A secure environment is imperative to the overall stability of the economy, having an impact, and contributing to its competitiveness. Although the unavailability of security risks cannot drive a nation's economic competitiveness and development, its existence would have far-reaching consequences for the economy (Ivančík & Nečas, 2020). Defense and security have never lost their significance as they have always been at the core of interest not only for governments, security experts, policymakers, politicians, or soldiers but also for many researchers and practitioners. Due to the deepening of security threats near the borders of the United States and countries where the U.S. has vested interests, challenges in ensuring the defense and security of the states and their citizens have become critical in recent years. This can also be attributed to the growth of both military and non-military security threats that contributing to the deterioration of security on its international land borders (Ivančík & Nečas, 2020). The paper aims to analyze the challenges experienced by the United States in its international security environment reflected by: Russian and China – countries that are trying to influence the current economic, political and security order, acting according to their interests and at the expense of the U.S. and its allies; "rogue states" – North Korea and Iran that are violating the sovereignty of their neighbors, developing weapons of mass destruction and spreading terror in other countries; and finally jihadist terrorist organizations that threaten people on a global scale and are represented as cross-border threats to determine when to apply the U.S. military force.
General Background
Today, national defense can no longer be guaranteed through maintaining the sanctity of a country's borders as, but it also depends on the ability and preparedness to navigate safely through the "global commons (Ivančík & Nečas, 2020)." These commons are referred to as cyberspace, air, sea, and space that enable a country's military to protect national interests and territory as well as to facilitate the passage of people, communication, data, and goods which every member in an international economy depends. The effect is that the United States and other world democracies increasingly rely upon these commons in a highly globalized world; thus, challenges to freedom and stability within these commons are instantaneously growing (Bunnell et al., 2018). In today's global environment, a country cannot consider its security as an exclusive function of all areas surrounding it. Instead, security is a critical function that is tightly linked to the security of all. Global trade, information, and travel have contributed immensely to the increasing wealth of countries and the steadiness of a post-Cold War international system. The world's cyberspace, sea, air, and space play a vital role in a nation's nationwide defense strategy and its ability to carry out military operations on a global scale (Ettinger, 2018). The United States exclusively relies on the freedom to function in the global commons to protect the United States homeland and vital domestic interests. As the global commons grow, the number of evolving threats to this freedom also increases.
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Today, the sustained use of the global commons has been on the rise, and as a result, they have become more contested across nations, and the United States finds itself at crossroads as it has become increasingly difficult for the country to maintain its strategic objectives both at home and abroad (Bunnell et al., 2018). There is a statewide discussion on the implications that these challenges pose on the United States' freedoms of operation within separate domains (cyberspace, sea, space, and air); however, there lacks a holistic analysis of the global commons from a strategic perspective. The interdependency of these four domains bestows upon the United States a unique position to improve its security (Ivančík & Nečas, 2020). By doing so presents an opportunity for the United States to spearhead the international community in taking measures to counter these challenges addressing the threats, promoting stability, and strengthening governance within the commons.
From the perspective of guaranteeing security and defense of the United States, the tendencies in the development of the current security environment are the deepening uncertainty, instability, and unpredictability of further development as a result of an increasing number of failing and intrastate conflicts, uncontrolled dissemination of communication, information and military technologies, the increasing influence of non-state actors, increased ethnic and religious intolerance, mass illegal migration, and the increased dependence on limited vital resources, and environmental degradation (Bunnell et al., 2018).
Globalization is also influencing the current situation not only in security but also in the political, economic, and technological environment as well as other areas in human society (Dijkstra et al., 2018) . Globalization is a highly dynamic and multidimensional process in which social, environmental, political, technological, economic, and military-strategic factors interact and overlap, creating new systems of social, economic, political and security relations (Bunnell et al., 2018). Over the last decade, millions of people worldwide have benefited from the expansion of the online environment, and a lot of economic opportunities have been introduced in this age. In the information age, smart economies can only remain competitive on the global market if only the United States can provide a proper defense to the country's strategic objectives (Dijkstra et al., 2018) . The circumstances that lead to security risks for the United States at a global level are multifaceted, and the gap in economic and cultural development results in unfavorable demographics, poverty, and social vulnerability of the country's population (Ettinger, 2018) . Therefore, a modern competitive economy cannot be considered as the consequence of a million isolated market players but as a joint effort within a framework of national economics. The state has been tasked with fostering national competitiveness, and this is reflected in their ability to provide services and produce products that meet international standards and its citizens enjoy sustainable living standards and adapt rapidly to the changing environment.
