National Military Strategy - bits.de95).pdf · This new national military strategy, derived from...

National Military Strategy


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ISBN 0-16-045531-6


CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20318-9999

The dramatic events comprising the end of the Cold War and the demise of theSoviet Union, as well as longer-term economic, demographic, environmental, andtechnological developments, have profoundly altered the international securityenvironment. The security challenges of a largely bipolar world have beenreplaced with more ambiguous and, in some cases, equally dangerous problems.

Our strategy for meeting these challenges is described by the President inA National Security Strategy of Engagement and Enlargement. Under this national strategywe will enhance our security by maintaining a strong defense capability,promoting cooperative security measures, working to open foreign markets andspur global economic growth, and promoting democracy abroad.

This new national military strategy, derived from the national securitystrategy and the defense framework outlined in the Bottom-Up Review, describesthe critical role which the Armed Forces will play in helping to achieve ourNation’s objectives. This is a strategy of flexible and selective engagementrequired to support our Nation’s interests. Reflecting the ambiguous nature ofour security challenges, the strategy emphasizes full spectrum capabilitiesfor our Armed Forces.

The fundamental purpose of the Armed Forces must remain to fight and win ourNation’s wars whenever and wherever called upon. With worldwide interests andchallenges, the United States must maintain its capability to deal with morethan one major crisis at a time. For this reason, our Armed Forces mustmaintain the capability to fight and win two nearly simultaneous regionalcontingencies, even as we continue to restructure and reduce the size of theforce.

The challenge of the new strategic era is to selectively use the vast andunique capabilities of the Armed Forces to advance national interests inpeacetime while maintaining readiness to fight and win when called upon. Thisnew national military strategy describes the objectives, concepts, tasks, andcapabilities necessary in the near term to adapt the Armed Forces’ provencapabilities to meet this challenge.

/Signed/

JOHN M. SHALIKASHVILI Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff


Table of Contents

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1International Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Regional Instability Weapons of Mass Destruction Transnational Dangers Dangers to Democracy and Reform

National Military Objectives . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Promote Stability Thwart Aggression

Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Strategic Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Overseas PresencePower Projection

Components of the Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Peacetime Engagement Military-to-Military Contacts 8 / Nation Assistance 8 / Security Assistance 8 / Humanitarian Operations 9 / Counterdrug and Counterterrorism 9/ Peacekeeping 9

Deterrence and Conflict Prevention Nuclear Deterrence 10 / Regional Alliances 10 / Crisis Response 11 / Arms Control 11 / Confidence-Building Measures 12 / Noncombatant Evacuation Operations 12 / sanctions Enforcement 12 / Peace Enforcement 12

Fight and Win Clear Objectives - Decisive Force 13 / Wartime Power Projection 13 / Fight Combined and Fight Joint 13 / Win the Information War 15 / Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction 15 / Two Major Regional Contingency Focus 15 / Force Generation 15 / Win the Peace 16

Military Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Posture and Size

Force Building Foundations Quality People 18 / Readiness 18 / Enhancements 18 / Modernization 19 / Balance 19

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20


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Executive SummaryA Strategy of Flexible and Selective Engagement

Introduction

In formulating nationalmilitary strategy, the Chairman of theJoint Chiefs of Staff derives guidancefrom the national security strategyarticulated by the President and fromthe Bottom-Up Review conductedby the Secretary of Defense. TheNational Security Strategy ofEngagement and Enlargementemphasizes worldwideengagement and the enlargementof the community of free marketdemocracies. In turn, this newnational military strategy calls forflexible and selectiveengagement, involving a broadrange of activities and capabilities toaddress and help shape the evolvinginternational environment.

The InternationalEnvironment

Challenges to our globalinterests did not disappear with theend of the Cold War. Today we facea world in which threats arewidespread and uncertain, andwhere conflict is probable, but toooften unpredictable. The strategiclandscape is characterized by fourprincipal dangers which our militarymust address: regional instability;the proliferation of weapons ofmass destruction; transnational

dangers such as drug trafficking andterrorism; and the dangers todemocracy and reform in theformer Soviet Union, EasternEurope, and elsewhere.

Many ethnic, religious,territorial, and economic tensions,held in check by the pressures of thebipolar global competition, eruptedwhen the constraints posed by theCold War were removed. Regionalinstability also results when regionalpowers such as Iraq, Iran, andNorth Korea pursue aggressivepolicies in attempts to dominate theirneighbors militarily, politically, oreconomically.

Despite progress, theprocess of economic and politicalreform in the successor states to theSoviet Union is subject to reversal.Moreover, Russia will continue toretain large numbers of nuclearweapons and associated deliverysystems. Thus, it is important for usto work with Russia and the othernewly independent states to stemthe proliferation of all types ofweapons of mass destruction and tosupport the process of democraticreform.

National MilitaryObjectives

Guarding against threats tomass destruction; transnational

United States’ interests requires theuse of appropriate militarycapabilities in concert with theeconomic, diplomatic, andinformational elements of ournational power. Our Armed Forcesare engaged worldwide on acontinual basis to accomplish twonational military objectives —promoting stability and thwartingaggression.

We anticipate aconsiderable period before stabilityreturns to our strategic environment.Our peacetime efforts to counterregional instability, impede theproliferation of weapons of massdestruction, reduce the impact oftransnational threats, and supportdemocracy and reform are importantfor promoting stability and deterringaggression during the post-ColdWar transformation process.

The Strategy

Our military forces mustperform three sets of tasks toachieve the military objectives ofpromoting stability and thwartingaggression. These threecomponents of the strategy arepeacetime engagement,deterrence and conflictprevention, and fighting andwinning our Nation’s wars.Accomplishing the specific tasks ofthe strategy is facilitated by the twocomplementary strategic concepts ofoverseas presence and powerprojection.


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Strategic Concepts:

Overseas presence takesthe form of both permanentlystationed forces and forcestemporarily deployed abroad. Thus,we maintain overseas presence notonly through forces permanentlystationed overseas but also througha broad program of routine air,ground and naval deployments,various contingency operations, andglobal prepositioning of equipment.Overseas presence helps to keepimportant infrastructure available andready in times of crisis. Althoughthe size of our permanent overseaspresence has decreased significantlyin recent years because of changesin the international environment, theimportance of these forces has notdiminished. They provide visibleproof of our commitment to defendAmerican interests and those of ourallies and friends.

With fewer US forcespermanently stationed overseas, wemust proportionately increase ourcapability to project forces abroad.The existence of a credible powerprojection capability complementsour overseas presence in acting as adeterrent to potential adversaries. Itfurther provides our national leadersgreater flexibility in employingmilitary force.

Components of theStrategy:

Peacetime engagementdescribes a broad range ofnoncombat activities undertaken byour Armed Forces that demonstratecommitment, improve collectivemilitary capabilities, promotedemocratic ideals, relieve suffering,

and enhance regional stability. Theelements of peacetime engagementinclude military-to-military contacts,nation assistance, securityassistance, humanitarian operations,counterdrug and counterterrorism,and peacekeeping.

