Is the United States Military weak? The Heritage Foundation has fired a shot across the bow with its “2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength.” The Index concludes that the U.S. military in its current posture is “weak.” The Pentagon might not like the report. But, my guest, Dakota Wood, is calling things as they are rather than the way people would like them to be.

“Nobody likes their baby being called ugly. But the facts are what they are.” -Dakota Wood

The 2023 Index starts with an assessment of the operating environment from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. Dakota explains that the Index is looking at American military power within a two major-regional conflict (MRC) framework. The Index analyses enemy threats through the lens of “intent and capability.” The focus is on Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and terrorist groups like ISIS. The Index then shifts to a detailed overview of each U.S. military branch in terms of capacity, capability, and readiness. After grading each branch individually, the Index comes up with an aggregate grade of “weak.” This is not an indictment on any individual service member or unit. Dakota explains that this is a combination of years of underfunding, misuse of resources, and a “profound lack of seriousness.”

Topics of discussion:

The purpose behind the Index and its target audience
How two major-regional conflicts (MRCs) was developed as the framework for the Index
Why the Index assesses the overall operating environment as “favorable”
We dive into two specific “competitors”: Russia and China
Breaking down U.S. service branches: The Army is “marginal”; the U.S. Navy is “weak”; the Air Force is “very weak”; the Marine Corps is “strong”; the Space Force is “weak”; and nuclear capabilities are “strong” but trending toward “marginal”

Find the “2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength” at www.Heritage.org/military

Connect with Dakota on LinkedIn and follow him at The Heritage Foundation

About the guest: Dakota Wood is a Senior Research Fellow, Defense Programs, Center for National Defense at The Heritage Foundation. He served America for two decades in the U.S. Marine Corps. His research and writing focuses on programs, capabilities, operational concepts, and strategies of the U.S. Department of Defense and military services to assess their utility in ensuring the United States has the ability to protect and promote its critical national security interests. Mr. Wood originated and currently serves as the editor for Heritage’s “Index of U.S. Military Strength.”

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