American commander calls Russia, China and Iran the biggest challenges for the US

US General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), said that the biggest challenges for the US Armed Forces are Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and also extremism. He made this statement in his introduction which was prepared for the hearings at the US House Committee on Armed Services.

“In today’s strategic environment five key challenges – Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and violent extremist organizations – most clearly represent the challenges facing the Joint Force,” Dunford noted.

According to the general, Russia and China “have accelerated the development of modernization programs (of their armed forces) for asymmetric opposition of the American (military) advantage”. He claims that Moscow and Beijing’s efforts “were designed to limit the freedom of US ship movement”, creating an obstacle to Washington’s capabilities to “achieve and maintain superiority in the air” and to “make use of complicated control systems”.

Dunford believes that Russia is continuing to invest in a full range of capabilities designed to limit the US’s ability to meet its NATO commitments.

The general explained that by “capabilities” he is referring specifically to an increase in capabilities in space, cyberspace, on the ground and at sea. “Russia is also modernizing nearly all elements of its nuclear triad and its non-strategic nuclear weaponry,” the commander specified. He claims that “these capabilities allow Russia… to undermine the credibility of the NATO alliance”. - Read More

American commander calls Russia, China and Iran the biggest ...