The US is increasing the deployment of land-based Tomahawk missiles and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) missiles in the Asia-Pacific region. (Source: BNN Breaking News)

Over the weekend, US Army Pacific Commander Charles Flynn said new medium-range land-based missiles will be deployed in the Asia-Pacific region to prevent conflict.

The decision reflects a change in US policy, as these missiles were previously banned from deployment under the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which the US withdrew from in 2019.

On November 25, Mr. Flynn said the deployment would include land-based Tomahawk missiles and Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) missiles. Mr. Flynn confirmed that the US had tested these missiles and planned to deploy them in 2024, but did not disclose the specific time or location of deployment.

In addition, these missiles can be supplemented by the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), which is expected to enter service this year. The PrSM is launched from the HIMARS system and is capable of hitting targets "499+" kilometers away, far exceeding the 370-km range of the SM-6.