“China’s strategy in the air is to kill the AWACS from long range then when our birds fire up their radar to compensate, swarm them with radar homing missiles fired in the hundreds by giant swarms of cheap missile hauler fighters.”
Similarly, they plan to use missile swarms on ships and bases in the region - DF-21 “Carrier Killers”, hypersonic glide warheads and cruise missiles.
That is likely why we recently withdrew from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The 500 mile range limit gave China a huge relative free-fire range, and they have developed and deployed the capability. It was a one-sided arms race.
Post INF, the US will likely be developing and deploying longer range systems, that could attrit Chinese ships, bases and their offensive missiles before launch.
Everyone who is seriously threatened by China (like Vietnam, Taiwan and India, maybe the Philippines), or their attack dog North Korea (like South Korea and Japan) will want adequate deterrence. China has accumulated enemies all around it, well within missile range of their own critical facilities and bases (and most important cities).
Trump’s second term would like start to see such offensive capability start deploying, as the existing systems start getting range boosts; like a single shot for the existing Army HIMARS mobile launcher, or upgraded Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Some purpose built systems, like a Pershing 3 of some sort, and some boost-glide hypersonic systems could be rushed in development during that time.
And of course, the long anticipated directed energy defensive weapons to counter swarms might come along as well.
China has had a free head start, but withdrawal from INF likely means that now its game on.
Looks like the USA is ready to break out quickly from the INF Treaty, and counter China’s developments:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3772939/posts
In just weeks, we have already tested a ground-launched version of the Tomahawk Cruise missile (it works).
“the Pentagon has said it also intends to begin testing, probably before the end of this year, an INF-range ballistic missile with a range of roughly 3,000 kilometers (1864 miles) to 4,000 kilometers (2485 miles)”
At this rate, it might be possible to start deploying/selling/giving some to allies in the region next year.