Top military leaders in the Pacific are joining forces to develop a strategic response to increasing Chinese military aggression in the region. The U.S. Army, Japan Self-Defense Force and Australian Defense Force are aiming to create a “positional advantage” against potential Chinese moves by integrating land and sea assets. The cooperation aims to create a multi-layered defense strategy to counter China’s military influence in the region and deter any potential conflict.
The Japanese Self-Defense Force, strategically positioned along the first island chain around China, is a natural part of this chain and plays a key deterrent role. Further south, the Australian Defense Force and the Armed Forces of the Philippines plan to strengthen their defensive positions using their geographical advantages while closely monitoring China’s military maneuvers.
The military leaders of the three countries met with U.S. Army Pacific Commander General Ronald Clark in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Wednesday to discuss their respective roles in this joint strategy in detail. The meeting focused on regional security challenges and opportunities for cooperation between the allies.
Change in Operational Environment and Restructuring of “Key Land” Definition
Philippine Army Commander Lieutenant General Roy Galido, in his statement at the meeting, emphasized that the radical changes in the operational environment due to the impact of modern technologies have “fundamentally changed the definition of key terrain.” Factors such as the inclusion of more ships and boats under the control of conventional land forces and the potential of long-range firepower to keep Chinese ships at bay are reshaping the concept of strategic terrain. This situation shows the increasing importance of the integration of land and sea elements in defense planning.
General Ronald Clark said it was vital that these regional actors and other allies come together to effectively contain China’s military actions in the region. “This is not just about the U.S. military, this is not just about our joint force, this is about our allies and partners,” Clark said, emphasizing the need for a collective approach to regional security challenges.
Japan's Strategic Position and Daily Deterrence Activities
Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff General Yasunori Morishita said that Japan's geographical location is one of the most important obstacles to China's expansion efforts in the Pacific. Japan's strategic presence in the first island chain stands out as a factor restricting China's ability to operate freely.
The Chief of the Australian Army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, said that the key to winning the competitive phase of a potential conflict is ongoing daily military campaigns. Allied leaders believe that these sustained and coordinated activities will deter conflict overall. Daily intelligence sharing, joint training and regional patrols are considered important elements of deterrence.
Australia's Sea Denial and Coastal Defence Strategy
Lieutenant General Simon Stuart said the new ships and light craft purchases approved by Australia were ways to “achieve sea denial and neutralise ships from land and dominate important and vital terrain” in coastal areas. Sea denial aims to prevent enemy naval forces from approaching or exploiting certain coastlines.
Following Australia’s 2023 defence review, the country has begun focusing on acquiring lighter, smaller vehicles to operate on and around coastal terrain features. This strategic shift aims to increase Australia’s coastal defence capabilities and counter amphibious operations. At the same time, the Australian military will purchase 28 new ships for its land forces to facilitate this manoeuvre. This will be the largest number of vessels the Australian military has had since the end of World War II.
Other defence review recommendations include an enhanced long-range strike capability for multiple theatres. Planners also expect to field a fully enabled and integrated amphibious combined arms land system and a mobile, joint expeditionary theatre logistics system. These modernisation efforts aim to enhance Australia’s capacity to respond more effectively to regional security challenges.
Plans to Strengthen Australia's Strike Capabilities
On the strike capabilities front, Australia’s defence review also recommended purchasing more M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and incorporating local weapons production to secure stock levels. HIMARS provides significant deterrence against land and sea targets thanks to its long-range and precision strike capabilities.
The addition of HIMARS and the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) will give the Australian military greater access to land and sea targets, according to a Journal of Advanced Military Studies article published last fall. The article notes that the Australian Army will acquire a total of 42 HIMARS. This significant purchase is seen as a step towards reinforcing Australia’s role in the regional balance of power.
Japan's New Amphibious Force and Island Chain Re-supply Strategy
Japan has built a new amphibious force and launched its first ship in November, the U.S. Naval Institute reported. The naval presence is key to the island nation’s ability to resupply its long island chain. The first ship, the JS Nihonbare, has capabilities similar to the U.S. Army’s Runnymede-class large landing ships, and will perform critical missions such as logistics support and personnel transport, the USNI said.
The force, which will consist of 10 ships in total, is planned to consist of four Nihonbare-class ships, two 4-ton transport ships, and four maneuver support ships. This new amphibious force will significantly increase Japan’s defense and logistics capabilities on its remote islands and contribute to efforts to support regional stability.
Philippines’ Joint Exercises with the US and Maritime Defense Capabilities
The officials said the Philippine Army has been actively training with U.S. Marines and Army assets, adopting its own anti-ship strike capability and facilitating U.S. strike platforms in the region through recent exercises such as Balikatan and Valiant Shield. These joint training and exercises are aimed at increasing coordination and the ability to operate together among the allies.
According to a Navy statement, Operation Maritime Base Land Security recently concluded after an experiment with fixed force concepts that “deployed low-signature, light-weight formations to various islands in the Batanes and Babuyan Island chains to rehearse Expeditionary Forward Base Operations, test sensing capabilities, and simulate securing and defending key maritime terrains.” Such experiments help allies prepare for a possible conflict scenario.
The event also featured a simulated deployment of the Marine Corps’ newest weapon, the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Intervention System (NMESIS), to Batan Island. “It was one small step for a Marine to walk out of a C-3 with NMESIS to that island, but it was a giant leap for the maritime interdiction capabilities provided by the U.S.-Philippines,” said Col. John G. Lehane, commander of the 130rd Marine Shore Regiment. This statement clearly demonstrates the allies’ commitment to improving maritime defense capabilities and increasing joint operational capabilities.
As a result, the multifaceted strategy developed by Pacific allies such as the US, Japan and Australia to counter China’s increasing military aggression envisages the intelligent integration of land and naval forces and the effective use of regional geographic advantages. Ongoing cooperation, joint exercises and investments in modern defense technologies aim to maintain the balance of power in the region and deter potential conflict.
