Military Leaders Urge Bolstering of US Military to Counter CCP in Indo-Pacific

‘Deterrence must be backed up by the real capability to fight and win,’ said Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo speaks during a joint press conference with Philippines' Military Chief General Romeo Brawner after the Philippines-U.S. Mutual Defence Board meeting at the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio on Aug. 29, 2024. Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images

The United States needs an all-around resurgence in its development of military capabilities to combat the growing threat from communist China in the Indo-Pacific, said Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, to the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 10.

“China’s outproducing the United States in air, missile, maritime, and space capability, and accelerating these,” the admiral said in his opening statement. ”I remain confident in our deterrence posture, but the trajectory must change.