‘The US Must Modernize & Strengthen Our Military’: Jack Reed Evaluates National Defense Strategy

last month

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) gave opening remarks about The Commission on the National Defense Strategy.

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Transcript

00:00and the national defense strategy or NDS.

00:03The NDS commission was established

00:05in the fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act

00:09with the mandate of assessing the 2022 NDS

00:14and the department's efforts to successfully implement it.

00:18During today's hearing,

00:19the committee will receive the commission's evaluation

00:21of the national security challenges we face,

00:24whether the force planning construct

00:26in the 2022 NDS remains valid

00:29and the effectiveness of the defense department's

00:32implementation of the NDS.

00:34The commission was shared by the Honorable Jane Harmon,

00:37who served nine terms in Congress

00:39as the U.S. representative

00:40from California's 36th Congressional District

00:43and was ranking member of the Intelligence Committee

00:45for four years after 9-11.

00:48The commission's vice chair, Ambassador Eric Edelman,

00:51is currently counselor at the Center for Strategy

00:53and Budgetary Assessments

00:55and served previously as Undersecretary of Defense

00:57for Policy from 2005 to 2009

01:01and as U.S. Ambassador to Finland and Turkey.

01:05And really want to commend the commission

01:07for the extraordinary work you've done.

01:10Very, very proud of your effort

01:13and I know it was an intense work over many, many months.

01:16So thank you very, very much.

01:20I'm pleased, of course, to welcome the chair and vice chair,

01:26but I also want to congratulate their fellow commissioners,

01:31General Jack Keane, Thomas Mankin, Meryl Rudman,

01:36Maria Sixkiller, Elisa Sarsak, and Roger Zakheim.

01:40Together, you did a remarkable job.

01:43The 2022 National Defense Strategy

01:45was written prior to Russia's full-scale invasion

01:48of Ukraine and the evolution of the strategic partnership

01:51between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

01:54Nonetheless, the 2022 NDS provides an important framework

01:59for America's national security.

02:01The NDS ranks China

02:03as the most consequential strategic competitor,

02:06identifies Russia as an acute threat,

02:08and addresses the persistent challenges

02:11from authoritarian regimes and violent extremists.

02:15Indeed, I believe that we currently face

02:17the most dangerous, complex security environment

02:21since World War II.

02:22To address these challenges,

02:24the NDS proposes four broad missions

02:26for the Department of Defense,

02:27which include defending the U.S. homeland,

02:30deterring strategic attacks against the United States

02:33and its allies and partners,

02:34deterring aggression while being prepared

02:37to prevail in a conflict,

02:39and building a resilient joint force and defense ecosystem.

02:43The NDS also outlined several priorities

02:45for building joint capabilities,

02:47including the concept of integrated deterrence,

02:50campaigning, and actions

02:52that will build enduring advantages.

02:54And these are well-reasoned priorities.

02:57I understand that the NDS Commission agrees broadly

02:59with these objectives,

03:00but has concluded that the Department of Defense

03:03is not adapting at the speed or scale necessary

03:07to achieve them or meet today's threats.

03:10The Commission recommends a fundamental change

03:13in the way we approach our national defense,

03:15including an overhaul of the Defense Department's

03:17relationships with the U.S. interagency and our allies,

03:22a significant investment in the defense industrial base,

03:25and a restructuring of the Department's acquisition

03:27and procurement process.

03:29I look forward to hearing

03:30the Commission's specific recommendations

03:32on how to make targeted investments

03:34and reforms in these areas.

03:36Notably, the Commission concludes that the 2022 NDS

03:40does not provide an adequate force structure

03:43to handle simultaneous conflicts in multiple theaters.

03:47The Commission proposes a multiple theater force construct

03:51that would resize and restructure the joint force

03:54to match regional threats and integrate with regional allies.

03:58I would appreciate our witnesses

03:59further explaining this construct

04:02and what challenges departments may face

04:04in implementing it.

04:06At its core, the 2022 NDS

04:08requires all elements of national power,

04:11including military, diplomatic, and economic,

04:14to maintain a stable and open international system.

04:17However, the Commission concludes

04:19that America's civil society must also be reinvigorated

04:23as a source of national power.

04:25The American public must be educated

04:27on the threats we face

04:28and encouraged to engage in national service,

04:31whether through the military or civil service.

04:34And I support the Commission's urgent call

04:36to engage more in this area.

04:39Ultimately, the 2022 NDS recognizes

04:42that the U.S. must modernize and strengthen our military.

04:46This will require smart investments

04:48in platforms and equipment,

04:50rapid development and integration

04:51of cutting-edge technologies,

04:53and steadfast support for our service members

04:56and national security workforce.

04:58I would welcome the Commission's insights

05:00on how the department is adapting

05:02to these complicated issues

05:03and the challenges of great power competition.

05:06In light of the wide-ranging global security challenges

05:09presented by Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region,

05:12Russia's invasion of Ukraine,

05:14and the persistent terrorist threat

05:16posed by extremist groups and rogue regimes,

05:19the Committee would appreciate the Commission's assessment

05:21of the resources necessary to prevail

05:23in strategic competition,

05:25as well as its recommendations

05:26for strengthening U.S. global engagement and alliances.

05:30Let me again thank the members and staff of the Commission.

05:33We look forward to your testimony.

05:35Before recognizing Senator Worker,

05:39we have a quorum,

05:41and I would like to proceed with your permission.

05:46Since the quorum is not present,

05:48I ask the Committee to consider a list

05:49of 3,135 pending military nominations

05:52and two civilian nominations.

05:54First, I ask the Committee to consider a list

05:56of 3,135 pending military nominations.

06:00All of these nominations have been for the Committee

06:02the required length of time.

06:04Is there a motion to favorably report

06:05this list of 3,135 pending military nominations?

06:09So moved.

06:10Is there a second? All in favor, say aye.

06:12Aye. The motion carries.

06:14Finally, I ask the Committee to consider

06:16the following civilian nominations.

06:17Ms. Tonya P. Wilkinson,

06:19to be Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security,

06:22and Dr. Michael L. Solmeier,

06:24to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy.

06:27Is there a motion to favorably report these two nominations?

06:29So moved. Is there a second?

06:31Second. All in favor, say aye.

06:32Aye. The motion carries.

06:34Thank you very, very much.

‘The US Must Modernize & Strengthen Our Military’: Jack Reed Evaluates National Defense Strategy

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