Budget Battles Threaten U.S. Defense Needs
By Paul Korkemaz
The rise and intensity in international conflict raises alarm bells here on American soil. Tensions in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia are complicating foreign policy and budget priorities in Washington, D.C. While U.S. military prowess has been regarded as the best in the world since World War II and many crises after, it seems as if that perception is being taken for granted. Congress is scaling back critical defense programs at a time when adversarial nations have ramped up their own armed forces to threaten our global interests.
In a series of in-depth reports on the future of warfare, the Rand Corporation predicted that “the Joint Force will likely face multiple types of conflict, each requiring different capabilities, even as its ability to sustain a quantitative or even qualitative edge over adversaries will likely decline.”
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) also released a lengthy detailed report last fall, outlining the increasing threats posed by the adversarial nations. The report notes that in addition to bolstering its space, strategic nuclear, cybersecurity, and naval operations, adversaries are investing in their air forces. At a time when U.S. military action seems inevitable, lawmakers should be focused on building our defense capabilities, not weakening them. Per the report to meet future demands, the Joint Force and specifically the U.S. Air Force (USAF) “will need to invest in more precision… build additional capacity; maintain a robust forward posture; and reinforce agility at all levels of warfare.”
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/06/25/budget_battles_threaten_us_defense_needs_1040232.html
