https://www.heritage.org/military-strength/executive-summary

Executive Summary

“As currently postured, the U.S. military is only marginally able to meet the demands of defending America’s vital national interests.”

Nov 17, 2020 27 min read

United Launch Alliance's Delta IV GPS III Magellan rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, Aug. 22, 2019. — United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV GPS III Magellan rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, Aug. 22, 2019.U.S. Air Force photo, Airman 1st Class Dalton Williams

The United States maintains a military force primarily to protect the homeland from attack and to protect its interests abroad. There are secondary uses—for example, to assist civil authorities in times of emergency or to deter enemies—but this force’s primary purpose is to make it possible for the U.S. to physically impose its will on an enemy when necessary.

It is therefore critical that the condition of the United States military with respect to America’s vital national security interests, threats to those interests, and the context within which the U.S. might have to use “hard power” be understood. Because such changes can have substantial implications for defense policies and investment, knowing how these three areas change over time is likewise important.