A new study by a congressional committee says the US military is no longer “prepared” to fight a major war.
The threats facing the United States are the “gravest and most challenging” in a century, yet the U.S. defense infrastructure is ill-equipped to meet them. according to The criticism comes in response to a National Defense Strategy Commission report released Monday that cited a troubled Department of Defense and the federal government’s failure to adequately address threats from adversaries such as China and Russia as some of its biggest problems. (Related: Pentagon dismantles failed overseas project weeks early, declares mission accomplished)
“The last time the United States engaged in a global conflict was during World War II, which ended nearly 80 years ago. The last time the United States prepared for such a fight was during the Cold War, which ended 35 years ago. We are not prepared today,” the commission’s report states. “The United States, regardless of administration or party in power, still has failed to act with the necessary urgency. This report proposes a new approach to accelerate the pace and scale of change.”
ARLINGTON, VA – JULY 25: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (left) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Brown (right) attend a press conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, July 25, 2024. Secretary Austin and Gen. Brown held a press conference and answered questions from the press. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
China and Russia are working closely together to strengthen their militaries, citing a growing threat from the world’s two largest superpowers, the report said, a relationship that has also been welcomed by other US adversaries such as Iran and North Korea.
But China remains a major player in the multilateral axis, according to the report.
“The Committee believes that in many ways China overtake “China views the United States as an adversary and has significantly negated U.S. military advantages in the Western Pacific through two decades of intensive military investment,” the report said.
This new axis “creates the real risk, or even the possibility, that conflict, wherever it occurs, could escalate into a multiregional or even global war,” according to the report.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) greets US Air Force personnel before boarding a flight departing from Yokota Air Base in Fussa, a Tokyo suburb, July 29, 2024. (Photo by SHUJI KAJIYAMA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The report argues that the Pentagon is plagued by bureaucracy and slow processes, relies on “decades-old military equipment” and has a “culture of risk aversion”, which have contributed to the stagnation.
The military itself is also lagging behind in “both the capabilities and capacity needed to deter and have confidence that it can win combat,” according to the report. New technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber warfare and hypersonic weapons capabilities are cited as examples of what is needed to modernize the military.
More broadly, the report said, the U.S. defense base is “unable” to meet the needs of its allies in terms of military and technological equipment. In the event of a multi-theater war, the U.S. alone “cannot produce everything it needs,” and so it will need to work with its allies to boost the production capabilities of its military-industrial complex.
In a new report, the National Defense Strategy Commission warns of growing security threats, emphasizes innovation and recommends strengthening the Department of Defense as part of an “all elements of national power” approach to security. https://t.co/5daqljphsp
— RAND (@RANDCorporation) July 29, 2024
In its report, the committee recommended that Congress and the Department of Defense review existing laws and regulations to eliminate “barriers to innovation adoption, budgeting, and procurement.” Congress should also remove related budget caps to ensure more money is allocated to the Department of Defense for its most pressing national security needs, the committee said.
The committee said the Pentagon should overhaul its major systems to ensure they are modern and combat-ready, while also scrapping programs that are on the verge of becoming obsolete.
“Implementing these recommendations to strengthen all elements of our nation’s power will require sustained presidential leadership and a fundamental shift in thinking among the Department of Defense, the National Security Council, executive branch departments and agencies, Congress, and the American public at large,” the report said.
The bipartisan commission, established by Congress, is made up of high-level defense and national security experts tasked with evaluating U.S. defense strategy and making recommendations to Congress and the Pentagon. The commission’s latest report was prepared in part by the RAND Corporation, which provided “analytical, management, editorial, and publication support.”
The Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the committee’s report.
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