In concert with the otherelements of US national power, ourmilitary capabilities serve to deteraggression and prevent conflictby convincing potential adversariesthat their objectives will be deniedand that their aggression will bedecisively defeated. Deterringnuclear attack against the UnitedStates remains a critical task for ourmilitary. This second component ofthe strategy is a product of manyconcepts and programs whichinclude nuclear deterrence, regionalalliances, crisis response, armscontrol, confidence-buildingmeasures, noncombatant evacuationoperations, sanctions enforcement,and peace enforcement.

Being ready to fight andwin the Nation’s wars remains ourforemost responsibility and the primeconsideration governing all ourmilitary activities. This ability servesas the ultimate guarantor of our vitalinterests and is the fundamentalreason that our Nation has raisedand sustained its military forces.

In war, the employment ofUS forces will follow theseprinciples:

(1) set clear objectives andapply decisive force;

(2) project the necessarypower to the theater of operations;

(3) fight combined with allies

and friends and fight jointly,integrating the required capabilitiesfrom each of the Services.

(4) help dominate combatoperations by winning theinformation war.

(5) counter weapons ofmass destruction through deterrenceand improved capability to operatein contaminated environments;

(6) initiate forcepreparations to handle a secondmajor regional contingency at theoutset of the first conflict to deterpotential aggressors;

(7) generate the requiredforces by withdrawing from lowerpriority missions and mobilizingcritical Reserve forces; and

(8) begin plans to win thepeace at the outset of the conflict.

Military Capabilities

The US Armed Forces arenow in their eighth year ofdrawdown. As we reduce the force,we are also restructuring it for thechallenges of the next century. Thissmaller, restructured force will beimproved through enhancements andselected modernizations, enabling itto execute our new strategy, fullyprepared for the challenges of a newera.

The core requirement of ourstrategy as laid out in the Bottom-Up Review is a force capable offighting and winning two majorregional conflicts nearlysimultaneously. While thisrequirement most challenges the


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force structure, other needs, such asforces to provide adequate overseaspresence, space capabilities tosupport a wide range of activities inpeace and war, and secure nuclearforces for deterrence, have alsobeen taken into account.

The combat forces andsupporting capabilities are built onfive fundamental foundations. Thefirst is the high quality men andwomen who comprise our militaryforces. There is no greater factorfor our military success which is whywe are working hard to recruit andretain quality people through realistictraining and a good quality of life.

The second foundation isreadiness. Maintaining highreadiness of our forces is aprerequisite to deterring aggressionand responding to crises. Today weare placing increased emphasis onjoint readiness by strengthening jointdoctrine and education, developingjoint readiness measures, andimproving joint and coalition training.

The third foundation consistsof various force enhancements.Improvements are alreadyunderway to our strategic mobilitycapability, including airlift, sealift, andprepositioning. Continuedimprovements are also required inbattlefield surveillance, our globalcommand and control system, andthe ability to employ precisionweapons.

The fourth foundation ismodernization, which is vital topreserve the essential combat edgethat US forces now possess and toensure future readiness. Due tobudget constraints, major newinvestments will be pursued only

where there is a substantial payoff.Existing weapons systems andplatforms will continue to be updatedto take advantage of rapidtechnological advances.

The fifth force-buildingfoundation is balance. Despite itssmaller size, our military must retainan appropriate mix of forces andcapabilities to provide the versatilityto handle today’s challenges and toprovide a hedge againstunanticipated threats. Combatforces must be balanced withcapable supporting forces, activeduty forces must be balanced withappropriate Reserve capabilities,and force structure must be balancedwith infrastructure.

Conclusion

The national military strategyof flexible and selectiveengagement addresses thechallenges and opportunities of thenext century. US globalresponsibilities require globalcapabilities, despite a regional focusin implementing the strategy. Wemust apply all our strengths andwork with allies and friends to assurestability in a troubled and complexworld. This means our smallerforces must be made stronger andmore versatile but remain built on thesame strong foundation ofoutstanding people.


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war to achieve our national militaryobjectives in this new internationalenvironment.

National military strategyaddresses the main dangers whichthreaten US security interests,identifies the national militaryobjectives, determines the militarytasks we must accomplish to achievethese objectives, and examines thecapabilities and forces required.

This is a strategy whichapplies day-to-day to guide ouractivities in the near term, even whenwe are at peace. But let there be nodoubt about one fundamental fact:military forces exist — are organized,trained, and equipped — first andforemost to fight and win America’swars. Within this overridingrequirement, this strategy alsoembodies a number of associatedpriorities.

guidance developed in the Bottom-Up Review, this military strategyoutlines how best to use US militarycapabilities to help achieve nationalgoals. This military strategy offlexible and selective engagementprescribes a selective employmentof military capabilities in peace andthe use of decisive military force in

Introductionith the end of the ColdWar, internationalrelations have entered a

new era. New democracies areevolving within the former SovietUnion and Europe; old rivalries arebeing transformed. For the UnitedStates this unsettled period providesboth opportunities and risks as weseek to promote our values andprotect our interests worldwide.

In A National SecurityStrategy of Engagement andEnlargement the Presidentdescribed our security objectivesand provided the Armed Forces theguidance to shape our militarystrategy. Drawing also from the

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Iraqi forces continue to threaten regional stability

e have recently passedfrom a longstandingbipolar order to a still

unsettled multipolar world. This wasa welcome development, bringingpromising opportunities to advanceour interests and values but alsoushering in new and diversec h a l l e n g e s .

Today the United Statesfaces no immediate threat to itsnational survival. However, globalinterdependence and transparency,coupled with our worldwide securityinterests, make it difficult to ignoretroubling developments almostanywhere on earth. In fact, in the 5years since the fall of the Berlin Wallwe have deployed our forces toassist in security or humanitariancrises about 40 times — a far greaterpace than in the preceding 20 years.This level of activity, a measurereflective of these unsettled times,suggests a continuing need forflexible and robust militarycapabilities.

It is also true that theintentions of other nations canchange, sometimes very rapidly, andthus our national military strategymust account for the militarycapabilities of other nations as wellas their current intentions.

In surveying theinternational environment, thenational security strategy asarticulated by the Presidentrecognizes four principal dangerswhich our military, in combinationwith other elements of national

power, must address: regionalinstability, the proliferation ofweapons of mass destruction,transnational dangers, and thedangers to democracy and reformin the former Soviet Union, EasternEurope, and elsewhere.

REGIONAL

INSTABILITY

egional instabilities are, andwill remain, a recurring

challenge, from nations that explodeinto internal conflict, as happened inYugoslavia, Somalia, and Rwanda,to attacks against neighboring states,as we saw when Iraq invadedKuwait. Many antagonisms thatwere buried by the frozenrelationships of the Cold War havenow surfaced, adding to those thatcarried over from that era.

