The U.S. is making moves to blunt the long-range missile advantage that China depends on to stop the U.S. arsenal from making quick work of the PLA in air, land, and sea.
This move announces the sleeping might of the U.S. forces that have been silent. The main objective is bridging the gap to keep U.S. ships from worrying about long-distance engagement from the PLA.
But it is still acknowledged that the US has the best edge in tech, that is still eminent compared to the Chinese whose technology is not as home-grown.
Why China got a slight upper hand on the United States
China had made moves in the past because the U.S. was hampered by Cold War-era arms control treaty, the Trump administration will develop missile systems that will be long-ranged and deployed in the Asia-Pacific region.
This will give the Marines attack superiority with Tomahawk cruise missiles. The White House is asking for a budget to make advanced weapons for American forces. Soon to come is the newest new long-range anti-ship missiles to be equipped.
Reuters got a statement from China, saying that Beijing is not happy about American military efforts against Chinese bullying in the South China Sea.
U.S. effort is now in full gear to counter China's only advantage which is range war, by developing more long-range assets that will reduce China's current advantage. This has been warned in previously according to senior U.S. commanders and strategic advisers to the Pentagon that should be whittled down.
Tactical adjustments were done like the Marines in a joint attack with the U.S. Navy to destroy enemy ships with missile weaponry. Marines will push the attack as ship killers too.
Fencing in the PLA and pushing it back to Chinese waters.
The battle plan will be placing anti-ship assets at key spots in the Western Pacific and the first island chain, commanders said. These places are the Japanese archipelago, through Taiwan, the Philippines and on to Borneo, enclosing China's coastal seas to fence in the PLA and disable Chinese naval forces.
In several hearings, this was explained to Congress in budget hearings. General David Berger, the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, said that "small units of Marines armed with precision missiles could assist the U.S. Navy to gain control of the seas, particularly in the Western Pacific." He mentioned that the Tomahawk missile will be the tools to give that advantage.
Tomahawk missiles were successful in the Gulf War in 1991 and have been used by U.S. warships in recent conflicts. The cruise missile is aimed at making it operational through 2023, according to top Pentagon commanders in the hearing.
Small numbers of land-based cruise missiles will not change the balance of power but show Beijing that the USS is ready to go full throttle to counter them. A combination of more US missiles, including its allies will make the PLA think twice. But, the PLA is now in the sights of new, long-range anti-ship missiles that can be mounted on US Navy and Air Force strike craft this better than the PLA's own.
Ross Babbage said,"By 2024 or 2025 there is a serious risk for the PLA that their military developments will be obsolete."
Chinese military spokesman, Senior Colonel Wu Qian, got edgy when last October he said that Beijing will not ignore the deployment of land-based, long-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region.
China's foreign ministry accuses the U.S. or interfering with their forceful projections, which China disapproves of.
