U.S. Rushing To Build Anti-Missile Defense Systems On Guam

Asia Times: US readying for Chinese hypersonic attack on Guam 

 Pentagon plans massive upgrade of strategic island’s missile defenses but it may be too little, too late against China’s ‘Guam killer’ missiles Guam’s missile defenses are slated for a massive upgrade, hardening US military facilities housed on the strategic Pacific island against potential Chinese and North Korean attacks. 

The Pentagon is taking the initial steps to provide Guam with a persistent missile defense system that gives 360-degree coverage against Chinese and North Korean missile threats, USNI News reported.  

Read more .... 

Update #1: Pentagon Starts Work to Build Ballistic Missile Defense Capability in Guam (USNI News)  

Update #2: Pentagon to Expand US Air Defenses in Guam (Libertarian Institute) 

WNU Editor: To me it is a given that in the event of a shooting war, Guam, because of its strategic importance to the US military in the Pacific, will be a primary target. I guess the Pentagon just figured it out.

US Marines Open New Guam Base

 

Warzone/The Drive: Marine Corps Activates Sprawling New Base On Highly Strategic Guam 

Camp Blaz will be an epicenter of Marine Corps activity in the Pacific and will play a key role in a larger force realignment strategy. 

The U.S. Marine Corps has activated a new base camp on the strategic island of Guam in the Pacific, and, at least according to the Marines, it will serve as the first newly constructed base for the service in 70 years. Named Camp Blaz, the installation’s location is not only steeped in Marine Corps history dating back decades but the activation also reflects the U.S. military's evolving posture in the increasingly tense region over which China looms.  

Read more .... 

US Marines Open New Guam Base  

Marines Reopen Base on Guam as Part of a Shift from Okinawa -- Military.com  

Marines celebrate reactivation of new base in Guam -- UPI  

Explainer: Why the U.S. Is Overhauling Its Marines on Japan's Okinawa -- Reuters  

Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Sabånan Fadang Memorial -- SOFREP  

US Marines open new Guam base, troop transfer to start in 2024 -- ABS-CBN

Pentagon Announces Plans To Bulk Up Bases In Guam And Australia To Confront China's Growing Threat

Guam is home to closest U.S. military base to the Chinese mainland 

Daily Mail: Pentagon announces plans to bulk up bases in Guam and Australia to confront China's growing threat but won't shuffle troops around the world 

* The Pentagon revealed details of its review of global military posture on Monday 

* Officials said they were deploying fighter and bomber planes to Australia 

* And they announced that the base on Guam would be upgraded 

* The island of Guam is the closest U.S. base to mainland China 

* It is part of an effort to focus the U.S. military on the threat from Beijing 

The Pentagon plans to improve its bases in Guam and Australia to counter the growing threat from China, officials announced on Monday, after a nine-month review of military resources around the world. 

But they said that no major changes to the global U.S. military posture were needed and that they would not publish the overall findings. 

The nine-month review was designed to coordinate the nation's massive military capabilities with the Biden administration’s strategic priorities, most notably responding to China’s growing assertiveness and its buildup of forces.  

Read more .... 

More News On The Pentagon Announcing Plans To Bulk Up Bases In Guam And Australia  

Pentagon to build up US bases in Guam and Australia to meet China challenge -- CNN  

US military plans for greater presence in Australia as it confronts China's power -- ABC News Australia  

US to increase presence in Australia, Indo-Pacific region to deter 'potential military aggression' from China -- SKY News  

Improvements planned for US military bases in Guam, Australia to counter China -- The Hill  

Pentagon to improve military airfields in Guam, Australia to counter China, leave other global positions as is -- FOX News

An Inside Look At The U.S. Strategy in Guam To Counter China's Growing Threat

 

From WSJ .... The U.S. Army is testing the Iron Dome on Guam. WSJ’s Shelby Holliday got a first-hand look at the missile-defense system, which arrived months after a top military leader called the island’s defenses inadequate against threats from China. Photo: Adam Falk/The Wall Street Journal

Pentagon Pushes For A Pacific Missile Defense Site On Guam

The US Pacific territory of Guam is the proposed site of a new missile defence base.(US Navy: Stacy Laseter) 

ABC News (Australia): Pentagon pushes for Pacific missile defence site to counter China's threat to the US 

The head of the US Navy's Indo-Pacific Command is urging Congress to build a new missile defence base in the Pacific as part of a larger strategy to counter China's military threat to the region. 

