Facing the threat from the Chinese Communist Party, the US Department of Defense is simultaneously advancing the modernization of the nuclear triad and upgrading the Defense Information Network (DoDIN). Commanders of the US military’s air, sea, and cyber warfare testified in the Senate, emphasizing the need to strengthen both the network and nuclear capabilities to address current and future complex threats.
General Thomas A. Bussiere, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), stated on Tuesday (May 20) that the United States is in a critical transitional period with “no operational margin,” and the modernization of the nuclear weapons system is urgent.
He noted that the US military is facing unprecedented challenges and must deter two adversaries with “modern and diverse nuclear arsenals” – China and Russia.
Bussiere added that the threat from North Korea continues to escalate, and there is a potential for Iran to develop nuclear weapons. These underscore the necessity of deploying “flexible and modernized nuclear forces.”
He also pointed out that the increasing coordination among US adversaries is making an already dangerous and unprecedented security environment even more complex.
Bussiere stated that the Air Force’s nuclear modernization encompasses two key components of the nuclear triad: intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and the B-21 Raider and B-52J strategic bombers.
Other modernization projects include the MH-139 Gray Wolf helicopter, the Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC), weapon production facility upgrades, and the Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO) cruise missile, while also strengthening the nuclear command, control, and communications system (NC3 architecture).
Johnny Wolfe Jr., a Rear Admiral and Director of Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs Office, also testified at the hearing.
He stated that the Navy’s nuclear forces are the “cornerstone of national security” and the most survivable aspect of the nuclear triad.
Wolfe noted that these Navy nuclear forces include Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles and submarine-launched cruise missiles, and the Navy is also advancing the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapon program.
Lieutenant General Paul T. Stanton, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and Joint Forces Headquarters DoDIN commander, said on Wednesday (May 21) that DoDIN is considered a critical weapon system that not only supports US military decision-making but also enables the military to maintain operational communication and decision-making advantages when facing Chinese-led network disruptions and infiltration activities.
DoDIN, short for Department of Defense Information Network, is managed by the US military and is the global communication lifeline relied upon both in peacetime and wartime.
Stanton stated, “We must ensure the right data appears at the right time and in the right place so commanders can make faster and more accurate decisions than the adversary.”
He pointed out that a key to deterrence is to “make the adversary incur an attack cost beyond its capacity to bear” and simultaneously “maintain our operational freedom.”
DISA and the US military’s cyber warfare department are collaborating on advancing technologies such as Zero Trust, hybrid cloud communication, AI and machine learning models, and Full Content Inspection (FCI) to ensure system scalability, composability, and real-time analytical capabilities.
Stanton also explained that DISA is collaborating with the US Indo-Pacific Command to build a multinational network integration environment deployed within the “First Island Chain” to meet theater combat requirements.
These deployments aim to support frontline operations in the Indo-Pacific, ensuring US and allied communication and operational capabilities under the threat from China.