10 April 2015

TPP as Important as Another Aircraft Carrier: US Defense Secretary

April 08, 2015

On April 6, US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter delivered a speech at the McCain Institute at Arizona State University on ‘the next phase’ of the US rebalance to the Asia-Pacific.

The speech began with a customary nod to the Asia-Pacific’s growing importance, a brief assessment of America’s strengths in the region, and an overview of the rebalance.

Carter then went on say what ‘the next phase’ of the US rebalance might entail on the defense side, focusing on four components: investments; capabilities; posture; and partnerships and alliances. He touched on investments in a new long-range stealth bomber and a new, long-range anti-ship cruise missile; the fielding of key US capabilities like advanced fighters and missile-defense equipped ships; adapting America’s bases, personnel and platforms to be more distributed, resilient and sustainable; and reinforcing existing alliances, emerging partnerships, and links between them, including trilateral cooperation with Japan and Australia.

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