US to deploy new intermediate-range missiles in Asia in 2024
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U.S. Army Pacific will deploy new intermediate-range missiles to the Indo-Pacific region next year, U.S. Pacific Command commander Gen. Charles Flynn said at the Halifax Forum on International Security. The American website Defense One writes about this.
He noted that the United States is taking this step to “contain China from invading Taiwan.”
According to him, the missiles will include a limited number of Tomahawks and SM-6 missiles. The general noted that the United States has 1-2 batteries of these missiles for deployment in the Asia-Pacific region. However, he refused to name the exact location of the missiles.
Defense One notes that the deployment of ground-launched Tomahawk missiles, which can have a range of up to 2,500 kilometers, was prohibited by the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, but the United States withdrew from the Treaty in 2019.
According to Flynn, the Asia-Pacific region could then deploy a new generation of Precision Strike Missiles with a range of more than 500 km, which are launched from existing HIMARS launchers. This is more than the SM-6 missiles currently in service with a range of 370 km. On November 22, missile developer Lockheed Martin announced another successful test of these missiles.
According to Flynn, the United States is currently already retrieving its HIMARS launchers from other countries. He also noted that more and more armies of countries in the region are conducting joint exercises with the United States.
On November 21, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the start of joint sea and air patrols by the US and Philippine military in the South China Sea.
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