U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says the United States will sharpen what he calls its "military edge" in order to remain a key power in the Asia-Pacific region.
Carter made the remark on September 29 during a speech in San Diego.
His comments are seen as setting the stage for a meeting on September 30 in Hawaii with defense ministers from 10 Asian nations in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN.
Carter said the Pentagon was rebalancing its security commitments for the next phase of a U.S. pivot to Asia after years of focusing heavily on the Middle East.
He said the U.S. military would make its attack submarines more lethal and also would spend more money to build undersea drones that can operate in shallower waters where large submarines cannot.