In a dangerous world we need Donald Trump | Opinion

“Therefore let those who desire peace prepare for war” is a 4th century Roman saying that says George Washington used during his 1790 address to Congress. It succinctly conveys the idea that keeping the peace requires the ability to defend one’s interests. Emphasizes that opponents do not respect weakness. While we have often advocated diplomacy as the best and least expensive means of resolving international tensions, we fully recognize that negotiating from a position of military weakness rarely succeeds.

Almost all of America’s major diplomatic successes, including bringing the Cold War to a peaceful conclusion, were made possible by a strong military. However, the US military today is not what it once was, and claiming that it remains unbeatable does not make it so. Many of our military aircraft are older than the pilots who fly them. The land-based part of our nuclear triad, the Minuteman III missile, is more than 50 years old. The United States Navy operated nearly 600 ships by the end of the Cold War and now has fewer than 300 ships deployed. The size of our military has fallen by more than 20% in the past decade and is now smaller than at any time since the 1930s. In terms of budgets, procurement policies and personnel, there is much work to be done if we hope to negotiate from a position of strength, let alone defend ourselves against aggressors.

While America’s defense budget has continued to grow in dollar terms, it has long since declined as a percentage of GDP. At the height of the Cold War, the United States spent 9.5% of GDP on defense. This fell to 5% by 1990 and is just 2.7% today. Some are quick to point out that our $850 billion defense budget is still far larger than any other nation’s. This is true, but our allies, Great Britain, Germany, and Japan, would be hard pressed to develop a single division. Likewise, China and Russia’s defense budgets are smaller than ours, but so is the pay of their soldiers and the cost of their weapons systems.

America needs to spend more on defense, but it also needs to spend more wisely. After the Cold War, dramatic cuts in defense spending forced the consolidation of the defense industry. According to the Department of Defense, since 1990 our defense sector has shrunk from 51 prime aerospace and defense contractors to just 5. The predictable result has been a much greater reliance on a much smaller number of contractors. Many segments of the defense market are now controlled by companies with monopoly or near monopoly positions. Bidding is often uncompetitive simply because only one firm has the necessary expertise. This has led to skyrocketing costs.

During World War II, it took only 18 months to build Pentagon and three years to build an atomic bomb. Even today, China and Russia can deliver new weapons systems in 2-3 years. The current procurement lead time for new US weapons systems often exceeds 10 years. The Navy’s new Columbia-class submarine is more than a year behind schedule. Its new aircraft carrier program is two years behind schedule, and the Constellation frigate program will be at least three years behind schedule. The Government Accountability Office has described the Pentagon’s procurement program as “alarmingly slow”. They are right. These delays significantly undermine preparation.

Cost overruns have become as common as delays. For example, in 2021, the commander of the US strategic forces pointed out: “You cannot extend the life of the Minuteman III.” Admiral Charles Richard added that no one currently in the Air Force could even understand the outdated technical drawings needed to repair these 50-year-old missiles. However, not one of the new Sentinel missiles, intended to replace the Minuteman III missiles, has been deployed. Instead, massive cost overruns in the $100 billion Sentinel program required a special authorization to continue funding its long-delayed development.

Money matters, but so do people US Army suffers from a shortage of both active and qualified civilian personnel. Last year, despite the reduction in physical and mental requirements, the Army, Navy and Air Force all fell short of their recruitment goals. While a competitive labor market has contributed to the problem, so has the perception that the Biden-Harris administration is more concerned with political correctness than combat readiness.

Due to decades of outsourcing our heavy industry, the United States does not have the industrial capacity to maintain its current fleet. Not only do we lack skilled electricians, welders and machinists in the defense sector, but many of those still working will soon retire. The results are painful. Almost half of our fast attack submarines are not sea-ready, and overhaul time for aircraft carriers has increased by a third. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro went so far as to suggest using foreign shipyards.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is hungry for high-tech talent. While the Chinese, Russians and Iranians have repeatedly sought to hack into important parts of American society, the Defense Department remains short of cybersecurity experts because they can find more lucrative jobs in the private sector. The same goes for computer scientists and software engineers. Dozens of front-line F-35s remain parked awaiting software updates.

The threat is real. Our potential adversaries in Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and Pyongyang have steadily expanded their military forces and developed more advanced weapons. Russia has developed a number of nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles against which there is no effective defense. China has more ships in the Pacific than the US Navy. North Korea has developed not only nuclear weapons, but also long-range delivery systems. Iran has amassed the largest missile force in the Middle East and has deployed sophisticated cyber warfare technology against Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Both presidential candidates say they support a strong national defense, but their records and attitudes toward the military differ sharply. The former president Donald Trump he has consistently placed far more emphasis on rebuilding the military than on the vice president Kamala Harris. The Trump administration has substantially increased the defense budget. The Biden-Harris administration did not. Trump has aggressively asked our allies to increase their own defense spending. Harris did not. Trump promoted advanced military technology. He created the Space Force and his campaign platform specifically includes improving America’s ballistic missile defenses. The Biden-Harris administration has done little on both fronts. While Trump questions political correctness in the military, Harris strongly supports it. History is not kind to nations that neglect their defense. Therefore, let those who value peace through strength, vote for Donald Trump.

David H. Rundell is a former chief of mission at the American Embassy in Saudi Arabia and the author Vision or Mirage, Saudi Arabia at the crossroads. Ambassador Michael Gfoeller is a former policy advisor to US Central Command and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writers.