The Pentagon is seeking $US77 million ($98 million) to build a permanent "land-based integrated air and missile defence system and associated weapon delivery system on Guam", as outlined in the Indo-Pacific Deterrence Act. 

In addition to the defence system, which is designed to track down and destroy missiles before they do harm, the US is considering an increase to its ground-based missiles on Guam that could fire on targets over 500 kilometres away. 

Read more .... 

Update #1: Pentagon pushes for island missile defence system to counter China (9 News) 

Update #2: ‘Guam is a target today.’ Pacific chief pitches Aegis Ashore to Congress (Defense News) 

WNU Editor: To me it is a given that in any conflict with China, one of the first targets will be Guam .... China tests 'Guam killer' missile it says can strike moving warships (ABC News).

China's Military Releases A War Simulation Video Attacking The U.S. Base On Guam

Zero Hedge: China Military Releases War Simulation Video Of Attack On US Guam Base

Following weeks of multiple Chinese fighter jet incursions over Taiwan, the Chinese air force released a shocking video on Saturday showing bombers conducting a simulated attack "on what appears to be Andersen Air Force Base on the U.S. Pacific island of Guam," according to Reuters.

Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu warned Saturday that China was increasing drills and other forms of military pressure with the threat of intervention. Wu said China's crackdown in Hong Kong is a reminder that "Taiwan might be next".

The short video, titled "The god of war H-6K goes on the attack!," was posted on the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Weibo account, comes as the Chinese military carried out the second day of drills near Chinese-claimed Taiwan.

Read more ....

Update: Chinese air force video shows apparent simulated attack on US base in Guam (The Hill)

WNU Editor: What can I say. More threats from China.

Update #2: China is being mocked for this video .... China military PR film mocked over 'Hollywood clips' (BBC).

Who Is Sending Drones Over The U.S. THAAD Anti-Ballistic Missile Battery In Guam?

The United States will compete, deter, and win in the #IndoPacific. The #THAAD system I visited on Friday, is one of our most advanced missile defense systems. It enables the defense of #Guam against short, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. #TaskForceTalon pic.twitter.com/g8C2b602aT

— Dr. Mark T. Esper (@EsperDoD) August 31, 2020

Warzone/The Drive: Mysterious Drone Incursions Have Occurred Over U.S. THAAD Anti-Ballistic Missile Battery In Guam

It's yet another reminder of just how vulnerable highly strategic assets, even air defense systems, are to low-end drones.

Earlier this year, it came to The War Zone's attention that a series of bizarre and highly concerning events took place in the late Winter of 2019 at Andersen Air Force Base on the Island of Guam. As we understand it, between late February and early March of last year, the massive installation experienced repeated incursions by unmanned aircraft that appeared to be extremely interested in one highly sensitive area of the highly strategic base, the U.S. Army's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery that is tasked with defending the island from ballistic missile attacks.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: First thought that came to my mind when I read this was .... foreign spies at work.

How Should The Pentagon Defend Its Base At Guam From Chinese Missiles?

Illustration by David Axe

David Axe, Forbes: China Aims Missiles At Guam. How Should the Pentagon Defend America’s Pacific Bomber Base?

The U.S. Navy admiral in charge of Indo-Pacific Command is worried about Guam.

In the event of war, the Chinese military could target the U.S. island territory with cruise and ballistic missiles, Adm. Phil Davidson warned. And that could remove from the map the U.S. Air Force’s main Pacific base for bombers and other heavy warplanes.

The solution, Davidson said, is to install the Aegis missile-defense system on Guam. Aegis Ashore could function as “the backbone of [a] homeland defense system” for the territory, Davidson told reporters on Wednesday.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Guam would definitely be a high priority target for China.

U.S. Quietly Withdraws All Bombers From Guam Just Days After They Performed An Elephant Walk

A U.S. Navy MH-60S Knighthawk, U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk, Navy MQ-4C Triton, Air Force B-52 Stratofortresses, and KC-135 Stratotankers stationed at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, perform an 'Elephant Walk' April 13, 2020

Daily Mail: US Air Force abruptly ends its 16-year bomber deployment in Guam and recalls them to be used more flexibly in the face of the threat from Russia and China

* Five B-52H Stratofortresses left the Andersen Air Force Base on Wednesday, just days after the aircrafts participated in a military might 'elephant walk'
* No replacement aircraft was seen, bringing an end to the Continuous Bomber Presence Mission
* The program started in 2004
* Under the Continuous Bomber Presence Mission, they deployed B-52s, b-1B Bone supersonic bombers and B-2A Spirit stealth bombers for half-year stints
* Air Force and Navy flexed military strength with elephant walk in Guam Monday
* An elephant walk is a procession of military aircraft taxiing close in formation
* Monday's display of force took place at the Andersen Air Force Base, which is about 1,800 miles east of China, with at least a dozen aircraft, including bombers
* Procession came after China sent aircraft carrier and fighter jets near Taiwan

The United States Air Force has stopped its uninterrupted rotation of bombers in Guam, ending a more than 15-year presence in the area.

