The U.S. military is testing Israel's Iron Dome air-defense system in Guam because of the threat of Chinese cruise missiles.
US Deploys One of Its Iron Dome Anti-Missile
In a recently published article in MSN News, one of the US military's two Iron Dome anti-missile systems has been deployed to the US Pacific island of Guam. According to a news outlet, the system, which was built in Israel, is presently being tested in Guam as part of an American attempt to protect the island against Chinese missiles.
According to the information gathered, Iron Dome would be ineffective against Chinese ballistic missiles, but the present test highlights the vast variety of US technology headed to the Asia-Pacific area as the Pentagon responds to what it has dubbed China's "No. 1 threat."
Although Iron Dome may be used to counter cruise missiles fired from Chinese bombers, one analyst warned a news source that it was just a temporary solution. Guam is also home to the United States' closest military installation on American territory near China, with around 190,000 citizens and personnel, according to a published report in Times of Israel.
U.S. Planned To Purchase Iron Dome Batteries
In February 2019, the United States announced plans to buy a small number of Iron Dome batteries to evaluate and test as a system to defend deployed US military personnel from a range of indirect fire and aerial threats for military advancement.
Meanwhile, at the White Sands missile range in New Mexico, the US successfully performed its first domestic live-fire test of Iron Dome in August of this year. However, the army ultimately chose a system created by Dynetics, an Alabama military firm, over Israeli technology, according to a report published in HAARETZ.
China Could Target Guam Instantly
China might use a sea-skimming cruise missile to strike the island, which is around 1,800 missiles away, which is where the Iron Dome would come into play. Israel's Iron Dome was created by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. and Raytheon Technologies, and it's meant to fight against short-range rockets like the ones fired into the nation by Palestinian terrorists.
Military officials have been hesitant to deploy their Iron Dome missile defense systems, citing problems with integrating them with other missile defense systems, while others have argued that South Korea would be a better place to deploy the technology, given its border and relationship with North Korea.
Tests of Iron Dome Missile
In a published article in The Wall Street Journal, the test comes as the Pentagon's focus has switched to the Asia-Pacific area after reports that China had tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that circled the globe before rushing towards its target, showcasing superior space capabilities that took US intelligence off guard.
Even though Chinese government officials denied the test was what it was reported to be, both Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. John Hyten, the outgoing vice chairman, have emphasized the significance of the test, with the former referring to it as nearly a "Sputnik moment."
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