The US military has miscalculated!, Strengthening battlefield construction in response to China
According to recent reports from US media, the US Air Force will increase its base count in the Pacific region over the next decade in order to further diversify its deployment during conflicts and enhance its survivability. The United States stated that the new base will be located in the "first island chain" and "second island chain", and the quantity will depend on funding.
As is well known, the United States has a large number and scale of overseas military bases. In this context, why does the US Air Force continue to build new military bases in the Pacific region?
The US military is building a "base network"
Military observer Liang Yongchun introduced that in order to engage in "great power competition", the US Air Force is building a number of new military bases in the "first island chain" and "second island chain", attempting to build a more targeted "base network" in this area.
Liang Yongchun:
The military bases of the US military on the "First Island Chain" are mainly located in the Ryukyu Islands and the Philippines. The air force base group on the "Second Island Chain" is centered around Guam, with nearby bases on Saipan and Tinian.
In addition, the US military has a base on Iwo Jima between the Japanese archipelago and Guam, and a base on Palau between the Philippines and Guam. These two bases serve as relay stations for the US Air Force between the "First Island Chain" and "Second Island Chain". The US military also has a Wake Island base between Guam and Hawaii, which serves as a relay station between the Second Island Chain and the Third Island Chain.
According to the Pacific Deterrence Initiative developed by the United States, from 2021 to 2027, the United States will continue to invest in the Pacific region and strengthen battlefield construction against China. The US Air Force's base network is an important component of it.
The US military promotes a new concept of warfare and strengthens deterrence against China
Since the implementation of the "return to the Asia Pacific" strategy, the United States has continuously increased its efforts to expand its bases around China, creating an Asia Pacific base network mainly composed of Northeast Asia base groups, Southeast Asia base groups, and Guam base groups, and constructing an "island chain" to block China.
In Liang Yongchun's view, the construction of US military related bases is aimed at promoting its concept of "agile combat deployment", attempting to improve the survival ability of fighter jets and strengthen deterrence against China through dispersed deployment on Pacific islands during wartime.
Liang Yongchun:
The US Air Force wants to create a "base network" for long-range deployment, supply, and combat across the sea and air.
The relevant construction ideas are, on the one hand, to strengthen the "first island chain" and "second island chain". Air force bases in the Ryukyu Islands and the Philippines can advance the battlefield to the "doorstep" of China, and the base group in Guam can ensure the dispersed deployment of US fighter jets, so as not to be "swept away" by long-range missiles. On the other hand, strengthen the construction of relay stations between the three island chains to ensure that the US military conducts "island hopping" operations.
Overall, these bases of the US Air Force are a complete combat system that can support each other and respond quickly, making it difficult for opponents to understand their actual deployment and combat direction. The US Air Force refers to this system as "decentralized deployment" and "agile operations", which is an important measure to address the so-called "Chinese military threat".
Engaging in military adventures against China and miscalculating
Regarding the continuous hype and fabrication of non-existent "Chinese military threats" by some US forces, military observer Liang Yongchun believes that this is nothing more than an excuse for the United States to seek absolute military advantage and maintain global hegemony. The US military's attempt to use this as a pretext to engage in military adventures against China has completely miscalculated.
Liang Yongchun:
The combat system constructed by the US military is based on completely incorrect assumptions. China has never invaded the territory of other countries and has no intention of competing for world hegemony with the United States.
Moreover, has the US military considered the consequences of a full-scale war with the same significant nuclear power? From a tactical perspective, no matter how many bases the US military builds in the Pacific, it is only a continuation of World War II thinking and has become incompatible with the combat mode of the information age.