Five B-52H Stratofortresses left the Andersen Air Force Base on Wednesday, just days after the aircrafts participated in a military might 'elephant walk' exercise aimed at China.

The planes' flights were first reported by @AircraftSpots.

No replacement aircraft was seen, bringing an end to the Continuous Bomber Presence Mission, the War Zone reports. The program started in 2004.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This sends the wrong message to China, Russia, and U.S. allies in Asia that the U.S. is committed to protecting the Western Pacific.

More News On The U.S. Quietly Withdrawing All Bombers From Guam

The Air Force Abruptly Ends Its Continuous Bomber Presence On Guam After 16 Years -- Warzone/The Drive
Air Force Ends Continuous Bomber Presence in Guam -- Air Force Magazine
Air Force nixes regular bomber rotations on Guam for less predictable global deployments -- Stars and Stripes
US Quietly Withdraws All Bombers From Guam, No Replacements in Sight -- Sputnik

B-52 Bombers, B-2s, And B-1s Have Been Deployed To Guam For The Second Time In History

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

B-1s, B-2s and B-52s at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam on Aug. 10, 2016. Air Force photo

Military Times: B-52 bombers join B-2s, B-1s in Guam for second time in history

About a week after the Air Force deployed three B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to Guam, six B-52H Stratofortress bombers joined them on the island Tuesday.

The B-52s from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana deployed to Andersen Air Force Base along with about 300 airmen. The aircraft and personnel will support the U.S. Pacific Command’s continuous bomber presence mission, replacing six B-1B Lancer bombers, which are scheduled to return home to Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, at the end of this month.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This does not happen everyday .... but this is a sign that in the future this may be happening everyday.

China Conducts Practiced Bombing Runs Targeting Guam

Defense News: China has practiced bombing runs targeting Guam, US says

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii — China has practiced bombing runs targeting the U.S. territory of Guam, one of a host of activities making U.S. forces here consider Beijing the most worrisome potential threat in the Pacific, even as North Korea pursues a nuclear warhead.

Beyond the well-publicized military build up on man-made islands in the South China Sea, China has built up its fleet of fighters to the extent that it operates a daily, aggressive campaign to contest airspace over the East China Sea, South China Sea and beyond, U.S. military officials in the region said. China has also taken several other non-military steps that are viewed as attempts to make it much more difficult for the U.S. to operate there and defend allies in the future.

The officials described the escalatory behaviors by China in a briefing they provided to reporters traveling with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford.

Read more ....

Update: China is said to have practiced bombing attacks against Guam (CNBC)

WNU Editor: China practices bombing many targets .... Guam included. The focus on Guam is also not a surprise. U.S. bases at Okinawa/Japan/South Korea are important .... but in any major conflict Guam will be critical in supplying these bases .... hence the big target from countries like China and North Korea.

This Is Why Guam Is In North Korea's Cross-Hairs

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jordan Kliewer, 36th Munitions Squadron inspector, marks weapons for stocking Sept. 7, 2017, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Andersen recently received 1.5 million pounds of munitions that will increase the overall availability of day-to-day training assets and could be used to support warfighting capabilities.U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Gerald R. Willis

Business Insider/Daily Caller: The US military sent 816,393 bombs and ammunition to Guam to prepare for the looming threat from North Korea

* More than 816,000 munitions worth $95 million arrived at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
* The weapons were delivered to the US military base amid the growing threat from North Korea.

The Air Force munitions stockpile in Guam recently received a 10% boost, according to the U.S. military.

A total of 816,393 munitions assets valued at over $95 million dollars were delivered to Andersen Air Force Base between Aug. 21 and Sept. 30, 36th Wing Public Affairs revealed in a statement Wednesday.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:  That must be one massive stockpile of bombs and ammo in Guam.

North Korea Threatens Guam (Again)

New York Times: North Korea Renews Guam Threat Ahead of Joint Naval Exercise

SEOUL, South Korea — As the United States and South Korea prepared for next week’s joint naval exercise, North Korean officials on Friday renewed their threat to launch ballistic missiles near Guam, an American territory in the western Pacific.

