According to sources, the United States Department of Defense will establish logistics maintenance centers in Indo-Pacific countries such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Ultimately, the US military will create a global maintenance network for critical military equipment.
In July of this year, the Pentagon introduced the latest progress of the Regional Sustainment Framework (RSF) and stated that Washington is in talks with five Indo-Pacific countries to utilize the industrial capabilities of allies and partners to conduct maintenance and upkeep of ships, aircraft, and vehicles in various theaters without having to transport them back to the US mainland.
However, at the time, the Pentagon did not reveal which specific five countries would be involved in the maintenance of US military equipment.
During the briefing of the plan, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment Christopher J. Lowman stated that this strengthens the relationship between the United States and regional allies, enhances US military readiness, and increases the military capabilities of joint forces.
“This will ultimately deter aggression,” Lowman said at the time. “Providing various options for theater commanders to repair unusable weapon systems can create high uncertainty in the opponent’s planned actions, thus enhancing deterrence and deterrence value.”
This year, the Pentagon will launch pilot projects in five Indo-Pacific countries, expand to NATO partners in the European Command area in 2025, and to Latin American partners in the Southern Command area in 2026.
Supporters believe that this plan can help the US military counter China’s industrial strength.
Sources told Nikkei Asia that the five countries involved are Japan, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Except for Singapore, the other four countries are treaty allies of the US. While Singapore is not formally part of an alliance, it maintains close military relations with the US, with American warships regularly stationed in the country.
Sources revealed that the Pentagon is expected to announce more details in September. The Pentagon did not respond promptly to Nikkei Asia’s request for comment.
Since the beginning of this year, the Pentagon has been hinting that the RSF plan is making progress.
In February, Assistant Secretary of Defense Lowman stated at the WEST 2024 conference hosted by the US Naval Institute that logistics operations of the US military are shifting from a traditional “reactive” posture to a “proactive” posture, providing solutions before malfunctions occur.
“In today’s strategic landscape, adversaries of similar capabilities are increasingly capable of challenging our operational areas,” he said.
He emphasized that the methods for maintaining critical weapon systems “need to evolve with the security environment of our surrounding nations.”
In March, Lowman led a delegation of senior logistics personnel to Australia, Japan, and the Philippines to discuss the matter.
The Pentagon announced in May when introducing the RSF concept that integration with allied and partner industrial bases would provide “predictable maintenance requirements” to help defense contractors make investment decisions.
US Asian allies are actively preparing to capitalize on this business opportunity.
A few weeks ago, South Korean shipbuilding giant Hanwha Marine announced it had signed a general agreement with the US Navy to perform ship maintenance tasks.
In August, Hanwha Marine won a US Navy contract to maintain a roughly 40,000-ton US military logistics support vessel at its shipyard in Geoje, at the southern end of the Korean Peninsula.
In June of this year, Hanwha Marine officially signed a contract to acquire 100% ownership of the Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania, USA, for $100 million. This marks Hanwha Group’s first foray into the US shipbuilding industry and the first Korean company to enter the American shipbuilding market. The Korean industry believes that Hanwha Marine’s acquisition plan is mainly aimed at synergy with the defense industry.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, has been advocating the use of private Japanese shipyards to maintain US warships deployed in Japan.
He told Nikkei Asia, “Repairing and maintaining warships within the theater of operations can effectively enhance deterrence like training.”