U.S. Military Seeks to Be More Lethal, Including in Space, Mattis Says

By Lisa Ferdinando, DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. military is seeking to be more lethal in all domains, including space, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said yesterday.

In a briefing with reporters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Mattis said U.S. Northern Command will have to change to meet the challenges of the future, to include space-related security challenges.

“As the threats to North America evolve, we'll have to evolve the command, too,” he said. “It will continue to adapt from what it does, incorporating cyber defenses, outer space priorities and, of course, the air-breathing threats that we'll have to stay alert to.”

Pentagon Business Reform

Mattis said changes start with business reforms inside the Pentagon. He noted the Defense Department is currently not adopting best practices from industry.

“We want to make the military more lethal in outer space and cyberspace, at sea, on land, and in the air,” Mattis said. The department, he added, also wants to strengthen relations with U.S. partners and allies.

The department needs to examine the changing character of war, to include issues like artificial intelligence, hypersonics and outer space activities, according to Mattis.

“These have all got to be looked at, because as we say in the U.S. Department of Defense, our adversaries get a vote,” he said.

Mattis travelled to Colorado for the U.S. Air Force Academy’s graduation ceremony yesterday and the change of command today at Northcom and the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Northcom was established Oct. 1, 2002, to provide command and control of DoD homeland defense efforts and coordinate defense support of civil authorities.