Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) said the Biden administration’s National Defense Strategy, Nuclear Posture Review and Missile Defense Review missed the mark on laying out a plan to deter threats from China and other hostile nations.
“Our nation faces unprecedented threats from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran but the Biden administration lacks a clear plan to deter and defeat these threats. The threat of terrorism also has not dissipated but our counterterrorism capabilities have deteriorated since Biden’s catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Rogers, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a press release. “We must come to the harsh realization that our nation is at risk of becoming vulnerable unless we make a concerted effort to boost our national defense now. The focus of our military should be wielding the most capable and lethal force to deter and defeat our adversaries – our warfighters should not be distracted with far-left climate priorities.”
He called for the continued funding of the Nuclear Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM-N), especially in light of the rapid growth of China's and Russia’s nuclear arsenals, the release reported.
“We need to increase the production of munitions and weapons. We need to rebuild our naval fleet to deter Chinese aggression toward Taiwan. We also need to recognize that Russia and China’s nuclear arsenals are growing at an unprecedented clip,” he said in the release. “We must adjust the posture of our nuclear deterrent and missile defenses in kind – which includes funding the Nuclear Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM-N). Our adversaries won’t be deterred unless we take tangible actions now to strengthen our defense.”
The Department of Defense released three strategic documents: The National Defense Strategy, the Nuclear Posture Review and the Missile Defense Review, according to a release. The 2022 National Defense Strategy (NDS) prioritizes increased deterrence against China and working with allies.
“Integrated deterrence isn’t just about steps that we take on our own,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in the release.
The documents fail to lay out a plan that would bolster American national defense and deter aggression, Rogers said in his release. Multiple military leaders support continued funding of the Nuclear Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM-N) program, including General Tod Wolters, Admiral Mike Gilday, General Mark Milley, Admiral Christopher Grady and Admiral Charles Richard.
The Biden administration plans to cease the development of nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles in spite of the recommendations of military leaders, Reuters reported. Austin said that SLCM-N development is unnecessary with the strength of U.S. nuclear capabilities.
The U.S. held nuclear superiority over China since the Cold War era as China’s strategies meant the nation would never be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict and would maintain a small nuclear arsenal, sufficient only to attack critical target areas in a retaliatory strike, according to a Heritage Foundation report. As recently as 2020, China had fewer than 300 nuclear weapons, compared to the nearly 2,000 in the U.S. arsenal. Information has shown that China’s nuclear capabilities could exceed those of the U.S. much sooner than anticipated.
