The British were the first to develop the aircraft carrier as an emerging weapon of war. But it was the Japanese who perfected the ship by combining as many as four aircraft carriers into a single battle group and deploying a task force that led to their devastating strike against the American fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Nearly a century later, another ally, the State of Israel, has pioneered asymmetrical warfare in which they combine their technological superiority in gathering intelligence with precision strikes to counter enemies who seek their destruction. The Israelis' continued success can be found from the use of explosive pagers that took out Hezbollah terrorists, to hidden computer malware that disabled Iranian uranium enrichment. Their exploits could fill a book.
Our other allies, the Ukrainians, are using drones controlled by sleeper agents to destroy Russian military assets far behind the battle lines. For the Russians, anyone and everyone could now be a suspect.
All of this begs the question: If this is what our allies are capable of, what can our enemies be contemplating?
As the successful Japanese carrier task force dramatically reminded the world in 1941, our enemies sit, watch, and consider how emerging tools of warfare pioneered by democracies can be used against these nations of freedom.
Who are the sleeper agents who may be working within our nation's utilities, capable of infecting our complex electrical grids with malware that, if activated, would plunge our cities into darkness? Who are those who have purchased farmland near our Midwest strategic bomber air bases and whose barns and warehouses could now have drones hidden within them, waiting for a signal to strike? Can hackers in North Korea manipulate our nation's financial system, threatening everything from bitcoin "banks" to financial transfers on the command of their Communist leader?
These are just some of the nightmare scenarios that America needs to understand and prepare to defend against in a world where armies do not need to invade and missiles do not need to be launched in order to disarm an adversary.
The Chinese, however, are not solely relying on stealth sleeper agents or asymmetrical opportunities. China's second aircraft carrier is expected to enter service in 2026, according to the respected publication Aviation Week. Separately, the publication also notes that while the Chinese are publicly criticizing the Trump administration's Golden Dome missile-defense program, they are hard at work at developing their own anti-missile defense shield.
It is classic Beijing – criticize your enemies for what you are already pursuing.
The year 2026 will see the United States advancing on multiple fronts, from accelerating our return to the Moon to strengthening our naval forces, to bolstering our drone technology, to increasing our strategic defenses. All the while, the forces of freedom must recognize that, like Imperial Japan of 1941, our adversaries are watching Western democracies to determine our vulnerabilities. It will require the White House to sustain its firm and resolute leadership to protect our future and all those who treasure democracy and freedom.
Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
