US plans to send thousands more Marines to East Asia
The US may be considering reducing its presence in the Middle East and strengthening its forces in East Asia by deploying thousands more Marines.
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US Marine Corps. Photo:Reuters. |
The US intends to increase its presence in East Asia by rotating Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) to the region,Wall Street Journalreported on February 9, citing US military officials. A deployment lasting seven months could include missions such as patrols and military training.
Each MEU consists of about 2,200 Marines operating on amphibious assault ships, with aircraft, tanks, heavy weapons and other resources. It is not clear how many MEUs the US plans to send to East Asia. The US currently has about 50,000 troops in Japan, 30,000 in South Korea and 7,000 in Guam.
The Pentagon also wants to increase the number of Marines deployed to Darwin, Australia. The US currently has 1,250 troops stationed in Darwin, rotating them out every six months.
To implement this plan, the US will reduce its presence in the Middle East. The plan is also consistent with the US National Defense Strategy, previously announced by the administration of US President Donald Trump, which considers Russia and China as key military priorities.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the MEU in Asia will help the US "persuade Pacific countries to lean towards this country". The Pentagon sees the plan as a "reset of forces" rather than "gathering for war".
"The Department of Defense continues to evaluate how it deploys forces around the world. It would be inappropriate to discuss a plan that is under consideration," Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman, toldCNBC.