Generals: Army’s ‘Edge over Peer Adversaries’ Such as China at Risk of Being ‘Out-Matched’

Washington, DC — The U.S Army’s “competitive edge” over potential combat adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea is at risk of being “out-matched” if it does not take steps to “modernize its force to build greater capacity and capabilities,” top American generals warned lawmakers.

In joint testimony prepared for a House panel, Wednesday, top U.S. Army officers, Lt. Gen. John Murray, Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson, Lt. Gen. Paul Ostrowski, and Maj. Gen. Robert Dyess cautioned:

Unless action is taken soon, there is the distinct possibility that future adversaries will constrain our Nation’s options to deter and defeat them. Without support for increased and stable modernization funding, such actions portend a future with the prospect of increased military risk—that of the inability to deter conflict, losing a war, failing to advance or defend national interests, and suffering an unacceptable toll in casualties.

Their warning came during a hearing Wednesday held by the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland.

The generals from the U.S. Army, the largest branch of the American armed forces, noted:

A combination of strategic, technological, institutional, and budgetary trends places at risk the Army’s competitive edge over peer adversaries in the next fight. … If the Army does not modernize its force to build greater capacity and capabilities to expand and maintain overmatch, we face a future where our formations are out-matched in high-end conventional combat.

The Army officers stressed that “potential adversaries” like China and Russia are investing a significant amount of resources in the future of their militaries, particularly the modernization of their armed forces.

They pointed out:

The Army has reached an inflection point: we can no longer afford to choose between improving our existing systems and developing new ones. We must do both. The American people expect their Army to win, and meeting this expectation requires the Army to maintain overmatch against emerging threats and adversaries.

…

Analysis of potential peer competitors’ emerging concepts, doctrines, and capabilities strongly suggests they are concentrating efforts between now and 2035 to develop and implement modernized capabilities and hybrid strategies to deny U.S. Forces’ ability to project military power and conduct integrated Joint Force operations.

The generals noted that the Army Modernization Strategy has one single focus in mind—to “make Soldiers and units more lethal,” explaining:

This singular strategy identifies the ends needed for the Army to accomplish its future mission, organizes the ways, and aligns the means using the resources and activities of the Army’s science and technology, capabilities development, and acquisitions enterprise to mitigate tactical, operational, and strategic risk across all time horizons.

The top Army officers praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2019 budget request for the military, urging lawmakers to approve it. Former President Barack Obama implemented historic cuts across the military.

Trump “is committed to restoring the military, especially in the case of equipment modernization,” said the generals.

“Building on the FY18 President’s Budget, we believe this [2019] budget will continue to reverse the downward trend that has stifled Army modernization and serve as an important step towards expanding and maintaining overmatch,” they added.

The generals identified China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea as the top threats facing American troops.

They predicted that China’s technological advancements—namely advanced computing, artificial intelligence, robotics, and “big data”—are likely to “continue to challenge the U.S. military across all domains well into the future.”

Moscow’s’ destabilizing efforts in Europe and the Middle East also presents a menace to the United States, according to the U.S. Army.

“Russia’s military modernization efforts, expanding nuclear arsenal, and increased operations in the Middle East typify its high disruption approach to reshaping the international order,” testified the officers.

The U.S. Army is also preparing to face Iran and North Korea if necessary, according to the generals, telling lawmakers:

Rogue regimes such as North Korea and Iran continue to pursue destabilizing tactics and technologies to ensure regime survival and increase their own power. North Korea continues to pursue ballistic missiles, weapons of mass destruction, and cyber weapons to threaten the U.S. homeland. Iran is using both conventional missiles and state-sponsored terrorism to destabilize the Middle East and increase its regional influence.

“As part of the Joint Force, the Army will be prepared to respond to either aggression or weapons proliferation by these rogue regimes,” they continued.