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Business Insider
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
A more complicated kind of kill chain is making China's missiles a deadlier problem for US forces, a top general says
China's military has developed a "kill web" that makes its weapons more accurate and reliable, a top officer said. A kill web is an evolution of a kill chain, including systems across domains and technologies. China has been expanding its missile arsenal and capabilities for years, raising concerns in the Pentagon. China's missiles are becoming a deadlier problem for the US military due to complex evolutions in the country's kill chains, according to a top American general. The Pentagon has been focused on China's growing arsenal of missiles for years, noting their ranges and stockpiles put the US and its allies in the region at risk should conflict break out. And there are force-multiplying capabilities that make that a more daunting challenge. Speaking to lawmakers on the Senate Committee on Appropriations last week, Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations of the Space Force, stated that the People's Liberation Army, China's military, "has fielded satellite-enabled, space-based targeting of terrestrial forces. This kill web has extended the range and accuracy of PLA weapons to hold US forces at risk." Saltzman added that the Space Force has the difficult task of defeating this kill web should the US and China go to war. The "kill web" is something he's brought up before, characterizing it as a critical concern. China's military, the general said back in May, "has developed what we've kind of, you know, tongue in cheek, called a 'kill web,' and it's nothing more than a series of hundreds of satellites that are a sensor network that provide real-time updates, targeting quality information of our force." China's embassy in the US didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on American assessments of its military. China's missile branch, the Rocket Force, has been heavily investing in new weapons. Annual reports on China's military by the US Department of Defense have noted growing stockpiles and launchers. One of China's ballistic missiles, the DF-26, has been commonly referred to as the "Guam Express" or the "Guam Killer" because it can reach US forces on the island, which is roughly 3,000 miles from Beijing. It can also be used in an anti-ship role, earning it another nickname: "carrier killer," like the DF-21D. Other Chinese ballistic missiles have raised concerns in the Pentagon, including its DF-17 and DF-27 hypersonic missiles, short-range ballistic missiles like the DF-15 that give China the ability to strike Taiwan with relative ease, and intercontinental ballistic missiles like the DF-5s, DF-31s, and newer DF-41s. And the arsenal isn't limited solely to ballistic missiles, with Chinese cruise missiles also representing a threat. Last year, in its report on China's military, the Pentagon assessed that the PLA intended to use AI and machine learning to enhance its missile sensors, which could make them more accurate. Other capabilities within information-gathering and targeting could improve missile accuracy as well. Reconnaissance drones and satellites could be a key part of the growing kill web, transmitting key information to command and control centers for decisions on how and what to attack. The kill web is an evolved concept of a traditional kill chain, described as being more interconnected across systems and domains and more resilient to disruption. The US is actively working to expand its own web. In a statement before the recent Senate committee hearing, Air Force leadership shared that it "recognizes the need to develop interconnected, multi-platform systems of systems that can operate within and across services to create a robust and redundant, long-range kill web capable of delivering effects within the most contested environments." That requires, it said, investing in every aspect of the so-called "kill web," from traditional platforms and communication equipment to AI and weapons systems.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Guam missile defense system under pressure: $8 billion U.S. plan struggles with delays, leadership gaps, and China threat
Guam missile defense system is facing serious problems despite an $8 billion investment by the U.S. military. A new GAO report reveals delays, unclear leadership, and poor infrastructure planning that threaten the Pentagon's ability to defend Guam from potential Chinese missile attacks. With missing timelines, unapproved facilities, and troops relying on bottled water, the situation paints a worrying picture. The system, critical to counter China's growing missile threat, lacks a clear strategy for long-term operation. These gaps raise urgent questions about the island's readiness in case of conflict. Here's what's really going wrong behind the scenes. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why is the Guam missile Defense system facing delays despite billions in funding? How is the army struggling to maintain current Defenses on Guam? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What are the logistics and housing gaps delaying deployment? Who is supposed to run the Guam missile Defense system? Is Guam ready for a potential missile conflict with China? FAQs: Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The $8 billion US missile defense plan for Guam—aimed at protecting the island from potential Chinese missile attacks—is facing serious challenges, according to a recent report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO). Despite being one of the Pentagon's top defense priorities, the report reveals troubling gaps in planning, infrastructure, and long-term Pentagon's Guam Defense System (GDS) is supposed to offer a 360-degree missile shield around the island. It's a response to China's expanding missile force, especially weapons like the DF-26 "Guam Express"—a missile that can strike Guam from over 2,500 miles away. However, the GAO report, released last week, reveals the Department of Defense (DoD) still lacks a clear strategy for who will operate and sustain the system once no finalized timeline or leadership plan between the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the military services. The system is supposed to be managed across 16 sites on Guam, with installation running from 2027 to 2032, but many critical operational questions remain US Army has had trouble even with its current responsibilities on the island. For more than 10 years, Guam has hosted a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) battery, but basic support and maintenance are lacking. Army vehicles are being repaired under tarps, and there is still no permanent facility for the THAAD system. When a typhoon hit Guam in 2023, Army units had to rely on the Marine Corps for hangar inspectors found that soldiers stationed there were drinking bottled water due to a lack of clean water access. These issues have created what the report described as 'morale challenges' for Army personnel and military operations, the Pentagon hasn't figured out how many service members will be needed, where they'll live, or how schools, medical services, and grocery stores will support them. This makes it nearly impossible to plan for training, housing, or deployment some branches have tried to estimate their needs, the lack of an overarching plan has left critical infrastructure and personnel decisions in limbo. The Army is currently waiting for clarity before it can move forward with essential logistics.A major issue is the unclear chain of command. The GAO report says the Pentagon hasn't defined which military branch or agency will lead the Guam Defense System. Some responsibilities are shared between services, while others might fall to the Missile Defense confusion could lead to duplication, delays, or gaps in operations when the system goes live. Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, who oversees the GDS project, told the Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee earlier this month that the project will cost around $8 People's Liberation Army Rocket Force has thousands of missiles, many aimed at deterring or disabling US bases in the Indo-Pacific region. Guam—home to key US airfields and submarines—would likely be one of the first targets in a conflict. Experts warn that the US could face an unprecedented missile threat if war were to break out with the Guam Defense System is meant to address this risk, the lack of a clear operating plan, insufficient infrastructure, and poor conditions for current troops suggest that Guam is far from US military's efforts to build a strong missile defense for Guam are urgent, especially as threats from China grow. But without answers on who's in charge, how many troops are needed, and where they'll live and work, the system is far from battle-ready. If the Pentagon doesn't address these gaps soon, Guam may remain a vulnerable target—despite the billions already being system lacks leadership, planning, and support despite $8 billion hosts key US bases and is within range of China's DF-26 missiles.
