Authored by Andrew Thornebrooke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
According to a recent congressional report, the U.S. military may not have the necessary capabilities to protect the nation’s strategic interests and could potentially lose a war against China.
The report, released by the Commission on the National Defense Strategy on July 30, states that “the U.S. military lacks both the capabilities and the capacity required to be confident it can deter and prevail in combat.”
“The Commission finds that the U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) is unable to meet the equipment, technology, and munitions needs of the United States and its allies and partners,” the report highlights.
Eric Edelman, the vice chair of the commission, expressed to the Senate Armed Services Committee that China is advancing in military development ahead of the United States.
He warned that this imbalance could lead to a conflict between the two nations, with the U.S. at risk of losing.
“There is potential for a near-term war and a potential that we might lose such a conflict,” Mr. Edelman emphasized.
“We found that China is in many ways outpacing the U.S.,” he continued. “While we still have the strongest military in the world with global reach, when we approach 1,000 miles of China’s shore, our military dominance weakens, potentially leading to defeat in a conflict.”
The report highlights the strategic partnerships between China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, signaling a significant shift that U.S. defense planners have not fully addressed.
Mr. Edelman stressed that these partnerships could make each country stronger militarily, economically, and diplomatically, potentially undermining U.S. tools to deal with them.
“And it makes it more likely that a future conflict, for instance in the Indo-Pacific, would expand across other theaters, and that we would find ourselves in a global war that is on the scale of the Second World War,” he added.
Therefore, the report urges Congress and government departments to revise laws and regulations to facilitate innovation, budgeting, and procurement for enhanced deterrence.
The report also recommends transitioning from the Cold War strategic model to a “multi-theater model” to address potential armed conflicts with multiple nations simultaneously.
The report warns that China is likely to escalate hostile actions in the coming years, aiming to create advantageous conditions for coercion or conflict.
If changes are not implemented, the report predicts that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China could surpass the strength of the U.S. military.
Commission Chair Jane Harman emphasized the need to leverage all national instruments, including private industries, to drive military innovation and technology adoption.
To achieve this, the report proposes increasing taxes to boost defense spending to Cold War levels, ranging from 4.9 to 16.9 percent of GDP.
Ms. Harman warned that the joint force is at a breaking point in terms of readiness and stressed the importance of rebuilding readiness through additional resources.
“We recommend fundamental change in the way the Pentagon and other government agencies do business, the way they incorporate private sector technology, and a full embrace of our partners and allies,” she stated.
“Shorthand for this is we recommend using all elements of national power.”
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