"The scale and the capability of attacks that the force will see in the near- to mid-term future are unimaginably worse than what we experienced during the Cold War," Lawhead stated during a virtual Aerospace Nation event on Air Force Futures.
Lawhead noted that the US military had learned how to prevent such attacks against its bases, but emphasized the importance of base defense, logistics under attack, and agile combat employment.
Those measures would allow the United States to generate combat resources that the military needs, Lawhead added.
The number of attacks on US airbases increased significantly between October 17 and November 6, with Islamic militia groups attacking US bases in Syria and Iraq 38 times, resulting in 46 soldiers being injured, according to the Defense Department.