POTENTIAL ROLE FOR UNITED STATES GROUND FORCES IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC THEATER.

SEC. 1071. POTENTIAL ROLE FOR UNITED STATES GROUND FORCES IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC THEATER. (a) General Assessment Required.— (1) In general.—The Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall jointly conduct a comprehensive assessment of potential roles for United States ground forces in the western Pacific in cooperation with host nations to deter and defeat aggression in the western Pacific region. (2) Capabilities to be examined.—The Secretary and the Chairman shall assess the feasibility and potential effectiveness of mobile United States ground forces operating jointly to facilitate— (A) anti-access and area-denial capabilities in contested sea lanes and airspace; (B) air defense capabilities; (C) electronic countermeasures capabilities; (D) command, control, communications, and logistics capabilities; (E) littoral defenses; and (F) any other capabilities the Secretary and Chairman determine to be appropriate. (b) Completion Date.—The assessment required by this section shall be completed by not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Briefing of Congress.—Upon the completion of the assessments required by this section, the Secretary and the Chairman shall provide a briefing on the assessment to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives.