WASHINGTON — Generals from the two military commands tasked with defending the American homeland say the nation faces "growing multi-domain threats."
They painted a stark portrait before the Senate Armed Services Committee, saying that the problems are many, including Russia, China, illegal drugs, human trafficking, immigration and border security.
As far as illegal drugs, particularly those entering by sea, U.S. Southern Command General Laura Richardson acknowledged it's an uphill fight.
"In terms of the capacity we anticipate, we're able to with what we know is out there, interdict about ten percent of the known problem," Richardson said.
Sen Angus King (I-Maine) replied: "We can interdict ten percent of what we know of. That's inexcusable."
U.S. Northern Command General Gregory Guilot said the U.S. is facing dueling threats from its near-peer competitors.
"The People's Republic of China remains our pacing challenge as the People's Liberation Army modernizes and grows at a rapid pace. Russia retains the world's largest stockpile of strategic and non-strategic nuclear weapons, along with significant capacity to strike inside North America with air and sea-launched precision conventional weapons," he said.
Guilot called for an increased US military "presence" via exercises along Alaska's coast to help counter growing Chinese and Russian military activity in the Arctic.
Additionally, Guilot said the United States is "severely outnumbered" by the Russian icebreakers in the Arctic.