Exclusive: The new chairman of the House China Committee says there is an “alarming lack of urgency” from the Biden administration to take defensive measures to protect U.S. military bases in the Indo-Pacific region from potential attacks from China. Ta.
House China Committee Chairman John Moolener (R-Mich.), who took over last month following the resignation of Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), is joined by Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. He outlined his concerns in a letter to . .
Top Republican warns that US territory is ‘extremely vulnerable’ to Chinese missiles
“U.S. military bases in the Indo-Pacific are under threat. With its current offensive capabilities, China could attack U.S. military bases in the region, including bases in the U.S. territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas.” He warned, adding: A new unclassified analysis suggests that China “possesses enough weapons to overwhelm our nation’s air and missile defenses protecting these bases.”
Moolener warned that attacks on U.S. military bases “could immobilize critical air assets, disrupt logistics networks and significantly weaken the ability to respond in times of conflict.”
Congressman John Moolener currently chairs the House Select Committee on China. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Moolenaar said his committee had received information showing an “astonishing lack of urgency with which the Department of Defense takes defense actions.”
“U.S. military bases in the region have very few robust aircraft shelters compared to Chinese military bases,” he said. “Furthermore, Department of Defense regulations surrounding World War II-era munitions have significantly delayed and increased costs for Guam and Guam construction projects.” [the Northern Mariana Islands] The purpose is to build a more resilient posture so that our military can withstand Chinese attacks and continue operations. ”
Mr Moulenard added: “We demand immediate change.”
Moolenaar, along with many of his congressional colleagues, including Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, sent a letter to military leaders.
Rep. Robert Wittman (R-Va.), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Missouri, Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, and Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill. , Rep. Neil P. Dunn, R-Fla., Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Dusty Johnson, R.S.D., Michelle Steele (R-Calif.), and Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa). , Carlos Jimenez (R-Fla.) also signed the letter.
Moulenard and others said U.S. military bases and air assets are “extremely vulnerable to Chinese attack.”
Sen. Marco Rubio during a hearing on March 8, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Not surprisingly, in a recent war game simulating a conflict with China over Taiwan, 90 percent of U.S. aircraft losses occurred on the ground, not in air combat,” he explained.
Moulenard cited “passive defenses” as the most cost-effective way to improve base security, calling for things like reinforced air shelters and underground bunkers.
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“Robust passive defenses can help minimize the damage from missile attacks by increasing the U.S. military’s ability to withstand attacks, recover quickly, and continue operations effectively,” he said. Ta.
Moolener explained that China has 800 hardened aircraft shelters, compared to just 100 air raid shelters installed by the United States at bases in Guam, the Mariana Islands, Japan and South Korea.
Moolenaar is currently advising Pentagon officials on passive defense efforts to protect U.S. bases and forces in the Indo-Pacific region, including Alaska, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawaii and smaller regions. We are requesting information on the measures taken to strengthen this. Outlying Islands, Allied and Partner Territories.
Moolenaar also asked whether the Pentagon plans to build hardened shelters and bunkers to protect U.S. troops and whether it plans to request additional funding for base hardening projects. I’m asking.
A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber from the 393rd Expeditionary Bomber Squadron, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, March 24, 2005. (Benny J. Davis/U.S. Air Force, via Getty Images)
“Our bases in the Indo-Pacific are unacceptably vulnerable to Chinese attack,” Moolenaar told Fox News Digital. “We don’t have enough solid shelter to protect our aircraft and personnel.”
Moolener told Fox News Digital that the Pentagon’s “unique regulations have significantly delayed critical construction projects.”
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“We are years behind our goal of strengthening our infrastructure,” Moolenaar told FOX News Digital. “Today, I implore the Pentagon leadership to begin this critical construction before China decides it’s too late.”
Moolenaar’s warning comes as his colleagues in Congress have singled out Guam as an area in need of particular attention.
Guam is the westernmost U.S. territory in the Indo-Pacific region and is home to approximately 170,000 U.S. citizens. The Department of Defense owns about a quarter of Guam’s land and hosts a military of nearly 7,000 active-duty military personnel on the island.
Guam is home to Naval Base Guam, the Navy’s only submarine base in the Western Pacific, and Anderson Air Force Base, a large air base that can host U.S. strategic bombers and fighters.
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But Guam is much closer to Beijing than Hawaii and is within range of nuclear-capable missiles owned by the People’s Republic of China and North Korea.
U.S. officials have warned that China has spent decades developing short- and intermediate-range missiles capable of targeting Guam.
