Should The US Pull Back Forward Deployed Navy To Deter China?

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – Rolling back U.S. naval forward presence will strengthen U.S. deterrence against China. Beijing must believe Washington can fight a sustained, brutal war, where the U.S. Navy can take major losses and still fight on. Today, that is not the case, and “naval forward presence” bears much of the blame.

Naval forward presence remains popular with foreign policy elites and the military brass, but Trump’s win provides a chance to break its hold on conventional wisdom. Trump has a mandate to reshape American foreign policy. His new team is even more determined to enact revolutionary change.

The practice of maintaining combat naval forces worldwide to deter adversaries, reassure allies, respond to crises and perform global constabulary functions—has dominated US foreign policy since the 1990s. 

Few dare question it. Its supporters—under the illusion that “credibility anywhere is credibility everywhere”—warn that rolling back presence operations will embolden U.S. adversaries. 

But the opposite is true. A navy tasked to do all these things cannot do them all well. Rolling back presence will strengthen, not weaken, deterrence. For too long, short-term thinking has taken priority over managing long-term risk. It’s time to flip the script.

Readiness for great-power conflict—peace through strength rather than global policing—should once again be America’s primary grand strategic aim. 

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:    

NATIONAL SECURITY

Google has discarded its self-imposed ban on using AI in weapons, and underscored how the Pentagon—not any single company—must act as the primary regulator on how the US military uses AI in combat.

The secret to delivering Trump’s Iron Dome program: Incentivize the right behaviors and refuse to reward the wrong ones.

HOMELAND SECURITY

First ‘high-threat’ deportees arrive at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.

This, as more Marines head there to conduct ‘illegal migrant’ detention operations.

PENTAGON WOKE WATCH

Army, Navy pull down web pages devoted to women in military service, an apparent response to President Trump’s executive order to kill DEI programs across the federal government.

Trump orders end ethnic observances in the Defense Department (DODEA) K-12 schools, spur review of clubs and books.

POLITICS

Iowa’s Sen. Joni Ernst has hailed Elon Musk and Trump’s DOGE, calling it “a storm that is headed this way that will sweep over this city and forever alter the way it operates.”

Senate confirms Project 2025 architect Russell Vought to lead powerful White House budget office.

Trump receives golden pager gift from Netanyahu to commemorate Israel’s campaign targeting Hezbollah operatives through the use of thousands of explosive pagers and walkie-talkies.

Trump’s threats to sanction South Africa for its land expropriation policy has brought a spotlight on more South African expats backing him. Joel Pollak is a possible candidate to be the next U.S. ambassador to South Africa.

Rubio accuses South Africa of ‘anti-Americanism’ and snubs G20 meeting in Johannesburg later this month, as diplomatic ties sour between the two countries.

US POWER OVERSEAS

Panama disputes US claim that Navy ships will transit canal for free, says they aren’t entitled to a free ride just yet, but it’s open to dialogue.

Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) pulled into Souda Bay, Greece on Thursday following 50 days in the Red Sea.

IRAN THREAT/ISRAEL WAR

Iran’s wacky drone ‘aircraft carrier’ has entered service. Newly emerged imagery shows various drones and crewed helicopters on the flight deck, which has a ski jump at the bow end, including ‘drones’ styled after the infamous Qaher 313. Pics also show the ship launching a small missile boat.

Iran supreme leader says US talks ‘not intelligent, wise or honorable,’ upending Trump push for nuclear talks with Tehran.

Hegseth on troops in Gaza: ‘We’re prepared to look at all options.’

Egypt and Jordan put in impossible bind by Trump Gaza proposal that the US take “ownership” of Gaza, and more than two million Palestinians be displaced to allow the territory to be transformed from “a demolition site” into a “riviera” in the Middle East.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

The US is handing off to UK the leadership of the international group that manages military aid to Ukraine, a sign that Trump’s Pentagon may play a lesser role in supporting Kyiv.

Trump must keep arming Ukraine if he wants a good peace deal that preserves American interests. He should focus on gaining leverage over Russia. This will require not only tougher economic sanctions but also continued military support for Ukraine.

Ukraine launches new offensive push in Russia’s Kursk region six months to the day of its first incursion, but its scale and objective remain unclear.

Ukraine receives first Mirage 2000 fighter jets from France, giving the country its second type of Western aircraft in addition to F-16 jets handed over by allies last year.

Two NATO F-35s in the Arctic this week intercepted Russian bombers and fighter planes flying near allied airspace.

Three small Baltic NATO members still rely on Russia to manage their electricity grid. They’re about to pull the plug

SPACE THREAT

A Japanese navigation satellite launched from one of Japan’s southernmost islands earlier this week carried a US Space Force space domain awareness payload.

Why more US-African space cooperation is the answer. Trump has laid out an ambitious vision for the US in space, speaking of a “manifest destiny” that extends “into the stars,” and plans to send astronauts to plant the flag on Mars.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

Sweden’s worst mass shooting leaves immigrant community on edge. A reclusive white Swedish man targeted a school with a large number of immigrant students from the Middle East.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has vowed to continue its judicial work after Trump signed an order to impose sanctions on its staff for targeting US and Israeli officials.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said that “cocaine is no worse than whiskey” and says the global cocaine industry could be “easily dismantled” if the drug was legalized worldwide.

UAE to invest billions of euros in France to help develop a new AI campus—the largest in Europe.

US MILITARY

US should invest at least $40 billion every year to grow and maintain the country’s fleet of warships in preparation for long-term and large-scale wars, the Navy League urged Thursday.

Navy develops long lasting undersea eavesdropping hydrophone system powered by ocean temperatures. Known as the Persistent Smart Acoustic Profiler (PSAP) Voyager, it runs its sensing and detection instrumentation far longer than other non-wired undersea systems currently in operation.

The US Navy has a made a series of contract awards for the mine countermeasures mission package (MCM MP) for its Littoral Combat Ships.

Air Force has fixed a problem with integrating the 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bomb onto the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, the only aircraft currently certified to employ it.

Blast pressure injuries may affect more than just the brain of troops and simply standing near mortars can significantly disrupt Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) functioning within just a day to worse levels than seen in concussed college athletes.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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