SHOTLIST February 7, 2013 1. US Air Force jet fighter landing at Andersen Air Force base 2. US Air Force F-15 aircraft taking off 3. Royal Australian Air Force aircraft in foreground, US Air Force fighter jet takes off behind 4. Various of Royal Australian Air Force crew working on their jet fighters, Japan Air Self-Defence Force's aircraft in background February 4, 2013 5. Close-up of Andersen Air Force base sign 6. Wide of entry to base 7. Wide of news conference 8. SOUDBITE (English): Lt. Gen. Masayuki Hironaka, Japan Air Self-Defence Force: "This exercise, the training is not against a specific country, like China. However, I think the fact that our alliance, Japan and the US and Australia is healthy is a strong message." February 5, 2013 10. US Air Force C-130 dropping cargo during humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise 11. Wide of Japanese Self-Defence Force and US Air Force personnel 12. Close-up of Japanese flags on uniform 13. Mid of Japanese and US officers February 4, 2013 14. SOUNDBITE (English) General Herbert Carlisle, Commander, Pacific Air Forces: "The amount of commerce that goes through here, the amount of the world GDP that goes through here, if you look at the world's population that is in this part of the world, the importance of the Pacific can't really be overstated." 15. Wide of news conference 16. SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Grady, Air Commodore, Royal Australian Air Force: "From our perspective, we recognise that the degree of strategic uncertainty is increasing. I think nations throughout the region are looking for that increased support that working with the US is likely to bring.'' February 7, 2013 17. US Air Force's B-52 aircraft taking off STORYLINE: The US military and two of its most important allies in Asia launched Cope North, a major multilateral exercise in the western Pacific on Thursday. The exercises based at Andersen Air Force base in Guam are designed to prepare the US, Japanese and Australian air forces to fight together if a military crisis erupts in the region. Manoeuvres like this are a key element of Washington's evolving strategy in the Pacific as the US places more attention on Asia and the possibility of an air or sea confrontation with the rapidly modernising Chinese military. The policy, called the "Pacific rebalance'' will bring newer and more advanced aircraft and ships to the Pacific region over the next few years, and spread out tens of thousands of US troops now primarily based in Japan and South Korea. US Marines have already begun rotational deployments to Darwin, in northern Australia, and about 9,000 Marines stationed on the southern Japan island of Okinawa are to be moved to Guam, Hawaii and other locations. The changes reflect a deepening strategic concern over the rise of China as a regional military power with the potential to challenge Washington's ability to intervene in a crisis, particularly around Taiwan or islands in the south and east China seas that are contested by China and US allies such as the Philippines and Japan. "If you look at the world's population that is in this part of the world, the importance of the Pacific can't be overstated," said Pacific Air Forces commander General Herbert Carlisle. Washington's renewed focus on Asia has generally been welcomed by its more-established and prosperous allies - like Japan and Australia - because they share the US concerns that changes in the balance of power could hurt economic growth throughout the region. Royal Australian Air Force Air Commodore Anthony Grady said "the degree of strategic uncertainty is increasing" in the region. Japan also has a more urgent need to tout its US alliance. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/da07c85c57564ca9b39fd583f15f61c2 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 31 Jul 2015
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