Washington [US], October 8: Although the White House is about to have a new owner, the US is still increasing the deployment of modern weapons to East Asia in the face of China's rise.
Yesterday, October 7, the US military's information portal released a statement about this force and the Philippine military conducting the 8th Sama Sama joint exercise in the vicinity of Subic Bay (Philippines).
"Big deal" arrives in Japan and Philippines
Recently, Washington has continuously promoted military exercises and cooperation with Manila.
The US and the Philippines also conducted a joint exercise at a base in the Philippines facing the South China Sea. During the exercise, the US fired the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to simulate a defense scenario that included a possible conflict in the South China Sea that threatened the Philippines' sovereignty. Prior to the exercise, the US had also deployed HIMARS to the Philippines. In addition, the Pentagon has deployed the Typhon missile launch system, also known as the Medium Range Missile System (MRC), to the Philippines. The MRC can launch Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 air-to-air missiles.
Not only the Philippines, the US MRC has also recently been deployed in Japan. In early October, the US media reported that the Pentagon had just mobilized the destroyer USS Preble (DDG-88) to join the 7th Fleet and stationed in Japan. Belonging to the Arleigh Burke class, the USS Preble stands out for its integration of a laser weapon system that is considered to have many advantages in intercepting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and missiles. Therefore, the presence of the USS Preble in Japan carries an important message about military deterrence.
Balancing military power in the region
Responding to Thanh Nien yesterday, October 7, Dr. Satoru Nagao (Hudson Research Institute, USA) assessed that the US deployment of the Typhon medium-range missile launch system and the latest warship to Japan shows the following things.
"First, China's rapid military modernization has forced the US and its allies to increase their arsenals to maintain the military balance. From 2014 to 2023, China built about 150 warships. This number is equivalent to the total number of warships of the Japan Coast Guard, and also equivalent to half of the total number of US warships," Dr. Nagao analyzed.
Dr. Nagao further pointed out: "Regarding the missile arsenal, as of last year, China possessed thousands of medium-range ballistic missiles. For a long time, the US has left this type of missile vacant. Therefore, the US has recently increased the number of Tomahawk missiles to fill this gap. Washington is also deploying the Typhon missile launch system, which can launch Tomahawk missiles in the Philippines. The US is also planning to deploy the Typhon system to Japan to meet the above-mentioned goal. Not only on land, the US also deploys missiles on warships and aircraft."
Second, according to Dr. Nagao, China has recently increased cooperation with Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Pyongyang and Moscow both have large missile arsenals and are developing many new lines. Recently, China and Russia conducted major naval exercises. In such a situation, if the US and its allies do not increase their missile arsenals, the military balance will change.
"Third, new technology is creating new tactics. Along with missiles, UAVs can be considered a new type of "missile". In the Ukraine conflict, UAVs played an important firepower role. Ukraine used many UAVs to attack both on land and at sea. Therefore, the US deployed warships with integrated laser weapons to Japan to enhance its anti-UAV capabilities when this type of weapon became a new trend in war", Dr. Nago further analyzed and concluded: "Along with the deployment of warships and the development of missile arsenals, the combat UAV manufacturing industry will also be an important part of the US-China competition".
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
