Indo-Pacific Command: Difference between revisions

|OrganizationName=Indo-Pacific Command

|HeadquartersLocation=21.38807, -157.90389

USINDOPACOM's [[Area of Responsibility]] (AOR) encompasses the [[Pacific Ocean]] from Antarctica at 92°W, north to 8°N, west to 112°W, northwest to 50°N/142°W, west to 170°E, north to 53°N, northeast to 62°30'N/175°W, north to 64°45'N/175°W, south along the Russian territorial waters to the China, [[Mongolia]], the [[North Korea|Democratic People's Republic of Korea]], the [[South Korea|Republic of Korea]], and [[Japan]]; the countries of [[Southeast Asia]] and the southern Asian landmass to the western border of [[India]]; the [[Indian Ocean]] east and south of the line from the [[India]] coastal border west to 68°E, south along 68°E to Antarctica; [[Australia]]; [[New Zealand]]; [[Antarctica]], and [[Hawaii]].

* '''Far East Command''': U.S. forces in [[Japan]], [[Korea]], the [[Ryukyus]], the [[Philippines]], and the [[Mariana Islands|Mariana]] and [[Bonin Islands]]. The Commander-in-Chief, Far East (CINCFE) would carry out occupation duties, maintain the security of the command, plan and prepare for a general emergency in the area, support the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (CINCPAC), and command U.S. forces in China in an emergency.

The outbreak of the Korean War and subsequent developments in the Far East tested the U.S. unified command structure in the Pacific. Although General MacArthur, as CINCFE, had been relieved of responsibility for South Korea, early U.S. reaction to [[North Korea]]'s invasion of the South on 25 June 1950 came through his command. On 10 July, at the request of the [[United Nations]], [[President Truman]] directed General MacArthur to establish the [[United Nations Command|United Nations Command (UNC)]] for the purpose of directing operations against North Korean forces. U.S. forces assigned to FECOM were assigned to UNC with General MacArthur designated Commander-in-Chief, UNC (CINCUNC). The primary responsibility of CINCFE, however, remained the defense of Japan. During the war, CINCPAC was ordered to support CINCUNC/CINCFE.

Command over U.S. forces engaged in the Vietnam War was designated by CINCPAC to three subordinate commands. [[Military Assistance Command, Vietnam|U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (USMACV)]], activated 8 February 1962 to direct U.S. support to [[South Vietnam]]'s military forces, largely controlled all U.S. forces and operations within South Vietnam. [[Naval gunfire support]] and [[air strikes]] on targets in Vietnam, however, were delegated to PACFLT and the U.S. 7th Fleet. PACAF and PACFLT were responsible for conducting air and naval operations against North Vietnam and Laos. Control of B-52s employed to conduct airstrikes against targets in South Vietnam remained under the [[Strategic Air Command]].

Under UCP 2002, effective 21 January, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld assigned Antarctica to USPACOM. Secretary Rumsfeld also approved the assignment of responsibility for Russia to EUCOM with USPACOM in a supporting role for the [[Siberia]] and Russian Far East. Later reassignments under the 2004 and 2006 plans placed the entire Seychelles Archipelago in the USCENTCOM's AOR and extended [[NORTHCOM|U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM)'s]] boundary westward to encompass all of the Aleutian Islands, respectively.

On 30 May 2018, at the change-of-command ceremony between Admirals [[Harry B. Harris Jr.]] and [[Philip S. Davidson]], Defense Secretary [[Jim Mattis]] announced that Pacific Command has been renamed Indo-Pacific Command "in recognition of the increasing connectivity of the Indian and Pacific Oceans."<ref name="CNN20180530">{{cite news |last1=Ryan |first1=Browne |title=US rebrands Pacific command amid tensions with China |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/30/politics/us-rebrands-pacific-command/index.html |access-date=30 May 2018 |publisher=CNN |date=30 May 2018}}</ref> U.S. officials stated that the change was instituted to "better reflect the command's areas of responsibility, which includes 36 nations as well as both the Pacific and Indian Oceans."<ref name="CNN20180530" /><ref name=reuters180530>{{cite news | url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-defense-india/in-symbolic-nod-to-india-u-s-pacific-command-changes-name-idUSKCN1IV2Q2 | title = In symbolic nod to India, U.S. Pacific Command changes name | first = Idrees | last = Ali | date = 30 May 2018 | publisher = Reuters | work = Reuters.com | access-date = 1 February 2019|quote=The U.S. military on Wednesday renamed its Pacific Command the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, in a largely symbolic move underscoring the growing importance of India to the Pentagon, U.S. officials said.}}</ref>