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Pentagon officials say the Pentagon will invest in strategic forces capabilities in the fiscal year 2025 budget to address security challenges posed by nuclear-capable China and Russia, as well as competitors such as Iran and North Korea. It is carried out.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb told lawmakers Thursday on the House Armed Services Committee that the fiscal year 2025 budget request includes investments to modernize the nuclear trilateral structure. This includes land, air, and sea nuclear capabilities and investments to ensure continued access to space and defense against missile threats.
“We have competitors who are modernizing, diversifying and expanding their nuclear arsenals,” Plumb said. “They are also rapidly building space and counterspace capabilities and developing and deploying a larger number and a greater variety of advanced missiles.”
Plumb told lawmakers that the Pentagon is requesting $49.2 billion in the president’s budget request to modernize the department’s nuclear triad. The request includes investments in Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, B-21 bombers, and the Sentinel system, a modernization of the land-based portion of the nuclear trio.
The fiscal year 2025 budget request also includes $33.7 billion for space capabilities and $28.4 billion for missile defeat and defense, Plumb said.
“In each of these portfolios, we are investing not only in capabilities but also in networks of allies and partners, both of which offer advantages that our adversaries and potential adversaries such as Russia and China can never match. “We’ll help you,” Plumb said. . “All of these capabilities – nuclear, space and missile defense – remain central to our nation’s deterrence and our ability to win conflicts if deterrence fails.”
Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, also told lawmakers that the United States faces two nuclear brethren, China and Russia, and that threat is further exacerbated by North Korea’s missile development and Iran’s nuclear ambitions. It reminded me of what I was doing. Given this threat, he said it is imperative that the United States moves forward with modernizing its nuclear triad.
“It is critical that we continue rapidly modernizing the nuclear triad,” he said. “This includes land-based [intercontinental ballistic missiles]B-21, B-52J, Columbia class submarines, nuclear sea-launched cruise missiles, long-range standoff weapons and numerous related systems.
It is also focused on updating and modernizing the outdated nuclear command, control and communications system, also known as NC3, he said.
“The most important message I want to send is this: While modernization remains a priority, U.S. Stratcom and its constituent forces remain prepared to deter our adversaries and respond decisively when deterrence fails. Yes,” Cotton told lawmakers.
Space Force Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, commander of the U.S. Space Command, said the service has a moral responsibility to make space capabilities available to the joint force, nation, and allies.
“America’s military services are sized with the assumption that they will always have access to space,” Whiting said. “And this is why we need the U.S. Space Force to protect our critical space systems and ensure they are available in the face of the growing threats now being waged against us.”
Part of his responsibilities will include expanding existing U.S. competitive advantages by leveraging interagency assets, joint forces, and assets of U.S. allies and partners, Whiting said. said. The U.S. space industry is also an asset, he said.
“I think one of the main advantages of our country is our commercial space industry,” he said. “It’s moving at an incredible rate of innovation, outpacing any other commercial industry in the world. So now we’re partnering with these companies in a variety of ways.”
In testimony earlier this year, Whiting discussed Space Command’s Commercial Integration Center, for example. There, the Space Command is partnering with 10 commercial mission partners to improve the satellite constellation’s defense capabilities.
The joint commercial operations effort also includes eight commercial mission partners around the world that provide space domain awareness information to joint forces, allies and partner nations.
“We are always looking at ways to better share information and leverage commercial capabilities. [companies] Because we believe it makes us more efficient,” Whiting said.
Air Force Gen. Gregory M. Guyot became commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command in February. He directed lawmakers to undertake a 90-day evaluation of the missions of both organizations as they assume this role, as well as recommendations on how the command could do more. he said.
“Once completed, I will share my findings and updated vision on how NORAD and Northcom can best fulfill our noble mission of homeland defense,” Guyot said. “The challenges facing our nation are real, but there is no doubt in NORAD and Northcom’s determination to deter aggression and, if necessary, defeat threats to our country and its people.”
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