{"id":33261,"date":"2021-03-09T17:28:19","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T17:28:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/03\/09\/guam-is-a-target-today-pacific-chief-pitches-aegis-ashore-to-congress\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:47:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:47:13","slug":"guam-is-a-target-today-pacific-chief-pitches-aegis-ashore-to-congress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/03\/09\/guam-is-a-target-today-pacific-chief-pitches-aegis-ashore-to-congress\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Guam is a target today.\u2019 Pacific chief pitches Aegis Ashore to Congress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 Warning that China\u2019s missile arsenal threatens Guam and the United States will have to \u201cfight for it,\u201d the head of Indo-Pacific Command<\/a> pitched lawmakers on building an Aegis Ashore missile defense facility to guard the U.S. territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adm. Phil Davidson told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that the island needs protection as the home of 170,000 U.S. citizens and service members, a deepwater strategic port, fuel and munition stores and an airfield used to project U.S. power. Guam would be key to responding to any conflict in the Asia-Pacific region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGuam is a target today. It needs to be defended, and it needs to be prepared for the threats that will come in the future,\u201d Davidson said. He added later: \u201cChina\u2019s own Air Force has put out a propaganda video<\/a> showing their H-6 bomber force attacking Andersen Air Force Base at Guam and distributed that quite publicly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While an Aegis Ashore system would counter ballistic missiles or cruise missiles launch from the air, land and sea, the island\u2019s existing anti-ballistic missile capability \u2015 the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system \u2015 \u201cis not capable of meeting the current trajectory of threats from China,\u201d Davidson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the key piece that we\u2019re missing, that signals to the region that the U.S. is a reliable and committed security partner, that we are there to defend not only U.S. territory but our interests abroad,\u201d Davidson said of Aegis Ashore. He added it would show China it \u201ccan\u2019t knock Guam out with an easy shot and keep us out of the fight to present a fait accompli\u201d against Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Davidson has previously said<\/a> the $1.6 billion system is his top priority among $27 billion in spending he\u2019s proposed to continue a broader Pacific Deterrence Initiative<\/a> through 2027. Aegis Ashore systems have been installed or are in progress in Romania and Poland.<\/p>\n\n\n\t