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With more than 3.000 reinforced concrete bunkers and blast-proof doors, Chinese air bases are changing the balance of power in the Pacific, putting the US on alert for this unprecedented strategic buildup.
In recent years, China's air bases have become one of the country's greatest strategic assets in the Pacific. With advanced infrastructure, reinforced with reinforced concrete and high-quality steel, China is shaping the geopolitical landscape of the region. But what makes these bases so impressive and why do they concern the United States? Let's take a look.
The focus on the Pacific is not without reason. The region is home to power struggles, mainly involving Taiwan, and big investments military forces from countries such as China and the United States. Between military exercises, tensions on strategic islands and technological advances, China's preparation for conflict is causing a stir.
Concrete Fortresses: The Secret Revealed
Since 2010, China has been transforming its air bases in the Western Pacific into veritable fortresses. According to a report by the Hudson Institute, the number of hardened shelters for aircraft has jumped from 370 to more than 800 in just over a decade. This increase reflects a clear strategy: to protect its fighters and infrastructure from possible attacks.
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The secret lies in the materials used. Reinforced concrete and steel, used in unprecedented quantities, result in shelters that are resistant to direct explosions. Equipped with attack-proof doors, these shelters represent a technological advance which makes them nearly impenetrable. To give you an idea, China already has more than 3.000 shelters in total, while the United States and its allies have barely begun to invest in similar fortifications.
Comparison with the United States
As China strengthens its bases, the United States faces worrying vulnerabilities. The report notes that in a conflict over Taiwan, China would need only a few missiles to destabilize critical U.S. air bases. In contrast, Chinese bases would require massive and repeated strikes to cause significant damage.
This unfavorable scenario for the US can be attributed to a mistaken strategic vision inherited from the 1990 Gulf War. At the time, the success in destroying hardened shelters in Iraq led to the erroneous conclusion that such structures were easily penetrable. However, advances in construction materials show that Chinese shelters are on another level.
China's strategy of preemptive strikes
Chinese military doctrine prioritizes preemptive strikes, seeking to destabilize the enemy at the very beginning of a conflict. With poorly defended air bases, the US and its allies in Asia run a real risk of being neutralized before they can even respond.
Taiwan, for example, is a critical point in this strategy. A surprise attack on US bases in the region could drastically alter the balance of power, favoring China. It is a strategic chess game where every move matters.
Possible American countermeasures
The report suggests urgent measures to balance the balance. Among them, it highlights the need to invest in hardened shelters at American bases, even if this means reducing the acquisition of advanced aircraft. The cost of just one B-21 Raider bomber would be enough to finance 100 new shelters in five years.
Prioritizing active defense with advanced anti-missile systems and redirecting Army resources to protect air bases are essential actions. Another recommendation is to adopt dispersed operations, using concepts such as Agile Combat Employment (ACE), which allows greater flexibility on short or damaged runways.
Chinese air bases represent a strategic advantage undeniable in the Asian scenario. The combination of advanced technology, robust fortifications and an aggressive military doctrine puts China in a prominent position. Meanwhile, the United States faces a dilemma: either it strengthens its defenses or it risks losing control in a possible conflict.
The United States, in the new presidential inauguration, invited China to the inauguration ceremony of the current president-elect Donald Trump, but hostilities outside the diplomatic atmosphere are too strong, right? One equips and arms itself with the resources it has; the other is aware of these attitudes and military constructions. In the end, it will strengthen itself very intensely and will be an enemy with significant power, but OTA and the United States are more numerous and stronger economically. Only China has money on the opposing side. The others are weak in purchasing power. They could not sustain a world war. They would be easily defeated. The only problem is nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear warheads to carry out enemy attacks. Russia has a lot of intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads to carry out attacks. These are the only real threats that Russia has against OTA and the rest of the world.
Everyone born in America is an American. The term American for USA is wrong.