US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth has laid out her country’s key strategies in a potential future war with China.
Speaking at the American Enterprise Institute earlier this week, Wormuth said that she does not think an amphibious invasion of Taiwan is imminent.
Beijing has long maintained that the island nation is part of its territory, and that they should be reunited by force, if necessary.
Wormuth stressed that the US must still prepare to fight and win if a Chinese invasion occurs.
She emphasized the importance of building a coalition with international allies to “complicate” President Xi Jinping’s decision-making.
Additionally, the US Army must establish “theater distribution centers” in the Asia Pacific region to stockpile needed supplies and fuel for armored vehicles and warships.
Among the strategic locations mentioned were Australia, Japan, Singapore, and the Philippines.
Deployment of ‘Combat-Credible’ Forces
Wormuth said one of the most important elements is to place more troops in Asia and arm them with modern equipment to deter possible Chinese aggression.
Combat-credible forces should be deployed in the Indo-Pacific at least eight months per year.
In addition, ship-to-shore vessels and hypersonic weapons must be pre-positioned to act as the country’s first line of defense.
“Our goal is to avoid fighting a land war in Asia,” she explained. “I think the best way to avoid fighting that war is by showing China and countries in that region we can actually win that war.”
‘Core’ Tasks
Wormuth revealed that if the US fails to completely deter China, the military has several “core” tasks to perform.
The first is to protect naval bases with the help of integrated air and missile defense capabilities.
The service must also sustain the joint force by setting up munition stockpiles and forward air refueling points.
Another key task is to update the US Army arsenal and develop other capabilities not normally associated with a land-based force.
“We’ve actually got our first battery of long-range hypersonic weapons,” she said.