Biden to the World: ‘America Is Back’
President Joe Biden, speaking to the virtual Munich Security Conference, reassured world leaders of America’s commitment to its European allies. “America is back, the transatlantic alliance is back, and we are not looking backward. We are looking forward together,” Biden said. The president also reversed several foreign policy moves by the Trump administration.
New Commandant at Naval Academy
COL James “J.P.” McDonough III will be the next commandant at the US Naval Academy. The Marine Corps artillery officer was a 1994 graduate of the academy.
Biden Transition Team Decries Lack of DoD Cooperation
President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team has criticized the Pentagon for the abrupt halt in meetings and information sharing. “A failure to work together can have consequences well beyond January,” a spokesman for the team said.
South China Sea Topic of TPP Webinar
Gregory Poling of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative will lead the upcoming “Rock & Rules: American and the South China Seas” webinar Oct. 21. The Patuxent Partnership and St. Mary’s College of Maryland Center for the Study of Democracy will co-sponsor the event.
Carrier Reagan Heads Back to South China Sea
The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan strike group has returned to the South China Sea as tensions with China continue to rise.
Save the Date for TPP So. China Sea Webinar
The Patuxent Partnership and St. Mary’s College of Maryland Center for the Study of Democracy will co-sponsor the “Rocks & Rules: America and the South China Sea” webinar. Save the date: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020, from noon to 1:30 pm.
Arson Suspected in Bonhomme Richard Fire
Arson is suspected as the cause of a July 12 fire that damaged the USS Bonhomme Richard. A US Navy sailor was being questioned. The fire on the amphibious assault ship, docked in San Diego, burned for more than four days.
US Conducts Operations in South China Sea for 2nd Time in 2 Weeks
The US Navy again has two carrier strike groups — USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan — conducting operations in the South China Sea. Rhetoric is heating up in the region, where Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam are challenging China’s claim to about 90% of the sea. The Navy notes that the carrier operations are unrelated to current events.
In Indo-Pacific Region, a Massive Show of US Naval Force
While China builds up its military outposts in the South China Sea, putting missile and electronic warfare systems on them, the US and other allies have beefed up operations. For the first time in nearly three years, three American aircraft carriers are patrolling the Indo-Pacific waters, a massive show of naval force.
Supply Chain Problems Ahead for DoD
DoD must brace for long-term supply chain problems associated with trade flow disruptions, such as container ships piling up unopened at US docks. The greatest impacts will be to DoD’s second-, third-, and fourth-tier suppliers who sell primarily to the civil and consumer markets.
