U.S. Strategic Command
08/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/17/2024 14:01
'Strategic Deterrence Amidst Global Transformation' explored at 2024 USSTRATCOM Deterrence Symposium
Government, military, academic and international experts discussed and explored a broad range of deterrence issues Aug. 13-14 at the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha, Neb., during United States Strategic Command's (USSTRATCOM) 15th annual Deterrence Symposium.
Opening the event, USSTRATCOM Commander Gen. Anthony Cotton addressed the audience of 820, to include leaders from 15 international partner nations, asserting the assembled group collectively represented the "highest nuclear IQ on the planet."
"The mission to deter strategic attack is as important as ever - as is our mandate to prevail in conflict when directed," said Cotton. "[Our] Allies and partners are an asymmetric advantage over any potential adversary. Together, our deterrent force is as formidable as ever."
Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivered the day two keynote address, emphasizing the importance of integrated deterrence in a changing global landscape.
"Instead of a bipolar world, we're facing multiple adversaries and malign actors that create an increasingly dynamic strategic environment," said Brown. "To achieve effective deterrence, we must understand our adversaries' cognition and culture, the ever-evolving information environment, and the impacts of advancing technology. Integrated deterrence leverages all of our national instruments, and coordinating with our Allies and Partners ensures that we deter threats comprehensively, securing peace and stability in an increasingly complex world."
After Brown's remarks, he was joined on stage by Cotton and Mr. Terry Kroeger, who represented the Strategic Command Consultation Committee (SCCC), to announce the annual Gen. Larry D. Welch Deterrence Writing Award winners: Maj. David "Jobs" Phillips and Mr. Jyri Lavikainen. Each received a monetary prize, sponsored by the SCCC.
Other keynote speakers included Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Dr. Kimberly S. Budil, director of California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
The two-day symposium also featured a series of panels and break-out sessions where international deterrence experts and leaders discussed a wide range of topics, such as strategic posture in a multi-actor environment, the political and military nexus of nuclear deterrence, and challenges facing the defense industrial base.
"Although the strategic environment is changing, the objectives of deterrence remain the same," said Cotton. "Make no mistake, the components of our nuclear triad have always been, and will continue to be, the backbone of our nation's deterrent force. That is where deterrence starts."
Opening the event, USSTRATCOM Commander Gen. Anthony Cotton addressed the audience of 820, to include leaders from 15 international partner nations, asserting the assembled group collectively represented the "highest nuclear IQ on the planet."
"The mission to deter strategic attack is as important as ever - as is our mandate to prevail in conflict when directed," said Cotton. "[Our] Allies and partners are an asymmetric advantage over any potential adversary. Together, our deterrent force is as formidable as ever."
Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivered the day two keynote address, emphasizing the importance of integrated deterrence in a changing global landscape.
"Instead of a bipolar world, we're facing multiple adversaries and malign actors that create an increasingly dynamic strategic environment," said Brown. "To achieve effective deterrence, we must understand our adversaries' cognition and culture, the ever-evolving information environment, and the impacts of advancing technology. Integrated deterrence leverages all of our national instruments, and coordinating with our Allies and Partners ensures that we deter threats comprehensively, securing peace and stability in an increasingly complex world."
After Brown's remarks, he was joined on stage by Cotton and Mr. Terry Kroeger, who represented the Strategic Command Consultation Committee (SCCC), to announce the annual Gen. Larry D. Welch Deterrence Writing Award winners: Maj. David "Jobs" Phillips and Mr. Jyri Lavikainen. Each received a monetary prize, sponsored by the SCCC.
Other keynote speakers included Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Dr. Kimberly S. Budil, director of California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
The two-day symposium also featured a series of panels and break-out sessions where international deterrence experts and leaders discussed a wide range of topics, such as strategic posture in a multi-actor environment, the political and military nexus of nuclear deterrence, and challenges facing the defense industrial base.
"Although the strategic environment is changing, the objectives of deterrence remain the same," said Cotton. "Make no mistake, the components of our nuclear triad have always been, and will continue to be, the backbone of our nation's deterrent force. That is where deterrence starts."