By Zhao Tao
According to foreign media, the US Army has recently stepped up the development of its Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) in cooperation with Japan and the ROK to strengthen its forward deterrence capabilities. The US Army proposed the Multi-domain Operations concept in October 2016 and began forming MDTFs in 2017. The core objective is to integrate combat resources across land, sea, air, space, cyber, and electromagnetic domains to meet the demands of fighting under multidimensional conditions.
A standard MDTF of the US Army comprises over 2,000 personnel and includes a Multi-Domain Effects Battalion, a Long-Range Fires Battalion, an Indirect Fire Protection Battalion (Air Defense Battalion), and a Brigade Support Battalion, responsible respectively for reconnaissance and sensing, firepower strike, air defense, and comprehensive support missions. The US Army plans to establish five MDTFs, three of which will be deployed in the so-called Indo-Pacific region.
In July 2017, the US military formed the 1st MDTF as an experimental unit based on the 17th Field Artillery Brigade under the 1st Army. After three years of testing, the unit was officially reorganized in 2020 as the 1st MDTF under US Indo-Pacific Command. In September 2022, the 2nd MDTF under the US Indo-Pacific Command began formation and reached initial operational capability in the second half of 2023.
In the first half of this year, US Army Pacific Commander Gen. Ronald Clark stated that the US plans to establish a new MDTF in the Indo-Pacific region. At the operational level, the US and Japanese governments have recently been discussing the establishment of a new MDTF command structure in Japan. Meanwhile, the US Army is considering deploying a Multi-Domain Effects Battalion, the core unit for reconnaissance and intelligence, to the ROK.
The US military's moves are expected to impact the regional security landscape. On one hand, the planned deployments would further reinforce Japan's role as a core pivot in the US's so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy". If the command structure of the new MDTF is established in Japan, it would underscore the US's intention to strengthen its strategic posture in the so-called Indo-Pacific.
On the other hand, these deployments aim to deepen US-Japan-ROK trilateral military cooperation. Observers widely believe that establishing a US command in Japan and deploying a Multi-Domain Effects Battalion to the ROK are intended, in part, to enhance the three countries' military coordination capabilities. For example, the ROK-based Multi-Domain Effects Battalion is expected to integrate reconnaissance satellites, space sensors, drones, and over-the-horizon radars for full-spectrum detection, with the processed intelligence shared in real time with allied forces in the ROK, Japan, and beyond.
Although the US seeks to enhance its deterrence capability through forward deployments, the plan faces multiple constraints, and its actual effectiveness may fall short of expectations.
First, the foundation for Japan-ROK cooperation is marked by significant fractures. Historically, Japan-ROK relations have been the weakest link in the trilateral collaboration. The US plan to establish a command hub in Japan while deploying reconnaissance forces to the ROK has sparked strong domestic controversy in Seoul.
Second, the operational effectiveness of such deployments faces tangible challenges. Forward-positioned command and reconnaissance units are inherently vulnerable in wartime, as they may become primary targets of concentrated fire, potentially resulting in blind reconnaissance and paralyzed command. Analysts suggest that the US forward deployment measures carry more symbolic than practical significance and could even backfire if the strategic layout proves flawed.