Latest news with #XavierBrunson
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top US general in Korea talks maps, China, and getting Patriots back
Sitting at a desk in a remote Pentagon office, last Wednesday, Gen. Xavier Brunson has two maps displayed beside him. One hung on the wall shows the entire world, displayed in a wide rectangle. Another, printed on a paper sheet in front of him, depicts Seoul and its distance from other nearby capitals: Tokyo, Taipei, Manila and Beijing, among others. Rather than showing the usual north-to-south view of Asia, from where Brunson sits this one depicts what the region would look like if peering out from China's eastern coast. Brunson has been sharing this second map in his many meetings in Washington, while arguing for the value of his command — overseeing the 28,500 U.S. troops in Korea. Seoul has one of Asia's strongest militaries and sits inside the vital 'first island chain' of countries that arc off China's coast like a parenthesis. 'It begins with looking from an enemy's perspective and then seeing where you are and how you might array your capabilities,' Brunson said. But South Korea also has one of the world's most alarming neighbors. In the last year, North Korea has traded troops and ammunition in exchange for Russian technology — on missiles, satellites, submarines, drones and most alarmingly a rogue nuclear program. Last year, North Korea conducted 47 ballistic missile tests, a number Brunson now expects to go down with Russia's aid. All this makes Brunson's job — or jobs — harder. Alongside U.S. forces on the peninsula, he would also lead South Korean troops in the case of a war, an arrangement known as Combined Forces Command, or CFC. He also helms United Nations Command, the group of 18 countries that have helped keep the peace on the Korean Peninsula since 1950. Brunson sat down with Defense News on May 7 to discuss the 75th anniversary of UN Command, the future of U.S. forces in Korea and the assumptions he's trying to upend with the help of his maps. This interview has been edited for brevity. North Korea has changed its policies — more emphasis on sovereignty, a new view of the southern border. How does UN Command need to change as well? The North Koreans have changed fundamentally. The associations amongst the adversaries — those authoritarian colluders, if you will — in China and Russia and the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea], those relationships have changed and matured. We have to do the same thing. What's really in the offing is that year 76 forward is going to be different for UN Command. The mandate remains, but our composition, our posture even may change in the future. And we've got to be flexible enough to do that. Do you expect big changes to posture or membership, potentially the addition of new member states? I won't mention these nations because those are bilateral things that are going on with the Republic of Korea, but there are nations that want to participate. We just recently got a New Zealand contingent that's come to the peninsula. And if you talk about things that excite me, it's when I talk to those ambassadors and they look at me and they say: 'Hey, we're working to get our soldiers here.' I wanted to ask about one of the other hats that you wear, which is the CFC. Has the timeline for handing over operational control of South Korean forces moved up? I've heard some mention of the urgency of that. My piece is to continue to talk to leadership about where we stand. We're continually trying to assess where we are along the bilaterally agreed upon conditions-based [operational control] transfer. If that decision is made, then my job is to now develop the strategy that lets us keep that policy moving forward. When leadership has made a decision, it's my job to make it work. To be clear, there's no decision that has been made yet, though? None that I know of. There were a few Patriot air defense batteries that were brought away from the peninsula to help with the campaign in the Middle East. Now we've reached a ceasefire in Yemen, do you know when those are coming back? No, I don't know when exactly those capabilities are going to come back. But I do know that the [Indo-Pacific Command] commander has been able to ensure that we had other capabilities for an extended period of time within the Republic Korea. This is not the first time that capabilities have left the peninsula. In rough order, between 50 and 60 times, capabilities have gone to other places to support [military needs] around the globe. My job is to ensure that we're able to meet the strictures of the Mutual Defense Treaty. I can say unequivocally, we can do everything that we're supposed to do. I just want the stuff back because those are my people. The increasing adversary that people in this building are concerned about is China. How are you working with South Korea to reorient around that threat? Nations are going to make decisions that align with their own interests — always. There are economic relationships in the Indo-Pacific. There are security relationships in the Indo-Pacific. What I find is that our ability to see, sense, and understand in and around the peninsula is coming closer in alignment. For example, in the West Sea right now, there are structures being erected by the Chinese. The Koreans see that. There are encroachments in and around the northern limit line by Chinese fishing vessels and Chinese naval vessels that cause concern to the Koreans. They understand that those are threats that may have to be dealt with at some point in time. South Korea has an election in June after the last