16.03.2022

The US press urges to prepare for a war on two fronts "before it's too late"

Sections: General industry information, Air, Missile and artillery, Global safety

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Image source: topwar.ru

Against the background of the "gloomy news from Ukraine", it is time to reassess the US military potential, currently designed to participate in one major conflict.

This opinion is expressed on the pages of the Defense News publication. At the moment, the National Defense Strategy adopted in 2018 is in effect. In fact, it established the size of the forces necessary to wage war with one equivalent opponent.

Before it's too late, we need to prepare for a war on two fronts

- they are calling in the US press.

According to the author, when one of the opposing countries begins "aggression", the second state, also interested in the redistribution of the world, will take advantage of the moment and "begin expansion in another part of the planet."

This does not mean that China and Russia will conclude a pact with the United States in the near future. Most likely, China may decide to take advantage of the Russian campaign against NATO in Europe, or Russia may take this step after China invades Taiwan. At the same time, coordination between them on the timing of actions is likely

- noted in Defense News.

As indicated, at the same time, "the US military does not have enough forces, ammunition, logistics and other capabilities necessary to respond to both theater of operations." According to the author, Moscow and Beijing are well aware that in comparison with 1991, the fleet of aircraft in the US Air Force has halved, and the Navy does not have enough ships for a global presence.

Image source: topwar.ru

However, there are critics of the preparation of a war on two fronts. According to them, the adoption of this doctrine will lead to a huge cost overruns and will absorb the resources needed to modernize the troops. But the author believes that the US budget is able to cope with both tasks. According to him, during the Cold War, military expenditures amounted to about 6% of GDP, and now only 3%:

Even a 1% increase in GDP will give the Pentagon about $200 billion a year – enough to acquire a large fleet, next-generation combat aircraft, unmanned systems with artificial intelligence support, advanced ammunition and other capabilities to repel the Chinese attack and deter Russia.

The author does not argue that something will have to be sacrificed. For example, he believes that the Defense Ministry is unreasonably spending money, intending to deploy long-range hypersonic weapons in the Pacific Ocean, each unit of which will cost $ 40-50 million.

According to him, the time has come to recognize that the "China first" strategy, the concentration of the US military in the Pacific region, creates a path for Russia to victory in Europe."