Revamping defence strategy vital for US to prevent being surpassed by China

U.S. Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, August 21, 2014.

Reuters reports today that US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel recently said that Russia and China are trying to close the technology gap with the US.

Realisation of the fierce arms race the US faces is certainly good, but the idea that China is merely catching up proves US underestimates China’s efforts to surpass the US.

In my post today titled “China Developing Freight Spacecraft for Its Space-Air Bomber,” I point out China’s space program for development of a space-air bomber capable of destroying an entire aircraft carrier battle group in minutes. The freight spacecraft China is developing now aims at providing supplies including ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities for the crew of the space-air bomber China is developing.

In my new book Space Era Strategy, I give a list of the weapons that China has surpassed, and is surpassing, the US in, including the Beidou Navigation System with better global positioning functions, anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, anti-ASAT weapons, hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), aerospaceplane, ballistic missile interception system, and others, details of which can be found in my new book. They are all related to China’s space program.

China is carrying out an ambitious space program closely related to weapons research and development. Due to lack of funds, the US has no decent space program.

Moreover, China’s space program is controlled by its military, while in the US, weapons development and the space program are controlled by two separate departments.

Hagel has realised the necessity for the US to revamp how it works with the defence industry, with the goal to “promote greater innovation needed to preserve America’s technological edge, even at a time of tighter budgets”.

However, what is vital for the US is to revamp its outdated strategy.

The US believes that China has adopted what the US regards as anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) strategy, so the US adopted the Air-Sea Battle to counter China’s A2/AD. Air-Sea Battle is an outdated strategy that the US adopted to defeat Japan in the 1940s.

China, however, is developing integrated space and air capabilities for attack and defence. If it succeeds in developing space weapon systems such as the space-air bomber described in my book, the bomber can reach anywhere on earth within an hour to conduct fierce attack with hypersonic missiles with nuclear or conventional warheads.

With space technology, China can even develop the technology to intercept US second-strike submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missiles.

We are now living in the space era. In this era, it is hard for a nation to survive without adequate space technology.

The following is the full text of Reuters report on Hagel’s speech:

Russia, China aim to close military technology gap with U.S.: Hagel

Russia and China are trying to close the technology gap with the U.S. military and developing weapons systems that appear designed to counter traditional U.S. advantages, Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Wednesday.

Hagel was speaking before a NATO summit expected to bring Russia’s souring relations with the West into sharp focus and the goals of NATO allies to strengthen defence spending.

Hagel said the Pentagon was renewing a push to revamp how it works with the defence industry. The goal, he said, was to promote greater innovation needed to preserve America’s technological edge, even at a time of tighter budgets.

“While the United States currently has a decisive military and technological edge over any potential adversary, our future superiority is not a given,” Hagel told a defence industry forum in Rhode Island.

U.S. defence officials have watched as Moscow and Beijing have tested a string of sophisticated weapons, from radar-evading aircraft and anti-ship missiles that fly many times the speed of sound, to integrated air defences.

While the Defence Department’s spending of around $500 billion is still more than the next six or seven countries combined, research and development spending has fallen more than 20 percent since President Barack Obama took office.

In contrast, China and Russia have been rapidly increasing their security spending and have passed new technological milestones in recent years.

“China and Russia have been trying to close the technology gap by pursuing and funding long-term, comprehensive military modernisation programs,” Hagel said.

“They are also developing anti-ship, anti-air, counter-space, cyber, electronic warfare and special operations capabilities that appear designed to counter traditional U.S. military advantages.”

Leading U.S. weapons manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin Corp, Boeing Co and Northrop Grumman Corp, have urged the Pentagon to continue investing in research and development of new weapons and technologies despite less military spending.

Frank Kendall, the Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer, said he had been asked to lead an initiative that would take a longer-term look at research and development spending.

“When you cut R&D you are delaying modernisation. Period,” Kendall told the ComDef 2014 defence conference in Washington.

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