JUST IN: Strengthening Biodefense Capabilities Critical to National Defense Strategy, Official Says
8/23/2023
By Allyson Park
Air Force photo
To ensure preparedness for a potential Indo-Pacific conflict, the United States must continue to strengthen its biodefense capabilities, which are critical to successfully implementing and upholding the National Security Strategy and the National Defense Strategy, a Defense Department official said Aug. 23.
“The Department of Defense and the nation are at a pivotal moment in biodefense, as we face an unprecedented number of complex threats, as outlined in the National Defense Strategy and the National Biodefense Strategy,” Deborah Rosenblum, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs, said at a panel hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The Secretary of Defense charged the department with being prepared to operate in a biological threat environment and to support the national biodefense enterprise, both at home and abroad.”
The Defense Department released its inaugural Biodefense Posture Review on Aug. 17. The review was designed to help the department assess and face any future biothreat and to improve based on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic response to “operate more effectively during bioincidents,” according to the review.
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2023/8/23/strengthening-us-biodefense-capabilities-is-critical-to-upholding-national-defense-strategy
