A NEW GLOBAL DEFENSE POSTURE FOR THE SECOND TRANSOCEANIC ERA Andrew Krepinevich Robert O. Work Thinking Center for Strategic and Budgetary Smarter Assessments About CSBA Defense csbaonline.org A New US Global Defense Posture for the Second Transoceanic Era Andrew F. Krepinevich Robert O. Work Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments 2007 . TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... I Global Defense Posture Defined .......................................................................... ii The American “Leasehold Empire”: A Preference for Expeditionary Postures . iii Transitioning to a New Expeditionary Posture ............................................. iii Adjusting to New Defense Challenges ............................................................... iv A Long War Against Radical Islamist Extremists ......................................... iv Nuclear-armed Rogue or Unstable States ..................................................... v The Rise of China ........................................................................................... v Supporting Preemptive and Preventive Action ............................................. vi Global Defense Posture and Strategic and Operational Concepts: a Growing Linkage .............................................................................................................. vii An Encouraging Start ......................................................................................... vii I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 A New Global Military Posture Review ................................................................ 1 “Global Military (Defense) Posture” Defined ....................................................... 2 Why Reorienting the US Global Military Posture is an Important Topic for Debate .................................................................................................................. 5 A Word on Organization ....................................................................................... 7 II. THINKING ABOUT GLOBAL MILITARY POSTURES ........................................................... 9 Forward-Based Forces ......................................................................................... 9 Interior or Exterior Bases ............................................................................. 11 Sovereign or Foreign Bases ......................................................................... 12 Exclusive, Shared, and Participating Bases ................................................ 14 Campaign and Expeditionary Bases ............................................................ 14 Basing Networks ................................................................................................ 15 Forward, Peripheral, Intermediate, Remote, and Sanctuary Bases ............ 16 Chokepoint Bases ......................................................................................... 17 Main Operating Bases, Forward Operating Sites, and Cooperative Security Locations ...................................................................................................... 18 Forward-Deployed Forces .................................................................................. 19 Mobile Bases ................................................................................................ 20 Global Attack Forces ......................................................................................... 22 Strategic Mobility and Logistics Forces ............................................................ 23 Forcible Entry Forces ........................................................................................ 28 Rapid Base Construction Forces .................................................................. 29 Global C3I Forces .............................................................................................. 29 Security Relationships and Legal Agreements ................................................. 32 Status-of-Forces Agreements ....................................................................... 33 Transit Right Agreements ............................................................................ 34 The Connective Tissue: Strategic and Operational Concepts .......................... 34 The American Leasehold Empire ....................................................................... 35 A History of Garrison and Expeditionary Postures ...................................... 37 III. US (GLOBAL) MILITARY POSTURE UP TO WORLD WAR II............................................. 39 The Continental Era, 1773-1889: A Naval Expeditionary Posture..................... 39 A Continental Basing Structure ................................................................... 40 Leasehold Support Bases for Naval Forward-Deployments ........................ 40 An Imperial Expansion Into the Pacific........................................................ 42 Global Attack Forces = Strategic Mobility Forces = Naval Forces ............. 43 Toward a Global Telecommunications Network ......................................... 44 The Continental/Naval Expeditionary Era: Global “Lite” ............................. 46 The Oceanic Era, 1890-1946: A Service Expeditionary Posture ....................... 46 Toward a Sovereign Exterior Basing Network ............................................. 48 Forward-Deployed Forces and Expeditionary Campaigns ........................... 51 A New Emphasis on the Transoceanic Movement of Forces, Troops and Cargo ............................................................................................................ 52 Interwar Improvements in Strategic Mobility and Forcible Entry ............... 54 Developing a Long-Range Military Command and Control System.............. 58 The Oceanic Era’s Service Expeditionary Posture: Thinking Globally, Acting Regionally ..................................................................................................... 62 IV. WORLD WAR II: GOING GLOBAL ............................................................................... 65 Expanding the Pacific and Atlantic Defensive Perimeters ............................... 65 Exploiting the British Global Basing Structure ................................................. 66 Closing the Circle: Linking the Allies’ Atlantic and Pacific Basing Networks .. 68 Mobile Sea Bases Make Their Appearance ....................................................... 69 Mobile Air Bases for Fleet and Joint Action ................................................ 70 Mobile Logistics Bases ................................................................................ 71 Mobile Assault Sea Bases ............................................................................ 72 A Global Expeditionary Movement and Maneuver System ............................... 73 The Key Component: Sealift ......................................................................... 73 Airlift Makes an Important Contribution ...................................................... 73 Combat Logistics Forces for Fleet Support ................................................. 74 Forcible Entry Forces and Rapid Construction Bases ................................. 74 A Global C3I System .......................................................................................... 77 Global Superpower, Global Military Posture ..................................................... 78 V. 1942-1947: GLOBAL DEFENSE POSTURE REVIEW, TAKE ONE ...................................... 81 An Emerging Ideology of National Preparedness .............................................. 81 JCS Plan 570/2: A Return to a Regionally-Focused Military Posture? .............. 82 Negotiating—or Dictating—Foreign Basing Rights? .......................................... 84 Finalizing JCS 570/2 ........................................................................................... 86 The Services Make Their Initial Postwar Plans ................................................ 87 JCS Plan 570/40: Inching Toward a Global Posture .......................................... 89 1945-1947: When Plans and Realities Collide ................................................... 92 A Grave and Gathering Threat ........................................................................... 94 VI. THE TRANSOCEANIC ERA, AKA THE COLD WAR, 1947-1989: ADOPTING A NEW GARRISON POSTURE ......................................................................................................................... 97 Settling In For a Long Cold War ......................................................................... 97 JCS 570/83: Going Global (On the Cheap) ......................................................... 98 1949-1953: A Remarkable Turnaround ............................................................ 100 A New Leasehold Empire: Building The Transoceanic Era’s Global Basing Network ........................................................................................................... 103 Toward Forward-Deployed “Combat Credible” Forces .................................... 105 The Emergence of Global (Nuclear) Attack Forces ........................................ 109 A New Strategic Reinforcement System ......................................................... 114 Airlift ..........................................................................................................