New US missile delivery raises questions about Pacific defense strategy

Northrop Grumman just handed over its first Stand-in Attack Weapon to the Air Force in mid-Nov‚ marking a new step in air-defense suppression tech. The weapon (which will be ready around 2026) fits perfectly in F-35 stealth fighters internal bays — two at once

The 14-foot missile has some cool-features: its designed to hit moving targets and borrows tech from the companys anti-radar missile program. With speeds over mach-2 and roughly 150-mile range its meant for close-in fights against enemy defenses. The difference is in its brain and punch: while previous missiles looked for radar signals this one can spot and hit harder targets like command-posts and vehicles

The weapons real problem isnt about how far it shoots — its about where F-35s can fly from. Chinese defense systems (which got way better in last decade) can reach 125 miles out‚ but F-35s with internal weapons only go 590 miles total. Theres just one main US base close enough to Taiwan: Kadena; but Chinese mainland missiles could shut it down fast

The Joint Strike Missile might be a better fix for Pacific problems: this norway-made weapon fits in F-35s and flies 350 miles — more than double the Stand-in weapons range. The Air Force already ordered some and theyll show up around the same time as the new Northrop missile

The new weapon could work great in Europe though where distances arent so big. F-35s could clear out Russian air defenses there just fine — weʼve seen how that works out: Iraqi and Libyan forces with soviet-style equipment didnt last long against US air power