U.S. Tests Iron Dome Missiles in Guam
U.S. military officials in Guam are testing Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system in anticipation of a cruise missile attack from China.
The missile defense system, which the United States purchased in 2019, is part of the Pentagon’s push to counter China in the Pacific, according to the Wall Street Journal. In June, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered military forces to speed up efforts to deter Beijing in the region. The U.S. Army completed its first test of the system in New Mexico in August, destroying eight cruise missile targets.
“If we can’t defend Guam—the air base and the other things there—it’s really hard to project power into the Pacific,” said Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project. Guam, a U.S. territory, has the closest American military base to China and is home to nearly 200,000 U.S. service members and civilians.