INSIGHT: Growing Missile Threats from China and North Korea Demand New U.S. Army Precision Firepower.

On May 13, 2025,during the 2025 Land Forces Pacific (LANPAC) Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu, Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), delivered a comprehensive strategic briefing that emphasized the growing missile threats from China and North Korea. He detailed how the U.S. Army's evolving precision strike capabilities and multi-domain operations are central to deterring and countering these regional challenges.
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U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel J. Paparo highlights the U.S. Army's Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) as a strategic game-changer, capable of shifting China's military risk calculus and strengthening deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. (Picture source: U.S. DoD)

U.S. Navy Admiral Paparo stressed that in today’s Indo-Pacific security environment, success does not solely rely on maritime or air superiority. Instead, he explained, the joint force must be able to deny adversarial access and freedom of maneuver through precision and integration. He pointed to the Taiwan Strait as a key example, where denying Chinese military access is more strategically critical than achieving absolute control over air or sea lanes. Central to this concept is the U.S. Army's land-based ability to deliver fast, accurate, and lethal fires against critical enemy assets.

The Precision Strike Missile, or PrSM, was highlighted as a transformational capability. Designed to replace the older Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), the PrSM provides long-range, high-speed precision fires that can strike strategic targets such as air defense sites, communication hubs, and logistics infrastructure well before any direct military confrontation begins. Admiral Paparo emphasized that this missile system significantly alters the risk calculus for adversaries, particularly China, by placing valuable military assets within the U.S. Army’s reach without the need for forward-deployed naval or air platforms.

In tandem with this strike capability, Admiral Paparo focused on the deployment and operational role of the Army’s Multi-Domain Task Forces, or MDTFs. These brigade-level units are engineered specifically to operate in contested environments across all domains: land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace. MDTFs are structured to serve as force multipliers by integrating long-range fires, cyber-electromagnetic activities, advanced intelligence gathering, and precision targeting.

Each MDTF includes a Multi-Domain Effects Battalion that specializes in electronic warfare, cyber operations, and information warfare. These capabilities are used to disrupt or disable adversary command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. MDTFs also field a Fires Battalion equipped with systems like the PrSM, offering deep precision strike capability from land-based platforms. Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance assets provide real-time targeting data, while command and control nodes ensure seamless coordination across joint and allied forces. Logistics and sustainment units maintain operational mobility and support extended deployments.

MDTFs are already deployed in the Indo-Pacific region and are actively integrated into USINDOPACOM's deterrence framework. Their ability to operate from land and disrupt enemy systems across multiple domains provides a flexible and potent means of imposing strategic costs on adversaries like China without triggering a direct kinetic confrontation.

Admiral Paparo also drew attention to North Korea’s advancing missile programs. He described how Pyongyang has continued to improve the range, maneuverability, and survivability of its ballistic missile systems. These developments pose a significant threat not only to South Korea and Japan but also to U.S. installations and forces across the broader Pacific region.

To address these threats, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is reinforcing its missile defense posture with a range of systems including the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3), Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), and the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS). These platforms offer layered defense solutions that can intercept a variety of threats during different phases of flight. Their integration ensures a resilient and adaptable defense network that can respond swiftly to emerging missile threats.

In his closing remarks, Admiral Paparo emphasized that the U.S. Army's evolving role is no longer limited to support functions within the joint force. Through advanced capabilities such as precision strike missiles, integrated air and missile defense, and multi-domain operations, the Army now plays a central role in strategic deterrence and regional security. The deployment of MDTFs and cutting-edge firepower signals a shift from reactive defense toward a proactive and forward-leaning posture aimed at preserving peace, deterring aggression, and maintaining stability across the Indo-Pacific.