National Military Strategy

National Military Strategy
Name	National Military Strategy
Type	Strategic document
Author	Department of Defense
Country	United States
First published	1986
Jurisdiction	United States Armed Forces

National Military Strategy The National Military Strategy is a senior strategic planning document that translates national leadership direction into armed forces guidance and operational priorities; it links presidential guidance, defense policy, and force employment to prepare for conflict and crisis. Issued by the United States Department of Defense, the strategy interfaces with the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Joint Staff's guidance to align the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force for global commitments. It informs resource allocation across the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and combatant commands such as United States Central Command and United States Indo-Pacific Command.

Overview and Purpose

The purpose of the National Military Strategy is to articulate military objectives, prioritize missions, and recommend force sizing and posture to support the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and the United States Congress in oversight and resourcing decisions. It frames how the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Combatant Commands, and services will deter adversaries such as Russian Federation, People's Republic of China, and non-state actors linked to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant while assuring allies including North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Republic of Korea, Japan, and partners like Australia and United Kingdom. The document guides contingency planning for scenarios including crises in Korean Peninsula, conflicts in the South China Sea, and counterterrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Development and Formulation

Drafting involves interagency coordination among the National Security Council, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, and service headquarters such as Headquarters Marine Corps and Air Staff. Inputs include assessments from the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the National Reconnaissance Office, as well as lessons from exercises like RIMPAC, Exercise Anakonda, and Talisman Sabre. Senior leaders—examples include former chairs such as Colin Powell, Martin Dempsey, and Mark Milley—contribute to risk assessments and force options, while Congress shapes statutory authorities under laws like the Goldwater-Nichols Act and the National Defense Authorization Act. Academic and think-tank analyses from institutions such as RAND Corporation, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Brookings Institution also inform assumptions and modeling.

Strategic Principles and Objectives

Core principles reflect deterrence, power projection, and integrated operations across domains including land warfare, maritime strategy, air superiority, space operations, and cyberspace operations. Objectives prioritize denying adversary advantages as seen in Hybrid warfare campaigns, preserving freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and supporting alliance cohesion under instruments like the North Atlantic Treaty. The strategy emphasizes concepts promulgated in works like Mahanism and AirLand Battle doctrine while incorporating modern constructs from Multi-Domain Operations and Joint All-Domain Command and Control. It addresses escalation management, decisive operations, and campaigning approaches influenced by historical cases such as the Gulf War, the Falklands War, and the Korean War.

Components and Capabilities

The strategy catalogs required capabilities across combat power, sustainment, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance provided by entities like United States Special Operations Command and the Defense Logistics Agency. Key capabilities include precision strike drawn from platforms like the F-35 Lightning II, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer lethality, strategic lift via C-17 Globemaster III and KC-135 Stratotanker, and nuclear deterrence anchored by the United States Strategic Command and the Minuteman III. It prioritizes investments in emerging technologies from hypersonic weapons and directed-energy weapons to artificial intelligence systems and quantum sensing, often in partnership with contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman.

Implementation and Force Posture

Implementation translates strategy into force posture, readiness cycles, deployment plans, and basing arrangements with allies at sites like Ramstein Air Base, Yokota Air Base, and Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. It shapes rotational deployments to theaters overseen by United States European Command and United States Africa Command and contingency mobilization through the United States National Guard and reserve components. Exercises like Bright Star and logistical frameworks such as the Defense Transportation System test sustainment, while acquisition pathways through the Defense Acquisition University and authorities under the Federal Acquisition Regulation enable procurement and modernization.

Legal, Political, and Ethical Considerations

The strategy operates within legal frameworks including the United States Constitution, the War Powers Resolution, and treaties like the North Atlantic Treaty and Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Political oversight from the United States Senate Armed Services Committee and ethical guidance from the Judge Advocate General's Corps govern use of force, targeting, and detention policies relevant to cases like Guantanamo Bay detention camp and operations in Yemen. It must account for international humanitarian law exemplified by the Geneva Conventions and norms developed at institutions such as the United Nations Security Council and the International Criminal Court.

Historical Evolution and Notable National Strategies

The concept evolved from Cold War planning under documents like the National Security Decision Directive series and the doctrinal shifts after the Goldwater-Nichols Act, reflecting changes after conflicts including the Vietnam War, the Gulf War (1990–1991), and post-9/11 campaigns in Afghanistan. Notable iterations aligned with presidential directives from administrations including Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, each integrating lessons from operations such as Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Contemporary strategy responds to strategic competition with China–United States relations and tensions following events like the Crimean Crisis and the South China Sea arbitration.

Category:Defense policy