statement of admiral gary roughead, u.s. navy (retired) … · the transformation of the peoples...
TRANSCRIPT
StatementofAdmiralGaryRoughead,U.S.Navy(Retired)beforethe
SenateArmedServicesCommitteeHearingonAsia‐PacificU.S.DefensePolicyIssues
April14,2015
ChairmanMcCainandRankingMemberReed,thankyoufortheopportunitytoappearbeforeyouandothermembersoftheCommitteetodiscussU.S.nationalsecurityinterestsandobjectivesintheAsia‐Pacificregionandthechangesandactivitytakingplacethere.EventsintheUkraineandtheMiddleEast,particularlytheaggressionoftheIslamicStateandtherecentnuclearnegotiationswithIran,havedominatedrecentpolicydiscussionsinWashingtonandaroundtheworld.Thatsaid,theimportanceoftheAsia‐PacificregionandthestrategiccompetitionbetweentheUnitedStatesandthePeoplesRepublicofChinaisthelonggameandthemostconsequentialforourcountry.FordecadestheUnitedStateshasbeentheguarantorofasecure,stableandprosperousAsia.Overdecades,atgreatcostinbloodandtreasure,andthroughpersistent,crediblepresenceandcooperationwithalliesandlike‐mindedpartners,wehavebeenthestabilizingforcethatenabledtheriseofAsia.Ourrole,alliancerelationshipsandstabilizinginfluencearebeingchallengedbythePeoplesRepublicofChina.BlendinghardandsoftpowerandpursuingstrategicmilitaryandeconomicpoliciesChinaseeksthedominantroleinAsia.TocomprehendfullyandtoassessproperlyU.S.defensepolicyandstrategyinAsia,itisimportanttodefinetheregionbeyondtheAsia‐PacificregiontoincludetheIndo‐Pacificexpanse.Thatbroaderviewputstheregion’srelationshipwiththeMiddleEast,SouthAsia,andtheimportantenergyandresourcesea‐lanesoftheIndianOceanand,soon,thoseoftheopeningArcticincontextandbestframesthemilitaryresourcedemandsofthefuture.ThetransformationofthePeoplesLiberationArmy(PLA),specifically,thePeoplesLiberationArmy–Navy(PLAN)inthepastdecade,hasbeenremarkable.Systemcapabilitiesandforcestructuretendtobethemostnewsworthybutthemostconsequentialchangesareinorganizationandculture.PLAtransformationwillbesustainedandlikelyaccelerateintheremainingyearsofPresidentXiJingping’sleadership.PresidentXi’schairmanshipofaleadinggroupthatistakingonreformspreviouslydeemedtoobureaucraticallydifficulttoimplementwillproducechangesthatwilladvancetheeffectivenessandcombatpowerofthePLA.StovepipingwithinthePLAwilldiminishandthePLAwillbecomemoreintegratedandjointinthecomplexbattlespaceofcyber,spaceandelectronicwarfare.MorereinwillbegiventothePLA,especiallytheNavy,topreparetodefendclosetohome,secure
interestsabroad,toinstillanethosoffightingandwinningandtodemonstratethatChinaisaninternationalpowerofsignificance.StrategicallyandoperationallythismeansthePLAandPLANwilloperatemoreroutinelyinconsonancewithChina’stwodefinedregionalstrategiceconomicpriorities,the“SilkRoadEconomicBelt”andthe“MaritimeSilkRoad”.PRCactivitywillrepresentamixofhardandsoftpowerpresentingopportunitiesforU.S.–PRCcooperation,tobepursuedwhereappropriate,whileChinaseekstoestablishitselfasthedominantAsianpower.ChinawillbuildthemaritimeforcestructuretobeaconsequentialforceintheIndo‐PacificregiontoincludetheArctic.TherecentrapidexpansionofinfrastructureonseverallandfeaturesintheSouthChinaSeamustbeviewedasmaritimeforcestructureasthosesignificantimprovements,whilereinforcingPRCclaims,offerfuturemilitaryuseinthatvitalsea‐lane.Whileourattentionhasbeenlandward,ChinahastakenMahantoheart,understandstheinfluenceandimportanceofseapower,andisallin.China’smilitaryandeconomicinitiativeswouldbeachallengeeveninthebestofbudgettimes.CapabilitiescomingintotheU.S.inventorytodaywillsupportlikelyoperationsinthenearterm.However,ournations’sabilitytoadvancecapabilityinthemidandfartermisatgreatriskgivenBudgetControlActconstraints,thelackofregularorderinthebudgetprocess,andthelengthybureaucraticprocessesthatinhibitrapidfieldingofcapability.Thatapart,therealneedintheregioniscapacity–adequatenumbersofshipsandaircrafttoprovidecredible,persistentandpredictablepresenceandresponseinthevastexpanseoftheIndo‐Pacificregion.Thesizeofourfleetmustincrease,butwecannotsimplysatisfyourselveswithahighershipcount–balanceisparamount.Accordinglyweshould:
‐ IncreasethesizeofoursubmarineforcetomeettheincreasingneedinthePacificandIndianOceans
‐ PermanentlymoveoneaircraftcarrierfromtheAtlantictothePacific‐ ProcureanadditionalAmphibiousReadyGrouptoroutinelyfloatthe
MarinesdistributedinthePacific‐ SustaintheNavy’scurrenthigh‐lowsurfacecombatantprogrammix‐ Forwarddeployalarger,tailoredcombatlogisticsfleetandenhancealliance
logisticscapabilityandinteroperability‐ MoveboldlytowardunmannedcapabilityandcapacityinthePacific;
specifically,highaltitude/longenduranceaircraftformaritimedomainawarenessinthevastPacificandArcticareas;refuelableISRandpenetratingstrikecapablecarrierlaunchedUAVs;longendurance,networkedunmannedunderwatersystems
ChinaseekstodiminishthestrengthandefficacyofthePacificalliancestructurethathasbeenthefoundationofregionalstability.Theimportanceofouralliancerelationshipsandcooperationwithkeypartnersintheregionmustbecontinuouslyreinforcedandremainatoppriority.Wemustpursueincreasedtechnicaltransferopportunitiesandpersonnelintegrationbeyondthecurrentmodestpersonnel
exchangeprogramswiththem.ThisdoesnotmeanweshouldnotpursueacooperativemilitarytomilitarycooperativerelationshipwiththePLA.Activitiesshouldextendbeyondwhatwehavedonetodatecontingentonamorebalancedapproachofvenueandactivity.Inshort,Chinashouldtakeamoreactiveroleininitiatingandhostingmeaningfulcooperativeactivity.Alloftheabovearechallenging,hardandcannotbeattainedwithoutchangeandreform.Changeinacceptingthecontinuationofproductlinesandvariantsofthoselinesthatareadequatetoneedinsteadofstartingwithcleansheetdesignsandconsequentincreasedcostandlate‐to‐needintroduction.Reformtoreducebureaucraticacquisitiontime.Reformtobemoreaggressivewithtechnicaltransfertoalliesandlike‐mindedpartners,andreformtobegintoturnthehighcostofpersonneltotalcompensationsothatcriticalandstrategicinvestmentsincapabilityandespeciallycapacitycanbesustained.ThankyoufortheopportunitytoappearbeforeyoutodayandIlookforwardtoyourquestions.