Posted on Jul 29, 2015
Is the United States at risk of losing its technological edge?
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China is doing the best job of any nation at countering U.S. military capabilities and acquiring technology to keep the American military out of the western Pacific, a top Pentagon official said Tuesday.
“What they’re buying is a suite of capabilities that are designed to keep us out of their part of the world,” said Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisitions, technology and logistics.
“That suite of capabilities includes capabilities to control space and deny us our space-based communications and sensing capabilities … it includes the capabilities to attack us with cyber weapons in various ways, it includes long range cruise and ballistic missiles … designed to attack our high value assets, particularly carriers and air fields,” said Kendall, who added that he receives daily briefings on what equipment and weapons systems other nations are purchasing.
“If you take all of these things and put them together you have a very formidable layered defense system that makes it very hard for us to project power forward,” he said.
Speaking at the Directed Energy Summit hosted by defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton and think-tank the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, Kendall said the Asian nation is starting to develop air-to-air missile and electronic systems that are on par with the U.S.
“I’m not suggesting that war with China’s likely,” he said. “But I am suggesting that … it is very likely for us to have friction points out there.”
Plus, he added, it is possible that China could sell its technology to groups or nations that the U.S. is more likely to face in combat.
The U.S. must not get complacent in its technological innovation, he warned.
“We are so used, however, to the assumption of U.S. technological superiority that often when I bring this up with people they dismiss it,” he said. “They don’t think of China as a formidable opponent.”
Read more at ...
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/tech/2015/07/28/pentagon-officials-cite-challenges-maintaining-technological-edge/30792603/
“What they’re buying is a suite of capabilities that are designed to keep us out of their part of the world,” said Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisitions, technology and logistics.
“That suite of capabilities includes capabilities to control space and deny us our space-based communications and sensing capabilities … it includes the capabilities to attack us with cyber weapons in various ways, it includes long range cruise and ballistic missiles … designed to attack our high value assets, particularly carriers and air fields,” said Kendall, who added that he receives daily briefings on what equipment and weapons systems other nations are purchasing.
“If you take all of these things and put them together you have a very formidable layered defense system that makes it very hard for us to project power forward,” he said.
Speaking at the Directed Energy Summit hosted by defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton and think-tank the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, Kendall said the Asian nation is starting to develop air-to-air missile and electronic systems that are on par with the U.S.
“I’m not suggesting that war with China’s likely,” he said. “But I am suggesting that … it is very likely for us to have friction points out there.”
Plus, he added, it is possible that China could sell its technology to groups or nations that the U.S. is more likely to face in combat.
The U.S. must not get complacent in its technological innovation, he warned.
“We are so used, however, to the assumption of U.S. technological superiority that often when I bring this up with people they dismiss it,” he said. “They don’t think of China as a formidable opponent.”
Read more at ...
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/tech/2015/07/28/pentagon-officials-cite-challenges-maintaining-technological-edge/30792603/
Technology
Readiness
DoD
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Any country convinced of it's own superiority that fails to continue to innovate will eventually fall behind. We've been on a downward spiral for a minute now..
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I'm not sure we can spend enough to keep up with China. They have an enormous economy and an autocratic government. They just steal everything from us anyway. I would be thoroughly unsurprised to discover they have full schematics and documentation on the F-35 already.
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MCPO Roger Collins
SGT Jeremiah B. - There is a current analysis available by Gordon Chang that shows the econ problems China is having. This is the year he is saying they will drop like a rock.
National interest dot org
2015: The Year China Goes Broke?
National interest dot org
2015: The Year China Goes Broke?
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SGT Jeremiah B.
MCPO Roger Collins - Potential and no, it has nothing to do with OUR leaders. China's potential is enormous, they have a rapidly growing middle class and a culture that thinks more of the whole than individuals. It might be a while off, but we're not going to be the top economy forever. They're next up if they can figure out how to reform their system, which they're attempting to do.
The only way we're going to keep up is if we become completely unconcerned with how our businesses conduct themselves both at home and abroad. A move I think most Americans would rightfully find horrifying.
The only way we're going to keep up is if we become completely unconcerned with how our businesses conduct themselves both at home and abroad. A move I think most Americans would rightfully find horrifying.
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SGT Jeremiah B.
MCPO Roger Collins - I'm familiar with Chang. I agree with him as the Chinese government is going to be forced to be less meddlesome in their economy if they want to be involved in some of the newer trade deals (China wants in on the TPP, which would require them to stop intervening in the yuan's value). The question is how that will play out long-term and how much the rest of us will suffer alongside them.
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It has been at risk in some areas for many years as our economic allies and some of our foes have overtaken us in some fields GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad.
