As Congress is once again heading towards a financial crisisDefense experts are warning that the US is facing one of the “most daunting and most dangerous” global challenges. There have been many changes in the environment since World War II.
National security experts are warning that the US military… just not ready There is a strong fear that a major international conflict could break out, while the risk that a conflict could break out is very high, echoing concerns expressed by a congressional commission earlier this summer.
“Americans have a long tradition of sleeping until there’s a national security crisis,” Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told The Post on Tuesday.
“Preventing aggression is less costly than fighting a war that could have been prevented,” Bowman said. “When prevention fails, the primary bill payers for this dynamic are the uniformed men and women who do the fighting. We owe it to them to do a better job.”
one of 132 page report Published in July, the National Defense Strategy Commission criticized President Biden 2022 National Defense Strategy and identified weaknesses such as inefficiency in military spending, the collapse of the defense industrial base, and red tape that hindered progress.
“The commission found that the U.S. military lacks both the capabilities and the capacity to provide confidence that it can deter and win a war. It needs to do a better job of incorporating new technologies at scale,” the report said.
Congress tasked the bipartisan panel led by former Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), once the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, with assessing Biden’s strategy and providing recommendations — which were released in February of that year, months after Russia’s unprovoked, bloody invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
The report highlighted in its executive summary that, “The threats facing the United States are the most serious and challenging since 1945, and include the possibility of major war in the near future.”
“The last time the country was ready for a fight like this was during the Cold War, which ended 35 years ago. Today, it is not ready.”
Bowman emphasized that the commission's analysis was not “hyperbole” but a “clear, objective fact-based” view of the situation.
Many dangers, many theaters
Most worryingly, the commission concluded that “in many ways, China is outpacing the United States” and “has largely negated the US military advantage in the Western Pacific.”
However, the panel's report said Beijing was not the only geopolitical and military risk to the US and called for a shift in the US military posture to prepare itself for “multiple theater force constructs.”
“The 2022 NDS force build-up does not adequately take into account global competition or the very real threat of simultaneous conflict in multiple theaters,” the report warns.
“The United States must engage with its global presence — military, diplomatic, and economic — to maintain stability and exert influence around the world, including in the global South, where China and Russia are expanding their reach.”
The commission also warned that the Pentagon’s description of Russia as a “grave threat” underestimates the “constant and persistent” threat posed by Moscow, particularly in cyberspace.
Blaming the MPs
Many defense advocates had long been upset with Congress, and the commission's report even described the legislative branch as an “impediment” to U.S. security.
“Congress, as it has tended to operate in recent years, has become a major impediment to national security. It routinely fails in its basic job of funding the government in a timely manner,” it said, blaming uncertainty caused by frequent shutdown fights and other instability that “waste billions of taxpayer dollars.”
The commission also criticized the delayed passage of bills providing aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel, as well as “one-person Senate control” – Led by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who was not named in the report – Due to which the promotions of military officers were delayed for months.
Bowman said, “In nearly every fiscal year since 2011, Congress has failed to provide the Pentagon with full defense appropriations on a timely basis. When this happens, Congress is creating inefficiency and uncertainty for contractors, wasting billions of dollars and delaying the start of critical new programs.”
Members of Congress have warned about national security concerns amid the spending dispute, and some Republican defense leaders are privately pressuring House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
Others, such as Rep. Jim Banks (R-Indiana), have raised concerns about U.S. troops coming under fire in sensitive locations around the world, including the Middle East.
Defense industry shortages, recruitment problems
The commission also warned that America’s industrial base was “grossly inadequate to provide the equipment, technology, and munitions necessary today, let alone the demands of a great power conflict.”
During the war in Ukraine, the US has been forced to send cluster munitions, which can pose a threat to civilians, as the defence industry has had difficulty meeting demand for weapons that cause less damage.
meanwhile, The Pentagon has acknowledged “The military services collectively missed recruitment targets by nearly 41,000 recruits” during fiscal year 2023.
“Although the Department of Defense's workforce and all-volunteer force provide the United States with unmatched advantages, today's force is the smallest in several generations,” the report said. “Today's emphasis is on maintaining readiness and is not sufficient to meet the needs of strategic global competition and multi-theater warfare.”
Congress has a deadline of 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 30 to fund the government in some form. House GOP leadership has introduced a six-month spending patch, which members have opposed.
A vote on the measure is expected Wednesday.