president was impeached for declaring martial law. Regardless of who wins, do you think the recent work with Japan, South Korea will last? I think it will survive because the threat will continue to metastasize. If there's a thing that our adversaries have learned over time is the power of alliances, the power of proxies. You can look in the Middle East and see a proxy fight that's going on. You can look in our region now, and we've got North Korea sending troops and materiel to Russia to participate in the conflict, not their own. We see China is still a benefactor for North Korea. The new leader in the Republic of Korea from 4 June forward has to take on the fact that his nation sits at the juncture of an alliance of sorts that he's got to counter. How many North Korean troops are now in Russia? I think 10 to 12 [thousand] is where we throw our estimates at. This alignment gives North Korea different options than they've had previously facing sanctions. How do you continue to counter that? It's capability on capability. What can our adversaries do? What do we need to be able to do? That really leads me to a sort of integrated assurance. It's using all the elements of power, of national power to assure our friends, partners and allies of our commitment to the alliance. What we have that's unique in South Korea is we have diplomacy, and we've got the military there, partnered for the past 70 years. We have the means to continue to assure our ally that we are there. That also sounds the bell every day that we're on the peninsula to Russia and China. We're in the neighborhood.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Here is what US military leaders in the Pacific suspect North Korea is getting for sending troops and weapons into Russia's war
North Korea sent troops and weapons into Russia's war in Ukraine. Top US officials have suggested it could receive help with missiles and submarines in return. China appears to also be involved in a transactional relationship with Russia, a top admiral said. Since North Korea went all-in on supporting Russia's war in Ukraine, sending weapons and even troops, US officials have been speculating what it could be receiving in return. Last week, two top US military leaders in the Indo-Pacific region suggested that support could mean a host of potential wins for Pyongyang, from military capabilities to sidestepping sanctions. At a US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the challenges and threats in the Indo-Pacific region, North Korea, Russia, and China were important topics of concern, particularly the deepening relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow. The strategic partnership between the two countries, US Army Gen. Xavier Brunson, Commander of United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and US Forces Korea, said in his opening statement, has significantly shifted the status of the theater. The relationship has presented new opportunities for North Korea to circumvent international sanctions, fill gaps in its military, and pursue a new status on the world stage. That includes a share "of space, nuclear, and missile-applicable technology, expertise, and materials" from Russia, the general added, some of which will enable advancements in North Korea's arsenal over the next few years. North Korea's nuclear forces have already been improving. The country has developed new intercontinental ballistic missiles for its nuclear warheads. Further support will only accelerate advancements. Other expected gains, Brunson and US Navy Adm. Samuel Paparo, the leader of US Indo-Pacific Command, said, include air assets, surface-to-air missiles, and submarine technologies. These would be in addition to the valuable experience in modern war North Korea is receiving, as well as critical intelligence on how its weapons and troops perform in battle. North Korea's heavy artillery and tactical ballistic missiles have seen use in Russia's brutal conflict against the Ukrainians. The South Korea Institute for Defense Analyses recently presented new research indicating that Pyongyang may also be receiving billions of dollars for its part in the war. Potential North Korean gains from its involvement are part of a significantly larger "transactional symbiosis" between North Korea, Russia, and China, Paparo said, "where each state fulfills the other state's weaknesses to mutual benefit of each state." In China's case, it provides support for Moscow and potentially receives help with its submarine program, which would be important in a maritime conflict in the Pacific with the US Navy. "China has provided 70 percent of the machine tools and 90 percent of the legacy chips that have enabled Russia to rebuild its war machine," the Indo-Pacific commander said. "And then coming back to China is potentially submarine quieting help, as well as other help in some of the areas where Russia is strong." Neither Beijing nor Moscow's embassies in the US immediately responded to Business Insider's request for comment. Ukraine imposed sanctions on several Chinese companies on Friday for supporting Russia in the making of Iskander missiles. A day earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alleged that China was supplying Russia with weapons. China and Russia have been building a partnership against the West, particularly the US, for years now, strengthening military ties. North Korea and Russia formalized their emerging partnership last year through a mutual defense pact and Pyongyang's offer to deploy thousands of combat troops to fight alongside Moscow's forces in Kursk. Those soldiers, some of North Korea's better forces, have seen massive losses in combat. Prior to the deployment, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for apparent discussions on an arms deal. Intelligence indicates Russia received thousands of artillery shells and missiles from North Korea. The arms agreement has caused concern in the US and South Korea. Seoul had been sending Ukraine artillery indirectly through the US, which effectively put both North Korea and South Korea on opposite sides of the war. Read the original article on Business Insider