International EnvironmentThe revival of age-old

religious, ethnic, and territorialquarrels, in many casescompounded by the morecontemporary tensions stemmingfrom the disintegration of the SovietUnion, may present an even widerthreat: the risk that they may engulfneighboring states. Among theformer Soviet republics, intheBalkans, in the Maghreb, andthroughout Africa, dangerousinstabilities litter the landscape.Additional challenges are posed byIraq, Iran, and North Korea, eachof which is an imminent threat to thesecurity of its neighbors and region.

WEAPONS OF

MASS DESTRUCTION

he threat of nuclear attackagainst the American

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technology is increasing the risks weface. Even the prospect of a hostileregional power or terrorist groupgaining access to nuclear, chemicalor biological weapons contributes toregional insecurities and increases thedifficulty of settling disputespeacefully.

TRANSNATIONAL

DANGERS

ncreasing globalinterdependence has made

every nation more vulnerable togrowing transnational threats.Spreading diseases, fleeing refugees,international crime syndicates, anddrug lords are several of the moreserious transnational threats thatbleed across our own and othernations’ borders. What gives thesethreats unique character is thatcombating them lies beyond thereach of any single government. Butthe damage they might inflict on ourhealth, children, prosperity, andsocieties could be significant.

homeland today has diminished butthere are still thousands of nuclearwarheads and strategic deliverysystems in the world. Despite theinternal political and economicchanges underway in the states ofthe former Soviet Union, we mustremain mindful of these capabilities.For as long as these weapons exist,they will remain a threat to oursecurity.

Especially troubling is theprospect that some of these weaponsor their component materials mightbe stolen or otherwise acquired bythird parties. Thus, the security andaccountability of all nuclearwarheads, weapon systems, andmaterials remain a grave concern.

Indeed, the proliferation ofweapons of mass destruction —nuclear, chemical, and biological —is one of the most troubling dangerswe face. The ongoing efforts toobtain such weapons by a numberof countries present great andgrowing risks for the United Statesand its allies. The continuingdiffusion of missile delivery

DANGERS TO

DEMOCRACY

AND REFORM

he community of democraticnations and free-market

economies is growing throughout theworld — a trend consistent withimportant US interests. The UnitedStates is committed to supportingnations transitioning into thiscommunity and therefore will assistin efforts to defend against threatsto democratic and economic reformin the former Soviet Union, EasternEurope, and elsewhere. However,the transition process in theseemerging democracies remainssusceptible to setbacks andreversals. The failure of democraticreform in the newly independentstates, and particularly in Russiaitself, would not necessarily returnus to the bipolar standoff thatcharacterized the Cold War, but itwould in all likelihood adverselyaffect the United States and itsinterests.

Turning the armedforces of the formerSoviet Union into aprofessional militaryinstitution underdemocratic civiliancontrol remains oneof the greatestchallenges facing theworld today.

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National Military Objectivesince the birth of the Nationour military strategy hasbeen anchored to the same

core purpose: to protect our Nationand its interests, while maintainingfundamental American values intact.Throughout the latter half of thecentury this has required a strategyof global engagement. Thisengagement is no less requiredtoday, even though our nationalmilitary strategy has continued toevolve.

In addressing the fourdangers discussed earlier, USmilitary strategy must be intrinsicallyconstructive, proactive, andpreventive, helping to reduce thesources of conflict and at the sametime blocking the effective use offorce by potential adversaries. In

military terms, we have translatedthese purposes as twocomplementary objectives:promoting stability and thwartingaggression.

PROMOTE STABILITY

e must not expect an easytransition to the stable,

multipolar world we seek. The lasttransition of such magnitude, at theend of World War II, took years andsaw numerous conflicts; and theform of that stability posed a threatto our Nation for nearly 40 years.

A primary thrust of ourstrategy must be to promote a

long-term stability that isadvantageous to the United States.There is ample historical precedentin this century that regional instabilityin military, economic, and politicalterms can escalate into globalconflict. Our strategy furtherpromotes stability in order toestablish the conditions under whichdemocracy can take hold andexpand around the world. We intendto use the daily, peacetime activitiesof the Armed Forces to pursue thiseffort. US forces stationed overseas,as well as those temporarilydeployed, participate with allies atall levels in cooperative and defensivesecurity arrangements that helppreclude conflict and foster thepeaceful enlargement of thecommunity of free market nations.

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The Demilitarized Zone -- a constant reminder of the needfor deterrent forces on the Korean Peninsula

This is a period of great promise but also ofgreat uncertainty ... Without our leadershipand engagement aboard, threats will festerand our opportunities will narrow.

A National Security Strategyof Engagement and Enlargement

In carefully selected cases,where our interests so dictate, wemust be prepared in peacetime touse our vast capabilities to transport,communicate, support, assist, andmanage to address our regionalsecurity needs and counter emerginginstabilities. When more significantinterests are at stake and ourcapabilities would make a difference,we must also be prepared to deployforces, usually in conjunction withallies and friends, but alone if wemust.

THWART

AGGRESSION

he most serious measure ofengagement is our

commitment to protect US extendedinterests and our allies. We will beprepared to respond promptly in thePersian Gulf area, in Northeast Asia,and other regions where US interestsor allies are threatened. Through thispreparation we seek to preventconflict and reassure allies andfriends of our commitment andcapabilities.

Should war nevertheless

occur, our forces, in concert withthose of our allies and friends, mustbe capable of defeating any potentialadversary and establishing thedecisive conditions which lead tolong-term solutions.

Because the United Stateshas important national intereststhroughout the world, we must avoidany situation in which a hostile powerin one region might be tempted totake advantage when US forces are

heavily committed elsewhere.Consequently, we must have forcesof sufficient size and capabilities, inconcert with regional allies, to defeatpotential enemies in major conflictsthat may occur nearly simultaneouslyin two different regions. Maintainingthis capability also provides a hedgeagainst the emergence of a hostilecoalition or a more powerful orresurgent adversary.

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US and Egyptian forces train together in Exercies Bright Star

he end of the Cold War hasfurther tightened the close,complementary relationship

that must exist between militaryactivities and other elements of USnational power. The President’snational security strategy describesthis relationship and prescribes a setof integrated regional approaches tomeet US interests in different partsof the globe. The strategic militaryobjectives described above will thusbe achieved in concert with otherelements of power and by militaryactivities which may vary from regionto region depending on US interestsand particular conditions.

This strategy of flexible andselective engagement comprisesthree sets of tasks: remainingconstructively engaged in peacetime;acting to deter aggression andprevent conflict; and fighting andwinning our Nation’s wars whencalled upon. To facilitate performingthese tasks, we continue to refine thetwo fundamental and complementarystrategic concepts of overseaspresence and power projection.Our strategy for accomplishing ournational military objectives is bestunderstood by examining these twostrategic concepts and the threecomponents of the strategy:peacetime engagement, deterrenceand conflict prevention, andwarfighting.

essential mechanism to support ourfundamental interests in forwardregions where the support of theseinterests can best be developed.

