America’s vulnerabilities exposed by war games
By Michael Webster syndicated investigative reporter
In 2017, the U.S. military initiated highly classified war games to simulate a potential conflict with China. These simulations consistently resulted in a swift and decisive loss for the U.S. forces. General John Hyten, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, highlighted the troubling outcomes by stating that it felt as though "they knew exactly what we were going to do before we did it" (American Military News) .
The core issue identified was that while the U.S. had been focusing on conflicts in the Middle East, China had been meticulously studying U.S. military strategies and developing advanced weapons systems tailored to exploit American weaknesses (American Military News) (American Military News) . This preparation allowed China to anticipate and counter U.S. moves effectively in the war games.
Recognizing the need for a strategic overhaul, in 2018, then-Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis initiated "Project Overmatch." This plan was designed to shift the focus towards developing 21st-century weapons and strategies capable of surpassing the advancements made by China. The goal was to ensure the U.S. military could "overmatch" its adversaries by modernizing its arsenal and tactics to be effective in contemporary warfare (American Military News) .
"Project Overmatch" received final approval in March 2023, securing an additional $37.2 billion for the Pentagon to enhance its capabilities over the following year. Rapid progress has been made since, with significant contracts awarded to various military branches: $2.2 billion for the Army, $950 million for the Air Force, and $350 million for the Navy (American Military News) (American Military News) .
These efforts aim to address the vulnerabilities exposed by the war games and ensure that the U.S. military is equipped to handle future conflicts more effectively, leveraging new technologies and improved strategies.
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