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As the PLA's anti-access capabilities continue to grow, the United States is gradually realizing that its long-maintained first island chain is no longer as effective as it once was to deter Chinese military operations. As a result, the U.S. military has begun in recent years to shift the focus of its military strategy to the second island chain, particularly on the military bases in Guam.
The island, less than 600 square kilometers in the Pacific, now plays a key role in U.S. military strategy. The Guam Naval Base hosts the missions of two strategic missile submarines and four nuclear-powered aircraft carriers of the U.S. Navy, as well as the capital ships of the Pacific Fleet. At the same time, Anderson Air Force Base became an important base for the U.S. Air Force to deploy B-52, B-1B, and B-2 bombers in the Western Pacific.
However, despite the significant resources invested by the United States in Guam, with the continuous advancement of the PLA's long-range precision-guided weapons technology, the U.S. military also understands that even at a base of 3,000 kilometers from Guam, which is Chinese mainland kilometers away, it can be devastated by the PLA's long-range precision-guided weapons. In order to ensure the security of the Guam base, the US military had to act.
The wisest thing for the U.S. military would be to build a robust missile defense network on Guam to defend against potential PLA threats. Recently, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency signed a procurement contract worth about $500 million with Martin Lockheed, which plans to upgrade Guam's Aegis weapon system by 2027 to make it compatible with various types of air defense interceptor systems such as the Standard 3, Standard 6, Patriot, THAAD and so on. This will provide a strong missile defense barrier around Guam to better counter the PLA threat and ensure Guam's security.
In addition, the U.S. Army's integrated air and missile defense combat command system will be connected to Lockheed's battle management system to build a 360-degree missile defense network to better defend against the PLA's cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons. These moves will enhance the U.S. military's military defense capabilities in the Guam area over the next few years.
However, to counter the PLA threat, the U.S. military needs to not only strengthen missile defense systems, but also consider the rise of new weapons. For example, the PLA's DF-26 ballistic missile has a range of more than 5,000 kilometers and a terminal flight speed of Mach 18, which makes traditional missile defense systems face great challenges. In addition, the maneuverability of the DF-17 hypersonic missile also makes the US anti-missile defense system helpless. Therefore, the US military needs to continuously improve its anti-missile capabilities to ensure the security of the Guam base.
In this context, China is also constantly improving its long-range strike capabilities, especially the DF series of ballistic missiles. Although Guam is far from Chinese mainland, the PLA has demonstrated sufficient capabilities to destroy bases on Guam and U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups. As a result, military rivalry between the United States and China continues, and the Guam region will continue to be an important focus of both countries' military strategies.
In short, the military-strategic landscape of Guam is undergoing major changes, with the United States working to strengthen the defense capabilities of bases in Guam and China improving its long-range strike capabilities. This competition will continue to affect the stability and security of the Asia-Pacific region. In the future, both sides need to proceed cautiously to avoid triggering a potential military conflict and maintain peace and stability in the region.
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