Overseas presence takesthe form of permanently stationedforces and forces temporarilydeployed, some on a regular,rotational basis. In addition, wemaintain an overseas presencethrough a broad program of routineair, ground, and naval deployments,as well as various contingencyoperations.

In accordance with oursecurity needs, the bulk of ouroverseas presence forces aredeployed in Western Europe, Japan,and South Korea, with smallercapabilities elsewhere in the Pacific,the Middle East and Southwest Asia,and Latin America. Approximately100,000 US military members servein Europe in ground forcesconsisting of substantial elements oftwo Army divisions along with acorps headquarters, associatedcorps troops, and other supportingelements; in air forces consisting of

StrategicConcepts

OVERSEAS

PRESENCE

verseas presence forces,including some tailored for

specific missions, perform a varietyof activities that promote stability andprevent conflict. Additionally,through overseas presence wemaintain mobile, combat-readyforces capable of responding to awide range of threats throughout theworld. US forces overseas providevisible proof of our commitment todefend American interests with ourallies and friends worldwide.Overseas presence is not a crutchfor friends who refuse to bear theirshare of the burden; rather it is an

Strategy

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about two and one-third fighterwings; and in a Mediterranean navalashore presence sufficient to supporta carrier battle group and anamphibious ready group.

In Northeast Asia we alsoretain close to 100,000 troops. InSouth Korea they serve in one Armydivision and one wing of combataircraft. In Japan we maintain aMarine Expeditionary Force, anArmy special forces battalion, oneand one-half wings of combataircraft, and forward deploy anaircraft carrier, amphibious assaultship, and their support ships.

In the Middle East wemaintain only a small presence. Thebulk of our overseas presencecommitment in this area, as well asin Southwest Asia, is reflected in thesignificant periodic deployments offorces, to include participation incontingency operations. Our forcesdeploy to Africa to participate inhumanitarian or peace operations asnational interests dictate. In LatinAmerica small numbers of ourArmed Forces help to promotedemocratic growth in manycountries and work to halt the importof drugs into our country.

Our overseas presencehelps to keep important infrastructureavailable and ready. Permanentlystationed forces maintain supportand basing that are vital for receivingreinforcement and for throughputand onward movement in time ofcrisis and conflict.

Although the size of ourforces permanently stationedoverseas and the size of some

overseas forces, the ability to projecttailored forces through rapid,strategic mobility gives nationalleaders additional time forconsultation and increased optionsin response to potential crises andconflicts.

Our ability to rapidly projectpower worldwide depends on fourstrategic mobility enhancements:increased airlift capability, additionalprepositioning of heavy equipmentafloat and ashore, increased surgecapacity of our sealift, and improvedreadiness and responsiveness of theReady Reserve Force.

Power projection isessential for pforming the requiredtasks of all components of thestrategy, however, it is most criticalin the deterrence and conflictprevention and warfighting portionsof our military strategy.

deployments have decreased inrecent years, and in Europedramatically, their importance has notdiminished. They signal ourcommitment to the region in whichthey are deployed and are a visiblereminder to those who wouldthreaten our interests.

POWER

PROJECTION

With fewer US forcespermanently stationed overseas, wemust increase our capability toproject forces abroad. Crediblepower projection capabilitycomplements our overseas presencein acting as a deterrent to potentialadversaries. Effective powerprojection capabilities also providegreater flexibility in employingmilitary force. Coupled with

Aerial refueling - one of the keys to global power projection


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Components of theStrategy

PEACETIME

ENGAGEMENT

verseas presence andpower projection provide the

basis for executing the tasks requiredby our strategy. The first group ofthese tasks, peacetime engagement,describes a broad range of non-combat activities undertaken by ourArmed Forces that demonstratecommitment, improve collectivemilitary capabilities, promotedemocratic ideals, relieve suffering,and in many other ways enhanceregional stability. On any given day,tens of thousands of the men andwomen of our Armed Forces areengaged worldwide across the rangeof peacetime engagement activities.

Military-to-MilitaryContacts

Military-to-military contactprograms are one of the mosteffective instruments in our efforts tocreate a more stable security order.Today there are opportunities toforge new and more cooperativesecurity relationships both withformer adversaries and withformerly nonaligned nations.Moreover, there has been a vastincrease in our participation inmultinational operations whosemembers include manynontraditional allies, as wesaw in the Gulf War and in recent

These programs are also aplatform for imparting influence anddemocratic values to militaries inreforming or newly democraticnations. The militaries of Central andEastern Europe are a particularpriority. US military-to-military JointContact Teams are at work in twelveof these countries today and we areexpanding this program to otherregions this year.

Combined training exercisesprovide particularly useful military-to-military contacts. Their benefitsare many: combined training, jointreadiness and interoperability, andmilitary professionalism. Oursponsorship of such exercises alsohelps to shape our basing,prepositioning, logistic support, andsecurity agreements.

We also maintain an activeexchange program between militaryunits and regularly assign individualpersonnel to work for limitedperiods with other armed forces.Exchanges of personnel, both asstudents and teachers, at militaryacademies and professional militaryschools foster understandingbetween our respective militaryestablishments.

Nation Assistance

Our forces participateselectively in a variety of activitiesto assist friendly nations as theycombat lawlessness, subversion, andinsurgency. These efforts arecarefully orchestrated to reinforcethe host nation’s developmentalprograms. Specific activities thatinvolve our Armed Forces includebilateral and multilateral exercises,civil-military operations, intelligenceand communications sharing, andlogistic support.

Security Assistance

Security assistance involvesthe selective use of cooperativeprograms with allied and friendlyarmed forces that furnish thesecountries with the means to defendthemselves from aggression and tofight alongside US forces in acoalition effort. Providing vitaltraining and US-manufacturedweapons systems increases theaccess and influence of the USmilitary and improves theinteroperability of potential coalitionmembers. In addition, thesecontacts

Military contacts at all levels promote understanding

humanitarian and peace op-erations such as in Haiti.The success of these opera-tions hinges on mutualtrust, effectivecommunications and inter-operability, and doctrinalfamiliarity, precisely theresults we seek fromongoing military-to-military contacts.

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help to build and solidifyrelationships with emergingdemocracies and security partners.Security assistance also detersaggression in unstable regions andprovides a cost-effective alternativeto maintaining larger US forces in theregion.

A very important avenue forinteraction between US militarypersonnel and their foreigncounterparts is the InternationalMilitary Education and Training(IMET) program. Last year,students from more than 100 foreigncountries studied at US militaryschools, learning not only technicalskills but also gaining a broaderappreciation for American valuesand perspectives.

Our regional commanders-in-chief are unanimous in stating thatsecurity assistance programs, alongwith military-to-military contacts,produce gains that far exceed theircosts and we seek to reenergize andexpand these important programs.

