// Global Analysis Archive
A newly released US National Defense Strategy foresees a more limited US role in deterring North Korea, with South Korea taking primary responsibility and Washington providing critical support. The shift appears designed to update US force posture and increase flexibility amid broader Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and European demands.
The source argues that wartime OPCON transition is not merely a bilateral command change but a mechanism to modernize the U.S.-ROK alliance and adjust U.S. force posture for Indo-Pacific deterrence. It highlights a shift toward capability-based commitments, integrated theater planning, and greater South Korean responsibility consistent with the newly released U.S. National Defense Strategy.
April 2023 testimony argues that the central Taiwan Strait deterrence challenge is preventing PRC confidence in a rapid fait accompli before U.S. forces can respond. It emphasizes U.S. vulnerabilities in forward basing, carrier operations, and enabling systems (tankers, space, networks), recommending dispersal, redundancy, resilience, and expanded access to sustain combat power after initial strikes.
A newly released US National Defense Strategy foresees a more limited US role in deterring North Korea, with South Korea taking primary responsibility and Washington providing critical support. The shift appears designed to update US force posture and increase flexibility amid broader Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and European demands.
The source argues that wartime OPCON transition is not merely a bilateral command change but a mechanism to modernize the U.S.-ROK alliance and adjust U.S. force posture for Indo-Pacific deterrence. It highlights a shift toward capability-based commitments, integrated theater planning, and greater South Korean responsibility consistent with the newly released U.S. National Defense Strategy.
April 2023 testimony argues that the central Taiwan Strait deterrence challenge is preventing PRC confidence in a rapid fait accompli before U.S. forces can respond. It emphasizes U.S. vulnerabilities in forward basing, carrier operations, and enabling systems (tankers, space, networks), recommending dispersal, redundancy, resilience, and expanded access to sustain combat power after initial strikes.
| ID | Title | Category | Date | Views | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RPT-143 | Pentagon Signals Reduced Korea Deterrence Role as Seoul Asked to Lead | United States | 2026-01-24 | 1 | ACCESS » |
| RPT-986 | OPCON Transfer as Indo-Pacific Force Posture Lever: Why Korea’s Command Shift Matters Beyond the Peninsula | South Korea | 2025-07-14 | 0 | ACCESS » |
| RPT-838 | Deterrence by Denial in the Taiwan Strait: Posture, Basing, and the Race Against a Fait Accompli | Taiwan Strait | 2023-07-05 | 0 | ACCESS » |