Axios
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Axios
U.S. moves Patriot defenses to Middle East with dozens of C-17 flights
The U.S. military shifted a Patriot battalion from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East, requiring at least 73 flights, according to one commander. Why it matters: The air defenses are a high-profile resource, capable of intercepting missiles and aircraft. They arrive at a volatile moment. Further, the number of C-17 flights conducted underscores just how stressful materiel moves can be. The Boeing-made aircraft can transport hefty equipment, like tanks. Context: Indo-Pacific Command boss Adm. Samuel Paparo disclosed the details in a congressional hearing Thursday. He was accompanied by Gen. Xavier Brunson, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea. Paparo told senators U.S. "lift requirements must be paid attention to." Sustainment, he added, "won World War II." What they're saying: "The airlift is essential to protect key U.S. bases and partners in the Middle East, which otherwise are much more vulnerable than Israel to Iran's shorter-range missiles," Jonathan Ruhe, director of foreign policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, told Axios. Zoom out: The move comes amid a buildup across U.S. Central Command. The Carl Vinson aircraft carrier joined the Harry S. Truman in the region. The command on Thursday shared footage of aircraft launching from the decks. Satellite images show a handful of B-2 bombers dispatched to Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean. Hans Kristensen at the Federation of American Scientists described the grouping as "unusually large." Meanwhile, airstrikes in Yemen have killed dozens of people, including Houthi drone experts. An initial wave in March hit 30-plus targets, according to the Pentagon.
Korea Herald
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
S. Korea, US update wartime plans against North Korea's ‘increasingly sophisticated threats'
South Korea and the US have updated their joint wartime operation plans, in response to North Korea's 'increasingly sophisticated' nuclear weapons program, the commander of US Forces Korea said late Wednesday. Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also leads the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command and UN Command, said that the decades-old allies signed a new joint wartime operations plan last year, in a written statement submitted to the US House Armed Services Committee. "Last year, we took a significant step forward in our combat readiness when the new combined Operations Plan was signed," Brunson said, according to a document distributed to reporters by the USFK. "Over the past several years, alliance planners worked diligently to construct and develop this plan, constantly testing and validating its concepts through execution during our biannual FS and UFS exercise events," he added. Brunson referred to regular joint South Korea-US military drills, known as Freedom Shield and Ulchi Freedom Shield. The new wartime operations plan, the name of which has yet to be officially announced, is believed to have replaced OPLAN 5015, which was signed in 2015. Seoul and Washington in recent years have cooperated to update the plan, with critics voicing the need for the plan to recognize the latest advances in the North's nuclear program. Brunson stressed that the new plan addresses the latest shifts in the security environment surrounding the Korean Peninsula. 'In response to the evolving security environment, where the DPRK's WMD and missile capabilities are increasingly sophisticated, the new OPLAN better prepares CFC prior to armed conflict,' he said. "We will continue to use this plan, refine it, conduct exercises and develop our OAIs to support it." DPRK stands for North Korea's official name the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, while OAI stands for operations, activities and investments. WMD refers to weapons of mass destruction. Brunson highlighted the advantages of US strategic assets and troops deployed on the Korean Peninsula as well. The remarks come amid growing concerns here that Washington could shift the primary role of the 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea from countering North Korean threats to deterring a potential Chinese move against Taiwan. 'Moreover, US strategic asset deployments to the Korean Peninsula allow training opportunities with multinational forces, operationalize extended deterrence and signal US commitment to the security of the ROK,' Brunson explained, referring to South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. 'The ROK sits at the heart of Northeast Asia, which remains a critical region among great powers and regional actors.' Brunson also said that Washington should keep in mind the security threats on the Korean Peninsula could have 'far-reaching implications' for the US. 'It is critical to recognize that a potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula could have far-reaching implications for US interests, regional and global affairs,' he said.
