The United States is strengthening its base defenses and building replacement facilities in the Indo-Pacific region to stay ahead of growing missile threats from China and North Korea.
Defense One reported this month that U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Alvin is pushing for improved base defense capabilities to support the force's so-called Agile Combat Operations (ACE) strategy to increase U.S. military readiness in the Indo-Pacific region.
The ACE strategy seeks to improve combat power projection and resilience in global conflict scenarios, including confrontation with China, by empowering Airmen, implementing mission command principles and creating customized force packages.
Resilient communications, prepositioned equipment, scalable logistics, and Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) support this strategy.
The strategy also aims to enable distributed operations, disrupt enemy decision-making, and enable U.S. forces to operate effectively across multiple domains in contested environments.
The strategy calls for a major shift in U.S. Air Force logistics, command structure and operational planning, with an emphasis on adaptability and integration among the joint force, according to the Defense One report.
Defense One said the ACE strategy aims to expand the U.S. Air Force's operating base and reduce reliance on a few large airfields, and involves working with the U.S. Army to develop a cost-effective air defense system for smaller outposts.
According to the report, Alvin stressed the urgent need for modernized tactics such as mobility, rapid deployment, camouflage, concealment and deception adapted to the 21st century battlefield.
The Defense One report noted that while certain capabilities fall under the purview of the U.S. Army, ongoing discussions will ensure that U.S. Air Force requirements are met.
Defense One noted that the cooperation also addresses non-physical threats such as cyberattacks and electronic warfare, highlighting the multifaceted approach needed to protect U.S. Pacific bases in an increasingly complex security environment.
Growing missile threats from China and North Korea underscore the urgency for the United States to shore up its Pacific bases with advanced defenses and establish backup facilities.
According to a June 2023 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, U.S. military bases in the Pacific, particularly those located west of the International Date Line, face significant threats from China and North Korea, which have increasingly sophisticated missile capabilities.
The CRS report noted that China's development of conventional and nuclear-tipped ballistic and hypersonic missiles poses significant risks to U.S. forces and infrastructure in the region.
These missiles, coupled with advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, will enhance China's ability to precisely strike U.S. military bases, particularly those within the first and second island chains, including key bases in Japan, South Korea and Guam.
“North Korea continues to expand its missile capabilities, posing an even greater threat to U.S. forces. U.S. efforts to fortify Guam and expand Pacific base infrastructure are important steps to counter these advanced hostile capabilities,” the statement said.
Defense News reported this month that the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is preparing for a key test later this year to field an initial defense system designed to protect Guam from air and missile threats.
According to Defense News, MDA Administrator Heath Collins revealed plans to incorporate the new radar, the AN/TPY-6, into the overall defense posture to counter growing threats from China and North Korea.
The first panel of the radar is en route to Guam for a December flight test, which will track targets launched from a C-17 aircraft, followed by a launch of an SM-3 Block IIA interceptor missile, according to the report.
AN/TPY-6 utilizes Alaska's Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) technology and is a collaboration with the U.S. Army, which is responsible for the acquisition and execution program for 2023, Defense News reported.
The effort leverages MDA's current focus on integrating systems through the Joint Tactical Integrated Fire Control (JTIFC) standard, according to Defense News, which also noted that it is building a joint command center with the goal of integrating key missile defense command and control systems.
The Asia Times reported in August 2023 that the U.S. military plans to introduce the Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense (EIAMD) system, which would consist of a network of surface-to-air interceptor missiles, radars and other components.
EIAMD is designed to provide a 360-degree defense of Guam using a multi-layered architecture that includes Aegis Ashore, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), Typhon, Patriot and Enduring Shield systems.
This comprehensive defense posture is designed to address the challenges posed by advanced ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missile threats. The plan also includes equipping THAAD with a next-generation infrared seeker to enhance sensing and guidance capabilities.
The Asia Times reported in June 2022 that the United States had begun a major construction project on Tinian, an island in the Northern Mariana Islands, to establish a backup facility for naval and air operations currently based in Guam.
The development, revealed by satellite imagery, comes amid growing concerns that Guam may be vulnerable to missile attacks from China or North Korea.
The strategic initiative, budgeted at $162 million, will include the construction of new taxiways and parking ramps at Tinian International Airport, with completion scheduled for October 2025.
Defense News reported in April 2024 that the U.S. Air Force had awarded a $409 million contract to Fluor, a Texas-based engineering and construction company, to develop the planned facility.
The project, which is expected to be completed within five years, is in line with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command's efforts to strengthen regional deterrence, according to the report.
But Defense One says the undertaking faces challenges due to the high costs and bureaucratic obstacles typical of Pacific island projects.
In a July 2024 Proceedings article, Michael Blazer argues that the US's ACE strategy faces major challenges due to advances in enemy AI and machine learning.
Blazer noted that these technologies could enable adversaries to rapidly analyze data from space-based sensors, overpowering the Air Force's ability to redeploy aircraft and undermining the ACE strategy.
He noted that the ACE strategy assumes that adversaries, particularly China, will not be able to disrupt multiple locations simultaneously with long-range fires.
But he noted that the Chinese People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLA-RF) has a vast missile arsenal capable of striking U.S. military facilities in the Pacific. Moreover, he said, an AI-assisted kill chain could speed up an adversary's targeting process, threatening the effectiveness of ACE.
Blazer recommends that the Air Force employ deception techniques such as camouflage, concealment and decoy aircraft to delay enemy attacks and counter these threats.
