Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton dismissed President Trump’s plan to create a Space Force within the U.S. military on Monday, instead calling for the creation of a cyber force to take on emerging technological threats.
Moulton, one of 20 candidates in the Democratic presidential primary, said he wanted to distinguish himself from from his opponents by emphasizing national security issues, with cybersecurity being paramount. He criticized Trump’s plan to create a Space Force within the Air Force as unnecessary, noting the space domain is not distinct enough from the Air Force’s current responsibilities to warrant a new military service.
“I do think there is an argument for a … separate cyber force,” Moulton told attendees at the Future Security Forum in Washington, D.C. “Cyber is distinct enough, I think, from the existing missions of the other services that it would probably make sense to have it a bit more centralized.”
Part of Moulton’s vision includes a reformation of how the Pentagon does its business. That includes investing in next-generation technologies instead of the costly legacy systems he said are eating into the defense budget.
“I would like to see the defense budget go down because we are making smarter investments,” said Moulton.
Aircraft carriers are one of the platforms that Moulton sees as potentially not worth keeping in a digital world. He noted that adversaries like China and Russia have an inherent advantage over the U.S. because they have defense budgets that are relatively constrained. Instead of trying to compete with the U.S. by building more than a dozen carriers, Russia and China can simply buy the missiles that could defeat them.
“Now I’m not saying we need to get rid of the aircraft carrier, but we at least need to have a serious debate about their efficacy in the modern world,” said Moulton.
Cutting the cost of the aircraft carrier fleet is not a unique idea. Navy Adm. John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, defended the Pentagon’s decision to decommission one of the Navy’s 11 aircraft carriers at the same conference.
“One thing that characterizes success and failure, I think, is our ability to just move,” said Richardson. “The most mortal sin we can have right now is to stay stable or stagnant.”
The Pentagon believes taking the USS Harry S. Truman out of service 20 years early could save billions of dollars. That money could then be spent on emerging technologies, according to Richardson. The plan has received significant criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike.
Prior to his career in politics, Moulton served in the Marine Corps for seven years, including four tours of duty in Iraq. He emphasized his military background during the summit, but was asked by an audience member why the Democratic race needs a national security candidate in particular.
“The fact of the matter is that national security should be at the forefront of the debate,” said Moulton.
That strategy, however, does not appear to be paying off for the Massachusetts congressman, who remains well behind his opponents in the most recent primary polls.