HumanitarianOperations

Our Armed Forces standready to participate in humanitarianand disaster relief operations at homeand abroad. The US military canoffer unique capabilities in terms oflogistics (transport, supply, anddistribution), communications, andsecurity. Often, our greatestcontribution to these operationsresides in our ability to rapidlyrespond when more traditional reliefagencies are overwhelmed. Afterthese organizations are “up andrunning,” military forces can bewithdrawn. A prime example of thisconcept is the recent US assistanceoperation in Rwanda.

Counterdrug andCounterterrorism

The Armed Forces,working in close cooperation withlaw enforcement agencies, will useall means authorized by the Presidentand the Congress to halt the flow ofillegal drugs into this country. Wewill also act both unilaterally and inconcert with security partners to fightinternational terrorism.

Peacekeeping

We remain prepared tosupport traditional peacekeepingoperations on a case-by-case basis.When warranted by circumstancesand national interests, this supportmay include participation of UScombat units. When appropriate,we prefer to share the burden ofpeacekeeping with allies and friends.

When the United Statesdoes participate, we will follow theguidelines of Presidential DecisionDirective 25, to include seeking aclear delineation of the objectives ofeach operation, ensuring anunbroken chain of command to thePresident, and ensuring rules ofengagement to protect our forcesand permit the proper execution ofassigned tasks. The capabilities weprovide will be carefully tailored,usually to reinforce and supplementthe resources of our internationalpartners. We recognize that peaceoperations are often different fromtraditional military operations in thetasks and capabilities they require ofour Armed Forces. We arecontinuing to develop appropriatedoctrine and training for theseoperations.

Reserve componentelements will take on increasedresponsibility for participating in andsupporting peacekeeping missions.

DETERRENCE

AND CONFLICT

PREVENTION

Deterrence and conflictprevention, the second componentof the strategy, is a combination ofefforts to deter threats to oursecurity and interests as well as aseries of other actions we can taketo restore stability, security, andadherence to international law. Ourmilitary strategy envisions vigorousefforts in each of the following tasksin order to secure our interests andreduce the potential for conflict.

US forces provide medical careduring operations in Somalia


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Nuclear Deterrence

The highest priority of ourmilitary strategy is to deter a nuclearattack against our Nation and allies.Our survival and the freedom ofaction that we need to protectextended national interests dependupon strategic and nonstrategicnuclear forces and their associatedcommand, control, andcommunications.

We have recentlyconcluded a comprehensive NuclearPosture Review that looked into thenext century and validated thosesystems we will need for theforeseeable future. Though we arecontinuing to pursue reductionsunder the Strategic Arms ReductionTreaty (START) I and II, we stillneed to maintain a survivable triadof strategic delivery systems. Thisserves both to deter still verypowerful strategic arsenals and toconvince possible adversaries thatany attempt to seek a nuclearadvantage would be futile. We stillneed to maintain a mix of forwarddeployed and deployablenonstrategic nuclear weapons, bothto provide deterrent coverage overour allies, and because extendeddeterrence, in many cases, is adecisive factor in our nonproliferation efforts.

Regional Alliances

Our regional strategies, andthe global strategy of which they area part, are built on the foundation ofstrong and effective alliances. Ourgoal of a stable, multipolar worldhinges on both the ability to preserveand adapt our existing alliances tochallenges we confront today and

anticipate tomorrow and on thecapacity to develop newrelationships as necessary.

American forces in Europecontinue to demonstrate a strongcommitment to this area of significantnational interests. In addition, weprovide NATO with key leadership,critical intelligence andcommunications support, and muchof the nuclear force that guaranteesEuropean security. Our capabilityto conduct military operations issustained through frequent exercisesand interoperability training thatensures the effectiveness ofcoalitions both in and beyond thetreaty area.

The end of the Cold Warhas seen NATO’s military focusevolve from deterring aggression bythe Soviet-led Warsaw Pact todealing with today’s diverse securitychallenges. The Alliance hasembraced a new strategic conceptthat recognizes the changes in thegeostrategic environment and is

region.

In Northeast Asia ourbilateral security relationship withJapan remains fundamental to US

adjusting its missions, commandarrangements, and forcesaccordingly. Implementing theCombined Joint Task Force conceptwill facilitate NATO’s participationin non-traditional, out-of-areaoperations such as peace operations,sanctions enforcement, andhumanitarian assistance. It will alsoenable NATO to provide timelyoperational support to other bodiessuch as the United Nations and theWestern European Union.

Today, many of our formeradversaries have expressed a desireto join NATO — an indicator ofNATO’s success in adapting to meetnew security challenges. More than20 nations, including Russia andother former Soviet republics, havealready joined NATO’s Partnershipfor Peace program. These countriesseek to align their defense programsand policies more closely withNATO’s — and to forge strongerties to the West. The United Statesfully supports and participates in thePartnership for Peace initiative whichboth fosters regional stability and isessential to the eventual enlargementof the NATO alliance.

Five of the seven US mutualdefense treaties are with partners inthe Asia-Pacific region, helping tounderpin the relative stability of anarea that is home to the world’sfastest growing economies. We willremain engaged with the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations, thesponsor of the largest security forum(involving 18 countries) in that

The strategic triad provides thefoundation for deterrence


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threatened areas as wedemonstrated in October 1994when Saddam Hussein once againmoved forces south and threatenedKuwait. Critical to suchreinforcement requirements are sea-and land-based prepositionedequipment sets, enhanced airlift andsealift capabilities, and air refuelingforces. Rapid power projection,from the United States to overseasareas and between regions, remainskey to crisis response.

Arms Control

Arms control effortscontribute significantly to oursecurity by limiting and reducing thenumber and types of weapons thatcan threaten us and by reducingregional arms buildups that can raisetensions and risks. Among thefundamental arms controlagreements are the Anti-BallisticMissile Treaty, START I and II, theTreaty on Intermediate-RangeNuclear Forces (INF), and theNuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.The Treaty on Conventional ArmedForces in Europe is a landmarkagreement that has significantlyreduced conventional forces for thefirst time in our generation and hasgreatly enhanced security in this areavital to US interests.

Recognizing thecontributions that arms controlagreements can make to nationalsecurity, we seek to broaden therange of arms control efforts toaddress chemical and biologicalweapons. When implemented, theChemical Weapons Convention willmandate the destruction of allchemical weapons and theirproduction facilities.

US soldiers train with Partnership for Peace cooperationpartners in Exercise Cooperative Bridge '94

bilateral defense cooperationagreements, security assistance,prepositioning, forward presence,and combined exercises. Theseactivities in a region vital to US andglobal security and prosperity assistour friends in improving their self-defense while deterring aggression.

We will continue to supportthe deepening of democracythroughout the WesternHemisphere. We are strengtheningour relationships with Latin Americaand Mexico and are working withthe Organization of American Statesto promote stability and mutualsecurity.

