Defense Writers Group
5 December 2023
Moderator: Good morning everybody. Thank you, and welcome to what I know is going to be a great Defense Writers Group discussion with Dr. Ely S. Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.
The ground rules, as always, this is on the record, but there is no reposting of audio or video. Feel free to record for accuracy and quotes, of course.
I’ll ask the first question then we’ll go around the table. I have a huge list of people who asked in advance. We’ll get through as many as possible before giving the final five minutes to Dr. Ratner.
Thank you for joining us today, sir.
My opening question. Exactly one year ago, December of ’22, you spoke to AEI, a great discussion there, and you said, and I quote, “In my view 2023 is likely to stand as the most transformative year in US force posture in the region in a generation.” A pretty dramatic quote.
So here we are, a year later, what’s your AAR? I know it’s slowly work in progress, but what progress has DoD made? What are the greatest challenges? And what’s on your to-do list? Help me understand the risks -- higher, lower, mitigated in the Indo-Pacific?
ASD Ratner: Thom, thanks so much for the opportunity here. You’ve just asked about eight really important questions that I could spend the entire time on, so let me take a swing at a couple of them, and then I really look forward to the discussion here with so many good friends.
