With the Obama Administration’s pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, IHS attended the Pacific Operational S&T Conference and Exhibition on 5-8 March in Honolulu, Hawaii, for an update on US Pacific Command’s (PACOM) priorities and challenges. This presentation provides selected IHS analysis of the event, its themes, outcomes and implications.

1. IHS Jane’s
Analysis: Pacific Operational
S&T Conference 2013
March 2013
Introduction disputes, extremist threats and science and technology
shortfalls. Several partners and allies presented their own
With the Obama Administration’s pivot to the Asia-Pacific
perspectives of regional and state challenges, echoing
region, IHS attended the Pacific Operational S&T
many US concerns.
Conference and Exhibition on 5-8 March in Honolulu,
Hawaii, for an update on US Pacific Command’s Selected IHS analysis of the event, its themes, outcomes
(PACOM) priorities and challenges. Conference organizer and implications are presented below.
NDIA, in partnership with PACOM, noted that the effects
of sequestration 1 could be seen in the lower-than-usual
turnout of US attendees and exhibitors, but the PACOM Faces Challenges Brought On By Sequester,
international contingent from seven partner nations and Spending Limitations
allies was strong, with representatives from Brunei A top US Pacific Command (PACOM) official warned on 5
attending for the first time. March that the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s)
budgetary shortfalls could impact the country’s ability to
Budgetary pressures and challenges were a central theme
maintain a forward presence in the Asia-Pacific region,
for the conference. Speakers from US PACOM highlighted
undermining its efforts to refocus on the area.
theatre issues and transnational threats, to include cyber
warfare, climate change, public health, regional territorial “We know for a fact that we’re not going to have the
funding we’ve had in the past to conduct all the operations
1
Follow ongoing IHS coverage of the US Budget debate here: 2013 US we had on the books for planning for Fiscal Year 2013
Budget Debate – IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly
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2. IHS Analysis: Pacific Operational S&T Conference 2013
[FY13] and FY14,” PACOM’s deputy commander, US adversaries in the Asian-Pacific region are likely to knock
Marine Corps (USMC) Lieutenant General Thomas out communications capabilities first, and therefore
Conant, told the National Defense Industry Association’s developers will have to think of how to create resiliency in
Pacific Operational Science and Technology (S&T) those systems so that troops can continue to fight in a
conference and exhibition in Honolulu, Hawaii. communications-denied environment.
Although he assured partners and allies in attendance that Full article
PACOM “is not going out of business” and still intends to
stay engaged throughout the region, the deputy US Economic Troubles Spurring China To Forge Ahead In
commander did concede that the organisation is facing a Defence Capabilities
challenge because of mandatory spending cuts and cost- Unconvinced that budgetary shortfalls are generating
saving measures that the services are now implementing. pressures on US defence capabilities, China is increasing
Full article the pace at which its military is modernising in hopes of
becoming a world class defence science and technology
Comms, Weapons and ISR Top PACOM’s Shortlist (S&T) power by 2020, University of California (UC)
researchers said on 7 March.
US Pacific Command (PACOM) is seeking
communications innovations, better weapons, and more As Chinese officials are not seeing a drop in US defence
reliable platforms including persistent intelligence, S&T investments commensurate with the economic
surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, an downturn, they remain intent on forging ahead with new
official said on 5 March. investment initiatives in their own defence research and
development (R&D), said Tai Ming Cheung, director of the
PACOM’s deputy commander, Lieutenant General UC Institute on Global Conflict and Co-operation (IGCC),
Thomas Conant, told attendees of the Pacific Operational which is overseeing the Minerva Project on the Study of
Science and Technology conference and exhibition that Innovation and Technology in China, a five-year effort
troops in his area of responsibility (AOR) require assured funded by the US Department of Defense (DoD).
internal and external communications, preferably through
satellite means. “The new Chinese leadership sees military modernisation,
especially in R&D, as critical to their long-term
“If we don’t have the ability to shoot something up fast to development,” Cheung said during a presentation at the
cover the task force or battle force, you’re going to be Pacific Operational S&T conference and exhibition.
blind and you’re going to be deaf,” he said. Potential
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3. IHS Analysis: Pacific Operational S&T Conference 2013
Chinese officials recently announced they are beefing up Not only is South Korea seeking precision strike and
defence budgets by nearly 11%. The move continues the extended range for its preemptive and deterrence
decade-long trend of increased investments by the capabilities, but it also is in the market for intelligence,
government in defence initiatives to help its military forces- surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems and
the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)-catch up with the cyber technology for an uncertain future environment, Lee
world’s premiere armed forces. said.
