Dear Members and Friends,
Today, as a gesture of diplomatic grace and reciprocity for hosting Chinese Military ships at Pearl Harbor during RIMPAC (article from The Diplomat), the USS Benfold (DDG-65), a U.S. guided-missile destroyer, has ported at Qingdao, a port in China near the Korean Peninsula. This is the first time a U.S. military ship has coasted into a Chinese port since Beijing rejected The Hague arbitration tribunal on the South China Sea dispute, and the gesture reflects U.S. and Chinese determination to “build relationships” between the navies of both countries (article from the International Business Times).
The USS Benfold is one of the most capable Aegis BMD vessels in the world today, equipped with new Baseline 9 software that enables its missile defense systems to execute launch- and engage-on-remote-using external sensors to launch interceptors rather than being dependent on its ship-based SPY-1 radar. The Baseline 9 software also allows Aegis BMD-capable vessels to engage cruise and ballistic missiles simultaneously, creating a force multiplier in area defense and a capability that is highly effective in an anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) environment. Four total Baseline 9-equipped Aegis vessels have been deployed by the U.S. Navy, three of which are being stationed in the Pacific. The United States should be more aggressive in making upgrades to their existing fleet and adding all new Aegis ships with this software as it increases and modernizes its fleet.
Click here to watch the USS Hopper (DDG-70) out of Hawaii perform a weapons test of some of its air and self-defense weapons. Like the USS Benfold, the USS Hopper is also an Aegis BMD-capable destroyer, but the Hopper is equipped with an older second generation Aegis 3.6 software, which is less capable than the Baseline 9. The video highlights the weapon platform capability of all current Aegis BMD-capable vessels with their vertical launch systems that can launch SM-2, SM-3 Block IA, SM-3 Block IB and SM-6 interceptors.
This year alone, North Korea has conducted 27 missile tests, demonstrating increased defiance to the international community and enhanced ballistic missile capabilities. The United States 7th Fleet-consisting of the U.S. Benfold and six other U.S. BMD ships-has the sea based mission to help defend the region from the North Korean threat as well as help warn and track ballistic missiles headed toward the continental United States, Guam and Hawaii. The U.S. Navy will continue increasing the number of Baseline 9-equipped ships in the Pacific to confront an amplified North Korean ballistic missile threat.
Beijing is averse to the deployment of U.S. missile defense systems in the Pacific, as demonstrated by recent protests from Chinese leadership regarding deployment of a U.S. THAAD in South Korea. Without China’s help in containing and stopping North Korea’s belligerent action, the United States is being forced to enhance and increase deployment of U.S. air and missile defense systems to the region to assure its allies and protect its forces; doing so in the face of Chinese criticism. By hosting the U.S. Benfold at Qingdao, China is witnessing the direct effects of a growing U.S. BMD capability in the Pacific in response to North Korea. The USS Benfold represents this continual increase to U.S. regional BMD capability, and is a significant statement to the Chinese that inaction towards North Korea is not in the best interest of China.
As Chinese Philosopher Sun Tuz, states “in the midst of Chaos, there is also opportunity.”
Today, in the midst of regional chaos created by North Korea, Japan has ordered its military on full-time alert to defend against North Korean ballistic missiles (article from Reuters).
We give great appreciation and credit to the Commands of the U.S. Navy of the Pacific Fleet and the 7th Fleet along with the U.S. State Department for this initiative to strategically message China in conjunction with building trust in relationships.
