive, who was arrogant, who didn't build a strong team."
— Retired Army Maj. Gen. John Batiste

"My sincere view is that the commitment of our forces to this fight was done with a casualness and swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions — or bury the results."
— Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold

"They only need the military advice when it satisfies their agenda. I think that's a mistake, and that's why I think he should resign."
— Retired Army Maj. Gen. John Riggs

"We grow up in a culture where accountability, learning to accept responsibility, admitting mistakes and learning from them was critical to us. When we don't see that happening it worries us. Poor military judgment has been used throughout this mission."
— Retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, former chief of U.S. Central Command

"I really believe that we need a new secretary of defense because Secretary Rumsfeld carries way too much baggage with him. ... I think we need senior military leaders who understand the principles of war and apply them ruthlessly, and when the time comes, they need to call it like it is."
— Retired Army Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack

"He has shown himself incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically, and is far more than anyone responsible for what has happened to our important mission in Iraq. ... Mr. Rumsfeld must step down."
— Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton

Mr. Rumsfeld responded by saying that he respected the views of these generals, but did not agree with them He said if the U.s secretary of Defence is chaged on the account of 2-3 peoples opinions, it would be like a merry go round.

But its not that simple!! Bever before in U.s history has there been an outcry from the generals like this. Its not just 2-3 guys, its 6. And most of them had worked for the army just befor the 2003 iraq invasion. Some disagreeed with rumsfeld on how to fight the war, and retired as a result.
 

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Miggy, sez..
But its not that simple!! Bever before in U.s history has there been an outcry from the generals like this. Its not just 2-3 guys, its 6. And most of them had worked for the army just befor the 2003 iraq invasion. Some disagreeed with rumsfeld on how to fight the war, and retired as a result.

Miggy you are so right. If 6 are saying this how many more retired generals etc want to say the same things?? How many on active duty want to do the same but can't without getting into big time trouble???.

I don't like Rummy..never have ..In my opinion he's gotta go!!!

Rummy in one of his better moments yucks it up with US Naval Academy cheerleaders....
051130-N-0295M-005.jpg
 

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Hey guys the USN is deploying it's west coast hospital ship USNS Mercy(T-AH 19) on a "humanitarian assiatance mission" on 24 April 2006.....The US is building on rappourt it established during it's tsumani relief efforts.

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Mercy Humanitarian Mission to Begin
Story Number: NNS060419-07
Release Date: 4/19/2006 2:33:00 PM

From U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The U.S. Naval hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) is scheduled to depart its San Diego homeport April 24, in support of a five-month humanitarian assistance mission to the Western Pacific and Southeast Asia.

Following logistics stops along the way, Mercy should arrive in the Philippines in mid- to late May.

The ship’s mission is being coordinated with host nations in the region and is being carried out in conjunction with non-governmental relief organizations to provide medical, dental and other humanitarian assistance programs ashore and afloat.

“The deployment of USNS Mercy to Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific exemplifies the United States’ commitment to working together with our friends, partners, and the regional community,” said Adm. Gary Roughead, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet. “By deploying the Mercy, we are training our medical crew in order to better prepare them to respond in times of disaster relief and armed conflict.”

Mercy is deploying with civilian mariners, military personnel, and members of non-governmental organizations. The Mercy humanitarian mission will be led by Capt. Bradley Martin. The commanding officer of the Medical Treatment Facility aboard is Capt. Joseph L. Moore. Civilian mariner Capt. Robert Wylie is the ship’s master.

The medical crew aboard Mercy is trained to provide general surgery, ophthalmology surgery, basic medical evaluation and treatment, preventative medicine treatment, dental screenings and treatment, optometry screenings, eyewear distribution, public health training and veterinary services.

A Seabee detachment from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40 from Port Hueneme, Calif., will perform civic action repair and minor construction projects in the host countries.

The Navy Showband from Norfolk, Va., will join Mercy while deployed. The band will provide outreach and entertainment to local populations where assistance work is taking place.

Last year, Mercy performed a similar mission following the December 2004 tsunami that struck Southeast Asia. Medical personnel aboard performed 19,512 medical procedures for more than 9,500 patients in Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea.

