According to Bloomberg, the United States ordered the withdrawal of certain missiles from its missile stockpiles in the Pacific region by late March, a move echoing previous U.S. government actions to redeploy other assets—such as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system withdrawn from South Korea—into the Pacific region.
The latest report indicates that this missile reallocation will leave approximately 425 JASSM-ER stealth cruise missiles globally, down from a pre-war inventory of around 2,300. According to data cited by Bloomberg, these remaining missiles would be sufficient for only about 17 B-1B bombers to conduct one mission. The U.S. relocation of these resources has raised concerns over potential future conflicts in the Pacific region. The United States has amassed significant military assets in the region to deter China’s ambitions there, including its designs on Taiwan. However, recent reports suggest that the U.S. has reassessed China’s plans regarding Taiwan, which may have influenced its decision to shift these resources.
It is also reported that the Pentagon has recalled interceptor missiles used in U.S.-made ground-based Patriot air defense systems from various regions, including the Indo-Pacific. If this situation continues for another month, they might truly be left with no options.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861623422105612/
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