China's military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), is undergoing an extensive modernization program that presents significant challenges to US security interests in Asia. This modernization includes creating a surveillance and strike architecture that supports operations at longer distances away from China's coast. It makes the PLA a more formidable force in all the dimensions of war: air, space, land, sea, and in the electromagnetic spectrum. The PLA has new, multimission-capable combat ships, aircraft, submarines, and new generations of missiles. First and foremost, major elements of...

This is a time of dynamic unpredictability for the Department of Defense (DOD). As the world grows increasingly volatile and complex, threats to our national security are becoming more diffuse and less attributable. This evolution demands continuous innovation and transformation within the armed forces and the national security architecture. Meanwhile, fiscal constraints have further compelled us to rethink our strategies, reorient the force, rebalance risk across competing missions, and take uncommon actions to achieve spending reductions. Particularly troubling, in dealing with...