US bases and aircraft in the Pacific are facing a serious threat from Chinese missiles, some US lawmakers have warned.
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| China's JL-2 missile during a demonstration in 2019. (Source: Reuters) |
In a May 8 letter to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, 13 members of Congress pointed out clear weaknesses in the Pacific region and demanded “immediate changes.”
“We are concerned by the alarming lack of such defenses in the Department of Defense,” the lawmakers, including Chairman of the Select Committee on Chinese Communist Party Representatives John Moolenaar, wrote, citing the need for more passive defenses, such as reinforced aircraft shelters and dispersed forces.
The letter reads: China has a formidable and threatening missile force with a growing number of ballistic missiles and launchers, significant range, and the ability to overwhelm US defenses in the Pacific.
“With current capabilities, China could strike all U.S. bases in the region, targeting U.S. military personnel from Okinawa to those on the U.S. territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,” the authors warn. The result could cripple air assets and hamper the ability of U.S. and allied forces to respond to a major war in the Pacific.
In the letter, the lawmakers noted that many US bases in the Pacific remain unfortified, leaving aircraft and assets vulnerable to missile attack.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nghi-si-my-chi-ra-nhung-diem-yeu-o-thai-binh-duong-canh-bao-suc-manh-ten-lua-trung-quoc-270973.html
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