House China Committee Chairman John Moolenaar recently expressed concerns about the lack of urgency from the Biden administration in adopting defensive measures to protect American military bases in the Indo-Pacific region from potential attacks by China. Moolenaar warned that China poses a significant threat to U.S. bases in the region, including those on U.S. territories like Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. He highlighted that China has enough weapons to overpower U.S. air and missile defenses protecting these bases, which could lead to vital air assets being immobilized, logistical chains disrupted, and a weakened ability to respond in a conflict.
Moolenaar emphasized that the Department of Defense has shown an alarming lack of urgency in implementing defensive measures to protect U.S. bases in the region. He pointed out the lack of hardened aircraft shelters compared to Chinese military bases and highlighted a DoD regulation involving old munitions that is causing delays and increasing costs for construction projects aimed at building a more resilient posture for U.S. forces. Moolenaar, along with a group of congressional colleagues, sent a letter to military leaders urging immediate changes to address the vulnerability of U.S. bases and air assets to Chinese strikes.
In recent war games simulating a conflict with China over Taiwan, Moolenaar noted that 90% of U.S. aircraft losses occurred on the ground rather than from air combat, highlighting the importance of passive defenses in enhancing base security. He called for the implementation of hardened aircraft shelters, underground bunkers, and other passive defense measures to minimize the damage of missile attacks and increase the forces’ ability to withstand strikes, recover quickly, and continue operations. Moolenaar demanded that Pentagon officials provide information on the steps taken to enhance passive defenses at U.S. bases and forces in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as plans to create hardened shelters and bunkers and request additional funding for base resilience construction projects.
Moolenaar specifically pointed out that China has 800 hardened aircraft shelters compared to just 100 in the United States on bases in key locations like Guam, Mariana Islands, Japan, and South Korea. He emphasized the importance of addressing the vulnerability of U.S. bases in the Indo-Pacific region to Chinese strikes, calling on Pentagon leaders to take action before it is too late. Moolenaar’s concerns align with those of his congressional colleagues, who have highlighted Guam as a region in need of additional attention due to its strategic location and proximity to potential adversaries like China and North Korea, who have the capability to target the island with nuclear-capable missiles.
Guam, as the westernmost U.S. territory in the Indo-Pacific region, hosts important military facilities like Naval Base Guam and Anderson Air Force Base. Despite its strategic significance, Guam is within range of missiles owned by China and North Korea, raising concerns about the potential vulnerability of U.S. forces and assets on the island. As Moolenaar and his colleagues continue to push for enhanced defense measures at U.S. bases in the Indo-Pacific region, the urgency to address these vulnerabilities and protect American interests from potential threats is clear.
