According to a Pentagon report on China’s military and security development published in December, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has a battle force of more than 370 ships and submarines, including more than 140 major combat vessels.
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The US military is planning to equip its advanced fighter jets with long-range anti-ship missiles to enhance its air strike capabilities in a potential conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific region, according to a media report.
Citing a contract notice from the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), defence news website The War Zone reported Tuesday that the US Navy is working to integrate a version of the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) onto the F-16 Viper fighter jet.
A December Pentagon report on China’s military and security developments revealed that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy possesses a fleet of over 370 ships and submarines, including more than 140 major combat vessels.
The US has expressed concern over China’s Dongfeng-21D missile, an anti-ship ballistic missile known as the “carrier killer”. which is believed to be capable of striking aircraft carriers from a range of approximately 1,500 to 1,700 kilometers.
Amid growing worries about munition stockpiles and naval shipbuilding capabilities, the US military has been bolstering its air-launched anti-ship capabilities to prepare for a potential confrontation with China in the Pacific. This comes as the production gap between the US and China continues to widen.
In the notice posted on Monday, NAVAIR said it intended “to enter into sole source negotiations and subsequently award a cost-plus fixed-fee delivery order to Lockheed Martin Corporation-Missiles Fire Control”, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday.
“The anticipated [delivery order] is for required integration and test support of the AGM-158C-1 missile on the F-16 aircraft platform,” the notice