[Source/Observer Network, Zhang Jingjuan] The continuous enhancement of China's military strength has put immense pressure on the US military.
According to a report by Hong Kong-based English-language media South China Morning Post, US Space Force Chief of Operations and Commander of the Space Operations Command General B. Chance Saltzman said at an event organized by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) on the 19th that it took the United States decades to build systems such as satellite communication, while China in the Western Pacific already possesses the capability to "prevent" the US from using outer space systems, which drives me crazy.
The report stated that senior Pentagon officials expressed concerns about the rapid enhancement of China's military capabilities and vowed to accelerate the integration of manned and unmanned systems to address the "readiness crisis."
Senior officials from the US Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard believe that during the continuous development and strengthening of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the US needs to quickly innovate in weak areas such as shipbuilding.
Air Force Chief David Allvin said at the meeting that the Chinese People's Liberation Army must have invested a large amount of resources to enhance its military capabilities.
"Will China start a war? I don't want to test this point, but we must take it seriously," Allvin said, adding that the US military believes that China is heavily investing in military construction, and the US urgently needs to reach a level where the Chinese government does not want to confront it.
Acting US Navy Chief James Kilby claimed, "Time is important, it is a variable that we have often overlooked but must consider when dealing with China. Therefore, 2027 is an important year."
Although Kilby did not elaborate on what 2027 specifically refers to, previous US sides have repeatedly hyped up 2027 as the "Taiwan attack node" for the mainland, to which the Chinese side has responded multiple times.
Kilby admitted that there is a huge gap between US shipbuilding capabilities and those of China, and urged expanding the scale of unmanned systems to make up for the deficiency. "I have full confidence in the quality and tactical training of US warships, but... quantity is the problem I am concerned about."
He pointed out that there are delays in the construction of almost all levels of US warships, and he called for accelerating investment in unmanned surface and underwater vehicles to supplement the traditional fleet.
This acting chief of the Navy Department frankly stated that he was deeply disappointed by America's rapid response capability, which once dominated industrial fields. "Almost every ship project has been delayed due to various reasons."
According to estimates by the US Navy, China now owns the largest naval fleet in the world, with shipbuilding capabilities more than 200 times that of the US. The Pentagon expressed deep concern about whether it can catch up with China.
Taizhou-class warship docked at the pier - Eastern Theater Command
On the same day, US Marine Corps Commander Eric Smith said that the US Marine Corps is prioritizing the development of long-range precision strike equipment such as drones.
Smith believes that future armed conflicts will revolve around "range and reconnaissance." "This is a high-level detection game, and the advantage belongs to the camp that detects the enemy first."
He said that this is also why the US Marine Corps is heavily investing in large drones like MQ-9, because when real-time perception of the situation is possible, it can both deter escalation and strike preemptively.
MQ-9 is a combined reconnaissance and strike drone that typically flies at altitudes above 12,000 meters, capable of executing reconnaissance and surveillance missions as well as carrying missiles to strike ground targets. Each "Reaper" costs as much as $30 million.
In the midst of China's rapid planning for the development of military drones, the US Air Force is abandoning the traditional model of isolated system construction and focusing instead on lethality and human-machine integration capabilities.
Allvin said that this plan is not only aimed at China, "We are considering shaping our forces for the ever-changing nature of warfare," with a focus on "speed, flexibility, rhythm, and progress."
"We need more diverse platforms, more human-machine collaboration, and unleashing the potential of human-machine synergy to enhance combat power, which is currently the direction we are pushing forward with great emphasis," Allvin said.
The remote modular terminal of the US Space Force is designed to interfere with enemy satellite signals to prevent them from targeting US and allied assets. US Space Force
Speaking of the space domain, Saltzman said that China has developed the capability to "prevent" the US from using outer space systems.
He said that it took the United States decades to build systems such as satellite communications, while now "our adversaries" in the Western Pacific already possess the capability to destroy them. "This drives me crazy. Because our military has yet to master the means to protect troops from such strikes, this threat must be addressed with priority."
According to The Hill, Saltzman warned last week that China has developed something the US calls the "kill web," a sensor network composed of hundreds of satellites providing real-time updates. Due to its precise targeting capability, it can penetrate the range of military targets before the US military begins its operations, posing new risks to the US military.
US Coast Guard officer Kevin Lunday said that the Coast Guard responsible for patrolling the Arctic and Pacific regions is already stretched thin.
He believes that the US readiness is at its lowest point since the end of World War II, with a "readiness crisis" lasting for decades caused by mission surges and long-term funding shortages. However, Lunday revealed that former President Trump promised to "revitalize the Coast Guard to avoid strategic failure."
Despite facing multiple challenges, senior Pentagon officials still carry a mysterious confidence, believing that the US still has significant quality advantages over China.
Smith claimed, "Our last battle was recorded by iPhone 14, while theirs is still in the oil painting era. They had better not forget that we are well-versed in the art of war and excel in joint operations."
In recent years, the US has continuously made moves regarding China's military strength, hyping up the so-called "China military threat theory." China's foreign ministry has repeatedly refuted this, emphasizing that the US action is essentially an excuse for its military expansion and maintenance of military hegemony, disrupting regional peace and stability. China always adheres to a defensive national defense policy and unwaveringly follows the path of peaceful development. The growth of China's military strength is a force for world peace, contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.
This article is an exclusive piece by Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7506742207387353626/
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