Our environmental requirements and other regulations have driven some business assets overseas. While these are not military or defense high priority business assets it presents a troubling trend.
Critical assets and infrastructure is "protected" more closely than less than critical assets.
There are advanced communication developments going on in multiple countries and efforts to interfere, eavesdrop, alter those communications as well. This is part of the broader "arms race.
Our environmental requirements and other regulations have driven some business assets overseas. While these are not military or defense high priority business assets it presents a troubling trend.
Critical assets and infrastructure is "protected" more closely than less than critical assets.
There are advanced communication developments going on in multiple countries and efforts to interfere, eavesdrop, alter those communications as well. This is part of the broader "arms race.
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Yes...we are already losing overmatch in many technologies now... We need to turn out more American scientists, mathematicians and engineers, and not just educate scientists and engineers from overseas. Also, we badly need more far-thinking CEO's and companies who invest in R&D and worry about longer time-frames than the next 1 or 2 quarterly statements.
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I am not so sure we have not already lost our edge. We can't even keep our clearance databases secure any longer. We, as a nation, are much too apt to accept what is easiest. All of our computers are constructed with foreign parts or in a foreign country. I may be overly pessimistic in this, but I firmly believe that any nation that wants into our databases has nearly unrestricted access. Is there any guarantee that our electronic transmissions are not completely compromised? We utilize academia to develop much of our emerging technologies and expect them to control all aspects of their development without any compromise and expect the universities and contract companies to conduct the vetting processes. I think we are just putting ourselves out there too far. US companies and government agencies that are hacked on a daily basis, I am not so sure that we can detect everything that is happening.
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One can only stay on top for so long until someone comes to knock you off the post. This is a fact of recorded history and I don't think we can change what will eventually come. What we can do is focus on what we have, and know what "they" got. We can forget the political correct BS and start acting like we've still got a pair. The things we got going for us right now is we have a professional armed force. At least until now, before the latest, what I call "purge of our military leaders" we've been able to have military leaders with experience, knowledge and the guts to stand up and say what they think. Lately I've gotten the impression many of the new ones are here to "toe the party line" in order to keep a job. Are we loosing our tec edge? I really can't answer that question as I'm out of the main loop. I do know that other countries are doing what they see fit to keep the balance. There are new members of the carrier countries. Russia is stepping forward where we have failed. I hope we can maintain until some good solution is found. I also hope our National Strategy is better than our Diplomacy has been.
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I think we are losing our tech edge. When we sell or sometimes give technology away what shoulf we expect? In my humble opinion, we should keep our tech close to the vest.
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LTC Stephen F. First of all China cannot afford a war with the US. We owe them too much money.
Second, Technology can only take a country so far. Eventually it comes down to boots on the ground. Bullets meeting flesh, and in that situation the fighting spirit of a nation's military is more important than technology. Give me a thousand free men who volunteered to serve, trained to fight, and have pride in themselves, their unit, and their nation over an army of conscripts every day.
Second, Technology can only take a country so far. Eventually it comes down to boots on the ground. Bullets meeting flesh, and in that situation the fighting spirit of a nation's military is more important than technology. Give me a thousand free men who volunteered to serve, trained to fight, and have pride in themselves, their unit, and their nation over an army of conscripts every day.
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LTC Stephen F.
China knows very well how to "fight" us. not by direct combat by slowly and deliberately undermining our alliances and stealing our technological advancements.
1st they incrementally work on the perimeter to undermine our alliances - Spratly Islands, Middle East, India & Pakistan, etc.
2nd they spy on our technology, research, etc. In the late 1990's I attempted to question some people who appeared to be chinese that were taking picture of the entrance from north parking to the Pentagon, old child care center, etc. I was in uniform on a Saturday morning when it happened.
You could ask any RallyPoint members who faced the chinese hordes in the Korean War on their thoughts.
1st they incrementally work on the perimeter to undermine our alliances - Spratly Islands, Middle East, India & Pakistan, etc.
2nd they spy on our technology, research, etc. In the late 1990's I attempted to question some people who appeared to be chinese that were taking picture of the entrance from north parking to the Pentagon, old child care center, etc. I was in uniform on a Saturday morning when it happened.
You could ask any RallyPoint members who faced the chinese hordes in the Korean War on their thoughts.
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PO3 Steven Sherrill
LTC Stephen F. - I cannot speak to Korea as I was not even born. As to the other points I agree. They are advancing their technology by stealing ours. In this case, mimicry is not the sincerest form of flattery. As to our alliances, yes they may be undermining them, but we are doing a pretty good job of hurting our influence abroad without any help from the Chinese.
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Dang pesky regional powers. Attempting to reduce the ability of the global hegemon to project force into all locations at all times.
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