Short-Term Thinking Threatens Long-Term Interests In Pacific

Eric Sayers / September 17, 2009

This week, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates poignantly described the emerging high-end asymmetrical challenge that China’s military poses to the United States:

Their investments in cyber and anti-satellite warfare, anti-air and anti-ship weaponry, and ballistic missiles could threaten America’s primary way to project power and help allies in the Pacific – in particular our forward air bases and carrier strike groups. This would degrade the effectiveness of short-range fighters and put more of a premium on being able to strike from over the horizon – whatever form that capability might take.

The Secretary is correct in his observation and has taken the step of tasking a High-End Asymmetrical Threat team to investigate the implications of this challenge as part of the Pentagon’s QDR strategy review process. (more…)