by Derek Grossman

       At the Pacific Council's Members Weekend, I had the distinct honor and privilege to interview the Commanding General of U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), General Robert B. Brown, on his perspective of key defense and security issues facing USARPAC in the Indo-Pacific region. Acknowledging that there is “a lot of blue” in this oceanic area of responsibility (AOR), General Brown notes that the Army would be a critical player in joint operations with the Navy and Air Force in any potential application of U.S. military power. He also highlights USARPAC's peacetime role in strengthening U.S. alliances and partnerships, a job made easier by an overwhelming majority of Asian militaries within the AOR headed by Army commanders.

       According to General Brown, new U.S. assessments of North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities do not change anything in the conventional domain. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would still pay a high price for any conventional military operations he takes against the South. Indeed, General Brown now believes that Kim is on the defensive, trying to discern the Trump administration's policy on conditions for an attack, retaliatory or otherwise. This is a good thing for deterrence. Moreover, Kim's recent nuclear and missile tests have resulted in unprecedented unity between not only the United States and its ground force allies and partners, but with the Chinese army.

       The relationship with China, however, has always been politically tricky. On trips past—those in the past couple of decades—General Brown has sensed the fear and respect China had for the U.S. military. As they have come of age as an Asian superpower, it has become increasingly clear most recently that while they still respect, they no longer fear us. General Brown highlights the importance of getting back to a state in which the United States can “fight unpredictably again” within a multi-domain concept. Achieving this, in his view, will strengthen deterrence by creating uncertainty in the minds of Chinese leaders.

       Even though the U.S. Navy and Air Force continue to deal with freedom of navigation tensions with Chinese counterparts in the South China Sea, USARPAC maintains positive working relationships with the Chinese army. General Brown cites recent training in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) as an important bright spot: saving lives in the event of a natural disaster is a priority for both countries. Even though our work with China will always be competitive, we can improve that relationship by “finding things in common so we can have a dialogue to get after the differences.” General Brown contends that USARPAC has a unique role in finding those commonalities.

       What follows is an exclusive interview with General Robert B. Brown.

       This commentary originally appeared on Pacific Council on International Policy on October 25, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.