China has made significant investments in expanding and fortifying its airbases over the years, creating a concerning imbalance with the US, an American think tank has found.
The Hudson Institute stated in a new report that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has built over 3,000 aircraft shelters and additional runways since 2010 as part of its preparations for a potential conflict.
These expansions are reportedly more than enough to house or conceal the vast majority of Beijing’s combat aircraft.
In contrast, the US has maintained a more “modest” approach to airbase fortification, with relatively minimal growth in its number of aircraft shelters and runways.
“The overwhelming majority of US aircraft losses would likely occur on the ground at airfields,” authors Thomas Shugart and Tim Walton wrote. “But the US military has devoted relatively little attention, and few resources, to countering these threats compared to developing modern aircraft.”
‘Fewer Shots’
The think tank also noted that even if the US utilized airfields in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines during a potential conflict, there would still be a roughly 25-percent imbalance in China’s favor.
If the US military were forced to rely solely on Japanese airfields, this imbalance would surge to a staggering 88 percent.
This disparity suggests that the PLA would need to fire far fewer shots to suppress or destroy the airfields of the US and its allies.
“Operationally, this could make air operations in a conflict significantly easier to sustain for the PRC than for the United States,” the report stated, using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China.
“Strategically, this destabilizing asymmetry risks incentivizing the PRC to exercise a first-mover advantage. China could initiate a conflict if it sees an opportunity to nullify adversary airpower on the ramp.”
Recommendations
The Hudson Institute calls on Washington to bolster the resilience of its airbases, which are likely to be primary targets in a potential conflict.
The report also urges the US military to invest in long-endurance aircraft that can operate from more distant locations, reducing vulnerability to attacks on airfields.
Finally, the think tank recommends deploying powerful standoff and stand-in munitions capable of destroying airfields, forcing China to spend more on defense and less on offensive capabilities.
