“Today’s world is changing because it’s not necessarily about North Korea or Iran anymore. They’re there. They’re rogue nations. They’re small nations. They’re not as sophisticated nor as capable, and we’ve changed our strategic doctrine in 2018 under Sec.of Def. Mattis. We’ve changed the way we strategically engage the world. We are in a competition with China and Russia. We are about deterring China and Russia.”

Earlier this week, we presented​ a general briefing on missile defense in Los Angeles and in Orange County. Going back to our missile defense cauldron in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Southern California. We were emotionally honored with being introduced by a teammate, and scholarly honored to give an interpretation of the threats that we as a nation face today, and in the future, to a group of citizens from Southern California.

“Our near-peer rivals – China and Russia – seek to erode our longstanding advantages through cutting-edge military innovation, such as precision long-range fires, anti-access/area-denial systems, and other asymmetric capabilities designed to counter our strengths. Moreover, in space, Moscow and Beijing have weaponized a once-peaceful domain through killer satellites, directed energy weapons, and more, in an effort to seize the ultimate high ground and chip away at our military edge.” – Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, October 15, 2020, AUSA Now – 2020 Annual Meeting & Exposition remarks.

Fight On!