Challenges and Threats to the United States Security
Revisionist Powers: Russia and China
As the novel virus ncov-2019 rages across the world and destabilizing economics, it has brought into the light today's foremost geopolitical rivalries. The United States and China are engaged in an intense rivalry for global competition and influence in politics, military supremacy, the economy and technological prowess (Han & Paul, 2020) . For several years now, China has become the primary geopolitical rival to the United States. China has been projected to become the world's largest economy by 2050 (Han & Paul, 2020) . Irrespective the sanctions and threats issued by the United States, China continues to reconstruct and modernize its military as well as expand its control beyond its borders. The country also persists in waging an economic war against the United States by employing the use of hackers and spies to steal critical trade and industry information which a backdrop for Trump's trade war (Ettinger, 2018).
On the other hand, Russia remains the primary threat to the interests of the United States in Europe. In the last decade, Russia has coined several propaganda and disinformation campaigns in Europe that seeks to destabilize the world democracies that differed with the country’s expansion agenda backed by military personal in eastern Ukraine (Han & Paul, 2020) . Russia has also invested many resources in developing high-tech weapons and modernizing its military with which the country seeks to achieve an advantage over the United States military. There are also intelligence reports that Russia, China, and Iran are trying to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential elections. The Chinese are accused of using their influence in shaping the policy environment in the United States while Russia is spreading fake news in the United States that is aimed at undermining the United States democratic process while Iran is seeking to spread disinformation by recirculating anti-U.S. information.
The most imminent threat that the United States is facing to its interests is the possibility of a Russian-Chinese partnership (Han & Paul, 2020) . According to a report submitted to Congress by worldwide threat assessment, Russia and China are more aligned today than they did since the mid-1950s. Russia and China do not share a prevailing expansionist ideology, but realpolitik considerations are driving the two countries together. Russia and China find themselves at crossroads with the United States due to sanctions imposed on both countries the Trump administration (Ettinger, 2018). As the U.S. security strategists work on weakening the relationship between the two countries, Russia and China are exploring new opportunities outside Europe and Asian territories (Han & Paul, 2020) . In November 2019, Russia and China conducted naval drills in South Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, which is a strategic intersection at where the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean Converge. The relationship between Russia and China will continue to evolve based on the foreign policy of the United States.
Rogue States: Iran and North Korea
The risks presented by Iran and North Korea to the United States and its allies are multifaceted and broad, comprising of cybersecurity, weapons of mass destruction, human rights violations, and transactional crimes (Dijkstra et al., 2018) . The two nations have had long-standing collaboration, especially in the domain of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile development. Information and technological advancements flow between these two countries, thus enabling them to be refined and expand their activities. According to legislators in the United States, Iran and North Korea pose an imminent threat to the NPT (Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty) (Ettinger, 2018).
The relationship between the United States and Iran deteriorated when the Trump administration decided to withdraw from an agreement that was designed to put an end to Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. The relationship was further worsened when the United States murdered Iran's top military commander, General Qasem Soleimani through a drone strike that Iran vowed to revenge in January 2020. A day later, Iran retaliated by launching multiple rockets to Baghdad's Green Zone adjacent to the United States embassy, but there were no casualties (Dijkstra et al., 2018) . The nuclear programs in both Iran and North Korea threaten regional stability and the interests of the United States. The cooperation between Iran and North Korea in the development of nuclear and ballistic weapons is a vital component of Iran's strategy to destabilize the Middle East and achieve regional dominance (Lieber & Press, 2013). The cooperation between the two countries is part of a broader strategy to enhance the ability of Iran to confront the United States and its allies as well as increase the cost of responding to provocations. In addition, the relationship between the two countries hinders international efforts that are aimed at blocking Iran's nuclear development and the termination of North Korea's nuclear weapons program (Dijkstra et al., 2018) . The intertwined nature of Iran's and North Korea's nuclear and missile programs makes it difficult for any efforts to frustrate Iran's activities in permanence must also disrupt those of North Korea.
Jihadist Terrorists both at Home and Abroad
The threat of terrorism in the United States is continually evolving, and this is brought about the rise and declined terrorist jihadist both at home and abroad as well as changes in the United States counterterrorism policy (Lieber & Press, 2013). As the world battles an invisible virus, terrorists are yet to move to a peaceful retirement. As the country's efforts are focused on fighting the pandemic, it would be a mistake to forget about the threat posed by terrorists. Since 9/11, there has been no successful attack directed or carried out inside the United States. Nevertheless, homegrown jihadist terrorist activities, as well as those inspired by ISIS, remain a significant threat to the United States. These threats include those inspired by a mixture of ideologies such as taking advantage of the availability of weapon, radicalization through the internet, far right and idiosyncratic strains in the United States (Lieber & Press, 2013). Technological advancements such as the internet have facilitated the growth of global terrorist enterprises through the creation of transnational communities of like-minded individuals.