The drill, which involves the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, is scheduled to begin on Monday in waters east and west of South Korea. The 10-day exercise will check the allies’ “communications, interoperability and partnership,” the United States Navy’s 7th Fleet said in a statement.

The nuclear-powered submarine Michigan arrived at the South Korean port of Busan on Friday. American and South Korean warplanes will also join the exercise, which takes place amid heightened tensions over North Korea’s advancing nuclear missile program.

Read more ....

Update #1: North Korea revives Guam threat ahead of US-South Korea drills (CNN)
Update #2: Kim Jong Un has his hand near the 'trigger' on a possible launch at US territory of Guam, North Korean media says -- Business Insider

WNU Editor: Amidst all of these North Korean threats, NATO is giving its support to the U.S. (sort of) .... NATO warns of 'devastating consequences' if Trump carries out a military intervention in North Korea but admits 'the US has the right to defend itself' (Daily Mail).

North Korea's Missiles Are Now 'Capable' Of Hitting Guam

The Independent: North Korea missiles 'now capable of hitting Guam'

Range of latest test 'significant' as it shows Pyongyang's ballistic missiles could reach US Pacific island territory, say experts

The ballistic missile launched by North Korea was capable of reaching the US territory of Guam, according to scientists and defence chiefs.

Fired over northern Japan into the Pacific Ocean, it travelled 2,300 miles (3,700 km) in 19 minutes, according to the South Korean military.

Pyongyang has previously threatened to attack Guam, the tiny island which is home to a US military base, 2,110 miles from North Korea.

Read more ....

More News On North Korea's Missiles Are Now 'Capable' Of Hitting Guam

North Korea missile test shows it can hit Guam -- Washington Examiner
North Korea's missile a message to US: We can strike Guam at any time -- The Telegraph
N. Korea 'has Guam in mind': Japan minister -- AFP
North Korea shows capability of striking Guam with missiles -- Asahi Shimbun

A Look At Andersen Air Force Base At Guam

CNN: Andersen Air Force Base: America's 'spear' in the Pacific

Andersen Air Force Base, Guam (CNN)Andersen Air Force Base is deceptively quiet.

The calm is at times punctuated by the screaming of a B-1B Bomber flying off into the skies above the tiny US territory of Guam, but the roars don't come as often as expected.

This seemingly sleepy base, which is only hosting bombers, refueling tankers and large jets, is one of two crucial US military installations on Guam, the closest US territory to North Korea.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This is American soil .... and the main base in the Western Pacific.

Japan Vows To Protect Guam In The Event Of A U.S. - North Korean War

FOX News: Japan ready to protect Guam, defense minister says

In the event of a North Korean nuclear attack on Guam, Japan’s new defense minister said Thursday that his country’s military could shoot down the missiles before they reach the U.S. territory.

In such a scenario, Japan has the right to activate its Aegis destroyer missile defense system, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said during a session of the National Diet, Japan’s parliament.

Any attack against Guam would be considered an existential threat to Japan, the defense minister said, also citing a mutual defense agreement with the United States.

Japan lies only about 620 miles to the east of North Korea, which has conducted numerous missile tests this year. Most of the weapons have landed in the Sea of Japan, which lies between Japan and the eastern coast of the massive Asian continent.

Guam lies about 1,600 miles south of Japan.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: If the Korean peninsula erupts in war, Japan will be more focused on protecting their own country than Guam.

More News On Japan Vowing To Protect Guam In The Event Of A U.S. - North Korean War

Japan says it will shoot down North Korean missiles targeting Guam -- Global News/AP
U.S. Allies Warn North Korea Against Firing Missiles Toward Guam -- Bloomberg
North Korea details Guam missile plan as it scoffs at Trump -- Reuters
North Korea says Guam strike plan ready within days -- CNN
North Korea details plan to strike near Guam by mid-August -- Los Angeles Times

Why Is North Korea Threatening Missile Strikes Against The US Territory Of Guam?

SKY News: Why is North Korea threatening to strike Guam with missiles?

US Navy and Air Force bases cover 30% of the remote island, but Guam's governor insists it is "not just a military installation".

President Trump's threat to strike North Korea with "fire and fury" has prompted Pyongyang to claim it is "carefully examining" a plan to hit Guam with missiles.

But where is the island and why is it a potential target?

Since it became an American territory in 1898, Guam has been considered a vital asset by Washington.

It lies in the Pacific east of the Philippines and around 1,700 miles south of North Korea.

