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House Armed Services hearing warns of converging threats, urges more spending and faster acquisition
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Summary
Witnesses told the House Armed Services Committee that China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are aligning in ways that raise the risk of multi‑theater war; they urged higher defense spending, faster acquisition and stronger alliances while stressing the need to fix Pentagon business practices.
The House Armed Services Committee convened a wide‑ranging hearing on the "convergent global threat environment," where lawmakers heard testimony that China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are cooperating in ways that increase the risk of conflict, and that the United States must both spend more and spend smarter to deter those threats.
Chairman Rogers opened the hearing by saying the nation faces “the most challenging threat environment since World War 2,” citing China’s military investments, Russia’s reconstitution and North Korea’s nuclear advances. He invited the committee to consider both higher spending and reforms to speed delivery to warfighters.
General Jack Keane, chairman of the board at the Institute for the Study of War and a former four‑star Army general, told the panel the threat picture “include[s] the potential for near term major war,” and that the National Defense Strategy 2022 identified China as the pacing challenge. “China is outpacing The United States and has largely negated The US military advantage in the Western Pacific,” Keane said. He recommended raising defense spending toward 5 percent of GDP while fixing acquisition and industrial base problems.
Dr. Mara Carlin, a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and former senior Pentagon official, described an era of “comprehensive conflict” that mixes conventional, proxy and irregular warfare across domains. She recommended prioritizing China while not ignoring other threats; investing in munitions, undersea capabilities, resilient space architecture, cyber and artificial intelligence; and using diplomacy and development alongside military power.
Both witnesses told lawmakers that more money alone will not solve present problems. Keane said acquisition requirements and oversight processes cause cost growth and delay, and called for “discipline” on requirements and a willingness to accept more programmatic risk when appropriate. Carlin emphasized targeted investments and urged Congress to align budgets with strategy and to sustain alliances and partner capacity.
The hearing included questions from members on a range of subjects — from hypersonic weapons and missile defense to the effect of USAID cuts on U.S. influence — and repeatedly returned to three themes: (1) the need for greater investment in capability and readiness, (2) the urgency of acquisition and industrial‑base reform so the services can field needed systems faster, and (3) the importance of allied cooperation and diplomatic tools in deterring rivals.
The committee did not take any formal votes during the hearing. Members signaled bipartisan concern about capability shortfalls and the need to change the Pentagon’s business practices while strengthening alliances and partner capacity.
