3 weeks ago 9

Sizing Up America’s Military Footprint Around Asia Pacific

In its quest to dominate the Pacific and ‘contain’ China’s clout, Washington has been beefing up its military buildup in the area, relying on both legacy regional allies and wooing a network of islands in the process.

The United States has started its partial transfer of US Marines from Okinawa in Japan to Guam under a 2012 deal to reduce the burden of American troop presence on the island.

Here’s a look at the expanded American military footprint across the Asia-Pacific region, as part of its efforts to counter China’s growing influence (based on open sources):

Japan: Approximately 53,700 US military personnel are stationed at around 85 air and naval facilities on Honshu, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Roughly 70% of the bases (32) are in the Okinawa Prefecture.

South Korea: Around 25,400 US troops are stationed across over 70 Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine bases, with the largest being Camp Humphreys.

The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) returns to U.S. Naval Base in Guam, Aug. 19, 2021.

Guam: Home to Joint Region Marianas, which combines Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base. The Aegis Guam System, integrated with the new AN/TPY-6 radar and Vertical Launching System, is part of an advanced air and missile defense system under construction.

The Philippines: The 2023 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement granted US forces rotational access to four new bases, in addition to the existing five.

Taiwan: Joint training programs have brought more US forces to Taiwan, which Beijing considers a breakaway province.

Australia: Darwin hosts an annual rotation of up to 2,500 American Marines. Additionally, Virginia-class attack submarines will form part of a rotational force at HMAS Stirling under the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) agreement.

Papua New Guinea (PNG): A 2023 US-PNG security deal grants American forces access to PNG’s airfields and ports.

Fiji: The US and Fiji are working on agreements to allow the Pentagon to station troops and store military equipment in the South Pacific island nation.