// UNMANNED SYSTEMS AND NEXT-GEN WARFARE TERM
Pacing Challenge
A rival nation whose military is advancing so rapidly that it compels another country to accelerate its own modernization efforts to maintain a competitive advantage. The term is primarily used by the United States to describe the People's Republic of China.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
In U.S. national security strategy, a 'Pacing Challenge' refers to a strategic competitor, specifically the People's Republic of China (PRC), whose military modernization, technological advancements, and economic power represent the most significant long-term threat, driving U.S. defense planning, resource allocation, and innovation priorities to maintain a strategic advantage.
BACKGROUND
The United States Department of Defense China Task Force was announced by the United States president Joe Biden on February 10, 2021. Biden said the task force would help the United States "win the competition of the future" with China. According to the DOD News service, the task force will be led by Ely Ratner, an assistant to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III. On the day the task force was announced, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said that China sought cooperation with the United States, but that confrontation would be "definitely catastrophic for both countries and the world."
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- pacing threat
- peer competitor
- near-peer adversary
- strategic competitor
- long-term challenge
- pacing competitor
USAGE NOTE
This term is used in official U.S. Department of Defense documents to prioritize China as the primary long-term national security concern, influencing budget requests and strategic focus.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Pacing Challenge.
The central research and development agency for the U.S. Department of Defense, explicitly focused on making pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies to outpace near-peer adversaries and prevent technological surprise. Projects span hypersonics, AI, space, cyber, and biotechnology.
A major defense contractor developing key technologies to counter pacing threats, including hypersonic weapons (such as ARRW and PrSM), the F-35 stealth fighter, advanced missile defense systems, and resilient space-based ISR and communication assets.
Develops critical platforms and systems designed for highly contested environments, most notably the B-21 Raider stealth bomber. The company is also a key contributor to space systems, autonomous drones, and the architecture for Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2).
Specializes in advanced sensors, missile defense, and networked C2 systems. RTX develops critical enablers like the SPY-6 radar for naval fleets, hypersonic attack and defense systems, and sophisticated electronic warfare suites necessary to compete with a technologically advanced military.
A non-traditional defense company focused on developing AI-powered autonomous systems for military applications. Their Lattice OS software platform integrates sensors and robotics to provide battlefield awareness and networking, directly addressing the need for rapid, software-defined capabilities to counter a pacing challenge.
The primary scientific research and development center for the U.S. Air Force and Space Force. AFRL is at the forefront of developing foundational technologies like directed energy, hypersonics, autonomous collaborative platforms (e.g., 'loyal wingman' drones), and advanced space capabilities to maintain air and space superiority.
Provides data integration and analytics software platforms, such as Gotham, to defense and intelligence agencies. Their technology is used to create a common operating picture from disparate data sources, aiming to accelerate decision-making (decision advantage) in complex scenarios involving peer adversaries.
The primary builder of submarines for the U.S. Navy. Their work on the Virginia-class fast-attack submarines and the new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines provides a key asymmetric and survivable advantage, forming a cornerstone of strategic deterrence against peer competitors.