Obama vows to maintain US military might despite cutbacks

PRESIDENT Barack Obama vowed the US military would maintain its “superiority” and bolster its presence in Asia despite planned cuts to the defence budget.

“Yes, our military will be leaner, but the world must know — the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with armed forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats,” Obama told reporters at the Pentagon.

Unveiling a revised military strategy designed to reflect a more austere era, Obama said the plan called for increasing the American presence in the Pacific while moving away from large ground wars against insurgents.