Gen. Gus Perna, who leads Army Materiel Command, said Tuesday at a Defense Writers Group event that the service branch seeks to grow its stock of equipment pre-positioned in the Indo-Pacific, Defense News reported the same day.
Perna said the service branch is working to expand Army pre-positioned stock in the Pacific, while the focus of APS growth still remains in Europe. The Army will conduct operational “Defender” exercises in Europe and the Pacific for theater readiness. The outcome of both exercises would determine whether the regions have proportioned APS, the report noted.
The general said the Pacific presents communications, maintenance and logistical challenges for the region’s corresponding exercise. The region would also require APS that consists of different technologies that address unique challenges, such as the need for sealift, the report noted. Defender Pacific would aim to prepare the Army for engagements on the South China Sea.