Its proximity to China, Japan and the Korean Peninsula hand the US a launching pad into Asia and as such it has been built up into a military fortress.

Read more ....

More News And Analysis On Why Is North Korea Threatening Missile Strikes Against The US Territory Of Guam

AP Explains: N. Korea missiles that can potentially hit Guam -- AP
Why North Korea threatened Guam, the tiny U.S. territory with big military power -- Alex Horton, Washington Post
Guam: Tiny Island Thrust into the Center of North Korea Dispute -- NBC/AP
Guam - what you need to know -- DW
Where is Guam and why is North Korea threatening it? -- The Guardian
Where is Guam and why is it at the centre of the US-North Korea nuclear war threat? -- The Independent
This is why North Korea is threatening to attack Guam -- New York Daily News
Where is Guam? North Korea Threatens Attack on US Territory Home to 160000 People and Two Military Bases -- Newsweek
Guam: America's military base in the western Pacific -- ABC News Online
Key facts about Guam, the center of US-North Korea tension -- AP

North Korea Threatens Missile Strikes Against Guam (Updates)

NBC: North Korea Mulling Plan to Strike Guam, State Media Announces

SEOUL — North Korea says it is "seriously reviewing" a plan to strike the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam with missiles — just hours after President Donald Trump told the regime that any threat to the United States would be met with "fire and fury."

A spokesman for the Korean People's Army, in a statement carried by the regime's state-run KCNA news agency on Wednesday (local time), said it was going over "military options to form attack positions" around the U.S. territory in order to "send a stern warning" to the United States.

In another statement citing a different military spokesman, North Korea also said it could carry out a pre-emptive operation if the United States showed signs of provocation, according to Reuters.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Guam is not the only target that North Korea is probably looking at .... North Korea's Potential Targets: Guam, South Korea and Japan (New York Times)

North Korea Threatens Missile Strikes Against Guam (Updates)

North Korea says it’s studying a plan to attack Guam -- PBS/AP
N. Korea ponders striking US base in Guam after Trump threatens Pyongyang with ‘fire & fury’ -- RT
North Korea threatens Guam after Trump's 'fire and fury' warning -- France 24
North Korea 'considering missile strike on US Guam base' -- BBC
N Korea threatens missile attack on US territory Guam -- Al Jazeera
North Korea says seriously considering plan to strike Guam: KCNA -- Reuters
Guam residents fear attack after North Korea statements -- AP
North Korea threats unsettle Guam islanders -- BBC
Guam’s worries grow as tensions rise between US, North Korea -- AP
Guam governor says North Korea's talk of revenge is no threat -- Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Urges Calm On North Korea, Downplays Threat To Guam

VOA: Tillerson Downplays N. Korean Threat to Guam

WHITE HOUSE — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says he doesn't believe there is any imminent threat from North Korea to the Pacific island of Guam, despite Pyongyang's claim that it is examining its plan for "making an enveloping fire'' around the U.S. territory.

Tillerson spoke to reporters while flying to Guam Wednesday, after a day of heated rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang. The U.S. Secretary of State was on the island on a refueling stop following a visit to Asia.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a stark warning to North Korea, saying if Pyongyang continues its threats against the United States, "they will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's Remarks On North Korea

Tillerson - Trump tough talk aims to send message to North Korea -- Reuters
Tillerson urges calm on North Korea, says no imminent threat -- ABC News/AP
Tillerson backs Trump's strong warnings to North Korea after no headway with 'diplomatic language' -- Washington Post
Tillerson: Trump sending North Korea a 'strong message' -- FOX News

Russia And China Are Eyeing The U.S. Base At Guam

Washington Free Beacon: Russian Bombers Again Circle Guam

Moscow’s latest nuclear saber rattling follows buzzing of USS Reagan.

Russian bombers circled the U.S. military hub on the Pacific island of Guam last week in the latest case of Moscow’s nuclear saber rattling.

“On Nov. 25th, two Russian bomber aircraft circumvented Guam, transiting international airspace,” said Army Maj. Dave Eastburn, a Pacific Command spokesman.

The latest bomber flights around the island were the fourth time in the past three years that Russian bombers circumnavigated Guam.

Earlier incursions took place on Dec. 13 and Nov. 12, 2014, and Feb. 12, 2013. During the 2013 incident, U.S. F-15 jets were scrambled to intercept the bombers.

WNU Editor: According to this author, when it comes to Guam China is the real threat .... Will Guam Be America's Next Pearl Harbor? (Peter Navarro, Real Clear Defense).