In the rapidly evolving landscape of great power competition, protection of U.S. forces against advanced threats is paramount.

Understanding the Protection Challenge Against China’s Way of War

The PLA employs a sophisticated, systems-of-systems approach designed to deny U.S. forces freedom of maneuver and degrade combat power before they can effectively engage. Protection is not a last-minute consideration but a critical enabler starting well before U.S. forces can range PLA forces. This approach integrates multiple domains—land, air, sea, cyber, and information—creating a complex operational environment requiring layered defense and rapid adaptation.

PLA’s Multidomain Threat Capabilities

The PLA maintains capabilities across various domains, underscoring the protection challenge:

• Airpower: Over 2,000 combat aircraft including bombers, fighters, and multirole fighters capable of precision strikes.
• Seapower: A formidable naval force with aircraft carriers, attack submarines, and a large surface fleet capable of projecting power in contested waters.
• Landpower: More than 100 maneuver brigades, special operations forces, and paramilitary units poised for rapid deployment.
• Missile Forces: A robust arsenal of conventional rockets and ballistic missiles with ranges from short to intercontinental, threatening U.S. bases and assets across the Indo-Pacific.
• Information and Cyber Warfare: Advanced ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance), cyber attacks, and cognitive warfare aimed at disrupting command and control and degrading operational effectiveness.

Protection Considerations in a Contested Environment

Protection must enable Joint Force freedom of action across all domains and operational phases worldwide. Key protection considerations include:

• Layered Air Defense: To counter PLA’s accurate, long-range missile strikes and waves of attack trajectories designed to saturate defenses.
• Electronic Warfare (EW) and Cyber Defense: To safeguard critical command posts and networks from PLA ISR and cyber attacks that seek to disrupt communications and decision-making.
• Hardened Command Posts and PACE Plans: Due to the PLA’s ability to target command posts with high accuracy and lethality, resilience through physical hardening and robust alternate communication plans is essential.
• Rapid Adaptation and Intelligence: Knowing the enemy and operational environment is vital. Protection measures must evolve to counter new PLA tactics and technologies dynamically.

Strategic Implications for U.S. Forces

The PLA’s grand strategy combines security and development to firmly entrench its regional dominance by 2049. This strategy includes limited amphibious capabilities and sustainment challenges but poses significant threats through precision strikes and information confrontation. U.S. forces must prepare to operate under contested conditions, where protection against PLA’s integrated strike systems is vital to mission success.

The Critical Role of Protection in Future Conflicts

Protection is a key operational imperative in countering China’s sophisticated military capabilities. Without effective protection—across cyber, air, land, sea, and information domains—U.S. forces risk losing freedom of action and operational initiative. Layered defenses, rapid intelligence-driven adaptation, and resilient command and control structures form the backbone of this protection strategy. As great power competition intensifies, understanding and implementing these protection considerations will be essential for Joint Force victory.