Kathrine Frich
He warned that global military commitments are stretching resources thin.
He warned that global military commitments are stretching resources thin.
General VanHerck’s Stark Warning
General Glen D. VanHerck, former head of NORAD, says the US must be ready to “take a punch in the nose” and recover fast.
He warned that global military commitments are stretching resources thin.
Without stronger resilience, the US risks being unprepared in a crisis.
Politics vs Capabilities
VanHerck argued that politics often outweigh military capabilities in decision-making.
He said operational plans may fail simply because forces and resources are too limited.
This imbalance could leave the US vulnerable in the face of sudden threats, he says.
Arctic Blind Spot
Both VanHerck and General Houston Cantwell pointed to weak US knowledge of the Arctic.
They said the region could be used as a future attack route.
Despite new radars, surveillance gaps remain, raising fears of blind spots against adversaries.
Lessons From the Spy Balloon
Cantwell recalled the 2023 Chinese spy balloon incident as proof of deep flaws in America’s defense.
He said data was not processed fast enough to react.
The failure, he added, showed how adversaries could exploit weaknesses in US air monitoring.
Missiles Could Strike Undetected
Cantwell issued a stark warning about modern missiles and drones.
“In many cases, we wouldn’t know about an air attack until the missiles hit their targets,” he explained.
He said current radars cannot reliably track fast or low-flying threats.
The Golden Dome Debate
VanHerck assessed Donald Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system as technically possible.
But he said clear policies are needed to decide which threats to counter first.
Without priorities, he warned, such a vast shield would be ineffective.
Need for E-7 Wedgetail Aircraft
Cantwell stressed the importance of the E-7 Wedgetail, an aircraft built for constant air surveillance.
Funding cuts, he argued, leave the US exposed to surprise strikes.
He called for restoring investment to improve round-the-clock detection capacity.
Ukraine as a Warning Sign
Both generals said Ukraine offers clear lessons for the US military.
Constant drone and missile strikes on Kyiv show how quickly a capital can be overwhelmed.
“We don’t want to end up like in Kyiv,” Cantwell said, urging the US to prepare before it’s too late.
