How US Allies Can Keep An Electronic Eye On China

June 17, 2019

Breaking Defense:

As it seeks to contain a rising China, America’s great advantage is its larger network of Asian friends and allies. Not all of these nations have the combat power to deter Chinese aggression, let alone fight alongside the US in the nightmare scenario of war. But even our smaller allies can play a vital role as what President Kennedy called “watchmen on the walls of world freedom” by using radar, drones and long-range networks to monitor Chinese moves.

The new Indo-Pacific Strategy released last week marked yet another salvo in the U.S. effort to counter Chinese expansionism and encourage America’s allies and partners to do more in their own defense. Momentum is building behind the argument, advanced by CSBA, the Army, CSBA, and the Marines, that long-range anti-ship, anti-aircraft, and missile defense weapons should be based in First Island Chain countries like Japan and the Philippines to form the dug-in backbone of the allied defense, with air and sea forces forming a mobile reserve.. But these missiles would be beyond the capabilities and the budgets of most Southeast Asian militaries. Instead, the most important contribution these countries can make to regional security is monitoring Chinese activity and protecting communications along what would be the front line of future Chinese aggression.

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