U.S. Military Advantage Over Russia And China 'Eroding,' Pentagon Says

The Pentagon unveiled its National Defense Strategy, a document that focuses on the "eroding" U.S. military advantage with regard to Russia and China, and will likely influence future spending on weapons systems and other military hardware.

"The department needs to focus on Russia and China," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development Elbridge Colby, during a question and answer session with reporters at the Pentagon. "The erosion of our military advantage is the problem."

Colby said the strategy in no way diminishes the U.S. focus on terrorism, which he termed "a very serious threat."

But the document states, "Inter-state strategic competition, not terrorism, is now the primary concern in U.S. national security."

The new Pentagon strategy is in contrast to the National Security Strategy outlined last month with a statement from President Trump that mentioned neither Russia nor China, but instead focused elsewhere.

"We are rallying the world against the rogue regime in North Korea," Trump said in his statement, "and confronting the danger posed by the dictatorship in Iran, which those determined to pursue a flawed nuclear deal had neglected. We have renewed our friendships in the Middle East and partnered with regional leaders to help drive out terrorists and extremists, cut off their financing, and discredit their wicked ideology. We crushed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorists on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq, and will continue pursuing them until they are destroyed. America's allies are now contributing more to our common defense, strengthening even our strongest alliances. We have also continued to make clear that the United States will no longer tolerate economic aggression or unfair trading practices." 

At the Pentagon briefing, Colby declined to specify exactly how the U.S. military's advantage is eroding, saying only that both China and Russia are moving ahead "across all domains," including maritime and aerospace. - Read More, NPR

U.S. Military Advantage Over Russia And China 'Eroding,' Pentagon Says

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