The United States is sharpening its military focus on China as its primary long-term strategic challenge, with senior commanders warning that cyber capabilities and special operations forces will be critical in maintaining an edge in an increasingly contested global environment. Senior officials made these remarks at a Senate hearing on 29 April, outlining the posture of US Special Operations Command and Cyber Command.

China as the Pacing Threat

Admiral Frank Bradley, testifying before lawmakers, said American forces must simultaneously address multiple threats while remaining oriented toward Beijing. "We must also orient our force on the long-term pacing challenge of China," Bradley told the Senate panel, describing a security landscape shaped by overlapping risks from Russia, Iran, and transnational networks.

He said US forces no longer have "the luxury of focusing on only a single goal or mission," characterising the strategic environment as one defined by what officials termed "simultaneity" — managing competition and conflict across regions and domains simultaneously. This framing reflects a broader shift in US defence posture that has been building since the 2018 National Defense Strategy formally elevated China to the status of primary competitor.

AI and Technological Superiority

Cyber Command leaders stressed that technological competition, particularly in artificial intelligence, is central to countering China's military rise. General Joshua Rudd said maintaining superiority in advanced technologies is essential to preserving US advantages. "I think it's critical that the US has the technological advantage in every aspect of warfighting," he said, adding that Washington must "retain and maintain our advantage" as AI becomes more deeply embedded in military operations.

Lawmakers noted that China is actively leveraging emerging technologies, with officials at the hearing agreeing that Beijing is deploying artificial intelligence in military applications. The exchange underscored the urgency of the technological race between the two powers, a competition that now extends well beyond traditional hardware into software, data, and autonomous systems.

Cybercom 2.0 and Critical Infrastructure Threats

The Pentagon is responding through a sweeping overhaul known as "Cybercom 2.0," aimed at strengthening the cyber workforce and accelerating innovation. Katherine Sutton, Assistant Secretary of Defense for cyber policy, warned that adversaries have moved well beyond passive espionage. "Our adversaries have moved beyond conducting espionage and theft, and are preparing for conflict by pre-positioning disruptive capabilities inside our nation's critical infrastructure," Sutton said.

Sutton also described cyber as "the connective tissue of modern warfare," arguing that integration across domains is essential to counter increasingly sophisticated threats. This framing positions cyber not as a standalone capability but as the backbone linking land, sea, air, and space operations — a doctrinal evolution with significant implications for how the US structures its forces.

Alliances and Special Operations in the Indo-Pacific

Highlighting the growing role of partnerships in countering China, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, Admiral Bradley said strengthening alliances and building partner capacity remain central to deterrence. He pointed to long-standing relationships in the region, emphasising that trust and credibility built over decades enable the United States to share intelligence and support partners facing evolving threats. "Foremost and most important in any strategy of deterrence is to have that stronger alliance," he said.

Special operations forces, which make up a small fraction of the overall military, were described as providing "an indispensable asymmetric advantage," particularly in contested environments where conventional forces may be limited. Lawmakers, however, also raised concern about the pace of operations and strain on personnel, warning that sustained high demand could affect readiness over the long term.

What Comes Next

The hearing signals that Cyber Command and Special Operations Command will face growing expectations — and scrutiny — as the US recalibrates its defence architecture around the China challenge. With Cybercom 2.0 still in rollout and AI integration accelerating, the coming months will test whether institutional reform can keep pace with the speed of the technological competition Washington says it cannot afford to lose.