The commander of U.S. military operations in the Pacific, Adm. Samuel Locklear, Thursday spoke with Pentagon reporters about North Korea’s plan to launch a satellite later this month, in violation of two UN Security Council resolutions. He also discussed China’s decision to build an aircraft carrier and the Obama Administration’s shift of resources to the Pacific region.
He spoke about Pacom's progress in applying the Obama administration's new strategic guidance, which shifts military forces from Europe to the Pacific region. In May of this year, he outlined five priorities for implementing the new Pacific policy.
To "mature" the U.S.-China military-to-military relationship, one of Adm. Locklear's five priorities, he visited China in June to meet with members of the Central Military Commission's upper echelon. He is expected to comment about the impact of China's new leader, Xin Jinping, on the country's military policy.
The Pacific Command, comprising almost 60 percent of the Navy's fleet, includes six aircraft carrier strike groups, 180 ships, 1,500 aircraft and 100,000 personal.
Adm. Locklear took command of Pacom on March 9, 2012. Prior to that, he commanded the U.S. 3rd fleet, the U.S. Naval Forces Europe, U.S. Naval Forces Africa and Allied Joint Force Command Naples.