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US military concerned over losing superiority: Top officials

Friday, 10 April 2015 10:23 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 11 April 2015 2:44 AM ]

The US Defense Department

The US military is in danger of losing its technological superiority to adversaries like China unless it invests more in innovation and speeds up weapons development, Pentagon officials say.

Gone are the days when a single innovation gave the US military dominance on land, in the sky or at sea for decades, US Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work told a press conference Thursday.

"So we're going to have to be able to integrate commercial technology faster, absolutely," Work said.

The Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, Frank Kendall, told reporters the third installment of the Defense Department's "Better Buying Power" initiative was focused on maintaining US superiority and cutting red tape.

"Potential adversaries are challenging the US lead in conventional military capability in ways not seen since the Cold War," Kendall wrote in a report.

US military generals have previously warned about America’s eroding military edge. They are already worried about sophisticated air defenses and anti-ship missiles built by China and Russia.

Major US weapons manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co., have repeatedly urged the Pentagon to increase investments in key military technologies.

The Commander of the US Northern Command Admiral William Gortney said this week that China’s ballistic missile submarines are capable of attacking the United States with nuclear weapons.

Some observers argue that the United States is creating a false sense of fear about China’s armed forces to justify investing more in the country’s military and reduce spending on social welfare programs.

AHT/AT

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