While China has rapidly built a much more modern military in a remarkably short time, it also faces enormous economic, demographic and national security challenges that aren't always as apparent in Washington.
Ambiguity marks China's management of its nuclear forces and how it discusses them and uses them to deter. Unlike the US and Russia, Dean Cheng said "the Chinese believe ambiguity and doubt promote deterrence."
“Tactical operating system” for warfighters has evolved to provide more situational awareness of the battlefield.
"In the future, Chinese missiles may well REGULARLY overfly Taiwan," says China expert Dean Cheng. "Thereby increasing tension, increasing pressure on the island. All of which, in the CCP's estimation, will make Taipei knuckle under."
"The level of distrust is the highest it has been in 50 years," said Bonnie Glaser, China expert at the German Marshall Fund. "Both sides have an enormous stake in stopping the downward spiral, and perhaps this will be a wakeup call that they need to do so."
Pelosi's visit is happening at a sensitive time for Xi. The party leadership is meeting this week at a resort in advance of the party congress due to be held this fall. Xi has made "reunification" with the island state a keystone of his rule.
"We will do what is necessary to ensure a safe, safe conduct of their visit. And I'll just leave it at that," Gen. Mark Milley told a small group of reporters in Sydney.
The military space sector is evolving fast. Get the latest from Space Force and industry officials on what’s next for acquisition, policy and training in a new Breaking Defense eBook.
"We've been applying pressure to members of Congress to make sure that this program is adequately funded," Hasan Solomon, IAM's political and legislative director, said of the union's campaign to support the F-35.
"We have a responsibility to educate those that are leaving the service that they are going to be recruited by these people, and they need to be aware that they're going to have people reach out via email or social media" Adm. Mike Gilday says.
TEL AVIV: Five days ago, an undisclosed intelligence agency intercepted a telephone call made by the head of Iran’s Quds Force, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, in which he was heard ordering his proxies in Iraq to attack the US embassy in Baghdad, as well as other Israeli and American targets, with the aim of taking hostages, Israeli sources say. […]
There's not a lot of confidence out there about the prospects for a 2020 budget agreement. "A stripped down mini-NDAA may be all that could pass this year for defense," says one long-time budget watcher.
Reducing cognitive overload on warfighters while improving “time to trust” for autonomous systems is a matter of design.