Lt. Gen. Christian Badia (left), German Federal Ministry of Defence, head of the strategic defence planning and concepts division, meets with Gen. John Hyten (right), commander of U.S. Strategic Command, during his visit on Feb. 4, 2019, at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. Badia visited to discuss topics of deterrence, and the importance of alliances and partnerships. “Strong transatlantic ties within NATO are most important for our nations' security within and beyond NATO, said Badia. “With Germany contributing to deterrence by a wide range of capabilities, it goes without saying that an intensive collaboration is required to coherently develop policy, capabilities, doctrine etc. within this pillar of deterrence.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. April Wickes)

Lt. Gen. Christian Badia, German Federal Ministry of Defence, head of the strategic defence planning and concepts division, is greeted by Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, during his visit on Feb. 4, 2019, at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. Badia visited to discuss topics of deterrence, and the importance of alliances and partnerships. “The assessment of the strategic environment is the fundamental basis for national defense and security strategies,” said Badia. “Regarding force and capability development it is very similar in both our countries. Germany's and the U.S.' ongoing structured exchange on the many aspects of deterrence from the executive down to the working level is of utmost importance. With such a regular exchange both sides will improve understanding of the other nation's priorities and vectors, for example, allowing for more focused capability development by – as the U.S. National Defense Strategy calls it – taking advantage of selective interdependencies.” (U.S. Air Force photo by Steve Cunningham)