McCain calls for more defense spending to counter cyber threats

The Senate Armed Services Committee took up the issue of maintaining American military superiority in a quickly globalizing world filled with new technological threats this week at a hearing on “The Future of Warfare.”

The hearing is aimed at determining the best places to direct military spending to counter those threats.

The committee heard testimony from military, academic, and think tank experts on the types of new challenges American warfighters face and what steps are needed to overcome them and maintain the prestige of U.S. military forces around the world.

At the heart of the issue is the ever increasing level of cyber threats. Crucial functions like energy production, banking and communication are becoming ever more digitalized, which opens those systems to attacks from hostile organizations and countries.

Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) said the nation’s foes have a growing arsenal of commercially available technology to hit the digital systems of critical American infrastructure. He pointed to the use of commercial drones and communication jammers being operated by ISIS terrorists operating in Syria and Iraq.

“Many of our adversaries are investing billions of dollars into reshaping their militaries and developing technologies to counter and thwart America’s military advantages,” McCain said. “At the same time, the speed of globalization and commercialization means that advanced disruptive technologies are increasingly available to rival militaries, terrorist groups, and other non-state actors.”

McCain said that threat means the U.S. has to take decisive action to develop the technologies and strategies necessary to counter such threats.

“Leading commercial companies are innovating on 18-month cycles, but the Department of Defense is stuck on 18-year cycles,” McCain said. “This is a recipe for failure, and fixing this problem must continue to be a top priority.”