Dealing with the various territorial claims and disputes surrounding China and its neighbors in the South China Sea will be a persistent challenge for the United States and its security partnerships in the Pacific, Adm. Samuel Locklear told the Senate Armed Services Committee. Therefore, for US interests, it is crucial to establish a security environment in the region that allows for discussions through international law and multilateral venues, Locklear told the senators during his nomination hearing to lead US Pacific Command, succeeding Adm. Robert Willard. The proper course would be to allow a venue to reach determinations through international law, said Locklear in his Feb. 9 testimony. The United States has yet to ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea treaty, leaving room for a perceived credibility gap, he noted. “If we are not a signatory, to some degree it lessens our credibility,” as we work with nations of the region to resolve disputes, said Locklear, who currently commands US Naval Forces Europe and led Navy forces during 2011’s Libya campaign. (Locklear’s responses to advance questions.)
Air Force Using AI to Plan Storage for Munitions
Nov. 13, 2025
When lawmakers and outside experts turn their attention to how the U.S. military can use of artificial intelligence, they tend to focus on weapons systems—the most consequential and risk-laden use cases—and on generative AI. But behind the scenes, the Air Force is already using machine learning algorithms to help solve…
