The United States intends to deploy medium-range missile systems in the Asia-Pacific region by the end of the year. The information was confirmed by the representative of the American Army’s Pacific Command in a conversation with the correspondent of RIA Novosti.
“Everything is going according to the plan to reach the goal by the end of the year,” he said.
At the beginning of April, Charles Flynn, commander of the US ground forces in the Pacific region, announced in an interview to the “Yomiuri” newspaper in Tokyo about the US intention to deploy missiles of the specified range in that region in the near future. He noted that this is planned to be done in cooperation with allies and partners. Charles Flynn emphasized that “finding a countermeasure against China’s modernized missiles is extremely important for US ground forces.” He did not specify what type of missiles they were talking about, but the newspaper speculated that they could be Tomahawks, American Typhon missile systems that use SM6 anti-aircraft missiles.
It is not yet known on the territory of which particular ally of Washington these missile systems will be deployed, but it is expected that it will be aimed at deterring China.
Flynn said last year that the US plans to deploy intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region to deter China against Taiwan.
If the project is implemented, it will be the first deployment of such missiles in this region since the signing of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate and Short-Range Missiles between the United States and the USSR in 1987. The document prohibited those countries, and later Russia, from having land-based medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles with a flight distance of 500-5500 kilometers.
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