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INSIGHTi
FY2024 NDAA: U.S. Military Posture in the
Indo-Pacific
October 30, 2023
Background
According to the 2022 National Security Strategy, “no region will be of more significance to the world
and to everyday Americans than the Indo-Pacific.” The 2022 National Defense Strategy also identifies
attempts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to “refashion the Indo-Pacific region” as part of “the
most comprehensive and serious challenge to U.S. national security.” The United States maintains a large
defense presence in the region, including approximately 375,000 personnel and 66 bases (for more
information, see CRS Report R47589, U.S. Defense Infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific: Background and
Issues for Congress).
Military posture refers to the positioning and organization of such forces and facilities (some definitions
also include international agreements as a third posture element; due to space constraints, this product
covers only U.S. forces and facilities). The Department of Defense (DOD) has stated that military posture
is “the fundamental enabler of U.S. defense activities and military operations overseas, and is also central
to defining and communicating U.S. strategic interests.” As the PRC improves its military capabilities,
some analysts argue that an Indo-Pacific conflict is plausible in the future, and maintain that military
posture may influence both whether a conflict occurs and how it may unfold.
Congress examines military posture in the Indo-Pacific during its annual defense authorization process.
Table 1 summarizes provisions concerning military posture in the House-passed (H.R. 2670) and Senate-
passed (S. 2226) versions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024
NDAA).
Table 1. Selected Indo-Pacific Posture Provisions
Selected provisions from the House and Senate bills for an FY2024 NDAA
House-passed (H.R. 2670)
Senate-passed (S. 2226)
The Pacific Deterrence Initiative and Similar Programs/Authorities for Posture Investments
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House-passed (H.R. 2670)
Senate-passed (S. 2226)
Section 1301 would authorize FY2024 appropriations for
Section 1344 in S. 2226 is similar to Section 1301 in H.R.
the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) and extend associated
2670.
planning and reporting requirements through FY2026.
Section 1302 would require the Department of Defense
No similar provision.
(DOD) to commission an independent assessment of PDI
activities.
No similar provision.
Section 1341 would establish an Indo-Pacific Campaigning
Initiative intended to strengthen regional alliances, deter
aggression, dissuade “gray-zone” activities by potential
adversaries, improve DOD’s understanding of the regional
operating environment, shape the perceptions of potential
adversaries, and improve DOD’s ability to operate with
regional partners. It would also require a report on regional
campaigning activities.
No similar provision.
Section 1349 would require DOD to identify locations in
the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) area of
responsibility (AOR) that are not sufficiently capable of
mitigating damage to U.S. aircraft that may result from an
attack by military forces of the People’s Republic of China
(PRC, or China). It would further require DOD to develop a
plan to improve these locations to increase aircraft
survivability.
No similar provision.
Section 2801 would authorize the INDOPACOM
Commander to carry out certain unspecified military
construction projects not otherwise authorized by law,
provided the cost of any such project does not exceed $15
mil ion.
Regional Missile Strategy and Missile Defense Issues
Section 1066 would require DOD to conduct a study on its
No similar provision.
ability to defend U.S. military forces and bases in Europe and
the Indo-Pacific from missile and air attack.
Section 1666 would require DOD to provide a report
No similar provision.
identifying U.S. missile defense investments with particular
application to Hawaii.
Section 1688 would require DOD to develop a strategy for
Section 1350 in S. 2226 is similar to Section 1688 in H.R.
ground-based, theater-range conventional missiles in the
2670.
Indo-Pacific.
No similar provision.
Section 1631 would designate the Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment as the senior DOD
official responsible for designing, developing, acquiring, and
sustaining a Guam missile defense system.
No similar provision.
Section 1637 would direct DOD to develop a
comprehensive strategy for an integrated air and missile
defense architecture covering the INDOPACOM AOR.
Other Posture-Related Reports and Plans
Section 1068 would require DOD to provide a report
No similar provision.
assessing the status of efforts to establish a joint force
headquarters in the INDOPACOM AOR.
Section 1079 would require DOD to conduct a study of the
No similar provision.
effectiveness of low-cost anti-ship weapons in the Indo-
Pacific.
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House-passed (H.R. 2670)
Senate-passed (S. 2226)
Section 1080 would require DOD to develop a Pacific
No similar provision.
Islands security strategy.
Section 1099 would require DOD to provide a report on
No similar provision.
U.S. military requirements in the event of a Chinese attack
on Taiwan.
Section 1314 would require DOD to conduct a study on the No similar provision.
feasibility of naval blockades of fossil fuel shipments to China
in the event of a U.S.-China conflict.
No similar provision.
Section 344 would require DOD to provide a plan to
maintain Navy and Air Force proficiency in executing the
emergency movement of munitions stored in Guam onto
aircraft and naval vessels.
No similar provision.
