This volume examines how the U.S. military must rebuild in the wake of Iraq/Afghanistan, and refocus its power projection to face the new challenges emerging in the Pacific and with China.Rebuilding American Military Power in the Pacific: A 21st-Century Strategy provides an all-encompassing look at the challenges facing the United States in shaping a 21st-century Pacific strategy: dealing with the growing Chinese colossus, the unpredictable nuclear challenge presented by North Korea, the dynamic of the Arctic opening, and maintaining the security of the conveyor belt of goods and services in the Pacific. Can the United States successfully train and prepare for the 21st century, and break free from the mindset that determined its strategies in the previous century? The authors of the work explain why a carefully considered, fully modernized Pacific strategy is a key element for the evolution of American military power-and why shaping an effective air and maritime strategy in the Pacific as well as globally is the crucial challenge facing the U.S. military and the policy community. Written by authors with significant access to the media, think tanks, and high-level politicians, the book provides an insider's look at how American military leaders are building out relevant capabilities in the Pacific to defend America and its allies, and it contains extensive interviews with those leaders.

AcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I-The Strategic ContextChapter 1 The Pacific Landscape for OperationsChapter 2 The Chinese Factor in Reshaping Pacific StrategyChapter 3 The Chinese Military Evolves along with the EconomyChapter 4 The Challenge of a Nuclear North KoreaChapter 5 Stakeholders in Dealing with the North KoreansChapter 6 The Arctic Opening: Its Strategic ImpactChapter 7 Protecting the Conveyer Belt and Preparing for SLOC Defense: A Key Foundation for a 21st-Century StrategyPart II-The Remaking of U.S. and Allied Strategy: The Case of JapanChapter 8 The Pivot to the PacificChapter 9 Japanese Defense and Foreign Policy in TransitionChapter 10 The Geopolitics of Japan's Drive for "Dynamic Defense"Part III-Shaping a New ApproachChapter 11 Key Building Blocks for Shaping a Scalable Force for 21st-Century MissionsChapter 12 Living the Transition: The USMC as the Spearhead of ChangeChapter 13 The F-35 and Pacific Strategy: Shaping a Core LynchpinChapter 14 The Weapons RevolutionChapter 15 Preparing for a Cultural RevolutionChapter 16 Reshaping the ForceChapter 17 Evolving 21st-Century CapabilitiesChapter 18 The Way AheadNotesIndex