China threat drives US missile defence rethink

Washington: China’s expanding missile arsenal and evolving military capabilities are reshaping US defence planning, with senior Pentagon officials telling lawmakers that Beijing remains the central strategic challenge driving a new generation of homeland missile defence.

Testifying before a Senate panel, Assistant Secretary Marc Berkowitz said bluntly: “China is our pacing competitor we will deter China from a position of strength.”

He said Beijing’s growing capabilities are part of a wider trend in which US rivals are “expanding, diversifying and increasing the sophistication of their arsenals of missiles and aerial weapons,” integrating them into operations designed to threaten American territory and interests.

The testimony placed China at the centre of the Pentagon’s push for a new layered missile defence architecture, known as the “Golden Dome”, aimed at countering advanced threats including hypersonic and long-range cruise missiles.

Berkowitz warned that these systems — whether nuclear or conventional — pose “truly grave threats to our homeland, to the American population, to our critical infrastructures, and to our second strike capability.”

Officials argued that China’s approach goes beyond building offensive missile forces. It also involves integrating strike systems with missile defences to deny US access and complicate military operations, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

The US response, Berkowitz said, includes strengthening forward-deployed missile defence networks. These are centred on Aegis destroyers, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems, and Patriot batteries, forming what he described as “a forward deployed, layered, integrated air and missile defence network.”

Such systems are designed to operate along key strategic zones, including the first island chain, where US forces seek to counter Chinese military expansion and maintain regional deterrence.

General Michael Guetlein said the nature of the threat has shifted significantly, warning that the US can no longer rely on geographic distance as a buffer. “That distance has been quickly eroded by their technology,” he told lawmakers.

He said the new defence architecture would address both conventional and nuclear-capable threats, including cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons and unmanned aerial systems.

Lawmakers pressed officials on the scale of China’s capabilities. While specific figures remain classified, Guetlein said the range of threats spans “from several hundred to several tens of thousands,” depending on the system.

The discussion also reflected a broader shift in US strategic thinking. Senator Angus King questioned whether traditional nuclear deterrence — which underpinned stability during the Cold War — remains sufficient in dealing with China.

Berkowitz responded that the current environment differs fundamentally, with “multiple nuclear armed rivals” and increasingly sophisticated missile technologies requiring a combination of deterrence and active defence.

He said missile defence would complement the nuclear triad, providing “both a sword and a shield” to counter coercive threats and protect the homeland.

Officials also emphasised the role of alliances, noting that US partners must invest more in defence to strengthen collective security and interoperability, particularly in regions facing Chinese military pressure.

China’s rapid military modernisation, including advances in hypersonic weapons and integrated air defence systems, has been a growing concern for Washington and its allies. These developments have intensified competition in the Indo-Pacific, where the US seeks to maintain strategic balance and freedom of navigation.

IANS