Section 1075 would require DOD to provide a report on
the capacity of existing infrastructure, resources, and
personnel in Guam to meet INDOPACOM strategic
objectives.
No similar provision.
Section 1356 would require DOD to commission a federally
funded research and development center to conduct a study
to improve the current command structure and posture of
U.S. forces within the INDOPACOM AOR.
No similar provision.
Section 1365 would require DOD to provide a report on
the ways in which its contingency operational plan for a
major conflict in the INDOPACOM AOR depends on
critical infrastructure facilities, capabilities, and services.
Source: CRS analysis of H.R. 2670 (House-engrossed version) and S. 2226 (Senate-engrossed version).
Notes: Unless otherwise indicated, any reports, studies, plans, or strategies identified above would be required to be
provided to the congressional defense committees.
FY2024 NDAA Provisions
The Pacific Deterrence Initiative and Similar Programs/Authorities
In the FY2021 NDAA (P.L. 116-283), Congress established the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI), a set
of prioritized investments and activities intended to deter adversary aggression, assure allies and partners,
and strengthen regional posture and capabilities (for more information on PDI, see CRS In Focus
IF12303, The Pacific Deterrence Initiative: A Budgetary Overview). Both the House and Senate bills for
an FY2024 NDAA would authorize PDI appropriations in FY2024, as well as extend associated reporting
requirements through FY2026 (Section 1301 in H.R. 2670 and Section 1344 in S. 2226). The House bill
would also require DOD to commission an independent assessment of PDI effectiveness (§1302).
The Senate bill would create new programs, requirements, and authorities for regional posture
investments, as well as establish an Indo-Pacific Campaigning Initiative (§1341) to accomplish six broad
objectives related to campaigning (i.e., the conduct and sequencing of logically linked military activities).
The Senate bill would also require DOD to (1) identify operating locations within the U.S. Indo-Pacific
Command (INDOPACOM) area of responsibility (AOR) that might be used in a military conflict with the
PRC but lack sufficient protection for U.S. aircraft, and (2) develop a plan to improve aircraft
survivability at these locations (§1349). Finally, S. 2226 would allow the INDOPACOM commander to
carry out otherwise unauthorized regional military construction projects valued at $15 million or less to
support rotational deployments, enhance infrastructure preparedness and resilience, and preposition and
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store materiel (§2801; for more information on military construction, see CRS Report R44710, Military
Construction: Authorities and Processes).
Regional Missile and Missile Defense Issues
To improve U.S. missile capabilities, both H.R. 2670 (§1688) and S. 2226 (§1350) would require DOD to
develop a strategy for ground-based, theater-range (i.e., between 500 and 5,500 kilometers) conventional
missiles in the Indo-Pacific with the aim of addressing current capability gaps, technical requirements,
prospective basing locations, employment concepts, international partnerships, and programmatic details.
To defend against adversary missile threats, H.R. 2670 would require DOD to conduct a study on its
ability to protect facilities and forces in Europe and the Indo-Pacific from missile and air attacks (§1066)
and provide a report on investments to improve the detection and sensor capabilities of the INDOPACOM
air and missile defense architecture, particularly those providing coverage of Hawaii (§1666). S. 2226
would designate the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment as the DOD official
responsible for overseeing the development, acquisition, and sustainment of a Guam missile defense
system (§1631; for more information on Guam missile defense, see CRS Report R47643, Guam: Defense
Infrastructure and Readiness). It would also direct the heads of INDOPACOM, U.S. Northern Command,
the Missile Defense Agency, and the Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization to
cooperatively develop a strategy for an integrated air and missile defense architecture for the
INDOPACOM AOR (§1637).
Other Reports and Plans
The House and Senate bills each contain provisions that would require new posture-related reports and
plans that provide information in support of DOD and congressional decisionmaking.
H.R. 2670 would require DOD to provide reports on the establishment of an INDOPACOM joint force
headquarters (§1068); the effectiveness of low-cost anti-ship weapons in the Indo-Pacific (§1079); U.S.
military requirements in the event of a PRC attack on Taiwan (§1099); and the feasibility of implementing
a naval blockade to interdict PRC-bound fossil fuel shipments during a regional conflict (§1314). H.R.
2670 would also require DOD to develop a comprehensive Pacific Islands security strategy (§1080).
S. 2226 would require DOD to provide reports on the emergency movement of Guam-stored munitions to
ships and aircraft (§344); the capacity of Guam-based infrastructure and resources (§1075); and the
dependencies of INDOPACOM’s contingency operational plan on critical infrastructure facilities,
capabilities, and services (§1365). It would also require DOD to commission a study of the current
command structure and posture of U.S. forces located in the INDOPACOM AOR (§1356).
Author Information
Luke A. Nicastro
Ilana Krill
Analyst in U.S. Defense Infrastructure Policy
Research Assistant
Congressional Research Service
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Disclaimer
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