US Derives Lessons from Conflict in Ukraine for Likely Standoff with China — Pentagon

Kathleen Hicks also noted that despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Washington's main focus would be on China

NEW YORK, April 26. /TASS/. The Pentagon has learned valuable lessons from the conflict in Ukraine in case of a possible confrontation with China, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said on Wednesday.

"There are many advantages we've gained for a potential Pacific challenge from the Ukraine conflict," Hicks told Bloomberg in an interview. "We're learning now to grow our industrial base and to study that industrial base, which has been for the last 60 years in a bit of a feast and famine cycle."

Drawing on the Ukrainian experience, the Pentagon is insisting that the US should enter into long-term contracts with arms manufacturers. According to Hicks, the US has also realized the need to invest in space technologies.

Hicks also noted that despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Washington's main focus would be on China.

"We're not trying to weigh between two theaters. We have a clear strategy that's focused on China," she added.

Earlier, Bloomberg analyst Hal Brands noted that by providing military assistance to Ukraine, the US risked losing a significant part of its own arms stockpile without being able to quickly increase production. He believes that the US in the situation around Ukraine acts as an "arsenal of democracy", avoiding direct involvement in the conflict. But over time this arsenal may be depleted, he warned.

In January, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced the creation of the army’s strike drone units to be equipped with Starlink satellite communication terminals. On February 9, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell announced the decision to restrict access to the Starlink network for military drones in Ukraine. She explained that the technology had been developed for purposes different from being used as a weapon. For his part, Musk said that the Starlink network was crucial to ensuring communication in Ukraine, but it should not be used for an escalation fraught with the risk of a third world war.