“Many Americans are from the Asia-Pacific region, and we have strong ties to family members, friends and co-workers with roots in the region,” said Roughead. “It is natural we should want to be good neighbors.”

Like all naval forces, Mercy can rapidly respond to a range of situations on short notice. Mercy is uniquely capable of supporting medical and humanitarian assistance needs, and has been configured with special medical equipment and a robust multi-specialized medical team to provide a range of services ashore as well as on board the ship.

More information on Mercy can be found on the Pacific Fleet Web site,
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.

For more news from around the fleet, visit
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.
 

isthvan

Tailgunner
VIP Professional
"Adriatic Sword 06" joint exercise

Today, on the 20th of April 2006, an air combat was simulated in Air Base Pula as part of the "Adriatic Sword 06" joint exercise. The joint exercise of the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence and the US Air Force has been conducted in the air space over northern Adriatic from the 18th to 21st April. Members of the 91st Air Base Zagreb, 92nd Air Base Pula and members of the ZMIN Brigade (Air Surveillance) and Special Tasks Battalion have participated in the exercise.

"It is the peak of the fighter pilots training and the most demanding form of the training" said the Commander of the Pula Air Base, Brigadier Ivan Bosak adding that the aim of such exercises is to qualify fighter pilots in air combats and to protect the sovereignty of the Croatian air space, which is also one of the obligations of the Partnership for Peace Programme.
American and Croatian pilots conducted several exercises by the NATO standards in two zones over Istra exchanging attacking roles, and they also performed Search and Rescue Mission of the pilot who was on enemy territory.
The Commander of the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence, Major General Viktor Koprivnjak evaluated this joint exercise of the Croatian AF & AD and the USAF as successful.

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USAF deployed F-16 fighters fore the exercise while croatian air force deployed it`s Mig-21bis fighters and Mi8 helicopters for SAR part of the exercise...
I hope that croatian pilots could fly somthing better soon as HRZ plan to retire migs by 2010 and replace them whit Gripens or F-16s:)
 

tphuang

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP Professional
Registered Member
probably not the smarted idea to post this, but the Americans are definitely transparent about their intentations. You would never get a public omission from PLA that it's gearing everything against the Americans (even though we all know that's the case)
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ASHINGTON: The United States is shifting its military might to the Asia-Pacific region and equipping its forces for high-tech warfare as a hedge against China's military buildup, a Pentagon spokesman Thursday.

"It is US policy to encourage China to emerge as a responsible international partner," said Bryan Whitman. "However, there is also a lack of transparency and some uncertainty surrounding China's future path."

"Therefore, we and others have to naturally hedge against the unknown," he told reporters here.

His comments came as Chinese President Hu Jintao was at the White House to meet with President George W. Bush on a range of trade and security issues, and to assure US leaders they have nothing to fear from China's rising might.

His visit played out against a backdrop of US concern about China's intentions as it pursues a major military buildup that the Pentagon believes threatens the military balance in region.

The United States also has been modernizing and reorienting its military forces in recent years, shifting its weight from Europe to the Asia-Pacific region and south Asia.

It has revamped its military alliance with Japan, and moved to strengthen military ties with India and countries in southeast and central Asia.

Guam is being transformed into a hub for long-range bombers, intelligence and surveillance aircraft and logistics support. The military plans to move 8,000 Marines to Guam from Okinawa, Japan by 2012.

The US Navy, meanwhile, is building up its presence in the region.

It is adding a sixth aircraft carrier to the Pacific Fleet and has decided to home port 52 attack submarines -- 60 percent of its fleet -- in the Pacific theater by 2010.

The navy also is changing the way it maintains and mans its warships to be able to deploy four aircraft carrier battle groups in the Pacific at a time.

This summer it is holding its largest aircraft carrier exercise in the Pacific since the Vietnam War, a navy spokesman said.

Three aircraft carrier strike groups will take part in the war games near Guam along with air force and Marine Corps forces, said Lieutenant Trey Brown.

The air force is investing billions of dollars to acquire costly F-22 fighter aircraft capable of cruising at supersonic speeds and to develop a new long range bomber, all with an eye on China.

"We're looking at changing from being a garrison military to being a globally expeditionary force, shifting the strategic balance, enabling the military to be more agile across the spectrum of challenges that exist out there," Whitman said.

