The Future of War: Is the Pentagon Prepared to Deter and Defeat America’s Adversaries?

Introduction

Chairman Gallagher, Ranking Member Khanna, and other members of the subcommittee, thank you for inviting me here today.

The United States Department of Defense (DOD), with the support of both Congress and the U.S. defense industrial base, has built the most powerful military force in the world. The United States has unmatched power projection capability, the ability to establish air and maritime dominance far from our shores, the resources to execute large scale ground maneuver operations, and the ability to conduct brigade-level amphibious operations. But despite all this, the United States will not be ready to deter and defeat America’s most capable adversary — China — in the demanding technological environment we will face in the next five years.

This testimony will first discuss the People’s Republic of China’s build-up and the advantages it has in a Taiwan conflict, mainly geographic. Next, the testimony will address the five key steps the DOD/U.S. military as a whole must take to restore the balance of power. Third, the testimony will highlight four steps this subcommittee can take within its jurisdiction to facilitate the DOD-wide effort.

Read the full written testimony here.