By Rebecca L. Grant, Ph.D., Vice President, Lexington Institute
June 5, 2024 – Chinese President Xi Jinping’s appetite for confrontation is rising. An emerging role for the Army in the Pacific will center on inserting forces to control short, sharp confrontations over islands and terrain features in the South China Sea. Gaining the tactical edge is part of the drive for the Army’s procurement of the V-280 Valor and preparing for deterrence based on rapid response in gray zone operations. I have written more on this subject here.