"So DoD (Department of Defense) continues to prepare for unforeseen eventualities, from full-spectrum combat operations to counter-insurgency operations, stability operations, and homeland defense while creating the best structure to train and equip forces for those missions," he said.

Pentagon and US military officials in the past have insisted that the US military realignment was not directed at any specific country, or aimed at containing China.

But Whitman's acknowledgment that the changes were a "hedge" against China indicates Washington is opting for a more candid approach in spelling out the consequences of Beijing's military buildup.

The change in tone began last June when US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned at a international security conference in Singapore that China was spending much more on its military than officially acknowledged.

"Since no nation threatens China, one wonders: why this growing investment?" Rumsfeld asked.

A major Pentagon strategy review made public in February singled out China as having "the greatest potential to compete militarily with the United States and field disruptive military technologies that over time offset traditional US military advantages absent US counter-strategies."

The extent to which the concern about China is driving military budgets, weapons requirements, war games and other activities is "fairly significant, and I think it's fair to say that it's growing," Admiral Michael Mullen, the chief of naval operations said last month.

"There are just a lot of questions about the significance of the Chinese investment in missiles, in submarines, in ships, in technology, in capabilities, that make you wonder why so much so fast?"

"And clearly, putting ourselves in a position, what I would call a strong deterrent position, is very important," he told defense reporters.
 

FreeAsia2000

Junior Member
Yeah I saw that but there's a longer version with a breakdown of
accelerated american military deployments at

