Jim Mattis warns US losing military edge

US secretary of defence Jim Mattis declared a new era of great power competition, warning that the country’s military advantage over its adversaries had eroded “in every domain of warfare”.

Detailing the Trump administration’s new national defence strategy, which the Financial Times revealed this week, Mr Mattis called for bipartisan backing to lift defence spending caps imposed by a Congress so divided it has come to the brink of a government shutdown.

“Great power competition — not terrorism — is now the primary focus of US national security,” said Mr Mattis, who warned against the rise of authoritarianism. “Our competitive edge has eroded in every domain of warfare — air, land, sea, space, and cyber space — and it is continuing to erode.”