China could ‘render US military bases useless’ within hours of conflict in Asia, report says
American military described as ‘atrophying force that is not sufficiently ready, equipped or postured for great power competition in the Indo-Pacific’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.China’s military would be able to use missiles to overwhelm American military bases in Asia within hours, a think tank has warned.
The US defence strategy in the Indo-Pacific is “in the throes of an unprecedented crisis”, according to a report from the United States Studies Centre, at the University of Sydney in Australia.
The analysis said China has deployed a “formidable array of precision missiles and other counter-intervention systems to undercut America’s military primacy” in the region.
“This growing arsenal of accurate long-range missiles poses a major threat to almost all American, allied and partner bases, airstrips, ports and military installations in the Western Pacific,” it added.
“As these facilities could be rendered useless by precision strikes in the opening hours of a conflict, the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] missile threat challenges America’s ability to freely operate its forces from forward locations throughout the region.”
The report described the US military as an “atrophying force that is not sufficiently ready, equipped or postured for great power competition in the Indo-Pacific”.
It said Washington’s commitment to nearly two decades of wars in the Middle East and budget instability had “dangerously overstretched its defence resources”, leaving US forces “ill-prepared” for a confrontation with China.
“China, by contrast, is growing ever more capable of challenging the regional order by force as a result of its large-scale investment in advanced military systems,” the report added.
While the US was still likely to win an extended war, the report warned China could use “limited force to achieve a fait accompli victory before America can respond”.
The Sydney think tank recommended that the US and its regional allies, such as Australia and Japan, should pursue a “collective deterrence” policy in the region.
Such a policy would include establishing new high-end military exercises in the region and expanding those that already take place.
The report also said American partners would need to improve their own militaries to bolster weaknesses in the US military’s regional power.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments