A new report from the U.S. Secretary of Defense documents military and security developments in China, including a vivid map showing Guam well within the range of Chinese CSS-2 ballistic missiles, B6 bombers, and land attack cruise missiles.
Because of this, Guam buildup chairwoman Sen. Judi Guthertz recently wrote to Assistant Secretary of the Navy Jackalyne Pfannenstiel asking, “Will a ballistic missile system aimed at protecting both the civilian and military communities be built in Guam?”
A year ago, Guthertz posed the question to Pfannenstiel, and the secretary said that the question centered on which military branch would operate the system, regardless of location.
Pfannenstiel also assured the lawmaker that “the Department of Defense is committed to ensuring the territories in the Pacific remain safe — indeed that they become the ‘Gibraltar of the Pacific.’”
But Guthertz asked, “How can any other site compete with Guam for protection against a ballistic missile attack? Why is further study needed? Is the United States serious about making Guam a militarily significant strategic asset? If so, it must be protected.”
Guthertz is asking Pfannenstiel to clarify the Department of Defense’s plan, stressing that “Guam has a history of being surrendered to an enemy power by the United States and it is not a happy memory.”
“When one military analyst thinks about a mainland Chinese military attack in the Western Pacific, he envisions bombs and missiles raining down on bases and airfields in Guam,” Guthertz said.
