Source: The Washington Times
Bill Gertz
The Pentagon lifted
the veil of secrecy Wednesday on a new battle concept aimed at
countering Chinese military efforts to deny access to areas near its
territory and in cyberspace.
The Air Sea Battle concept is the
start of what defense officials say is the early stage of a new Cold
War-style military posture toward China.
The plan calls for preparing the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps to defeat China’s
“anti-access, area denial weapons,” including anti-satellite weapons,
cyberweapons, submarines, stealth aircraft and long-range missiles that
can hit aircraft carriers at sea.
Military officials from the
three services told reporters during a background briefing that the
concept is not directed at a single country. But they did not answer
when asked what country other than China has developed advanced anti-access arms.
A
senior Obama administration official was more blunt, saying the new
concept is a significant milestone signaling a new Cold War-style
approach to China.
“Air Sea Battle is to China what the maritime strategy was to the Soviet Union,” the official said.
During
the Cold War, U.S. naval forces around the world used a strategy of
global presence and shows of force to deter Moscow’s advances.
“It
is a very forward-deployed, assertive strategy that says we will not
sit back and be punished,” the senior official said. “We will initiate.”
The concept, according to defense officials, grew out of concerns that China’s new precision-strike weapons threaten freedom of navigation in strategic waterways and other global commons.
