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Ballistic missile interception test -

On December 10, 2024, the Aegis Guam System, which defends Guam, the westernmost territory of America, launched a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA interceptor missile from Andersen Air Force Base and successfully intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target.

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The first of its kind -

The test, the first of its kind, served as a critical milestone in the defense of the western Pacific Ocean military outpost against China's threats.

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Guam Defense System -

The exercise, announced by the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA), is part of a broader initiative to develop the Guam Defense System (GDS), which aims to provide the island with an enhanced integrated air and missile defense system. Witnessing the experiment was Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and senior military leaders.

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Playing a crucial role -

Guam is a US territory in the Western Pacific and plays a crucial role in maintaining America's presence in the region and deterring potential adversaries. Andersen Air Force Base is one of two critical bases in the Asia-Pacific region, the other being Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

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Where is Guam? -

Guam is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands, and the largest island in Micronesia. The island is 1,800 miles (2,896 km) away from the coast of China, and is a strategic location for the US military.

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The Chamorro people -

Guam, along with the Mariana Islands, was one of the first islands settled by humans in Remote Oceania, about 1500 BCE. These original settlers evolved into the Chamorro people and had their own distinct language and way of life.

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Spanish colonization -

The first European to travel to Guam was Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, sailing for the King of Spain, in 1521. Spain claimed the island in 1565. Mariana of Austria, the second wife of King Philip IV, funded the mid-17th century voyage of Spanish missionary Diego Luis de San Vitores and Filipino sacristan Pedro Calungsod to Guam, where the first Catholic mission on the island was established in 1668. The Mariana Islands are named after her.

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Colonial rule -

Spanish colonization of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands was swift, and they became part of the Spanish East Indies. The Chamorro people reluctantly adapted to colonial rule, adopting a lifestyle that mixed traditional beliefs and customs with Christianity and other foreign influences.

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Spanish–Chamorro Wars -

But it was a fragile co-existence. Unrest among the Indigenous Chamorro sowed resentment against the colonial effort of Habsburg Spain. Open rebellion ensued, resulting in the Spanish–Chamorro Wars of 1670-1699. Among the victims of the insurgency were Diego Luis de San Vitores and Pedro Calungsod.

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The Spanish–American War -

It was defeat in the Spanish–American War in 1898 that ended Spain's domination in the region. After almost four centuries as part of the Kingdom of Spain, Guam fell under US control.

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Under US control -

Control of Guam was transferred to the United States Navy on December 23, 1898. A US Navy yard was built at Piti the following year, and in 1901 a United States Marine Corps barracks was established at Sumay. The capital Agana (pictured in 1899), today known as Hagåtña, remained the seat of government under US Navy administration.

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The Cormoran incident -

On December 10, 1914, during the First World War, the German vessel SMS Cormoran docked at Apra Harbor after running short on coal. The United States, which was neutral at the time, refused to supply Cormoran with provisions, and the ship and her crew were interned.

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First violent engagement of the US in WWI -

On April 6, 1917, the US declared war on Germany. The Cormoran crew were now prisoners of war. The German vessel attempted to make a dash to safety, but was blocked by the USS Supply. Warning shots were then fired across the bow of a German launch attempting to resupply Cormoran. The Germans surrendered, but not before crewmembers had hidden explosives in Cormoran's hull. The subsequent scuttling of the ship and the shots fired against the launch accounted for the first violent action of the United States in World War I.

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Building on success -

Over 40 years or so, the Navy built up Guam's infrastructure and introduced American culture to the island. By 1940, Agana's population had grown to about 10,000.

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War declared! -

Then on December 8, 1941, one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on Japan. Guam suddenly found itself on the front line of the Second World War.

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Japanese invasion of Guam -

The Battle of Guam took place on December 8–10, 1941. It resulted in the defeat of the American garrison and the occupation of the island. The Chamorro people remained loyal to the Americans throughout, but suffered terrible abuse at the hands of the Japanese.

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US forces retake the island -

Guam remained in Japanese hands until the Americans recaptured the island in 1944. Pictured is the first US flag planted on Guam as troops stormed the beaches, attached to boat hook mast.

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Deadly invader -

The reconstruction and resupply of Guam began in earnest. Large tracts of land were cleared for military bases and recreation. But it was during this period that a new breed of enemy was inadvertently introduced to the island, perhaps after sneaking onto a cargo ship.

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Bereft of birdlife -

Anybody visiting Guam today and trekking through the island's verdant limestone forests can't help but notice the near complete absence of birdlife. No song, whistle, or chirp. Silence!

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Victims of the brown tree snake -

This is because they've nearly all fallen prey to the brown tree snake, the serpent species that arrived surreptitiously on the island in the 1940s.

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Extinction of the Guam flycatcher -

The brown tree snake's voracious appetite for anything in feathers decimated the endemic bird population. An early victim was the Guam flycatcher (pictured in the 1940s). This tiny passerine was last seen in the wild in 1984, and is now considered extinct.

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Guam kingfisher -

Others have had a narrow escape. The Guam kingfisher avoided the same fate only because nine captive individuals were introduced to the Palmyra Atoll, some 3,653 miles (5,879 km) away from their natural home. And the flightless Guam rail, once listed as extinct in the wild, is clinging onto survival in Rota and the Cocos islands, where it has been introduced.

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The Såli survives -

One forest bird that has so far managed to avoid the greedy brown snake is the Såli, or Micronesian starling. These birds are found in the vicinity of Andersen Air Force Base, and conservationists are providing "snake-proof" nest boxes for the species in an attempt to help them thrive.

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Alien spiders -

Besides an estimated population of two million snakes, Guam is also overrun by spiders, many of them poisonous. The island's arachnids include the huntsman, one of the largest spiders on the planet.

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Tent-web spider -

The tent-web spider is another eight-legged Guam resident. This tropical species builds a horizontal orb web with a dense vertical barrier of silk strands, which it drapes over gaps in trees.

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Banana spider -

Another super-sized arachnid often encountered in the forest is the banana spider. In fact, hundreds of different spiders—which in the native Chamorro language are known as sånye'ye'—occupy Guam's limestone forests and, together with all those snakes, lend the environment an unworldly and hostile character.

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Beyond the Second World War -

Towards the dying days of the Second World War, Andersen was used as a base from which to launch B-29 Superfortress operations against the Japanese Home Islands. During the Korean War, B-29s were deployed to bomb North Korean forces across the peninsula.

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Guam and Vietnam -

The 1960s saw Guam accommodate the B-52 Stratofortress. These long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bombers were used to deadly effect in Vietnam, particularly during Operation Arc Light, which lasted from 1965 to 1973.

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"Tip of the spear" -

Today, Guam is often referred to as the "tip of the spear" of the United States' ability to project its military might across the Indo-Pacific. In recent years, the island has become even more important as US-China tensions mount and Washington grows more concerned about Beijing's aggression in the South China Sea and a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan.

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A new capability -

The successful interception of a surrogate medium-range ballistic missile was part of the "Sling Stone," a capabilities exercise run by the US Indo-Pacific Command. It reemphasized Andersen's role in protecting Guam from ballistic missile threats.

Sources: (Reuters) (Newsweek) (BBC) (Council on Foreign Relations) (Guampedia) 

See also: Diego Garcia—the secrets behind the remote US military base

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