Areas U.S. Military Capabilities Need to Evolve
Based on the aggression that the United States is experiencing from China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia, the country needs a ready and appropriate reaction plan to counter these threats along the anticipated lines of operations to dissuade rather than to accelerate the crisis and to defend the status quo when challenged (Medeiros, 2019). Thus, the appropriate reaction plan must be built on an approved and tested hypothesis that will yield logical theories of victory. The principal tasks of counter-aggression tactics by the United States military should be to deter and defeat Russia, Chinese, Iranian, or North Korean aggressions in both competition and conflict (Medeiros, 2019).
Maximize Human Potential
In the 21st century, talent management will be transformational in the U.S. military practices, thus increasing its organization agility, emphasizing productivity, and manifestation as readiness and lethality (Medeiros, 2019). To win wars and counter aggression from adversaries, the U.S. military must integrate people practices in all its activities, which will, in turn, generate a positive effect on organizational outcomes by leveraging each person’s behaviours, preferences, knowledge, and skills for the mutual benefit of the individual and the military (Medeiros, 2019). The military builds and sustains itself through the selection, training, and education of soldiers and leaders. To counter the increasing number of threats in the global commons, the military must attract, retain, both soldiers and leaders who possess a significant depth of technical and professional expertise (Leah, 2017). Therefore, the military must ensure that it makes the most out of high-quality human potential and integrate them into teams of trusted professionals. They can excel in chaos and ambiguity.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The first application of artificial intelligence in the military is the convergence of large quantities of communication networks, sensors, and an accelerating stream of information and data (Leah, 2017). As the amount of data continues to increase, the ability of humans to deal with such information is not growing in equal measure. Today, humans have become the most lethargic link in most decision-making processes. Just as artificial intelligence has increased in consumer markets and commerce, it should also proliferate through the military in decision-making (Leah, 2017). AI may be used in operational planning, strategic decision support, intelligence analysis, weapon systems, command and control, and logistics. For example, AI can be used in training systems by providing adaptive and unpredictable adversaries for training fighter pilots. The ability of highly intelligent systems to understand photos and videos can be used in processing vast amounts of data form surveillance systems (Lieber & Press, 2013). Natural language processing capabilities used in Systems such as Microsoft’s Cortana and Amazon’s Alexa that enable computer systems to interact with humans can enable military systems to take orders without using commands from keyboards. Natural Language Processing can also be used in translating documents and could serve as translators in the future.
For the military to employ the use of AI, they require informed users to shape the application of AI as well as provide quality assurance (Lieber & Press, 2013). According to a study conducted by the U.K. government, a skilled AI workforce should be a mix of individuals with a basic understanding, more informed users, and specialized users with advanced skills (Lieber & Press, 2013). In the next decade, all U.S. military personnel must possess necessary literacy skills in AI, including knowledge about its application, how to combine AI with human intelligence, and provide a level of assurance and quality control.
The threats and environments in the 21st century are complex and violent, and they will force the United States government and military to face both old and emerging challenges. The current threat to the interests of the United States on international borders is one that must be won. At the same time, the problems the U.S. is experiencing from China and Russia should act as invaluable lessons have been learned at the strategic, tactical, and operational stages of war. Alterations to these changes must be made within the United States military and government to reflect the lessons being learned as well as develop new capabilities for possible areas of conflict across the global commons. The military and other state agencies must be accommodating to work and collaborate in order to utilize the instruments of power consistently to achieve the country’s strategic objectives.
The United States military is on a stable path towards the achievement of 21st-century modernization, but there is more that still needs to be done. The post-Vietnam era, the interwar period, and other critical inflection points provide the military with excellent examples for the top management to consider. By revisiting the origins of the development of counterinsurgency doctrine, the Louisiana Maneuvers, and the National Training Center, the U.S military can compare how old ideas can become new again. In an increasingly complex world, the military cannot preserve the interests of the U.S. alone. Defense is only a single element of the broader national and international security structure. If the country is to become successful in meeting future challenges, then the entire United States security apparatus must adapt and become more proactive integrated and coherent. Implementing the above strategies is complex and will require a calculated balance in order to preserve the country’s current security interests. If the U.S. military does not change on time, then they could be unprepared for the future and put at risk the safety of conventional allies and that of future generations of Americans.
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