Under the pretext of the Chinese threat, the Pentagon received carte blanche on a Pacific route. Now the U.S. is pulling its weapons towards China, and the termination of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles has increased its capabilities.
This is reported by Reuters.
Senior American officers in retirement note that the U.S. can no longer consider itself the dominant military force in Asia, as it used to be. In addition, the U.S. can no longer be sure of winning over China in the event of an armed clash off the coast of China.
“President Donald Trump’s decision last year to withdraw from the IRNFT gave American military strategists new opportunities. Almost immediately after withdrawing from the Pact on August 2, the administration made it clear that it would respond to China’s missile forces. The next day, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he wanted ground missiles to be deployed in Asia within a few months”, – the publication said.
Citing budget documents, the media reports that the U.S. Marine Corps has requested $125 million to purchase 48 Tomahawk ground-based missiles next year. Senior Marine Corps Commander Lieutenant General Eric Smith also said the Marines have successfully tested a new shorter range anti-ship weapon with a land-based launcher. The next test will be in June. If successful, the Marine Corps is ready to order 36 of these missiles in 2022.
In addition, the U.S. is focusing on strategic bombers, in particular B-21, which is expected to enter service by 2025. Until then, the Pentagon is working to increase the firepower of its aircraft based in Asia. Military budget documents state that the U.S. Navy aircraft are now armed with a new anti-ship missile produced by Lockheed Martin. The use of the new weapons is explained by the “urgent operational need” of the U.S. Pacific Command. Now the Pentagon is trying to get 224 million dollars to order another 53 such missiles in 2021.