Fort Shafter, Hawaii—U.S. allies in the Pacific are calling for more multilateral exercises and more supplies of the scarce munitions that helped Ukraine fight Russia.

“Frankly, our allies and partners are very closely monitoring what is happening in Ukraine. They are very interested in how we maintain territorial integrity,” said the Army the brigadier said. General James Bartholomew, Chief of Staff of the United States Army Pacific (USAPAC) said: defense one During an interview in Hawaii.

Australia and Taiwan will get HIMARS rocket launchers. But there are other ways the United States can deliver weapons to regional partners.

The US military has recently conducted live-fire exercises with the Philippines, Japan, Australia and other countries in the region.

“They are all in sync with allies and partners and their equivalent capabilities so we can have a rehearsal of how we will use these fires. So from a HIMARS perspective , yes… the demand is high,” said Bartholomees.

However, given the very high demand for ammunition, especially in Ukraine, all that demand could strain the supply of HIMARS artillery. 155mm howitzer ammunition is also in demand in the Indo-Pacific region.

“We actually see some demand there, and ammunition challenges with the 155, that’s significant,” he said. In particular, the Indian Armed Forces is demanding more deliveries.

The Army’s Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) team has a long-range fire battalion. In May, one MDTF team completed an exercise with the Philippines. A similar exercise, “Super Garuda Shield,” will take place in Indonesia next month, but it will also include long-range fire units, but not MDTF teams.

Exercises like the “Super Garuda Shield” have increased in scope and complexity at the request of host nations who want to test how well they work as joint operations, Bartholomey said. He said he was also working with partners in the region towards a united front. This is a big change from previous exercises in which the military was looking at more modest targets.

Now, he said, “the conversation is more like, ‘Hey, if we’re going to fight as a combined force, how are we going to rehearse together?'” How do we take advantage of all these features?”

Pacific nations may not want to permanently deploy large U.S. long-range missile batteries aimed at China, but they do want to have them around, Bartholomews said.

“They’re asking for the training that goes with it, so we knew there was a craving for it, and it wasn’t something we expected at all.”

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is working to bring more domains and partners into the exercise. And we are rapidly building new digital interfaces, such as the new Mission Partner Environment, to enable disparate militaries to share data and work together quickly.

That does not necessarily mean that every country in the Pacific has an interest in providing a united front for China in every conceivable scenario. And since there is no formal military alliance between the two countries, it is unclear which country would support Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. But athletes in regions like the Philippines, if not exactly a threat, at least seem to be more bold in discussing China, which is a major motivator in their desire to practice with each other and work harder. It has become. “It’s more openly discussed,” Bartholomew said.

Even without a formal mutual defense treaty or alliance, regional actors will play an important role in deterring potential conflicts and conflicts in the Pacific, he said.

When it comes to fighting in the Pacific, China’s military has several key advantages: overwhelming force size, a large arsenal of rockets and firepower (also known as magazine depth), and domestic logistics and A supply line, Bartholomew said.

“We may not be able to match this mass. We can do it through our allies and partners, so we have to build it over time. , all countries are struggling to get over this problem, but the interior line is something that can make an impact by pushing his attitude forward and moving forward.”