US Indo-Pacific Air Bases Vulnerable to Chinese Missile Attacks: Report

Chinese missiles can delay U.S. responses if a conflict breaks out in the region, the report said.

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, takes off to fly a bilateral mission with Japanese and South Korean Air Force jets in the vicinity of the Sea of Japan, from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on Oct. 10, 2017. Staff Sgt. Joshua Smoot/U.S. Air Force/Handout via Reuters

U.S. air bases in the Indo-Pacific region are vulnerable to China’s missile attacks, according to a Washington-based foreign affairs think tank.

In a report published on Dec. 12, titled “Cratering Effects: Chinese Missile Threats to US Air Bases in the Indo-Pacific,” the Stimson Center said the Chinese military could gain air superiority in a conflict by destroying U.S. runways with missiles.