Pacific Air Forces commander stresses a more dispersed, expeditionary-style fleet
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii — Pacific Air Forces is moving to distribute its fleet more broadly across the theater to both enhance flexibility and reduce vulnerability as a target, the PACAF commander said Tuesday.
“I do believe if we ever went to conflict, we would be at risk for sitting static in certain locations,” Gen. Charles Q. Brown said during a media roundtable at PACAF headquarters.
Brown said the Pentagon is considering expanding beyond the five locations.
“There is discussion about trying to do maybe more sites,” he said. “I think it’s important that we actually make sure we get the initial sites right.”
Meanwhile, Vietnam is looking to acquire a fleet of Beechcraft T-6 training planes from the United States – a departure from its usual aircraft supplier, Russia, Brown said. The Air Force is working with Vietnam on site surveys for their location, he said.
Vietnam officials Brown met were unrestrained in their criticism of China’s incursions into Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone and were anxious for diplomatic support from the United States, he said.
On Aug. 22, the U.S. State Department issued a statement criticizing China’s “interference with Vietnam’s longstanding oil and gas activities” in the South China Sea.
No one is talking about expanding a U.S. military presence into Vietnam, two nations that were locked in a bitter war just 50 years ago. But the relationship between the former enemies is warming, Brown said.
“It’s rife with opportunity,” he said. “We kind of see things the same way in the region.”
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