America needs ‘new vision’ for defence: Austin
HAWAII: In his first major speech as Pentagon chief, Lloyd Austin on Friday called for developing a “new vision” for American defence in the face of emerging cyber and space threats and the prospect of fighting bigger wars.
The US needs to prepare for a potential future conflict bearing little resemblance to “the old wars” that have long consumed the Pentagon, Austin said.
He called for harnessing technological advances and better integrating military operations globally to “understand faster, decide faster and act faster”.
“The way we fight the next major war is going to look very different from the way we fought the last ones,” Austin said during a trip to the Hawaii-based US Pacific Command.
He did not explicitly mention rivals like China or Russia. But his remarks came as the US starts its withdrawal from Afghanistan aimed at ending America’s longest war and resetting Pentagon priorities.
Austin’s remarks did not appear to prescribe specific actions or predict any specific conflict. He instead appeared to outline broad, somewhat vague goals to drive the Pentagon under the Biden administration.
“We can’t predict the future,” Austin said. “So what we need is the right mix of technology, operational concepts and capabilities - all woven together in a networked way that is so credible, so flexible and so formidable that it will give any adversary pause.”
Biden admin settles on a new North Korea policy
The Biden administration has settled on a new approach to pressuring North Korea to give up nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles that will explore diplomacy but not seek a grand bargain with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the White House said on Friday.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Air Force One that US officials had completed a months-long review of North Korean policy.
“Our policy will not focus on achieving a grand bargain, nor will it rely on strategic patience,” she said. Instead, the administration will take a “practical approach” that will explore diplomacy with North Korea and aim for “practical progress”.