Verbatim

Space Power

We now live in a world where there are threats in space, there are actors who wish to do us harm in space and we need to understand deeply what’s there, who owns it, what its capabilities are, what it’s likely to do and whether or not it poses a threat. … There are plenty of people who are watching and have been watching for decades and those people live in China and those people live in Russia. … The first thing they’ve been preparing to do is to take away our space capabilities. The second thing they are doing is recognizing how powerful space power is as part of a joint force.

Lt. Gen. David Thompson, vice commander of U.S. Space Force, speaking at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 27.

Who, Us?

The Chinese military has never engaged in any form of cyber theft. The U.S. accusation is groundless and totally hegemonic.

Senior Col. Wu Qian, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, on Feb. 13 in response to the U.S. Department of Justice charging four Chinese military members for hacking Equifax, a U.S. credit-reporting firm, in 2017.

Hole-y War

If I see one more slide with a big red dome over China I’m going to execute choke-con on the slide builder. China cannot put a … red dome over itself. It can put a block of Swiss cheese. My job is to know where the holes are, get in, and hold targets at risk at the time and place of the Commander in Chief’s choosing.

Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Goldfein to the House Armed Services Committee on March 4.

Unsung

“Those in sustainment are heroes, keeping old airplanes flying decades past the point they were originally envisioned to serve. … That logistics and sustainment is the difference between having an Air Force and an airshow. Lots of countries have airplanes they can go fly at events. But … to deploy, anywhere around the world? That capability is undergirded by that sustainment and logistics enterprise.”

Will Roper, Air Force acquisition chief, Feb. 28 press conference at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla.

Keep Out

“We are not going to fight against anyone. We are going to create conditions so that nobody wants to fight against us.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview with the state-run TASS news agency about new Russian weapons, March 2020.

Nuclear Crossroads

“The entire triad is reaching the end of its useful life. Either we replace what we have now, or start to divest.”

Adm. Charles Richard head of U.S. Strategic Command [Defense News, Feb. 28].

Think Twice

“You don’t get to shoot at our bases, kill and wound Americans, and get away with it.”

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, at a March 12 Pentagon press conference after Iranian rockets struck Camp Taji, Iraq, killing three and wounding 12.