We do not want to even think about the possibility of World War 3, but what would happen if the United States declared war on China or Russia? If tensions escalate, then World War 3 can become a reality. A war between the countries is nearly guaranteed at some point in the future, according to military chiefs in the U.S. They also say that it would be fast.
World War 3 to be fast and lethal
“A conventional conflict in the near future will be extremely lethal and fast, and we will not own the stopwatch,” said Major General William Hix. “The speed of events are [sic] likely to strain our human abilities.”
Hix, who was speaking on a future-of-the-army panel in Washington, added that the speed at which machines can make decisions in the future is likely to challenge their ability to cope and demand a new relationship between machine and man, according to Defense One.
The major general also stated that the Pentagon was getting ready for violence on a scale that the Army of the United States has not seen since Korea, and the armies of Russia and China are becoming increasingly technological. Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A Milley and Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson echoed Hix’s comments, saying that war between the nation states is “almost guaranteed.”
The United States faces threats from “modern nation-states acting aggressively in militarized competition,” said Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson, Army deputy chief of staff for training, plans and operations.
Cyber-battle another reality
Miley said that future enemies could end the air superiority that the U.S. Air Force has provided since the Korean War. Miley warned that anti-access, area-denial capabilities could prevent the Navy from getting to a Battle.
“Land forces will have to enable sea forces,” and the Army “is definitely going to have to dominate the air above our battle space,” he said.
Cyber-battle is another reality that we must face, not just from China and Russia but also from smaller nation states, notes Metro. Miley said the Army must be prepared to engage in cyber-warfare and operate without the precision navigation and space-based communications that it has taken for granted. He said the Army must battle in a complex urban setting as well.
Miley said that they may be ready now but they are being challenged, and if the goal is to deter war, then their Army and nation must be ready.
Russia making preparations
Russia has even told its citizens that nuclear war with the West could happen soon. An official TV channel in Russia issued a frightening warning that war with the West could be imminent.
Last week, Zvezda, a nationwide TV service run by the Ministry of Defense of Russia, said, “Schizophrenics from America are sharpening nuclear weapons for Moscow.”
On Monday, Russia President Vladimir Putin proposed a law suspending a Moscow-Washington agreement to get rid of weapons-grade plutonium. Russian officials said that underground bunkers had been built to house 12 million people, which is sufficient for the complete population of Moscow.