The United States military is deemed unprepared to engage in a major war, with major powers like Russia and China posing as top threats. China is even surpassing the U.S. in terms of military capabilities. The Commission on the National Defense Strategy’s report, released in July, highlights that the U.S. is currently facing some of the most serious threats since 1945.
However, various issues within the Department of Defense, such as outdated military hardware and inefficient business practices, are hindering the military from effectively addressing threats from China and Russia. These methods are no longer suitable for today’s strategic environment.
The report also states that the U.S. military has faced “recent recruitment shortfalls” that have led to a decrease in “the size of the Army, Air Force, and Navy.”
In its new report, the Commission on the National Defense Strategy warns of mounting security threats, stresses innovation, and recommends strengthening the DoD as part of an "all elements of national power" approach to security. https://t.co/5daqljphsp
— RAND (@RANDCorporation) July 29, 2024
“The threats the United States faces are the most serious and most challenging the nation has encountered since 1945 and include the potential for near-term major war,” the report states. “The United States last fought a global conflict during World War II, which ended nearly 80 years ago. The nation was last prepared for such a fight during the Cold War, which ended 35 years ago. It is not prepared today.”
China and Russia are considered significant global players aiming to weaken the influence of the United States, with China surpassing the United States in certain aspects:
“The Commission finds that, in many ways, China is outpacing the United States and has largely negated the U.S. military advantage in the Western Pacific through two decades of focused military investment. Without significant change by the United States, the balance of power will continue to shift in China’s favor. China’s overall annual spending on defense is estimated at as much as $711 billion, and the Chinese government in March 2024 announced an increase in annual defense spending of 7.2 percent.”
The report indicates that in February 2022, China and Russia formed a partnership characterized as “no-limits,” which has since expanded and intensified to encompass military and economic collaborations with Iran and North Korea.
“This new alignment of nations opposed to U.S. interests creates a real risk, if not likelihood, that conflict anywhere could become a multitheater or global war,” the report explains, adding that the U.S. “needs a similarly integrated approach to match, deter, and overcome theirs.”
The report notes that “the U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) is unable to meet the equipment, technology, and munitions needs of the United States and its allies and partners.”
The U.S. industrial base’s inability to manufacture all necessary items has prompted the Commission to suggest that the U.S. should collaborate with its allies to enhance industrial capacity. The report emphasizes the importance of Congress, the DOD, and other agencies joining forces to revise laws and regulations in order to eliminate obstacles hindering the adoption of innovation, budgeting, and procurement.
“New authorities may be needed to promote jointness, strengthen the DoD workforce, and supplement the national security authorities of other agencies,” the report says. “Integration with allies requires dismantling barriers to information-sharing, coproduction, and exports.”
