Great Power Competition and Overseas Bases : Chinese, Russian, and American Force Posture in the Twenty-First Century

What challenges and risks do Chinese and Russian bases pose to the United States’ military strategy? How do the military postures of great powers interact and with what consequences for regional and global security? This book examines the emerging dynamics of geostrategic competition for overseas military bases and base access. The comparative framework adopted in this volume examines how the geopolitical interests of the United States, China, and Russia and their respective underlying force posture interact in different regions including the Indo-Pacific, Europe, sub-Sahara Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and the Arctic Circle. By exploring the security, political economic, and domestic political dynamics of specific regions, the contributors to this volume reveal varied motivations for overseas military bases and base access among great powers. With analysis on the particular dynamics of overseas bases in major regional theaters, the book offers a valuable window into the nature and scope of the broader “great power competition” underway in the twenty-first century. Contents Preface and Acknowledgments 1 Great Power Competition and Overseas Bases: U.S., Chinese, and Russian Force Posture in the Twenty-First Century • Andrew Yeo, Isaac Kardon 2 Temperatures Rising: Great Powers, Regional Players and the Struggle for Bases and Access in the Pacific Islands • Bruce Jones 3 Geostrategic Competition and U.S., Chinese, and Russian Basing in East Asia • Andrew Yeo, Michael E. O’Hanlon 4 Military Basing and Access in the Indian Ocean Region: Strategic Asymmetries among the Major Powers • Isaac Kardon 5 Overseas Basing Logistics at a Crossroads in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Indian Ocean: Strategic Asymmetries among the Major Powers • Jason B. Wolff 6 Strategic Competition for Overseas Basing in Sub-Saharan Africa • Dawn C. Murphy 7 International Ordering and Great Power Competition: Lessons from Central Asia’s Post–Cold War Basing Relations • Alexander Cooley 8 Great Power Competition and Overseas Basing in the Arctic • Jeremy Greenwood 9 European Maritime Security and Strategic Access in an Age of Great Power Competition • Geoffrey F. Gresh 10 Strategic Competition and Basing in Central and Eastern Europe • Emily Holland 11 Competing for Consent: Public Support and the Foundations of U.S. Overseas Basing in Europe • Michael Allen, Michael E. Flynn, Carla Martínez Machain 12 The Future of Geostrategic Competition and Overseas Bases: Lessons for U.S. Strategic Planners • Michael E. O’Hanlon, Melanie W. Sisson, Andrew Yeo Index About the Authors