Deterrence lies at the heart of US’ strategy against China in the Indo Pacific and spans the politico-diplomatic and strategic continuum. The US military has added another layer of deterrence through the Regional Sustainment Framework (RSF) under which its ships, planes and vehicles can undertake maintenance, repairs and overhauls (MRO) away from US mainland and continue to remain deployed “closer to their area of operation”.

In February 2024, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment Christopher Lowman had remarked that “near-peer competitors are increasingly capable of contesting our operational reach”, allegedly referring to China; therefore it is of utmost importance that the US military keeps its war fighting platforms in highest operational condition. In that context, according to Rahm Emanuel, US Ambassador to Japan, “repairing and maintaining ships in theater can be as effective of a deterrence as training is,”

A pilot programme under the RSF is currently being undertaken in the Indo-Pacific region. It is planned to marshal and use the industrial capabilities of allies and partners in the Indo Pacific region.   Military repair hubs are expected to come up in at least five countries - Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore. Among these, the first three are US’ alliance partners as also NATO Member States under the rubric of ‘Indo Pacific 4’ (IP4). They formally joined the Alliance in July 2024 during the commemoration Summit to celebrate the 75th year of the founding of NATO.

Singapore is an important hub for aviation MRO and boasts of contributing to 10 % of global MRO output with 30 aerospace players. It has supported US requirement of military MRO in the past, and US warships including aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines call at the Changi Naval Base on reguylar basis for rest, repairs and recuperation. U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility Detachment (SRF) Singapore at Changi Naval Base is responsible for “providing the oversight for all surface ship maintenance, outside Japan, in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility”. It works closely with partners and allies in Singapore, Korea, Philippines, Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India to execute repairs for the units under the U.S. 7th Fleet Operational Commander.

The Philippines, also an ally of the US, can potentially be part of the RSF. There are two naval bases at Manila and Subic Bay that have infrastructure for ship repairs, docks, piers, machine shops, etc. The newly set up (2024) Fleet Maintenance and Repair Group Workshop is funded by the Pentagon and State Department, and support the Philippine Coast Guard's vessel maintenance and repair. “This new workshop from the United States is a game-changer for the PCG…It will help us repair our ships faster and keep them in tip-top shape to better protect the Philippine waters” said Vice Adm. Allan Victor Dela Vega.

Though not mentioned or announced by the US, India is a potential partner for the RSF. It has been providing MRO support for the US Navy under the Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA). Four instance, under the five-year Master Ship Repair Agreement (MSRA) between the U.S. Navy and the L&T Shipyard at Kattupalli, three US Navy vessels USNS Charles Drew, USNS Matthew  at Perry and USNS Salvor have undergone repairs/maintenance at the state-of-the-art L&T shipyard at Kattupalli  in Tamil Nadu on India’s east coast. Meanwhile, MSRA with is at an advanced stage.

Many different types of US warships, support vessels and aircraft can be expected to make beeline for Indian shipyards such as the M/s Mazagon Docks Limited, M/s Goa Shipyard Limited and the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). India can potentially emerge as a preferred hubs for the maintenance of naval vessels particularly for the QUAD Member countries as well as other likeminded navies who have forward deployed their forces in the Indian Ocean.

It merits mention that the US suffers from ‘tyranny of distance’ wherein the distance between U.S. West Coast to China is nearly 6,000 miles which is nearly double the distance from the US East Coast to Europe. Similarly, distance to South Korea and Japan is over 5,000 miles. These are significantly long distances and an aircraft carrier takes about one week to sail across the Pacific Ocean and other ships may take two to four weeks to carry logistic supplies and equipment from the U.S. West Coast to Australia, Guam or Japan.

The US is also constrained by the number of naval platforms it can bring to bear in the region. According to the US Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), China’s shipbuilding industry is 232 times more than the US shipbuilding capacity. Similarly, it has over 370 platforms compared to 296 battle force ships (August 12, 2024); however, the US Navy fairs better vis a vis PLA Navy.

RSF for different regions will be operationalized in the coming years i.e. for the European Command from among the NATO member countries in 2025; with partners in Latin American under the Southern Command in 2026; and the Africa Command will follow thereafter. These will contribute to US’ overall military deterrence against China, Russia or a combine China-Russia-Iran-North Korea grouping.

Dr. Vijay Sakhuja is Professor and Head, Center of Excellence for Geopolitics and International Studies (CEGIS), REVA University, Bengaluru and is associated with Kalinga International Foundation, New Delhi.