Washington, D.C. — A bipartisan commission tasked with examining the U.S. National Defense Strategy has called for an increase in defense spending to levels not seen since the Cold War, citing escalating threats from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The commission, led by former Congresswoman Jane Harman and Ambassador Eric Edelman, presented its findings on September 19, 2024, during a Defense Writers’ Group meeting.
Harman stressed that the U.S. faces its most serious security challenges since World War II and is currently ill-prepared to counter these threats. The commission’s report warns that if changes aren’t made, the U.S. risks falling behind authoritarian adversaries, which could lead to a global conflict.
The commission also called for a rethinking of innovation and the U.S. defense industrial base. Edelman noted that the Pentagon’s current acquisition system is too slow and expensive, and not agile enough to meet modern warfare needs. He pointed to programs like the Replicator initiative, which aims to produce tens of thousands of drones—far fewer than the millions being used in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Any conflict in the Indo-Pacific would likely require far more resources.
The commission emphasized the need for a stronger defense industrial base, greater integration with the tech community, and more investment in education to build a workforce capable of supporting defense needs.
Edelman and Harman urged the U.S. to act before a crisis occurs, warning that failure to deter conflict will ultimately be far more costly than investing in defense now.–News Desk