Figuring out how to respond to a North Korea that is capable of striking the Unites States will be at the top of Gen. John Hyten’s to-do list if he is confirmed to command US Strategic Command. “It’s hard to tell exactly what they’re going to do,” he told the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. “The unpredictability is the hardest thing to deter. How do you deter somebody or something that is unpredictable? It’s very difficult.” Hyten said North Korea’s missile programs appear to be in the early stages of development, but “it’s a matter of if, not when,” they will be able to reach the United States with nuclear weapons. He said he believes integrated capabilities of space, cyber, and conventional forces will be an essential element of deterrence against North Korea in the future. He also said the military should review the number of missile defense interceptors in place.
Pentagon Task Force, FAA to Test Counter-Drone Laser
March 7, 2026
The Pentagon’s counter-drone task force announced it would conduct a high-energy laser test with the Federal Aviation Administration less than a month after the use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border prompted the FAA to shut down the airspace over El Paso, Texas.