Sentry Staff The United States Department of Defense’s nuclear command, control and communications (NC3) framework has long needed modernization, and Air Force Gen. Anthony J. Cotton, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), believes artificial intelligence could significantly bolster its capabilities. “AI will enhance our decision-making capabilities,” Gen. Cotton said at the 2024 Department of Defense Intelligence Information System Conference in October, according to Air & Space Forces magazine. “But we must never allow artificial intelligence to make those decisions for us.” Amid escalating threats, the influx of sensor data and growing cybersecurity concerns, AI can prove essential for maintaining superiority…
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Sentry Staff A new United States Department of Defense (DOD) plan provides actions to modernize and strengthen the nation’s defense industrial base, according to defense leaders. The DOD’s National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan (NDIS-IP), released in October 2024, aims to work with industry, academia and international partners to build more resilient supply chains, develop new technologies and reduce risks. “Today’s geopolitical undercurrents have impacted every part of the Defense Industrial Base. We have seen how quickly we need to ramp up capacity in response to conflict,” Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, assistant defense secretary for industrial based policy, said at an…
Sentry Contributor The United States recently showcased its unparalleled ability to reach strategic targets anywhere in the world. U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) conducted multiple precision airstrikes on underground weapons storage facilities in Yemen, controlled by the Houthi rebel group, on October 16, 2024. This operation underscores the U.S. military’s global strike capabilities and its commitment to maintaining security and stability in critical regions. The strikes targeted five hardened underground bunkers housing advanced conventional weapons used by the Houthis to threaten civilian and military vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. “This was a unique demonstration of the United…
Sentry Contributor The United States Air Force has achieved a significant milestone in its ongoing efforts to bolster nuclear deterrence capabilities. The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, known as the “Spirit of Nebraska,” completed its programmed depot maintenance (PDM) 91 days ahead of schedule, marking a new record for the aircraft’s upkeep. The B-2 Spirit, a cornerstone of the U.S. strategic bomber fleet, underwent extensive maintenance at Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. This reduced downtime is a testament to the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s (AFLCMC) Bombers Directorate, which has implemented new processes to enhance efficiency and reduce downtime. “Bringing…
Sentry Contributor United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) launched its annual nuclear command and control exercise Global Thunder 25 in October 2024. This exercise is a critical component of the U.S. efforts to maintain and enhance its nuclear deterrence capabilities. The exercise involved personnel from across the strategic enterprise, including USSTRATCOM components and subordinate units with the primary objective of ensuring a safe, secure and effective strategic deterrent force. The 2024 iteration also included participation from key NATO Partners, such as the United Kingdom, who integrated with the headquarters staff to provide a U.K. policy perspective and operational insight. The exercise…
Sentry Staff Tensions between strategic competitors, North Korea’s persistent nuclear weapons expansion and Russia’s attempts to shift Europe’s balance of power with its war against Ukraine have contributed to a coalescing among the United States and its Allies and Partners to modernize strategies that more effectively combat 21st century security threats. Geopolitical changes, particularly in the Indo-Pacific and European regions, threaten to upend decades of peace and stability. Alliances like NATO have met these challenges by more closely linking defense plans that span the globe and battlespace domains. “Never before have NATO and defense plans been so closely interlinked,” Royal…
Col. (Ret.) William T. Eliason/National Defense University Press As Commander of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), Gen. Anthony Cotton leads a command responsible for strategic deterrence, nuclear operations, global strike, nuclear command, control and communications enterprise operations, joint electromagnetic spectrum operations, and missile threat assessment. Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, USSTRATCOM is one of 11 unified commands under the U.S. Defense Department and is composed of 41,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians and civilians operating globally to perform the command’s missions. Gen. Cotton entered the Air Force through the ROTC program in 1986 and earned a bachelor’s degree in…
Sentry Staff Security analysts say the accession of Finland and Sweden into the 75-year-old NATO Alliance will strengthen each nation’s own security posture, better protect the Baltic Sea and Europe’s eastern flank, and bolster those regions’ air and sea capabilities. After decades of military nonalignment, the two nations asked to join the Alliance in 2022 — a decision prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The move marks the most significant NATO expansion since the Alliance welcomed members from Eastern Europe after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. It is also a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has sought…
Agence France-Presse A United Nations nuclear watchdog agency has called for vigilance against trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive material, saying it has recorded more than 4,200 thefts or other incidents over the past 30 years. In 2023, 31 countries reported 168 incidents “in line with historical averages,” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. Six of those were “likely related to trafficking or malicious use,” it added. Since 1993, the IAEA has recorded 4,243 incidents, with 350 of them connected or likely to be connected to trafficking or malicious use. “The reoccurrence of incidents confirms the need for vigilance and…
Sentry Staff For 75 years, the United States has stood with, and stood up for, fellow members of NATO, a nuclear alliance that has proven itself as a primary success story for collective defense. As one of NATO’s 12 founding members — others include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United Kingdom — the U.S. has not only helped build the Alliance’s foundations of peace but also helped to fortify and adapt those foundations as new challenges emerge. The spirit of collective deterrence outlined in Article 5 — an attack on one is…