ABSTRACT
In January 2012 the United States outlined its new defence strategy, Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense. The strategy states that while US interests are global, its security and economic interests are intertwined with developments from the Western Pacific and East Asia into the Indian Ocean region and South Asia. Therefore, the United States views its presence and influence in the Asia-Pacific as a necessary rebalancing toward this region.1 This recent effort by the Obama administration is an attempt to rationalize its strategy after having overextended itself in the last decade in Iraq and Afghanistan. The fiscal compulsions and everchanging dynamics of the Asia-Pacific also call for a far more agile and flexible US strategy. It must be able to respond to a variety of emerging challenges in the region while recognizing the changing nature of warfare. These realities have resulted in the United States initiating new proficiencies and strategies, including anti-access and area-denial (A2AD) operations. Succeeding in this environment warrants attention on a range of technologies-including developing new stealth bombers, enhancing missile defences, and improving the effectiveness of critical space-based capabilities and submarine technologies-while complementing new strategies and partnerships. The changing nature of warfare would emphasize information and communication networks in future operations while recognizing the vulnerability of these domains, thus making protection of these assets of new importance.
