"[In recent missions] what the Chinese were showing was circumnavigations of Guam and the Marianas by ships and bombers offering a 360 degree threat by cruise missiles," Davidson told an American Enterprise Institute (AEI) podcast on Thursday. "Air and missile defense of Guam is my number one priority."

Speaking from Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii, Davidson said he wanted a system like Aegis to conduct persistent 360 degree integrated air and missile defense from the so-called Second Island Chain nations and territories.

"We are not going to let Guam go without a fight. It is critically important. We are going to have to be able to fight for it. Missile defense is critical. ...The THAAD [Terminal High Altitude Area Defense] system there now is designed for a rogue shot from North Korea. A new system would help deter China," he said.

China's armed forces were already deploying increasing numbers of bombers and warships with the capability to circumnavigate US.