America must build bomber capacity to compete in the Pacific
By: Harry Foster   2 days ago
While the United States has been focused on fighting the new coronavirus, Beijing has taken advantage of the pandemic’s distraction to step up naval exercises near Taiwan, as well as in the Philippine and South China seas. With the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt sitting sidelined in Guam, these activities were designed to signal China’s growing might to the region. The U.S. military has the tools to counter such demonstrations and deliver surprises of its own — we just haven’t organized ourselves yet for doing so.
For example, long-range strike bombers launched from Australia, along with a guided-missile submarine, or SSGN, popping up in the vicinity of the South China Sea, might have showcased the U.S. ability to mass anti-ship missiles as a counter-demonstration — signaling to friends and foes alike that the United States has more options to generate Pacific power than relying on expeditionary deployment of carriers and forward-based fighter aircraft.
https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/05/04/america-must-build-bomber-capacity-to-compete-in-the-pacific/
