Defense Secretary Ash Carter recently testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the Obama administration's fiscal 2017 defense funding request.
In his opening statement, Carter laid out the current global threat picture, the principal players, and how flexibility and versatility are needed to face them.
"Today’s security environment is dramatically different from the last 25 years, requiring new ways of investing and operating," Carter said. "Five evolving strategic challenges – namely Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and terrorism – are now driving DoD’s planning and budgeting as reflected in this budget."
Carter stressed the need to have diverse defensive and offensive capabilities to be able to address any and all threats.
"The Defense Department doesn’t have, as I’ve said, the luxury of just one opponent, or the choice between current fights and future fights – we have to do both," Carter said. That’s what this budget is designed to do."
Carter also noted the budget's eye toward cybersecurity and the future.
"We’re doing more in cyber, electronic warfare and space – investing in these three domains a combined total of $34 billion in 2017 to, among other things, help build our cyber mission force, develop next-generation electronic jammers and prepare for the possibility of a conflict that extends into space," Carter said.
Alerts Sign-up