Singapore to base US Navy's Indo-Pacific Command's new First Fleet?

[DOBIEMKZ]

The Navy's Indo-Pacific Command Needs a New Fleet But Where to Dock It?
Based out of Hawaii, Indo-Pacific Command is the largest combat command in terms of area covered and is vital to American and allied interests. The challenges in the region are enormous.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/navys-indo-pacific-command-needs-new-fleet-where-dock-it-185442

Here's What You Need to Remember: In comments delivered during the annual Naval Submarine League symposium, held online this year on account of the global pandemic, Secretary of the Navy Braithwaite explained what the driving force behind the idea of a new Navy fleet is, stating that “the Chinese have shown their aggressiveness around the globe. Having just come from the High North, Chinese presence in the Arctic is unprecedented.”

The United States Secretary of the Navy, Kenneth J. Braithwaite, wants the Navy to stand up a new fleet, the Navy reported. The new fleet, which would be the United States’ eighth, would help bolster the United States Indo-Pacific Command.

Based out of Hawaii, Indo-Pacific Command, or USINDOPACOM, is the largest combat command in terms of area covered and is vital to American and allied interests. The challenges in the region are enormous.

In addition to containing 50% of the global population, the area covered by USINDOPACOM includes the world’s biggest democracy (India), the most populous country (China), and the world’s largest Muslim-majority country (Indonesia), as well as nine out of the world’s ten largest seaports, and the busiest maritime shipping lanes. As if that were not enough, five of the world’s nuclear powers are in the region, as well as seven of the world’s ten largest militaries, underscoring the region’s global importance.

China, China, China

In comments delivered during the annual Naval Submarine League symposium, held online this year on account of the global pandemic, Secretary of the Navy Braithwaite explained what the driving force behind the idea of a new Navy fleet is, stating that “the Chinese have shown their aggressiveness around the globe. Having just come from the High North, Chinese presence in the Arctic is unprecedented.”

Braithwaite further explained how concerns about China are not due to American fear-mongering, relating the concerns expressed during a trip to Asia, where “every single one of our allies and partners is concerned about how aggressive the Chinese have been. I would argue with anybody that not since the War of 1812 has the United States and our sovereignty been under the kind of pressures that we see today.”

Existing fleets are insufficient to meet this challenge. “We can’t just rely on the 7th Fleet in Japan. We have to look to our other allies and partners like Singapore, like India, and actually put a numbered fleet where it would be extremely relevant if, God forbid, we were to ever get in any kind of a dust-up,” Braithwaite explained.

Singapore

The Navy’s 7th Fleet covers most of the western Pacific, from the International Dateline to the Indian Ocean, and though the San Diego-based 3rd Fleet has sometimes supported the 7th Fleet, a new 1st Fleet would greatly alleviate the burden placed on both. But where would the new 1st Fleet be stationed? Lion City, perhaps.

“So we’re going to create the First Fleet, and we’re going to put it, if not Singapore right out of the chocks, we’re going to look to make it more expeditionary-oriented and move it across the Pacific until it is where our allies and partners see that it could best assist them as well as to assist us.”

The U.S. Navy has had a presence in Singapore since the early 1990s when an agreement was signed with the Singapore Navy to use Changi Naval Base facilities. It’s a prime piece of real estate.

Though significantly farther from China than Okinawa or mainland Japan, it is not far from China’s so-called nine-dash line, an expansive but unrecognized area in the South China Sea claimed by China. Regional proximity to this area would clearly benefit not just the United States but American allies as well.

Postscript

Many, many details have yet to be made public, though Braithwaite said that the former Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper had been informed and was in agreement. Watch this topic for further future information.
 

[Mkl22]

mai la. 😧

little red dot directly in the line of fire between 2 behemoths. only can lose and never win.

[Beregond]

2 minutes ago, Mkl22 said:

mai la. 😧

little red dot directly in the line of fire between 2 behemoths. only can lose and never win.

ya la tolong loh. 🤮

not to mention the record of their army, wherever they go there is war🤢

[Windwaver]

[Arogab]

Yah, yah, when the 2 elephants fight, they fight outside their house and others suffer. Sianzz.....

[Beregond]

3 minutes ago, Arogab said:

Yah, yah, when the 2 elephants fight, they fight outside their house and others suffer. Sianzz.....

Thats why dun even think of inviting any of those elephant to sleep with us.

They roll abit we also kenna squash 

[Arogab]

2 minutes ago, Beregond said:

Thats why dun even think of inviting any of those elephant to sleep with us.

They roll abit we also kenna squash 

World is so volatile these days. We need to sleep with everyone. Haha. Just make sure we don't get squash can liao. Sleep further away, stay alert. Or can sleep same room separate beds. Haha. Boh Pian ah

[Mustank]

Phew phew phew phew

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by Mustank

[Xers007]

promise to be a good boy and go back to subic bay... maybe new senator there will welcome them... 

[Thaiyotakamli]

What happens when usa and china goes to war? Usa park their warships in sg and china will attack sg? And eventually SAF had to engage combat with PLA liao😅

[Playtime]

23 minutes ago, Xers007 said:

promise to be a good boy and go back to subic bay... maybe new senator there will welcome them... 

Yah... logically they have the most to lose.. and they already losing badly.

Philippine really the sick man already half swallowed. 

[Inlinefour]

free season parking means free guard duties here 

[inlinesix]

Since 1st fleet is supposed to be in Indian Ocean, it should be placed in Diego Garcia.

[Karoon]

Should be back in Subic

[Kklim]

Very, very bad idea. Much worse than making pork soup smell jokes about China.

[Kyrios]

1 hour ago, Inlinefour said:

free season parking means free guard duties here 

Agree somewhat..malaysia has been itchy backside recently...with their paratrooper beedeo and recent air intrusions..

But we may then become target of isis..lol..

Anyway, articles such as the one TS posted are a dime a dozen everyday.

Imo not likely to happen..im sure lao lee has previously pursued this..if we wanted..im sure nong time ago would have started liao

[Playtime]

21 minutes ago, Kklim said:

Very, very bad idea. Much worse than making pork soup smell jokes about China.

Yet... if true,  and approved  by Singapore.. then you gotta wonder what exactly happened behind the scenes to let the decision makers take this step. 

[Windwaver]

Should just WFH to reduce the risk of running into anything bad.