Representative Mike Rogers on Alabama’s Role in National Defense

U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (AL-3), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, appeared Wednesday, April 9, on Auburn University's McCrary Institute's "Cyber Focus" podcast to discuss national security challenges and Alabama's pivotal role in the nation's defense infrastructure.

During the podcast, Rep. Rogers highlighted concerns about current defense spending, stating, "We are at the lowest level of defense spending as a percentage of GDP since before World War II. It is dangerously low, 2.9% of GDP. We really should be closer to 5%."

He also addressed the need for modernization in military technology, emphasizing the importance of rapid adaptability: "You can put a multi-million warehouse stockpile of drones together and we can upgrade them every week or every month without touching them. And those are the kind of changes that we need to make sure that we can move with the speed of relevance."

Regarding geopolitical threats, Rep. Rogers pointed out the strategic vulnerability of certain U.S. territories, noting, "Guam has a big target on it. Number one target by China. If we get into a conflict... it will be target number one."

Other key points raised by Rogers included:

“We're going to be doing swarms [of underwater drones] just like we're doing swarms in the air. You're going to find the use of unmanned fighter jets is going to be very commonplace. We're already doing some of that now, but it's going to be a lot.

“I really think scholarships are the best way to get younger people to think about [working in cyber] early when they’re looking at career choices.

“[The Golden Dome] would create a significant space-based, low earth orbit sensor capacity that is much more sophisticated than what we have now. Along with some additional interceptors, and obviously this would be exactly in the wheelhouse of Huntsville.

“I expect sometime in the month of April that Space Command will officially be assigned to build its headquarters in Huntsville… I’ve already talked with the contractor, and he is ready to turn dirt on the day they announce.

“There will be a lot of battles fought where there's not a gun fired. It's going to be through cyber and through space.

“We all, in our daily private lives, use space every day.”

The McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, established in 2015 at Auburn University, aims to enhance America's resilience against cyber threats through a team of national experts specializing in policy, applied research, services, and education. The institute has solidified its position as a leader in cybersecurity, further elevating Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering as a premier engineering program.

Rep. Rogers has collaborated closely with the McCrary Institute and recently played a key role in securing funding for the Southeast Region Cybersecurity Collaboration Center (SERC3) project.

The full episode of the "Cyber Focus" podcast featuring Rep. Rogers is available for viewing and listening HERE.