Todd Harrison and Mackenzie Eaglen
The U.S. is blessed with the world’s most capable military and a network of allies and partners unmatched by any nation. It is an advantage we accumulated over generations. Yet we are taking it for granted as a growing coalition that includes Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea increasingly challenge our military might and our role in the world.
From spy balloons over South Carolina to spy bases in Cuba, China in particular is demonstrating its growing ability to hold the U.S. homeland at risk.
In the face of such threats, some in Congress seem content to settle for budget caps that arbitrarily set the level of defense spending without regard for what is needed. But continuing to let the budget dictate our strategy instead of using strategy to drive our budget will only embolden our adversaries and put our homeland at risk.
The “moat” theory of national security holds that the U.S. is well protected by large oceans to its east and west and weak neighbors to its north and south. For centuries this may have been true, but oceans are no longer a match for modern technology. Cyber threats have unlimited range, adversary satellites encircle us day and night, and drones are fundamentally changing how war is conducted. While the Chinese balloons violating our airspace in 2023 grabbed headlines, even more concerning are the mysterious drones recently flying over sensitive military and industrial sites in Virginia. These drones, with wingspans of up to 20 ft., have a relatively short range, meaning they were launched by foreign operatives or military forces in our backyard. Over 600 incidents like this have been reported since 2022.
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