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Much of the force enhancement involves naval weaponry. For example, the Navy is reorganizing the operating methods of aircraft-carrier battle groups in ways that will double their ability to project power. Once transformed in two or three years, the Pentagon can dispatch four carrier battle groups at once in Asia. In the past, because of maintenance schedules and crew limitations, only two carriers were battle-ready on short notice. Other planned naval enhancements in Asia include the deployment to Guam of attack submarines and the addition of two strategic missile submarines, and perhaps as many as four. The converted boomers, as the missile submarines are called, each will be outfitted with up to 150 cruise missiles.
The large missile submarines also will play a key role in moving special-operations forces covertly to conflict areas in Asia. The Pentagon is considering the deployment of the 1st Special Operations Group to Japan, officials said. Marine commandos also are being readied to be able to counter the spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
Adm. Michael Mullen, chief of naval operations, said concerns about China are "fairly significant, and I think it's fair to say that it's growing."
To meet the challenge, the Navy will add one more carrier battle group to its Pacific Fleet. Additionally, it is shifting 60 percent of submarine forces to the Pacific and Asia in the next few years.
"Obviously, the outcome I seek is one of peace and security and stability," Adm. Mullen said during a recent breakfast with reporters. "There are just a lot of questions about the significance of the Chinese investment in missiles, in submarines, in ships, in technology, in capabilities that make you wonder, 'Why so much so fast?' And clearly, putting ourselves in what I would call a strong deterrent position is very important."
The buildup by the Air Force in Asia includes plans to upgrade Anderson Air Force Base in Guam so strategic bombers, including B-2 and B-1 bombers, can be based there for faster deployment. The bomber forces will be part of Air Expeditionary Forces that are moved there routinely on temporary but regular deployment.
The defense official said the bomber forces, which are equipped with a large number of precision-guided bombs such as cruise missiles and Joint Direct Attack Munitions, are "creating a capability that is exponentially more powerful in a new location."
"I don't think that is missed by people [in the region]," the official said, noting that North Korea already has protested bomber deployments in Guam.
Additionally, the Pentagon plans to build a new long-range strategic bomber in the next 15 years that will have the capability to conduct deep strikes in Asia with a large number of precision-guided munitions.
The U.S. ground forces' role in the Asia strategy will include repositioning forces in the Western United States, Japan and Guam. The Pentagon plans to dispatch the headquarters of the Army's I Corps, now based at Fort Lewis, Wash., to Japan in the coming years to be ready to fight in Asia.
The Marines also are moving the headquarters element of the Marine force from Okinawa to Guam. The transfer is part of a force realignment in Japan, but a Marine general revealed last year that the deployment to Guam will have the added benefit of protecting the headquarters against a decapitating missile attack from China or North Korea.
Missile defenses also play a role in the strategy. The current system -- designed to stop long-range missiles from North Korea -- will be adapted in the coming years, both through U.S. enhancements and development of a Japanese missile defense system.
The force restructuring has been accompanied by public statements by high-ranking U.S. military and civilian defense officials who have tried to minimize the U.S. activities and emphasize that China, which itself is involved in an aggressive arms buildup, poses no immediate threat.
The low-key approach is similar to China's strategy of building up its forces in ways designed to avoid provoking the "hegemon," what China has used as code for the United States in its internal military and Communist Party writings. Outwardly, China continues to insist that its military and economic growth pose no threat.
"The Chinese, tragically, have brought this on themselves," said Michael Pillsbury, a China affairs specialist who first identified China's covert anti-U.S. strategy for the Pentagon several years ago. "Their history and culture make it impossible for China to accept American leadership and forces them to use secrecy and subterfuge in their buildup, while ignoring Secretary Rumsfeld's appeals for openness."
Other elements of the hedge strategy include development of systems that will be capable of countering Chinese space weapons, which are viewed as a future threat. The Pentagon also has directed the military to develop Chinese-language skills and to have a cadre of Chinese speakers available if the military needs to "surge" its ability to communicate in the language. The requirement was couched in terms of learning several other languages as priorities, as well, including Farsi and Central Asian languages.
Adm. William J. Fallon, commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, declined to directly address the China elements of the hedge strategy. In an e-mail exchange, Adm. Fallon said the force "transformation actions presuppose neither a specific potential adversary nor discrete threat."
Military exercises in Asia also will play a key role in the hedge strategy. The Navy this summer plans the largest aircraft-carrier exercises in the Pacific in decades. Naval maneuvers slated to begin in June in the western Pacific will include three carrier strike groups. Each group includes at least three warships, an attack submarine and a support ship.
Two carrier groups then will participate in Pacific Rim exercises in July near Hawaii. Those will include forces from Australia, Japan, South Korea, Chile, Peru and other nations. An August naval exercise will include an Atlantic Fleet carrier.
Additional military exercises are being held with U.S. friends and allies. For example, the Navy's 7th Fleet currently holds 100 exercises per year and will increase that number. It will include exercises with India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, the Philippines, South Korea and Japan.
"The Chinese or anybody else has to ask themselves: 'What is it the Americans are doing differently now with their carrier battle groups ... that allows them to do this now and will allow them to do it any time they want to?'?" the senior defense official said.
The answer is different operating procedures, including a changed maintenance schedule and "crew swapping," in which crews on ships are replaced with fresh, land-based sailors to allow for longer deployments.
"You're creating a capability that you didn't have before just by the way that you're operating the same basket of assets you had before," the official said. "So this is a big signal. Now is this a hedge? I guess it's a hedge that says we can't predict where we're going to have to fight, so we're going to have to be organized differently."
All branches of the U.S. military also have been conducting secret war games that use China as an adversary. The war games have been kept secret to avoid alerting the Chinese.
Officially, the branches are told to conduct exercises at higher rates than they did in the past and to consider a range of adversaries, including China. The true purpose, however, is to be prepared to respond to a Chinese military move against Taiwan, an attempt by China to seize oil-rich territory in Russia or Southeast Asia, or to control strategic sea lanes from the Middle East to Asia, defense officials said.
Mr. Zoellick said his talks with the Chinese have been helpful in trying to persuade China to become a responsible "stakeholder" in the current U.S.-led international system but that Beijing's doubts remain.
The Chinese are wary of the current international system and recognize U.S. leadership of it but have not accepted the sole superpower role.
"I don't get a sense that they don't feel they can work with the United States," Mr. Zoellick said. "But I think they, of course, want to assess under what terms and whose rules." China's questions "really go more to stakeholder in an international system and who defines the system," he said.

I posted a while ago that the whole war on terror business was just a cover...it's interesting that now its being admitted
that the US military is more interested in Chinese speakers than Farsi.

However it is quite worrying that America is proceeding so fast in it's capacity to deploy forces which suggests some type of imminent land/naval war rather than simply dissuading China
 
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