Lawmakers demand clearer picture for Guam missile defense plans

As has happened before, and will continue to do so with the United States’ unincorporated territories, plans that could have significant consequences in Guam are now being discussed and debated in the US Capitol, without much input from the territory itself. This time, it’s the “missile defense architecture to protect Guam.”

The House Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces subpanel, in its markup of the fiscal 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, will require the MDA to provide congressional defense committees a detailed report on its plans for a missile defense architecture for Guam, an acquisition strategy and requirements for funding, according to committee staff.

The MDA has yet to reveal what the missile defense architecture for Guam will look like.

The House committee has asked the MDA for a report on plans for the island for several years, but this time its subcommittee will require a report be delivered with more detail on the planned architecture and what types of threats it could engage.

The issue is attracting attention in military circles, given the plans for the United States to establish a strong presence in the Pacific to counter China’s influence. But as usual, lacking voting representation in Congress, the people of Guam will not have a say in the matter, no matter how potentially deadly the consequences.