US military’s staggering preparations for ‘Great Power War’ with China

The US Army is transforming itself in preparation for a potential future war with China.
The Great Power War, as the Pentagon calls it, would be extremely dangerous for the entire world, putting the world’s two strongest militaries and nuclear powers in direct conflict.
It could also draw in other nuclear adversaries, including North Korea and Russia. This so far imagined war could even go beyond the death toll from America’s deadliest conflicts.
As the chances of a war between China and the US increase, the US is making sure it’s prepared if such a thing were to happen. Unlike previous opponents such as the Taliban, China will have satellites that can monitor the sky. This means the army must learn to fly undetected.
The Army has been training in jungle ravines and humid temperatures, along with Japanese, Australian, Indonesian and other partner troops, while back at Pearl Harbor, Army transport ship crews are looking at ways to discharge the military equipment. They are also assessing the troops they will need in the event of the anticipated war.
Troops practising in Hawaii have also been working on manoeuvres learnt from watching the war between Ukraine and Russia.
There is also a 300-foot-long U.S. Army vessel ship currently docked in Pearl Harbour. It can beach itself, discharging 900 tons of vehicles and cargo, as well as troops onto islands if necessary.
China has been clear about expanding its power in Asia and just recently was found to be building its first nuclear aircraft carriers. The biggest catalyst for this war, however, is China’s imminent invasion of Taiwan. President Xi Jinping has ordered the Chinese military to be ready to invade its neighbor by 2027.
While Taiwan has its own defenses, military experts are concerned with how it would fight against a Chinese invasion without US help. This move would be a decision for whoever is president at the time of the invasion, but American policymakers worry that doing nothing may not be an option for the United States unless it doesn’t mind becoming less of a dominant force in the world.
Seth Jones, a senior vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the New York Times, “My sense is that a successful Chinese invasion of Taiwan would send massive ripples throughout the region. China would likely emerge as the dominant military power in the region, not the United States, and it would trigger a range of second-and third-order effects.”
The US recognizes how difficult it would be for China to invade Taiwan. Military planners say it is likely that China would use light amphibious vessels to try to secure a beachhead in Taiwan, but those vessels would have to make their way through heavily mined waters.
American officials say Chinese military planners have used civilian ferries to transport troops and equipment across the strait and are working to construct floating piers.
But they note that America has 450,000 active-duty troops already tasked to the Pacific, as well as many training in Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon and California. Officials hope this will show China just how capable they are.
While the American Air Force cannot establish air superiority over the entire Pacific Ocean, it can open up corridors for movement between the Pacific islands. There are already about 54,000 US troops based in Japan, 25,000 in South Korea and a much smaller number in the Philippines.