Summary: Commander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea, U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson delivered a keynote address at the Land Forces Pacific Symposium, commonly known as LANPAC, emphasizing the critical role of land power in maintaining deterrence and ensuring regional security, particularly in Northeast Asia. Drawing on his experiences in Korea, Brunson discussed the importance of strong alliances, adapted force posture, and a thorough understanding of the strategic geometry of the region. He highlighted the interconnectedness of the joint force and the need for a visible, credible land presence to deter potential adversaries and assure allies.
Themes and Messages:
-The Importance of Alliances: Strong alliances are essential for maintaining regional security and deterring aggression.
-Adapted Force Posture: Adapting force posture to the specific challenges of the region, including pre-positioning equipment and maintaining a forward presence, is critical for effective deterrence.
-Strategic Importance of Geography: Understanding and leveraging the strategic geography of the region, particularly the location of the Korean Peninsula, is crucial for success.
-Land Power as a Connective Tissue: Land power is the connective tissue of the joint force, providing essential support for maritime, air, and other domain operations.
-Credibility and Trust: Credibility and trust are essential for effective deterrence and are built through consistent engagement and demonstrated commitment.
Key Quotes:
-"We prevail by strengthening our alliances, adapting our force posture, aligning our focus, resources, training and activities, and ultimately understanding the strategic importance of the geometry of the geography of this region."
-"By being forward stationed, we effectively operate inside an adversary's anti access, aerial area denial bubble and inside their head space, if you were to consider the region contextually."
-"Land power is a connective tissue of the joint force. Key assets such as offensive and defensive missile batteries, the terrain that supports airfields, command posts and medical nodes require a ground force."
-"Deterrence doesn't rest, and neither can we. Complacency is one of our greatest enemies. We must remain steadfast in our commitment, proactive in our preparation, and resolute in the defense of the values we all hold dear."
-"Posture is about positioning the right forces or capabilities with the right authorities in Korea, this means a combined, fight tonight, force capable of immediate response, enabled by rotational deployments and joint training."
-"We look for this whole of government solution when I think what we ought to do is be more artful in the application of inter agency. We ought to go for the people that we need, as opposed to trying to get everybody under one big tent."
Q&A Highlights:
-Trilateral Security Cooperation: Brunson highlighted the importance of ballistic missile defense and ballistic missile defense warning systems.
-Evolving Threats: Brunson highlighted what North Korea is receiving from Russia is technology, materiel, and RDT&E (Research Development Test & Evaluation).
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