Employing Land-Based Anti-Ship Missiles in the Western Pacific

In January 2012, President Obama declared that U.S. economic and security interests are "inextricably linked" to developments in the Asia-Pacific region. This shift in strategic priorities to East Asia was preceded by a growing literature about threats to the ability of the United States t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2013
Main Authors: Kelly, Terrence K, Atler, Anthony, Nichols, Todd, Thrall, Lloyd
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Military strategy
RAND Corporation
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:In January 2012, President Obama declared that U.S. economic and security interests are "inextricably linked" to developments in the Asia-Pacific region. This shift in strategic priorities to East Asia was preceded by a growing literature about threats to the ability of the United States to project and sustain power there, particularly with regard to China. Land-based anti-ship missiles (ASMs) feature prominently in the capabilities of many island nations in the Western Pacific, but the United States currently lacks such systems. One promising approach to enhancing deterrence would be for the United States to either develop and field its own land-based ASM systems that could be deployed to Asia in case of a conflict, significantly raising the cost for China, or work with partner nations to develop capabilities that could be used by U.S.-led coalitions and, should deterrence fail, limit China's ability to inflict damage off the Asian mainland. Such capabilities could also facilitate regional cooperation with U.S. partners, enable the United States and its allies to interdict warships, or (supplemented by other assets) be used to form a full blockade of critical waterways in times of war. This report illustrates the potential capabilities of land-based ASMs and outlines some of the logistical and positioning considerations that will need to be included in a U.S. ASM strategy.