US military advantage has eroded and could lose war against China or Russia, study says
- Military balance has shifted adversely for the United States in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, report finds
- US particularly at risk of being overwhelmed should its military be forced to fight on two or more fronts simultaneously
The United States has lost its military edge to a dangerous degree and could potentially lose a war against China or Russia, according to a report released Wednesday by a bipartisan commission that Congress created to evaluate the Trump administration’s defence strategy.
The National Defence Strategy Commission, comprised of former top Republican and Democratic officials selected by Congress, evaluated the Trump administration’s 2018 National Defence Strategy, which ordered a vast reshaping of the US military to compete with Beijing and Moscow in an era of renewed great power competition.
While endorsing the strategy’s aims, the commission warned that Washington was not moving fast enough or investing sufficiently to put the vision into practice, risking a further erosion of American military dominance that could become a national security emergency.
At the same time, according to the commission, China and Russia were seeking dominance in their regions and the ability to project military power globally, as their authoritarian governments pursue defence build-ups aimed squarely at the United States.
“There is a strong fear of complacency, that people have become so used to the United States achieving what it wants in the world, to include militarily, that it isn’t heeding the warning signs,” said Kathleen Hicks, a former top Pentagon official during the Obama administration and one of the commissioners.
“It’s the flashing red that we are trying to relay.”