On April 22, General Xavier Brunson, Commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command and USFK, submitted written testimony to the U.S. Congress stating that USFK is pursuing the establishment of a ‘Regional Sustainment Hub’ to support the United States Indo-Pacific Command.
This means that USFK plans to designate South Korea as a “Regional Sustainment Hub” to respond to maintenance demands within the Indo-Pacific region and plans to expand logistics cooperation.
He stated, “South Korea’s defense industrial base has developed to a world-class level,” and emphasized, “By utilizing the Korean defense industry base for MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul), we can significantly reduce the limitations of distance across operational areas.”
Earlier, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the “Regional Sustainment Framework” policy in 2024, which involves collaborating with regional partners for the maintenance of U.S. weapons and facilities.
South Korea has primarily been supported the performance upgrades and maintenance of U.S. military aircraft, including the F-16 and F-15 fighter jets, the C-130 transport aircraft, and UH-60 Black Hawk, and CH-47 Chinook helicopters, within the country.
USFK plans to expand this approach to also maintain U.S. naval vessels, Patriot air defense missile batteries, drones, and other assets in collaboration with Korean defense companies.
Some analysts suggest that the United States may be attempting to expand maintenance hubs within the Indo-Pacific theater to more effectively contain China and prepare for a possible emergency involving Taiwan.
