CIAO DATE: 04/02

Assessing U.S. Bilateral Security Alliances in the Asia Pacific's "Southern Rim": Why the San Francisco System Endures

At the turn of the century, the United States' postwar alliance network remains a key component of its international security policy. That policy is fundamentally based on maintaining military superiority over current and potential rivals in the Eurasian landmass. To achieve this goal, the United States must be able to sustain a force presence in Europe and Asia that can shape the balance of power in both regions during peacetime. During wars or crises, U.S. military forces must also be able to project a decisive level of military capability in either theatre. As an increasing number of states develop ballistic missile forces, there has been recent speculation about the future utility of force presence and forward bases. Nevertheless, current U.S. military planning endorses overseas American military presence and basing as critical to ongoing strategic commitments.

Regional security alliances, U.S. military planners argue, promote joint and combined training, encourage allied defense burden-sharing, and allow U.S. military commanders a wider array of military options should crises erupt in key regions. The effects of ballistic missile threats should be mitigated, at least over the short-term, by weak combat system integration and by concerted U.S. and allied efforts to develop countermeasures against them.3 Alliances and U.S. force projection strategies therefore remain an integral part of the "shape, respond, and prepare" American military strategy.

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