Crisis Response

Should our resolve toprotect vital national interests bechallenged, we must be able torespond rapidly through a widespectrum of deterrent options andpreventive measures. We intend torespond initially to crises using ourforces stationed and deployedoverseas but will be prepared todeploy all necessary forces to

security. Our forces in Japan are avisible demonstration of ourcommitment to the peace andstability of the entire region and areavailable for short-noticedeployment throughout the theater.Frequent combined US andJapanese military exercises continueto enhance professional interactionbetween our militaries.

The defense of the Republicof Korea (ROK) will remain a keyelement of US strategy in this region.Our forward stationed forces thererepresent an unambiguousdemonstration of that commitment.We will continue to conduct avigorous exercise program withROK forces to ensure that we areready and able to work together andto reinforce the theater, if necessary.

In Southwest Asia, we mustremain alert to the dangers posed bya still aggressive Iraq and arevolutionary Iran that continues tofan the flames of social, political, andeconomic dissent among neighboringstates. US commitment to peaceand security in the critical PersianGulf region is demonstrated through


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Confidence-BuildingMeasures

Our military forces willcontinue to be directly involved inconfidence-building efforts to fosteropenness and transparency inmilitary affairs. Implementation ofVienna Document 1994 is a concreteexample of such efforts whichinclude information exchanges,exercise limits and observations, anddemonstrations of military capability.Agreements governing DangerousMilitary Activities and regionalinitiatives, such as the Open Skiesregime that permits aerial overflightof participating nations’ territories,directly support our goal ofpreventing conflict.

Noncombatant EvacuationOperations

The US Government isresponsible for protecting the livesand safety of its citizens abroad.Often, that task falls to our ArmedForces. When conditions ofviolence or disorder in foreigncountries threaten American lives,US forces, in support of theDepartment of State, will use allappropriate means to extractAmerican citizens promptly andsafely.

Sanctions Enforcement

Military forces areincreasingly used to enforceeconomic sanctions resulting fromnational policy decisions and UNSecurity Council resolutions. USforces will participate in operations

We continue to incorporatethe lessons learned from our recentexperiences in Iraq, Somalia, and theformer Yugoslavia. For example,when significant US forces aredirected to participate in a majorpeace enforcement operation likelyto involve combat, our guidelines willcontinue to be to:

- Commit sufficient forces toachieve clearly defined objectives;

- Plan to achieve thoseobjectives decisively; and

- Reassess and adjust, asnecessary, the size, composition, anddisposition of our forces to achieveour objectives.

Application of theseguidelines is clearly exemplified byour Operation Uphold Democracyin Haiti commencing in September1994.

During peace enforcementoperations, command and controlarrangements are critical. Ordinarilyin such instances, a US commandwill be established or the mission willbe conducted through a competent,established regional organizationsuch as NATO or an ad hoccoalition. The greater the US militarycontribution and the greater thelikelihood of combat, the moreinclined we will be to lead theoperation. The President, however,will never relinquish commandauthority over US forces.

Forces training for emergencyevacuation operations

to search, divert, delay, or disrupttransport vessels and to assist in thecompliance of guidelines set by eitherUS or UN authorities. Effectiveenforcement requires efficientcoordination of military operationsat sea, on land, and in the air andspace.

Peace Enforcement

On occasion, US forcesmay be directed to participate inpeace enforcement operations orother operations which stand in thegray zone between peace and war.These operations are characterizedby the use of force or the threat ofthe use of force, and are interwovenwith diplomatic and economicefforts, often involving bothgovernmental and nongovernmentalorganizations. Such actions may beundertaken to maintain or restoreinternational peace and security, orto respond to acts of aggression.


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FIGHT AND WIN

he ability of US ArmedForces to fight and win, the

third component of our strategy,serves as the ultimate guarantor ofour vital interests. This ability iscrucial to deter aggression andprevent conflict, and if challenged, itassures that we will in fact prevail.Being ready to fight and win remainsour foremost responsibility and theprime consideration governing all ourmilitary activities. It is for this reason,fundamentally, that our Nation hasraised and sustained its ArmedForces.

In war, our use of militaryforce will follow the principlesoutlined below.

Clear Objectives —Decisive Force

In any application of force,military objectives will be clearly

defined to support our nationalpolitical aims in the conflict. Weintend to commit sufficient force toachieve these objectives in a promptand decisive manner.

Wartime Power Projection

If we have forces deployedto the threatened area when crisisturns to conflict, these forces willassist our regional allies in creating aviable defense to halt the invasionrapidly and will form the basis forthe subsequent buildup of combatpower needed to defeat theaggressor decisively. But weanticipate that, for the most part, wewill project air, land, and sea forcesfrom the United States and, in somecases, from overseas areas, toaugment forward-deployed forcesor to establish US presence in thetheater of operations. This powerprojection could ultimately entail thetransport of large numbers ofpersonnel and their equipment. Suchan effort requires detailed plans to

provide the necessary intelligence,logistics, and communicationssupport, as well as capabilities toprotect our forces duringdeployment.

We continue to build on thelessons learned in Operation DesertStorm to strengthen our powerprojection capabilities. During theSeptember 1994 deployment offorces to Haiti, roll-on/roll-offshipping was proved exceptionallyready and significantly more reliableas a result of post-Gulf Warimprovements. Early access tocombat, combat support, andcombat service support capabilitiesin the Reserve component is alsovital to meet our power projectionrequirements for any major regionalcontingency. We have demonstratedin recent operations in both Haiti andKuwait that we have the ability togain this prompt access to theReserves, clearly indicatingimproved wartime capabilities.

Fight Combined andFight Joint

While we maintain theunilateral capability to wage decisivecampaigns to protect US andmultinational security interests, ourArmed Forces will most often fightin concert with regional allies andfriends, as coalitions can decisivelyincrease combat power and lead toa more rapid and favorable outcometo the conflict. Combinedoperations capitalize on ourpeacetime training, help generate andsustain international support, andenable our forces to provide thehigh-leverage capabilities required toachieve decisive outcomes againstany adversary.

Adaptive force packaging responds to the Joint Task ForceCommnader's requirements

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Modern warfare requiresUS forces to fight as a joint teamwhether operating unilaterally or aspart of an international coalition.Accordingly, each of the Servicesprovides trained and ready forces tosupport the combatantcommanders’ warfighting plans andoperations. Success in joint andcombined military operationsrequires bringing to bear, at the righttimes and places, the unique andcomplementary capabilities of eachof the Services.

Each Service has both a roleand primary and collateral functionsto execute, for which it must train,organize, and equip its forces. Landforces are mainly involved withprompt and sustained combatoperations on land; naval and marineforces with operations at or from thesea; air forces with militaryoperations in the air. Each of ourServices leverages the benefits ofunhindered access to space.

