Read previewUS bases and aircraft in the Pacific are facing intense threat from Chinese missiles, and the Pentagon isn't doing enough to counter that challenge, according to American lawmakers.
In a Wednesday letter to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, 13 members of Congress pointed out glaring vulnerabilities in the Pacific region and demanded "immediate changes."
A U.S. Air Force Rockwell B-1B Lancer (L) and a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (R) sit on the tarmac at Andersen Air Force base on August 17, 2017, in Yigo, Guam.
Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesIn the letter, lawmakers note that many of the US bases in the Pacific remain unhardened, leaving aircraft and assets vulnerable to missile strikes.
Notably, none of the US shelters were in Guam — home to Andersen Air Force Base which routinely hosts American bombers.
Persons:
—, Frank Kendall, Carlos Del Toro, John Moolenaar, Justin Sullivan, Tom Shugart, Timothy A, Walton, Andy Wong
Organizations:
Service, Pentagon, Air Force, Business, Department of Defense, Chinese Communist Party Rep, Commonwealth of, Pacific ., U.S . Air Force Rockwell, Boeing KC, Andersen Air Force, US, Center, New, New American Security, Hudson Institute, Andersen Air Force Base, American, People's Liberation Army Rocket Force, Lawmakers, Rocket Force, China's
Locations:
Pacific, China, Okinawa, Guam, Commonwealth, Northern Mariana, U.S, Yigo, New American, Shugart, Tiananmen, Beijing