U.S. Defense Technology Lead Is Fading Quickly
The United States is losing the defense technology advantage it has held since World War II, and that development could have ramifications far beyond the battlespace. Both deterrence and commitments from allies could be affected if the United States does not reverse that trend, according to a high-ranking Defense Department official.
Robert O. Work, deputy secretary of defense, raised this alarm in his morning address at West 2015, being held in San Diego, February 10-12. Work cited Russia and China as two advanced military powers that are modernizing at a fast pace, and North Korea and Iran are developing new capabilities that could challenge U.S. supremacy on a local scale. “It is astonishing to see the number of programs China is developing at a single point,” he said.
Work pointed out that the United States needs to project power, and being unable to do that effectively could undermine deterrence. Allies also could be undermined if the United States is not able either to project this power or to support operations in support of allies. Meanwhile, the United States is seeing new levels of development among adversaries that have not been seen since the height of the Cold War in the 1980s, Work stated.