Escalating tensions with Japan and southeast Asian Full article
states, as well as the Obama administration’s strategic
pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, are key drivers in the Japan Pursues International, Civilian Collaborations For
acceleration. Defence S&T
Full article Facing a decrease in its defence budget, Japan is seeking
research and development (R&D) partnership
South Korea Seeking Deterrence Capabilities, ISR, Cyber opportunities with other nations while also trying to
Tech For Future improve science and technology (S&T) collaborations
Rising tensions in northeast Asia are prompting South between its own defence industry and civilian sectors, a
Korea to take a two-pronged approach in its defence government official said on 6 March.
strategy, an official said on 6 March. Hajime Wakuda, director for defence industry at Japan’s
Situated well within range of North Korea’s recent Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, said that
provocations with nuclear tests and long-range missile Japan’s defence industry is not the sole sector being
impacted by government budget cuts. Private sector
tests, South Korea wants to snare “two hares with a single
rope”, said Hungon Lee, vice-president for the country’s investments in R&D also are stagnating following a 20%
Agency for Defence Development. drop in funding levels in 2009.
Its two-pronged strategy involves a victory scenario in Moreover, fewer of those investments are funding true
deterring North Korea, as well as long-term survival in the innovation; the bulk of the money is being used to improve
future, given territorial disputes in the South China Sea existing technologies, Wakuda pointed out.
and the increasing missile capabilities in the region. Despite the bleak fiscal outlook for defence R&D,
Japanese officials are hopeful that the growing
acceptance of dual-use technology efforts in robotics, IT,
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4. IHS Analysis: Pacific Operational S&T Conference 2013
energy, and materiels, in particular, will help to generate electromagnetic (EM) catapult technology, University of
some growth in defence innovation. California (UC) researchers said on 7 March.
Full article Following the completion of an extensive rebuild
programme, aircraft carrierLiaoning was handed over to
Australia’s Defence S&T Strategic Plan Stresses the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) on 25
Autonomy, Cyber And Space Systems September 2012. The 59,439-tonne vessel was
purchased from Ukraine and is a Kuznetsov-class ship
Australia has drafted a new defence science and
with a ski jump to launch aircraft.
technology (S&T) plan that will help the nation strengthen
its security in the Asia-Pacific region and offer it flexibility “China calls it a useful training ship, a useful research and
to meet future challenges, an official said on 6 March. development [R&D] ship,” said Tai Ming Cheung, director
of the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation
The Embassy of Australia’s minister-counsellor for
(IGCC).
defence S&T, Torgny Josefsson, said the plan, which
goes into effect on 1 July, is intended to aid the defence- With aspirations of becoming a maritime power, China
industrial complex in becoming a leaner, more focused wants to build a next-generation carrier from scratch in its
organisation in light of budgetary challenges. domestic shipyards and it is investing funds in R&D to
achieve electromagnetic catapult technology.
It stresses new priority research and development
programmes, to include autonomy, cyber and space “They don’t want an aircraft carrier that uses ski jumps.
systems as primary focus areas, and other disciplines, That’s not considered a world-class carrier,” said Cheung.
such as bioterrorism, electronic warfare, hypersonics,
Full article
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR),
materiels and energy, and undersea warfare.
Full article
This analysis was first published in IHS Jane’s Defence
China Hopes To Develop Next-Gen Carriers Weekly and IHS Jane’s Defence Industry.
On the heels of its first aircraft carrier arriving in a
northeastern homeport, China is already setting its sights
on developing a next-generation flat-top complete with
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5. IHS Analysis: Pacific Operational S&T Conference 2013
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