Thread by @ianellisjones

"We are in the midst of a strategic competition to shape the future of the international order."

Admiral Paparo, Commander of U.S. INDOPACOM, says China is the "only state with both the intent & the power to do so."

Eye-opening speech—I cut the 60 mins down to 5 👇

Paparo says the world is increasingly descending into chaos & disorder as China & Russia represent a pacing challenge to our security, freedom, & well-being.

"From Europe to the Middle East to the Pacific, we're seeing significant shifts in state behaviors & they are not random."

Beware a land power that turns to the sea...

"Today, in the Indo-Pacific, the PRC has turned to the sea. In its threats to Taiwan across the strait, in the South China Sea, & the East China Sea, it makes expansive & unlawful claims to waters & to features."

"A look at its maps & a passing familiarity with the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea exposes the absurdity of its claims & its pretzel logic.

The PRC's words & deeds are revanchist, revisionist, & expansionist." 🎯

Paparo explains that a key asymmetric advantage for the U.S. is our alliances & partnerships.

Naval power is a "consistent theme" & U.S. Navy is "no longer in a supporting role to events ashore, but in operational environments where the maritime domain is the locus of conflict."

"We are in the middle of another epochal change & that is the dawn of the information revolution."

Whoever competes best in this, adapts better, is able to combine data, computing power, & AI—& who can win the first battle (likely in space, cyber, & info domain)—shall prevail.

The Admiral stresses the importance of closing the kill chain effectively & efficiently to achieve decision superiority...

"The ability to see, understand, decide, & act more accurately, more focused, & faster than the adversary. This is the first & the most decisive battle."

"If we are doing our jobs, we will deter that war by building & demonstrating combat power. There's no bluffing it.

And if we do our jobs right—history will never know our names. & this is the goal: to deter, to prevail, who learns, adapts faster, survives & thrives."

Solid List to follow if you’re interested in this stuff:

x.com/i/lists/165206…

Full speech:

“We are living in consequential times, a period of intense competition & high stakes.”

“We cannot normalize this intentional malign behavior by the PRC, which we see in the form of territorial aggression against its neighbors, including unprofessional & unsafe behavior at sea.”