Interesting that "My fourth priority is Forward Presence. This is about being able to demonstrate a Global Navy,"
4th priority in these troubled times = not that important to me but a nice to have
But I think ORAC is right - one could be farmed out to a multi-national battle group out east - USMC aircraft, a USN SSN, a Japanese "Helicopter carrying Destroyer " and smaller units (air defence,anti-sub) from Australia, Japan, Korea and Malaysia/Singapore/ Indonesia
The RN providing the "tone" as well of course
PS it does bring back memories of the doomed American British Dutch Australasian (ABDACOM) Strike Force that was wiped in out in the Battle of the Java Sea tho'