U.S. Army Still Looking For Countries To Host Pacific Task Forces

The U.S. Army is still looking for a home for its newly developed small, expeditionary multi-domain force in the Pacific as multiple countries have agreed to host exercises, but not yet permanent bases.

The Army created its first Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) in 2017 as an experiment to create an expeditionary unit comprised of long-range fires, base defenses and other support units. The MDTFs will eventually field new capabilities in a strategic fires battalion, such as the Mid-Range Capability (MRC) and Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW).

Two of the new MDTFs are focused on the Indo-Pacific, but don’t have a home yet. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth told reporters Oct. 9 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting in Washington that the MDTFs have deployed repeatedly to Japan and the Philippines for exercises, but those nations have not given approval for a basing agreement. The 1st MDTF is for now located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and the 3rd was activated in 2022 and is based at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. The 2nd MDTF is focused on Europe, and is based in Wiesbaden, Germany.

“That’s a decision that obviously is a sovereign one, and our host nation allies have to decide that for themselves,” she says.

The 1st MDTF deployed to Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, in May during the exercise Balikatan 23. There have been hopes that the Philippines would agree to base the task force following a February 2023 agreement in Manila between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Carlito Galvez, the Philippine senior undersecretary and officer in charge of the Department of National Defense, to increase the U.S. presence and improve multiple bases.