**Experts See NSA Nominee's Pacific Experience as a Boost to US Cyber Posture on China**

As the Senate Armed Services Committee prepares to grill Lieutenant General Joshua Rudd, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command, experts are weighing in on his unique qualifications for the dual-hatted role. Rudd, currently serving as deputy commander of Indo-Pacific Command, brings a distinct perspective to the table, one shaped by his extensive experience operating in the region.

Rudd's official biography paints a picture of a career spent largely in special operations and joint command roles, with past senior positions at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. This background has given him unparalleled insight into the cyber postures of key players in the region, including China. Despite lacking direct cybersecurity or signals intelligence experience, Rudd has likely consumed a vast amount of China-linked cyber intelligence produced by the NSA, according to retired Lieutenant General Charlie "Tuna" Moore, a former deputy commander at U.S. Cyber Command.

"While at INDOPACOM, [Rudd] got to clearly see that adversaries like China target civilian infrastructure precisely because it supports military operations, from ports and power to communications and transportation," said Moore, now a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University's Institute of National Security. "I'm confident [Rudd] has a good sense of China's cyber capabilities and intentions as well as their cyber weaknesses."

The importance of Rudd's Pacific experience cannot be overstated. As the U.S. continues to track Chinese intrusions into telecom firms, critical infrastructure, and even legislative affairs systems, Beijing's intent becomes clear: sabotage and disruption in the event of a conflict – particularly over Taiwan. Analysts assess that China intends to exploit these vulnerabilities to cripple U.S. military capabilities.

"China is actively trying to get into our civilian water treatment facilities, power plants, transportation systems, network providers, hospitals — you name it," said Kirsten Asdal, a former Defense Department intelligence adviser and current head of China-focused consultancy firm Asdal Advisory. "Understanding China's capabilities and intent against us is key to defending effectively against them in cyberspace."

Rudd's experience with China through his service in Indo-Pacific Command "is certainly advantageous," according to Moore, allowing him to analyze the adversary's strategic behavior and operating patterns. This understanding will be crucial as he leads the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command into a new era of cyber competition.

Trump officials and allies have frequently discussed the need for a more forceful, offensive approach to U.S. cyber operations in response to repeated Chinese intrusions. Rudd has the opportunity to integrate cyber offensive capabilities even deeper into the Pentagon's most important war plans, according to Dmitri Alperovich, chairman of the Silverado Policy Accelerator.

"Given the increasingly dire state of the geopolitical confrontation with China, the Indo-Pacific domain is now one of the most important theaters for the US military," said Alperovich. "Aligning cyber and kinetic capabilities of the U.S. military has never been more important."

As Rudd prepares to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday morning, he will likely face tough questions about a range of topics, including how he'd lead the agency during a midterm election year amid governmentwide staffing reductions within federal cyber offices and the looming expiration of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act – a major surveillance authority in the NSA's toolbox that has faced scrutiny from civil society groups.

Effective leadership will be crucial for Rudd, who must contend with declining morale inside the spy agency as well as significant workforce cuts. "Effective leadership, in any domain, is about clearly articulating the mission and its objectives, empowering people to execute, holding teams accountable, and taking responsibility when outcomes fall short," said Moore.

Rudd's experience operating under tremendous pressure in extreme operational environments makes him uniquely qualified for the role, according to Moore. If confirmed, he will be tasked with leading the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command into a new era of cyber competition against a sophisticated adversary – one that demands innovative, proactive strategies to stay ahead.