On 7 November,US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter addressed the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley,California.
We are in the midst of a strategic transition,Dr.Carter said.In the face of Russia's provocations and China's rise,we must embrace innovative approaches to protect the United States and the international order.We must ensure that we and our partners are postured to defeat threats from high-end opponents in a complex set of environments.*
Our antagonists and competitors push many states toward us.Our troops are attractive partners.Our troops perform and conduct themselves admirably.I see this.I hear this from many foreign leaders around the world.They make us proud.*
Russia appears intent to play a spoiler role by flouting those principles and the international community;while China is a rising power and growing more ambitious in its objectives and capabilities.Of course neither Russia nor China can overturn that order,given its resilience and staying power,but both present challenges for it.In Europe,Russia has been violating sovereignty in Ukraine and Georgia,and actively trying to intimidate the Baltic States.Meanwhile,in Syria,Russia has been throwing gasoline on an already dangerous fire,thus prolonging a civil war that fuels the very extremism that Russia claims to oppose.
At sea,in the air,in space and in cyber space,Russia's actions have emerged as challenging activities-and most disturbingly,Moscow's leaders' nuclear sabre-rattling raises questions about Russia's commitment to regional stability;their respect for norms against the use of nuclear weapons;and whether they respect the profound caution nuclear age leaders showed with regard to the brandishing of nuclear weapons.We do not seek a cold,let alone a hot war,with Russia.We do not seek to make Russia an enemy;but make no mistake,the United States will defend our interests and our allies,the principled international order and the positive future it affords us all.
We're taking a strong and balanced approach to deter Russia's aggression and to help reduce the vulnerability of our allies and partners.We're adjusting our operational posture and contingency plans as we,on our own and with our allies,work to deter Russian aggression and to help reduce the vulnerability of allies and partners.The United States is accordingly making a number of moves in response,many,but not all of which,I can describe in this forum.We're modernising our nuclear arsenal so America's nuclear deterrent continues to be safe,effective and secure,to deter nuclear attacks and assure our allies.We're investing in the technologies that are most relevant to Russia's provocations,such as new unmanned systems;a new long-range bomber;and innovations in technology like the electromagnetic rail gun;lasers;new systems for electronic warfare,space and cyber space;and including a few surprising ones that I can't describe here.We're updating and expanding our operational plans for deterrence and defence,given Russia's changed behaviour.
In Europe,NATO remains the cornerstone of a principled order and its Article V a bedrock commitment;but NATO needs a new playbook.The old NATO playbook,including large American forces stationed in Europe,oriented toward the Fulda Gap,worked in Reagan's day,but it's not suited for the 21st century with its hybrid warfare;cyber threats and assymetric tactics;and also the vast enlargement of NATO territory that is subject to Article V.We're accordingly changing our posture in Europe to be more agile and sustainable;but we're continuing to take a balanced approach to Russia.We will continue to cooperate with Russia when and where our interests align.*
The single most influential factor in shaping the Asia-Pacific region's future is how China rises and relates to the principled order that has underpinned regional peace,stabiliy and security.We're putting our best and newest assets from all the services into the region.Qualitatively,we are making heavy investments in capabilities of importance there:subsurface warfare;electronic warfare;space;cyber;missile defence and more.We're building the capacity of our allies and partners.
We all have a fundamental stake in the security of maritime Asia,including dynamics within the South China Sea.The United States joins virtually everyone else in the region in being deeply concerned about the pace and scope of land reclamation in the South China Sea;the prospect of further militarisation;and the potential for these activities to increase the risk of miscalculation or conflict among claimant states.
We mean what we say.We will continue to fly,sail and operate wherever international law allows.We also know we have much work to do still to ensure our strategies and plans are as innovative as possible,Dr.Carter noted.
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