Land forces must becapable of deplaoying rapidly and,if necessary, executing forcibleentry o seize the initiative andclose with and destroy enemyforces through synchronizedmaneuver and precision firethroughout the breadth and depthof the battle area. They ust becapable of achieving operationaland tactical freedom ofmaneuver and be sufficientlyagile to achieve theirobjectives before

opponents can effectcountermeasures. Land forces mustpossess the capabilities necessary todominate the land battle. In addition,they must provide the combatsupport and combat service supportnecessary to sustain the land battleas well as provide critical elementsof support to joint forces deployedin theater. Ultimately, land forcescan occupy territory, controlpopulations, and provide on-the-scene assurance that politicalobjectives will be met.

Naval and marine forcesmust be capable of conducting navaland amphibious warfightingoperations. Forward-deployednaval expeditionary forces canrespond immediately to a crisis,execute forcible entry or reinforceother forward-deployed elements,and through prompt action help haltan enemy offensive and enable the

flow of follow-on ground and land-based air contingents. These forcesassist in providing protective coverfrom air, land, sea, or missileintrusion. By ensuring freedom ofthe seas and controlling strategicchoke points, naval and marineforces provide strategic freedom ofmaneuver and thus enhancedeployment and sustainment of jointforces in theater.

Air forces must be capableof conducting military operations togain and maintain control of theskies, holding vital enemy capabilitiesat risk throughout the theater, andhelping to destroy the enemy’s abilityto wage war. Air superiority isessential so we can quickly moveforces into theater and attack theenemy at will. Air control providesthe joint force numerous operationaland tactical advantages whilefacilitating land and naval maneuver.Air forces provide sustained, precisefirepower, reconnaissance andsurveillance, critical refueling, andglobal lift to rapidly deploy andsustain joint forces in theater.

Space forces play anincreasingly important role inprosecuting modern warfare. They provide global and battlefield surveillance, ballistic missile warning, precise navigation, secure communications, weather, and intelligence information.

Space assets facilitate

Joint warfighting requires the balancedcontributions of all the Armed Services


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Interactive information sharing is key to modern battlefield success

effective command and control andenhance the joint utilization ofour land, sea, and air forces.

Special operations forcesfrom all three military departmentsprovide combatant commandersand deployed forces with uniquecapabilities to conduct direct action,special reconnaissance,unconventional warfare,counterterrorism, psychologicaloperations, and civil affairs activities.Properly employed, specialoperations forces providecommanders capabilities that extendtheir vision of the battlefield, increasetheir flexibility, and enhance theirinitiative. These forces will be fullyintegrated into military operations bythe combatant commanders.

Win the Information War

The remarkable leverageattainable from modernreconnaissance, intelligencecollection and analysis, and high-speed data processing and

transmission warrants specialemphasis. The Services andcombatant commands require suchfused information systems. Thesesystems enhance our ability todominate warfare. We must assurethat this leverage works for us andagainst our adversaries. Newdoctrine is being developed, andtraining and control programs areunderway, to ensure thatadvantages, built on the earlysuccess in Operation Desert Storm,are being exploited.

Countering Weapons ofMass Destruction

Potential adversaries shouldrecognize our capability to dominateany escalation of conflict shouldweapons of mass destruction beemployed against us. In addition,we will maintain and strengthen ourdefensive capabilities against suchweapons. We continue efforts toprevent the use of mass destructionweapons and make preparations tooperate effectively in environments

marked by biological, chemical, orradioactive contamination.

Two Major RegionalContingency Focus

When entering any regionalconflict, we will fully apply all theprinciples addressed above toensure decisive victory. At the sametime, however, we will remain awarethat risks and dangers remain inother regions. While projectingforces to one contingency, we willbe enhancing the readiness of otherassets to handle a challengeelsewhere. Some high-leveragecapabilities could be used in onemajor regional contingency and thenreallocated and redeployed toanother as conditions permit. Othercapabilities essential to fighting andwinning the first conflict will remainin the theater where they arecommitted.

Force Generation

We will quickly generatecombat power in wartime. Activeforces engaged overseas in lowerpriority missions may be recalled,reorganized, retrained, andredeployed. Normally our ArmedForces will withdraw fromoperations other than war when thesecurity situation is stabilized andother organizations are prepared toassume responsibility for relief orsecurity. In times of crisis, we willneed to accelerate this process. Asour first forces react to a majorregional crisis, we will begin actionsto ensure forces are ready to meet asecond contingency should it arise.Activities not involving critical USinterests will be turned over to the


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humanitarian relief and nationassistance that are included in thepeacetime engagement componentof our military strategy. Planning forpost-conflict operations will beginprior to and continue throughout anyconflict. Close coordination andcooperation between military andother governmental andnongovernmental agencies will beparticularly critical during thetransition period following war assome functions are transferred tonon-military organizations and whileour forces are being redeployed andreconstituted.

United Nations or other responsibleregional security organizations whilewe attend to higher priority taskings.

Substantial Reserve forceswill be committed to combat andcombat support missions early in anymajor regional contingency. Tobackfill active forces elsewhere andto prepare for unforeseencontingencies, some Reservecomponent forces can expect to bemobilized immediately and to remainon active duty throughout theconflict, even though they are notdirectly involved in operations.

Win the Peace

In the wake of any majortheater conflict, our forces will likelyencounter numerous demands toattend to the needs of the indigenouspopulation. This may well includeactivities such as providing


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POSTURE AND SIZE

he US Armed Forces arenow in their eighth year of

drawdown and will continue to bereduced and reshaped inaccordance with the Bottom-UpReview. By 1999 total active endstrength will reduce to 1,445,000people, down from 2,130,000 in1989. Over the next few years,active Army divisions will continueto decline from 18 to 10, active AirForce fighter wings from 24 to 13,and Navy battle force ships from567 to 346. Active Marine Corpsstructure will remain at three MarineExpeditionary Forces, but endstrength will continue to decline from197,000 personnel to 174,000.Selected Reserve personnel willdecline from 1,170,000 in 1989 to893,900 in 1999, with aproportionate decline in forcestructure. The Coast Guard willreduce its active end strength from44,000 to 36,300.

Nevertheless, the UnitedStates will retain formidable forces.While smaller, we must becomepound for pound more capablethrough enhancements and selectedmodernizations. Our ability toexecute this strategy of flexible andselective engagement will be put atrisk without these required forceupgrades.

The dynamic andunpredictable post-Cold Warenvironment demands that wemaintain military capabilities flexibleand responsive enough to cope withunforeseen threats. Thus, US forceswill be sized and structured toachieve decisive victory in twonearly simultaneous major regionalconflicts and to conduct combatoperations characterized by rapidresponse and a high probability ofsuccess.

Our military forces are beingsized and structured using scenario-based planning and assessmentsinitiated during the Bottom-UpReview. Although no one canpredict with certainty where the nextconflict will occur, the use ofplausible, illustrative scenariosagainst postulated threat forcesenables comparisons and analysesto determine the relative values ofdifferent forces and capabilitiesacross a range of circumstances.While the two nearly simultaneousmajor regional contingencyrequirement most challenges theforce structure, other needs, such asforces to provide adequate overseaspresence, space capabilities tosupport a wide range of activities inpeace and war, and secure nuclearforces for deterrence, have alsobeen taken into account.

