A $1.7 billion missile defense program set to be constructed in Guam could have serious effects on the island's infrastructure and environment, a new report said.
In the report, the Missile Defense Agency indicated that there would be "long-term and significant impacts" on the island territory, which is positioned in the Pacific Ocean near the Philippine Sea, if the Department of Defense continues with construction.
The defense system's construction would require Guam, which has a population of 170,000, to support more than 2,000 new people for the 10-year building period, with contractors, Department of Defense staff and their family members all requiring permanent accommodation.
The agency plans to construct 16 sites around the entire island over a decade, as tensions in Southeast Asia continue to escalate.
Because of its location near the Philippines, Japan, China and the Korean peninsula, Guam is a significant strategic base for the U.S., especially with the growing conflict of disputed waters in the South China Sea.
In a statement outlining the reason for the missile program, the Department of Defense said: "Guam is a key strategic location for sustaining and maintaining U.S. influence, deterring adversaries, responding to crises, and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.
"An attack on Guam would be considered a direct attack on the U.S. and would be met with an appropriate response."
Despite Guam's strategic importance, its economy and infrastructure remain unstable.
The agency's report described the island's medical support as "already strained," and it warned that "because the island of Guam is identified as a minority and low-income population, significant impacts on housing and medical services would result in cumulative impacts on minority and low-income populations."
Newsweek contacted the Missile Defense Agency via email for comment on the report's findings.
The Missile Defense Agency said the Department of Defense was taking steps to avoid significant effects on Guam's infrastructure.
"While significant impacts have been identified for housing and medical services, DoD is addressing military need for housing and medical services on Guam in a holistic approach to address potential cumulative impacts," it said in the report.
Recent images from the territory have shown that the U.S. military is taking further steps to prepare Guam for conflict in the region.
In a photo published by the U.S. Navy on October 18, Tom Mancinelli, the Navy's acting under secretary, was seen receiving a briefing the day before during his tour of the MK-41 Vertical Launch System site on Guam.
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