TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US is reportedly ramping up defenses on Guam to deter a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
The Pentagon is spending NT$245 billion (US$8 billion) on a 360-degree missile defense network to protect Guam, per the Wall Street Journal. The island, which lies closer to Beijing than to Hawaii, is seen by the US as a key strategic asset in the Pacific.
US military officials told the newspaper that the purpose of reinforcing Guam’s bases is to deter an increasingly powerful Chinese military from invading Taiwan. It is also meant to demonstrate the US’ combat readiness.
However, strengthening Guam’s defenses is costly and logistically difficult. This includes building up an air defense network capable of intercepting upgraded versions of China’s “Guam killer” DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
The Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, are about 2,414 kilometers from Guam. Analysts question how much security advantage such a large military buildup on the island can actually provide.
Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told the journal that some view Guam’s location as strategically essential and argue for maintaining robust military operations there. However, others believe defending it at an acceptable cost is impossible and that US forces should be more dispersed.
US officials said China’s military parade in September included a hypersonic version of the DF-26, while Chinese hackers have targeted Guam’s infrastructure. China’s rapidly growing navy is maneuvering past the first island chain, including Taiwan and Japan, and aims to project power beyond the second island chain, which includes Guam, to dominate in any future conflict.
The US plans to withdraw some forces from Okinawa, but Commandant of the Marine Corps General Eric M. Smith has warned that shifting too much capability to Guam is misguided, stressing the need to maintain deterrence within the first island chain. The Pentagon recognizes the risk of overconcentration in Guam and is deploying units across other islands.
As a US territory, Guam provides troop deployment and serves as a logistics hub for submarines and aircraft carriers.
At the Guam Defense Forum last month, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, said, “Guam anchors America’s ability to defend, to project power, to sustain alliances and partnerships, and above all, to deter aggression," per the Marianas Business Journal.
According to Indo-Pacific Command, by 2037, the number of active-duty personnel, reservists, and family members stationed in Guam will rise by 10,000 to reach 34,000.
