Transcript
PETER SINGER: The 21st Century Defense Initiative was establish with the goals of wrestling with three issues, three layers of change facing the American defense system today. The first is the changing security environment -- new threats, new actors, new technologies. The second was the changing expectations that are being placed upon the defense system today, everything from counterinsurgency to homeland security. And then, finally, the changing structures and responses being developed in light of these changing environment and expectations.
Established in 2002, the U.S. Northern Command certainly exemplifies each of these key issues of change in providing command and control of DoD homeland defense efforts. In coordinating defense support of civil authorities, it must be prepared for all the various threats. It could reach America's homeland in the new 21st century environment. Indeed, in defending America, it's AOR includes air, land, and sea approaches and encompasses the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, and Mexico and surrounding waters out to 500 nautical miles.
We're therefore very honored to have with us here today General Victor Renuart, Commander of NORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command. He's going to provide us with an assessment of these future security challenges and his vision on how the organization that he leads will be responding in terms of its mission and structures.
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