A major flaw in Russia’s invasion plan was its lack of attention to logistics. Mike Watson, associate director of the Center for the Future of Liberal Society at the Hudson Institute, says this should serve as a warning to U.S. forces in planning for a potential war in the Indo-Pacific.
- Watson told Government Matters the United States has not made enough investments in recent decades to ensure the military can get supplies, such as fuel for ships that protect aircraft carriers, to troops, which is something Russia has struggled with.
- Most U.S. combat aircraft are fighters that would not have the range to get to the Western Pacific, and the refueling platforms are outdated, said Watson.
- He suggested the Navy use the U.S. Merchant fleet, focusing on “American-flagged, American-owned, American-crewed ships” that are already in the region to resupply forces.
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 The Navy’s oldest aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, passes the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier (Photo from U.S. Defense Department) |
 Indo-Pacific Warfighting Exercise in the Northern Training Area on Okinawa, Japan, August 31, 2021 (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Scott Aubuchon) |
