Flynn: ‘Time is Now for Land Power’ in Indo-Pacific
Flynn: ‘Time is Now for Land Power’ in Indo-Pacific
Gen. Charles Flynn, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, launched the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2023 LANPAC Symposium and Exhibition May 16 with two simple statements.
First, he declared, “The time is now for land power.” This isn’t a new concept but a reminder of the tremendous potential for the U.S. and its allies at a time of growing uncertainty that requires like-minded nations to work more closely.
Second, Flynn said, the “collective goal” of Indo-Pacific partners must be to ensure that “there is no war” by providing a joint and combined force focused on deterrence.
Twenty-five international delegations, including 13 Indo-Pacific army chiefs, are attending the three-day AUSA conference in Honolulu in what Flynn said will lead to strengthening Indo-Pacific planning. “I believe the role of land power in deterrence is not receiving the attention it deserves,” Flynn said.
“I have never seen this level of multinational cooperation,” said Flynn, who has attended LANPAC conferences since 2014.
“Defense is most successful when nations band together,” he said, noting that there are positive trends in closer collaboration with allies and partners and an increasing priority on land forces. “We have no time to waste.”
War isn’t inevitable if allies and partners work together, he said. “We have accomplished a great deal together in a short time.”
He added, “The pace of change is increasing, and there are no signs of slowing down. The world is becoming more urbanized, information changes constantly, and the speed of human interactions is staggering.”
As the U.S. and its allies work to deter conflict, land power can do three vital things, Flynn said. “They seize, hold and defend,” he said, and are “the final means that stand between an aggressor, our homes and our people.”
The attacker chooses the time and place for a battle, but it is the defender who dictates the tempo, who slows and complicates the attack, he said. Land power is “the oldest form of warfare,” he said.