Obama plans for a leaner US military

President Barack Obama unveiled a strategy yesterday for a leaner US military focused on countering China’s rising power while signalling a shift away from large ground wars against insurgents.

The plan calls for preparing for possible challenges from Iran and China with air and naval power while downplaying any future massive counter-insurgency campaigns like those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The “defence strategic review” sets out an approach for the US military in an era of austerity, as Mr Obama’s administration prepares for $487 billion in defence cuts over the next 10 years.

But Mr Obama, anticipating attacks from his Republican rivals in an election year, said defence reductions would be limited and not come at the expense of America’s military might.

“So yes, our military will be leaner, but the world must know – the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with armed forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats,” Mr Obama told reporters at an unusual appearance at the Pentagon.White House officials stressed Mr Obama was deeply involved in the strategy review and sought to portray the president as taking a responsible approach to defence spending informed by the advice of commanders.

Saying the country was “turning a page” on a decade of war, Mr Obama said military strategy would increasingly focus on Asia, where commanders worry about China’s growing military punch.

“We’ll be strengthening our presence in the Asia Pacific, and budget reductions will not come at the expense of this critical region,” he said.

Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said the strategy envisages a “smaller and leaner” force that will expand the military’s role in Asia while maintaining a strong military presence in the Middle East.

According to the eight-page strategy document, the American military would work with allies in the Middle East to ensure security in the Gulf and counter Iran’s “de­stabilising policies.”

However, counter-insurgency operations, like those in Iraq and Afghanistan, receive a lower priority under the new plan, enabling the administration to scale back the size of the US Army and the Marine Corps.

“US forces will no longer be sized to conduct large-scale, prolonged stability oper­ations,” according to the strategy document.

The review reinforces what defence officials have already signalled – that funds will flow to aircraft and ships while the US Army and Marine Corps will be downsized after having expanded during a decade of protracted ground wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Washington’s focus on Asia is fueled by concerns over China’s growing navy and arsenal of anti-ship missiles that could jeopardize America’s military power in the Pacific and access to the mineral-rich South China Sea.