The August 5-6 conference in Omaha, Nebraska, brought together military leaders, defense policy officials, academics, industry representatives and international partners. Discussions covered nuclear readiness, modernization of the triad and supporting command-and-control systems, emerging threats and the capacity of the defense industrial base.
“The demands on this command and on the Joint Force writ large have never been greater,” said Adm. Rich Correll, commander of U.S. Strategic Command. “But here’s what has not changed; the fundamental role of deterrence in national security and the mission to deter strategic attack.”
A central theme was maintaining a safe, secure, effective and credible nuclear deterrent while replacement systems are developed and deployed. Speakers stressed that legacy capabilities must remain operational throughout the transition to avoid a gap in deterrence.
“It is much easier to stay strong than it is to get strong,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Lutton, USSTRATCOM deputy commander. “When we look at modernizing our force, it’s important that force be sustained and we modernize into the future without any gap in that strength or that capability.”
Elbridge Colby, Under Secretary of War for Policy, placed nuclear forces at the center of the administration’s defense strategy during a discussion with Council on Foreign Relations President Michael Froman. “Nuclear strategy and nuclear forces are an absolutely essential part of the National Defense Strategy…the number one priority,” Colby said.
The symposium also examined how strategic deterrence increasingly depends on operations across several military domains. Discussions covered space, cyberspace, conventional weapons and the electromagnetic spectrum alongside nuclear forces.
“We at STRATCOM have the responsibility to ensure that the Joint Force can operate and prevail through a contested, congested, and constrained [electromagnetic spectrum],” said Maj. Gen. AnnMarie Anthony, director of the Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Center. Her remarks came during a panel focused on strategic threat vectors facing U.S. forces.
Allied integration was another focus, with participants arguing that multinational cooperation gives national leaders a broader range of credible response options. Correll said allies and partner nations “represent an asymmetric advantage that no competitor or adversary can match. Together our collective deterrence force is as formidable as it has ever been.”
Correll also stressed the role of personnel who maintain U.S. strategic forces around the clock. “They maintain the watch 24/7/365 trained, ready and committed to executing the mission with precision and professionalism. They are the reason our deterrence is credible,” he said.
The symposium concluded with a keynote address by Gen. Christopher Mahoney, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “The triad remains the bedrock of our strategic deterrence. STRATCOM remains the heart of the mission,” Mahoney said.
