To stop the Chinese attack on Taiwan, America has prepared a plan to build a wall of long-range and land-operable missiles in the Pacific Ocean, and this is a very provocative step of the Biden administration, which will prevent conventional missiles in the Pacific region. It could instigate an arms race.
General Charles Flynn, commander of the US military’s Pacific region, announced at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia that the US will deploy new medium-range strike aircraft, including the Tomahawks and SM-6, to the Pacific in 2024, Defense One reports. Preparations for the deployment of missiles have started.
What Is The Purpose Of Deployment Of Missiles?
America can succeed in building a wall of missiles in the Pacific region because it withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in 2019 because of Russia. America had withdrawn from this treaty because Russia had started violating this treaty blatantly.
The US military’s Precision Strike Missile (PRSM), which can attack targets more than 500 kilometres away, could also be deployed in the region, Defense One reported.
Addressing the Security Forum, Lin warned about the danger of China’s military capabilities in the region and pointed out how rapidly China is expanding its military there. He has termed this action of China as a global threat. Although he avoided speculation about a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, he acknowledged that President Xi Jinping’s decision could be decisive and there was a need to prepare against it.
America Is Troubled By China’s Power
Defence One says that the US military’s deployment of new missiles signals a strategic shift in the Pacific, reflecting growing concerns over China’s military expansion and aggressive behaviour in the region. It also signals a broader geopolitical strategy to maintain stability and prevent potential conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region.
Thus, US long-range missile projects in the Pacific are part of a strategy to build a “missile wall” along the First Island Chain extending to Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines to deter China.
In July 2023, an Asia Times report said that the US Marine Corps (USMC) had unveiled its land-based Tomahawk cruise missile long-range fire launcher, the Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary-Fires (ROGUE- Fire) is an uncrewed 4×4 launch vehicle based on the car.
This long-range fire launcher can address the mobility gap associated with the truck-towed OpFire and Typhon, which cannot fit into the C-130 cargo aircraft.
At the same time, in December 2022, Asia Times reported on the US military’s acquisition of the first Typhon land-based missile launcher, which was designed to bridge the gap between the US military’s PrSM and long-range hypersonic weapon (LRHW) by firing the standard SM-6 and designed to fill.
Additionally, a July 2022 report by Asia Times reported that the USMC is acquiring land-based Tomahawk missiles as part of its Long-Range Fires program, aimed at providing integrated ground-based anti-ship and land-attack weapon systems.
These acquisitions are part of the USMC’s dispersed operations doctrine, which employs small, dispersed land and sea detachments to threaten the concentration of opposing forces.
However, there are fears that US allies such as Thailand, the Philippines, South Korea, Australia and Japan may refuse to participate in the US “missile wall” strategy.
Thailand’s political elites seek to establish stronger ties with China and are reluctant to upset Beijing strategically. At the same time, the Philippines is vulnerable to a Chinese naval blockade, cutting off US supplies and reinforcements from Guam, and has minimal air and missile defence capabilities.
South Korea is sensitive to Chinese pressure, as it needs China’s markets and influence at the negotiating table with North Korea. Australia’s distance from China and reluctance to become involved in the US-China conflict over Taiwan may prevent it from being a basing option for US land-based missiles.
