Recently, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) introduced legislation to press the Pentagon to acquire the weapons and capabilities necessary to mitigate China’s short range missile capabilities in the Indo-Pacific theater. This ‘Rings-of-Fire’ strategy is necessary to enhance deterrence.
China has fielded over 1,250 ground-launched theater-range ballistic and cruise missiles that can hit U.S. targets across the Indo-Pacific. Without Senator Ernst and Congressman Gallagher’s ‘Rings-of-Fire’ strategy, China’s "anti-access/area denial" strategy will push U.S. forces out of the first and second island chains. Imagine the Taiwan scenario unfolding without a ‘Rings-of-Fire’ capability. China would conduct precision strikes against U.S. military bases and Navy ships as far out as Guam. U.S. air and sea power would suffer devastating losses as a result.
This past weekend, China continued to threaten Taiwan, sending fighter jets and bombers towards the country in advance of Taiwan’s annual military readiness drills to train to repel an invasion. This continuing type of aggression increases the risk of invasion and the possibility of a multi-national conflict in the Indo-Pacific region. Our commitment to Taiwan and our allies means that we will end up leading a coalition against China.
China’s advancement on Taiwan is symbolic of their desire to control every facet of the world, especially the United States. Their efforts to dominate the Indo-Pacific is only laying the groundwork to do so elsewhere around the globe. Whether it be shackling poor countries with financial debt, building ports and infrastructure in coastal Africa, or utilizing Cuban military installations for their own purposes just miles from the U.S. border, China is relentless in their pursuit of dominance across the world. If the United States does not continue to emphasize and act on every method of deterrence against Chinese aggression, they will eventually overtake the United States as the dominant superpower.
For years, the United States has known it must address the shortage in short-range missiles in the Indo-Pacific theater to deter, and if necessary, respond to Chinese aggression. Yet the Biden administration has failed to address this key gap in our national security. Now we find ourselves facing a strengthened CCP who is laser-focused on reversing the western way of life and becoming the world super power.
President Biden and the Department of Defense can’t afford to delay this decision any longer. The impact will be devastating to the United States.
Fortunately, Senator Ernst and Congressman Gallagher recognized the national security threat that Biden’s indecisiveness poses. Ernst and Gallagher have identified the problem and presented a clear and cogent solution.
Layered in this crucial national security decision is the importance to everyday Americans. I was raised in a small town in Iowa, just like Joni Ernst. Of course, Chinese short range missiles are not a direct threat in middle America. But America’s inability to deter conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific theater certainly impacts middle America. Our military will be pulled into a major conflict that will be deadly, lengthy, and prolonged. Every city and town in the United States will pay a significant cost.
Deterring conflict with China must be our top foreign policy priority. As former combat veterans, both Senator Ernst and Congressman Gallagher know America’s top priority is to avoid a large-scale conflict. They have seen the costs of military intervention and war, they know the toll it takes on not only the service members involved, but the families they leave behind, and our allies who join the fight. It will be costly, deadly, and disrupt the world to its core.
Thankfully Senator Ernst and Congressman Gallagher recognize this and are demanding our Defense Department prioritizes weapon acquisition and updating our strategy in the Indo-Pacific theater. Their efforts are critical to keep our country safe and secure.
Colonel David Trotter is Retired United States Army. He is a graduate of Iowa State University and was raised in Altoona, Iowa. COL Trotter is a Board Member of The Bastion Institute a non-profit focused on American strength abroad and why it matters to everyday Americans at home. Learn more at TheBastionInstitute.com.
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