STARS AND STRIPES:

The head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command sees one overriding and essential first step in deterring China’s military expansion in the Pacific.

“Funding for the air and missile defense of Guam is my No. 1 priority,” Adm. Philip Davidson said Thursday during a virtual talk hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington D.C.-based think tank.

“Guam is absolutely critical in maintaining deterrence and stability in the region,” he said. “It’s our most critical operating location west of the International Date Line.”

The U.S. territory is “a critical nexus for command and control, for logistics and sustainment and for our power projection,” Davidson said. The small island is home to a deep-water port, Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base.

The best means of protecting the island is the “highly capable, adaptable and proven” Aegis Ashore missile defense system, which defends against short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles, he said…

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