Defense Commission warns of unprecedented military threats

During a recent government meeting, the Senate Armed Services Committee convened to address a significant agenda, including the approval of 3,135 military nominations and two key civilian nominations. The committee unanimously moved to favorably report these nominations, which included Tonya P. Wilkinson for Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Security and Dr. Michael L. Solmeier for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy.

Senator Wicker emphasized the importance of the hearing, referencing the historical context of the National Defense Strategy (NDS) and its evolution since the first report in 2018. He noted that the global security landscape has deteriorated more rapidly than anticipated, with the latest NDS commission report characterizing current threats as the most severe since 1945. This report highlights the inadequacies of U.S. military capacity to address simultaneous threats from major adversaries, which Wicker referred to as the \"axis of aggressors.\"

The senator pointed out that the U.S. government's response has been sluggish, particularly outside the Department of Defense, and criticized the current defense industrial base as \"hollow\" and \"brittle.\" He underscored the necessity for increased defense spending, advocating for a return to late Cold War levels of national security investment. While the committee has proposed a $25 billion increase for the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, Wicker noted that this still falls short of the commission's recommendation for a 3-5% real increase in defense spending.

Wicker concluded by calling for a new force sizing construct that would enable the U.S. military to lead coalitions capable of defeating both China and Russia while maintaining deterrence against other threats. This strategic shift aims to bolster national defense and reduce the risk of military aggression from adversaries.