In the last year alone, we have exercised with the naval, air, and ground forces of over 53 coalition partners in 129 exercises. These exercises will improve interoperability. More importantly, they foster trust and understanding. If forward operating naval forces are to be credible as instruments with which to support regional stability, they must be shaped for combat. The same combat capabilities required to fight and win will also provide the requisite leverage to shape peace and to deter aggression.
Several examples seem apropos.
In short, the most important dividend which may result from forward deployed combat-ready Theater Ballistic Missile Defense forces are means to shape the peace and deter aggression. Crisis Response Despite our best efforts, we may not always succeed in ensuring the peaceful resolution of disputes. These exceptional occasions dictate the need for forces shaped for combat to provide a credible, timely response to critical events. Their inherent mobility, flexibility and self sufficiency allow unencumbered movement, at high speed, across and between theaters in response to emergent tasking. Forward deployed naval forces must be immediately capable of undertaking a broad spectrum of operations.