Combat supportcapabilities, including transportation,logistics, intelligence,communications, and medical,remain vital to our success and willbe strengthened.

In-ter-na-tionalEn-vi-ron-ment

Military Capabilities

US forces arriving in Haiti to support Operation Uphold Democracy

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people requirespaying attention toquality of life forour service menand women andtheir families. Thisinvolves not onlyproviding adequatem i l i t a r yco m pe n sa t i ona n d f a m i l yp r o g r a m s bute n s u r i n g thatour o p e r a t i n gtempo and planneddeployments are kept withinreasonable bounds.

Readiness

Experience show that crisescan emerge quickly andunpredictably. Our forces currentlymaintain a range of possible posturesto meet possible contingencies, fromAmerican aircraft aloft on combat airpatrol over the Adriatic Sea andelsewhere to large Reservecomponent forces in the UnitedStates.

Our forces must besufficiently ready - manned,equipped, trained, and sustainable -to meet the deploymentrequirements our strategy demandsand to provide a hedge againstuncertainty. They must be ready tofight today. We are working tostrengthen readiness through betterunderstanding and prediction ofrequirements as we restructure theforce.

Warfighting plans require usto strengthen joint readiness and toexercise routinely with our allies andfriends. Traditional measures of

FORCE BUILDING

FOUNDATIONS

he combat forces andsupporting capabilities

must be built on five fundamentalfoundations.

Quality People

The experience ofOperation Desert Storm confirmedthat there is no substitute for highquality men and women in ourArmed Forces. In a smaller forcewith diverse requirements, qualitypeople provide the fundamental edgeover any adversary.

The requirement for qualitypeople is not an abstraction. Itreflects the fundamental reality ofmilitary operations: despite intenseplanning and high technology,military operations are neverthelessmarked by ambiguity, uncertainty,and chance, and are driven byemotion; they normally continue 24hours a day, in any conceivableterrain or climate, and in conditionsof extreme stress. Under thesecircumstances, leadership, courage,initiative, flexibility, and skill willremain essential to victory. Noforeseeable change in technologywill diminish the importance of highquality men and women in ourmilitary.

We are working hard tomaintain excellence among ourrecuits. But we must also developand retain these quality young peoplein the Armed Forces. Developingthis talent requires enlightenedleadership as well as realistic andchallenging training. Retaining good

readiness were defined in Service-specific terms. Today we arestrengthening joint and allied doctrineand education, developing jointreadiness measures, and improvingjoint and coalition training andexercises.

Enhancements

Enhancement of ourstrategic mobility capability, includingairlift, sealift, and prepositioning, isalready underway. We have takendelivery of the first 18 of the initialprocurement of 40 C-17 advancedtransport aircraft. One Army heavybrigade equipment set isprepositioned aboard ships now onstation to cover contingencies fromNortheast Asia to the Persian Gulf.Our plans call for three additionalbrigade sets to be prepositionedashore, two in Southwest Asia andone in South Korea. We areprocuring more sealift, includingmedium-speed roll-on/roll-off ships.In combination, these assets willgreatly improve the powerprojection capability of our forces.

Battlefield surveillance willcontinue to be upgraded with the

The key foundation of our Armed Forcesis quality people

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integration of systems such as theJoint Surveillance and Target AttackRadar System, the upgradedAirborne Warning and ControlSystem, the RC-135 Rivet Jointintelligence platform, and unmannedaerial vehicles.

Enhancements to provide arobust, globally capable andinteroperable communicationsarchitecture are also required.These include the jam- resistantMILSTAR satellite communicationssystem and the Global Commandand Control System. Additionally,the appropriate mix of US militaryand commercial space systems willbe integrated to reduce costs and

consciously retiring certain weaponssystems and platforms in order to affordmore capable and modern equipment.Modernization programs provide thetechnological foundation for futurecapabilities and readiness.

Defense investments duringthe Cold War have provided us thenecessary foundation in terms ofplatforms, systems, and researchand development. We now seek thegreatest value added under a moreconstrained budget. Majormodernization programs involvingsignificant investment are beingundertaken only where there isclearly a substantial payoff.Continued modernization of existingplatforms will take advantage ofrapid technological change,particularly in the areas ofreconnaissance and informationwarfare. Operational prototypingwill be used to rapidly field smallnumbers of high leverage systems.

Balance

Despite its smaller size, ourArmed Forces must retain anappropriate mix of forces andcapabilities to provide versatility anda hedge against the unknown. Forcestructure must support land, sea, air,and space requirements. Combatforces must be balanced withcapable supporting forces, activeduty forces must be balanced withappropriate Reserve capabilities,and force structure must be balancedwith infrastructure.

As roles, missions, andfunctions are reexamined in an effortto attain greater efficiency, we mustensure that the balance among criticalcombat, combat support, and othersupporting capabilities is retained.

optimize support for the warfighter.We must retain a decisive advantagein these areas.

Planned firepowerenhancements include the JointStandoff Weapon, Joint DirectAttack Munitions, sensor-fuzedweapons, ATACMS, and otherstrike enhancements for early arrivingbombers and fighter-bombers.

Modernization

We intend to remain thebest-equipped force in the world.Modernization programs preservethe essential combat edge that USforces now possess. Through aprogram of recapitalization, we are

C-17 Airlifter's and Roll-On/Roll-Off ships are key enhancementsto Strategic Mobility


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his national militarystrategy builds on itspredecessors and continues

the evolution from the strategiesdeveloped during the Cold War.Despite the breakup of the SovietUnion and the subsequentdrawdown of US forces, this is astrategy of continued globalengagement. Flexibly andselectively applied, US militarypower will remain a fundamentalfactor in assuring national security.

In keeping with the broadoutlines of military strategydeveloped over nearly half a century,we see the United States withworldwide responsibilities thatrequire flexible military capabilities.As before, we will stand togetherwith our allies and friends to assurestability in a troubled world.Deterrence and conflict preventionare central elements of our strategy.A balanced force structure, includingair, land, naval, and space elements,a strategic nuclear force, andcorrectly sized overseas presenceare essential to maintaining therequired deterrent and warfightingcapabilities.

The days of the familiarbipolar competition with the formerSoviet Union are now in the past.Security issues are more complexand increasingly regional in nature.Our actions must be appropriate tomeet specific needs across a broadrange of potential challenges. Thisrequires a high tempo of militaryactivity, including military operations,with a significant risk of hostile action.

ConclusionThe forces to meet our securityneeds will be largely based in theUnited States. Even though smallerthan before, they will need to remainhighly capable. Quality people,readiness, enhancements, selectedmodernization, and balance willprovide the critical edge.

This military strategy is oneof flexible and selective engagement,designed to protect US intereststhroughout the world and to helpmeet the security needs of ourpartners in key regions. This strategyrequires a ready American militaryforce capable of responding quicklyand decisively to protect ourNation’s security.

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