WASHINGTON — The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command has requested an additional $11 billion in funding for fiscal 2025, with priorities including defense systems in Guam to counter Chinese missiles, Nikkei has learned.
President Joe Biden’s administration on March 11 released its budget proposal for the year ending September 2025, which included $895.2 billion allocated for defense, up 1% from fiscal 2024.
The Indo-Pacific Command has submitted an “unfunded priorities list” for items not in that budget, asking for the additional $11 billion, according to a copy obtained by Nikkei. That is triple the previous year’s $3.5 billion. Commanders in charge of each region send such requests to Congress around March each year.
“Investment in these capabilities will ensure U.S. forces are postured in the right locations, with the right capabilities to deter in competition and win in the event of crisis or conflict,” Adm. John Aquilino, commander of the Indo-Pacific Command, wrote in the request.
“Unless [investment is] accelerated, security remains at risk,” he wrote. Aquilino is testifying Wednesday before the House Armed Services Committee about the request.
The first item on the list is $430 million for the development of a system in Guam to defend against Chinese ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missile threats.
Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean, is a critical point for deterring China. The U.S. Marine Corps opened a new base there in 2023, the branch’s first in about 70 years. It is also home to Andersen Air Force Base.
The funding request includes $3.3 billion for constructing infrastructure and facilities, for which there is a pressing need as the U.S. military disperses its forces across the Indo-Pacific.
The Indo-Pacific Command is also seeking money to procure and develop ammunition including anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles.
Source: Nikkei Asia
