https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/top-us-military-officer-warns-very-difficult-to-fight-great-power-war-with-china-russia-combined-1108932860.html
Top US Military Officer Warns "Very Difficult” to Fight Great Power War With China, Russia Combined
Top US Military Officer Warns "Very Difficult” to Fight Great Power War With China, Russia Combined
Sputnik International
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley warned on Wednesday that it would be “very difficult” for the US to fight a great power war with Russia and China combined.
2023-03-29T17:13+0000
2023-03-29T17:13+0000
2023-03-29T17:13+0000
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“Our military, capability-wise, can fight in a lot of places with different types of contingencies, but if you're talking about a serious conflict with a major great power war, realistically, putting both China and Russia together is a very, very difficult thing,” Milley told a House Committee on Armed Services hearing. Milley explained that under former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, the National Defense Strategy changed from a two-war strategy that was in place since the end of WWII to a one-war strategy. This meant the military planned to resource, train, equip, and structure its force to be able to fight one major war against one great power and to hold in other theatres. Milley added that the military could surge if needed.He also added that he expected Russia, China, and Iran to be “problematic for many years to come.”“I’m concerned…about… any coherence and cohesion between Russia and China… I wouldn't call it a true full alliance in the real meaning of that word, but we are seeing them moving closer together and that's troublesome," Milley said. “And then if you add in Iran as the third. So those three countries together are going to be problematic for many years to come, I think, especially Russia and China because of their capability.”Milley said he would discuss the question of Russia’s role in assisting China’s nuclear development program during the closed session, only saying that it was “concerning.”While he said China’s nuclear capabilities did not match America’s, he noted that China still had “significant” capabilities, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach US territory.“We are probably not going to be able to do anything to stop, slow down, disrupt, interdict or destroy the Chinese nuclear development program that they have projected out over the next 10 to 20 years,” Milley told a House Committee on Armed Services hearing.He added that “there's very little leverage, I think, that we could do externally to prevent that from happening. There might be some economic levers of power, there might be other things in the intelligence world, but for the most part, they're probably going to step out.”Milley admitted that China was on the path to reach its goal of being the “global co-equal” and military superior of the US by mid-century. Currently, an assured second strike was the “best way” that existed with current technologies for the US to confront China’s nuclear ambitions.At the same time he noted, that the US is “very secure” in terms of its nuclear deterrent posture.He also said that Washington has capabilities to maintain its strategic stability. “We can guarantee it without question,” he said.However, Milley noted that other countries may also pose threat to the US. An integrated missile defense system is therefore critical in order to deter these threats, he added.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230310/why-bloated-us-military-spending-cant-ensure-its-dominance-over-russia-china-1108266963.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20221028/all-you-need-to-know-about-nuclear-arsenals-of-russia-china-us-1102802193.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20220804/china-calls-on-us-to-reduce-its-nuclear-arsenal---representative-to-npt-conference-1098129410.html
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us, china, russia, mark milley
us, china, russia, mark milley
Top US Military Officer Warns "Very Difficult” to Fight Great Power War With China, Russia Combined
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley warned on Wednesday that it would be “very difficult” for the US to fight a great power war with Russia and China combined.
“Our military, capability-wise, can fight in a lot of places with different types of contingencies, but if you're talking about a serious conflict with a major great power war, realistically,
putting both China and Russia together is a very, very difficult thing,” Milley told a House Committee on Armed Services hearing.
Milley explained that under former Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, the National Defense Strategy changed from a two-war strategy that was in place since the end of WWII to a one-war strategy. This meant the military planned to resource, train, equip, and structure its force to be able to fight one major war against one great power and to hold in other theatres.
Milley added that the military could surge if needed.
He also added that he expected Russia, China, and Iran to be “problematic for many years to come.”
“I’m concerned…about… any coherence and cohesion between Russia and China…
I wouldn't call it a true full alliance in the real meaning of that word, but we are seeing them moving closer together and that's troublesome," Milley said. “And then if you add in Iran as the third. So those three countries together are going to be problematic for many years to come, I think, especially Russia and China because of their capability.”
Milley said he would discuss the question of Russia’s role in assisting China’s nuclear development program during the closed session, only saying that it was “concerning.”
While he said China’s nuclear capabilities did not match America’s, he noted that
China still had “significant” capabilities, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach US territory.
28 October 2022, 16:41 GMT
“We are probably not going to be able to do anything to stop, slow down, disrupt, interdict or destroy the Chinese nuclear development program that they have projected out over the next 10 to 20 years,” Milley told a House Committee on Armed Services hearing.
He added that “there's very little leverage, I think, that we could do externally to prevent that from happening. There might be some economic levers of power, there might be other things in the intelligence world, but for the most part, they're probably going to step out.”
Milley admitted that China was on the path to reach its goal of being the “global co-equal” and military superior of the US by mid-century. Currently, an assured second strike was the “best way” that existed with current technologies for the US to confront China’s nuclear ambitions.
At the same time he noted, that the US is “very secure” in terms of its nuclear deterrent posture.
“From a nuclear deterrent posture – we are very secure because we have an exceptional nuclear system,” Milley said during a congressional hearing when asked about Russia’s and China’s plans to increase their nuclear arsenals.
He also said that Washington has capabilities to maintain its strategic stability. “We can guarantee it without question,” he said.
However, Milley noted that other countries may also pose threat to the US. An integrated missile defense system is therefore critical in order to deter these threats, he added.
