The head of the US Department of Defense, Lloyd Austin, during a speech to cadets of the US Military Academy West Point in New York on Saturday, May 22, said that the country faces threats of terrorism, cyber weapons and the coronavirus pandemic.
"You're watching the longest war in America end. And you see how technology is changing the nature of war. And even as big and growing powers clash and compete, you see new threats-from pandemics to terrorism and cyberweapons. And you see these threats crossing borders like a hurricane, " the US Secretary of Defense was quoted as saying by the WBOC.
Austin noted that the cadets finish their studies in "exceptionally difficult circumstances", but they have received the necessary training to face the above threats.
Other challenges Austin cited included threats to democracy, the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, issues of racism and discrimination, and social tensions.
The head of the Pentagon spoke with 1 thousand cadets who received the rank of second lieutenants.
On May 8, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced that the United States has joined the elimination of terrorist and violent extremist content on the Internet.