The more assertive stance of the U.S. military, which has emerged from the accession of Donald Trump to the Presidency, has manifest itself in a raid on Yemen by the Special Forces, the shelling of the Shayrat air base in Syria with 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles following the Assad government’s use of Sarin gas, and the dropping of the MOAB ordinance in Afghanistan. These acts preceded the dispatch of the Carl Vinson battle group towards North Korea.
These acts, while important in themselves, are misleading in their significance because they represent old and dated technology. The dropping of bombs and the attack by cruise missiles on the enemy have been superseded in military capabilities by a whole range of sophisticated weapons whose power has yet to be appreciated by the general public. The range of weapon systems available for use by the U.S. military extends beyond bombs, missiles and anti-missile defences. Over the last decade, the U.S. has been successful in developing entirely new weapon systems and defences which encompass Hypersonic weapons, Directed Energy Weapons, Electro-Mechanical Pulses and satellite weapons in space. It is these which give the US. a tactical and strategic advantage over others and will be its greatest guarantee of U.S. security.
This growth in non-conventional defence systems has emerged as a response to the actions and investments by America’s enemies, or potential enemies. Russia, China, and even lesser powers like Iran are investing in so-called Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) systems. These sophisticated networks of long-range missiles and sensors — backed by submarines, strike aircraft, mines, and other forces — have been designed to detect and destroy US ships and aircraft that come within hundreds of miles of their territory. A2/AD danger zones already extend well into the territory of US allies like the Baltics, Poland, and Taiwan.