WASHINGTON, D.C. — Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks delivered a candid discussion on the formidable challenges the Department of Defense (DOD) is working to overcome during a keynote address marking the 10th anniversary of the Smart Women, Smart Power program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on October 16. Hicks, a seasoned defense leader, shared insights into the department’s efforts to maintain military superiority amid the relentless modernization of global adversaries, particularly China.
In a conversation moderated by Beverly Kirk, Director of Washington Programs at Syracuse University, Hicks highlighted how the growing power of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to be the top challenge facing U.S. defense strategy. “The top challenge I expected and the top challenge I faced are the same — which was the relentless modernization and expansion of the People’s Liberation Army and the capabilities of the People’s Republic of China,” Hicks said, reflecting on her role since becoming the deputy in 2021.
The modernization of the PLA has prompted the DOD to rethink its strategies, and Hicks has played a critical role in translating the strategic vision of President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III into actionable defense initiatives. She likened her responsibilities to that of a chief operating officer in the private sector, overseeing the complex process of aligning defense strategies with budgets and capabilities to meet future military needs.
Despite years of experience in defense circles, Hicks was surprised by the institutional reluctance she encountered in the early stages of her tenure. She attributed this to a decade of budgetary sequestration and uncertainty, which had hampered the department’s readiness and innovation. This uncertainty persists, with DOD currently operating under its 12th continuing resolution since the start of the Biden administration. “You can’t make that time up,” Hicks said, referring to the five years of progress lost due to these temporary budget extensions.
Budgetary restrictions, particularly the inability to make new starts under continuing resolutions, have been a major barrier to innovation within the department. Yet, Hicks remains optimistic, emphasizing that despite these challenges, the department has managed to deliver meaningful outcomes. “There is no silver bullet at a level that we’re talking about, the scale of the Defense Department,” Hicks remarked, alluding to the DOD’s massive size and complexity.
With over three million personnel, tens of thousands of properties, and a global footprint, Hicks acknowledged the scale of DOD’s operations as “unfathomable” compared to even the largest corporations in the United States. The challenge of instituting change across such a vast organization has required a problem-focused approach, Hicks said, prioritizing the removal of specific barriers that hinder the delivery of critical capabilities to U.S. warfighters.
Scaling these solutions department-wide, however, will require more fundamental reforms. “We would be demonstrating malpractice if we didn’t attempt to execute the system that we have today to deliver outcomes,” Hicks noted, stressing the need to work within the existing framework while simultaneously targeting obstacles like budgetary constraints and cultural barriers within the DOD.
Despite the difficulties, Hicks pointed to notable progress in certain areas, particularly the development of Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). This initiative seeks to integrate military operations across land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace into a unified decision-making framework, providing commanders with a real-time, comprehensive view of battlefield dynamics. Hicks compared this concept to modern apps, stating, “In the age we live in where you can pull up your phone and pick up a rideshare, … how do you take that kind of compute capability and bring it to create decision advantage for that warfighter?” The DOD has made “unbelievable progress” in JADC2 since 2021, she added.
Hicks also addressed the perception of a “polycrisis” in today’s national security environment — a term used to describe the multiple crises confronting the U.S. and its allies. In her view, dealing with such a wide array of challenges has been the norm throughout her 30-year career in national security. “There’s never been a time where we’ve had the luxury to … have just one crisis or urgent national security need to focus on. Today is no different,” she said.
Hicks underscored the importance of strategic flexibility, emphasizing the need for a guiding framework like the National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy to navigate these turbulent times. These strategies, she explained, help DOD officials focus on the most pressing and dangerous contingencies, enabling the U.S. government to adapt to an ever-changing global landscape.
In closing, Hicks highlighted the importance of adaptability, warning against overly rigid approaches in national defense. “If you have too rigid an approach, you’ll be brittle, and you will break,” she said, underscoring the need for a balance between strategic planning and real-world agility.
Hicks’ insights reinforced the crucial role the DOD plays in safeguarding U.S. national security, even as it grapples with financial constraints, adversarial threats, and the need for constant modernization.–News Desk