The United States will fortify the Indo-Pacific with the “most lethal fighting force in the world,” Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said, outlining the Trump administration’s defence policy for the region.
“No one should question the resolve of the United States of America to defend our interests in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” Hegseth said Tuesday in Hawaii during the first leg of his Pacific tour.
With emphasis on threats from China, Hegseth said the Pentagon will “reestablish deterrence” alongside the United States’ regional allies and partners.
Hegseth arrived in Hawaii on Monday for intelligence briefings and meetings with senior military officials at the U.S Indo-Pacific Command.
His next stop is Guam, where he will “focus on meeting with military and civilian leaders in addition to troops,” said Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Tucker, public affairs officer for the Joint Region Marianas and Joint Task Force-Micronesia.
Hegseth is expected to tour the military facilities and receive capabilities briefs.
“Due to operational security concerns, I am unable to provide a detailed itinerary of his schedule,” Tucker said in an email.
From Guam, Hegseth is scheduled to visit the Philippines and Japan, where he will participate in a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima and will later meet with Japanese leaders and U.S military forces.
Visiting the region for the first time as the defence department’s head, Hegseth said the U.S remains “invested” in the Indo-Pacific.
“It’s a vision in which our allies and partners are at the forefront of deterring aggression,” he said, adding that the Indo-Pacific “is more important than ever” because “it is the region of consequence.”
“We will work with our allies and our partners to deter the communist Chinese and their aggression in the Indo-Pacific,” the defence chief said.
“A renewed focus on deterrence creates advantages for ourselves, our partners and our allies,” he added. “We will do this through the deterrent power of the strongest, most effective, most lethal fighting force in the world,” he said.
