We must move fast to regain deterrence. In a sobering, but much needed frank assessment, Gen. Dan ‘Razin’ Caine, President Trump’s newly confirmed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, America’s top military officer, warns that the U.S. military has lost its ability to deter its primary enemies, including communist China.
As reported by The Washington Times, and others, in written answers to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gen. Caine stated: “The U.S. does not have the throughput, responsiveness, or agility needed to deter our adversaries.”
This is a serious conclusion, and probably more accurate than anyone may care to admit.
What’s his biggest concern?
The recently promoted four-star Air Force General, now Trump’s senior uniformed military adviser, said the major issue is an arms acquisition system and defense industrial base that are “not optimized for protracted conflict.”
And this comes at a moment, as Caine earlier noted, when the United States faces an unprecedented and increasing risk from enemies worldwide:
Our adversaries are advancing, global nuclear threats are on the rise and deterrence is paramount. Our national defense requires urgent action and reform across the board. We must go faster. We must move with a sense of urgency. We can never forget that our number one job is to create peace through overwhelming strength.
Improving the defense industry’s ability to respond will require a mix of the best startup companies with the Pentagon’s prime contractors, he said.
Nuclear threats posed by China’s rapidly expanding arsenal of strategic missiles and bombers is also a major concern for Caine, who said he will prioritize continuing the Pentagon’s painfully slow-moving, multi-billion-dollar nuclear modernization program.
The new Sentinel nuclear ICBM, next-gen B-21 Raider stealth bomber and new Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine are all facing massive delays and cost overruns.
The U.S. nuclear arsenal has increasingly lost its deterrence faced with China’s rush to meet or surpass the U.S. as a nuclear power and Russia’s continued development of advanced nuclear weapons capabilities.
In response, Caine may recommend the U.S. increase its decades-old nuclear arsenal.
“The current U.S. nuclear force was designed in a different security environment,” he stated, noting that a commission on strategic forces called the current program insufficient.
On a related topic, Caine added his focus on Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense shield, stating: “My second priority is to deter — and defend our citizens and critical infrastructure against — any foreign aerial attack on the homeland leveraging modern and future missile defense technology combined with a robust proliferated space-based architecture that provides early warning and missile tracking.”
The dearth of U.S. shipbuilding must also be addressed and be improved with the congressionally mandated goal of increasing the Navy battle fleet to 355 ships as soon as possible while developing the ability to sustain and repair them, he said.
At other times during his Senate testimony, and in written answers, Caine was less pessimistic, saying that based on public reporting he is confident the military has the equipment, training and personnel “to meet its current challenges.”
While China’s military remains a significant concern, Caine noted, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), is deficient in military leadership, long-distance logistics and urban warfare, along with a lack of modern warfare experience.
Of course, this is before he has had time to review the most recent classified intelligence he is likely already receiving.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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That general does not deserve to be in office, he is a very poor Caleb