Quantum Computing Will Change the Character of War
This region is developing the concepts needed to win at sea Sec. of Defense Mark Esper tells Newport crowd
Excerpts and salient points ~
+ “As some of you may know, this is not my first time attending this conference,” Esper said during his speech. “Although, during my last visit, I sat in your seat. Having been on both sides of the podium, the strength of the American economy and the rapid innovation happening within the defense industry provide an advantage to our military that no nation can match if we can all work closely together.”
+ Esper, before he was named Secretary of the Army in 2017, was Raytheon’s vice president for government relations. The Senate confirmed him as Secretary of Defense at the end of July this year.
“Technological advances such as artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum computing are changing the world, and will, I am convinced, eventually change the character of war,” Esper said. “Our challenge is to work together, with all of you, to harness those advances in ways that give us the decisive military edge.”
+ “Like China, Russia is renewing its emphasis on the undersea domain as they modernize their submarine fleet and develop new ways to avoid underwater detection,” he said. “And, as we reorient our department to compete in both these arenas, we are also aware of an expanding realm of competition in the Arctic.”
+ “In the information space, an astonishing 99% of the world’s internet traffic travels through undersea cables,” Esper said. “The significance of the maritime domain cannot be overstated. In an era of expanding military competition on the seas, maritime dominance increasingly depends on our ability to secure and influence what’s happening under the water’s surface.”
+ He said institutions like the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport and Middletown and the many defense industry firms in this area will continue to play a key role in maintaining U.S. control of the seas.
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