Defense World:
The United States (US) and its allies will be deploying about 200 Lockheed Martin F-35 fifth generation fighters in the Asia-Pacific region alone within the next six years or by 2025, Gen. Charles Brown, commander of the US Pacific Air Forces said during a recent interview at the headquarters of the Pacific Air Forces in the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu.
“The Pacific Air Forces will receive F-35A jets in less than a year,” he said, adding that they need to enhance capabilities in the region, by conducting joint exercises with the F-35s owned by Japan, South Korea and Australia.
According to Brown, China is posing an “existential” threat to the US by rapidly expanding its military capabilities, The Japan Times reported Saturday.
China has planned to deploy the Dongfeng-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of reaching Guam, which the Pacific Air Force wants to counter by adopting tactics that rely on the rapid movements of relatively small units, instead of intensively deploying troops at large bases.
