{"id":29509,"date":"2018-01-19T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-19T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2018\/01\/19\/national-defense-strategy-released-with-clear-priority-stay-ahead-of-russia-and-china\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:20:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:20:17","slug":"national-defense-strategy-released-with-clear-priority-stay-ahead-of-russia-and-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/home\/2018\/01\/19\/national-defense-strategy-released-with-clear-priority-stay-ahead-of-russia-and-china\/","title":{"rendered":"National Defense Strategy released with clear priority: Stay ahead of Russia and China"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 The Pentagon\u2019s new National Defense Strategy lays out a world where great-power competition, rather than counterterrorism, will drive the department\u2019s decision-making and force structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cInter-state strategic competition, not terrorism, is now the primary concern in U.S. national security,\u201d the 11-page unclassified summary of the strategy reads. Instead, \u201cthe central challenge to U.S. prosperity and security is the reemergence of long-term strategic competition,\u201d primarily from China and Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The National Defense Strategy, released Friday, is the second of three interlocking documents that will drive America\u2019s strategic posture. In December, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/breaking-news\/2017\/12\/18\/trumps-national-security-strategy-unveiled-with-focus-on-economics\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\">President Donald Trump unveiled his National Security Strategy<\/a>, which drives the administration\u2019s overall national security posture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The NDS focuses on the Pentagon\u2019s goals within the NSS and is driven by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. That will be followed later this year by the National Military Strategy, written by Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which explains how the Pentagon will operationalize the NDS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Johns Hopkins University on Friday, Mattis said the document represents a \u201cclear-eyed appraisal\u201d of America\u2019s spot in the world, <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis required tough choices \u2014 and we made them based upon a fundamental precept: namely, that America can afford survival,\u201d the secretary said in prepared remarks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking ahead of the document\u2019s release, Elbridge Colby, deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development, said the document was thematically driven by the idea that the \u201ccentral challenge facing the department of defense and the joint force [is] the erosion of U.S. military advantage vis a vis China and Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But while great-power competitors are very much front of mind, Colby added that \u201cthis is not a strategy of confrontation, but it is a strategy that recognizes the reality of competition and the importance of \u2018good fences make good neighbors.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2018\/01\/17\/can-mattis-makes-the-national-defense-strategy-great-again\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"218\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/800.jpeg_461df2.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Can Mattis makes the National Defense Strategy great again?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Pentagon has a reputation as a building filled with well-intentioned, game-changing documents that are delivered and then ignored. The hope is this strategy be different.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And despite the statement in the document, Colby stressed that this does not represent a shift away from fighting terrorism, but rather a realistic acknowledgement that counterterrorism operations are not likely to end anytime soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOne of the things the strategy is trying to do is say is that we know we are going to be dealing with terrorism in one way or another for the long haul \u2014 so let\u2019s figure out ways of doing it that are more cost effective, that are more tailored \u2014 that allow us to walk and chew gum at the same time,\u201d he said, adding that there is no assumption of a withdrawal from antiterrorism operations involved in this strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, the document bears a clear thumbprint from Mattis, broken down by his stated trio of priorities: strengthening allies and partners, increasing lethality for the war fighter and reforming the business practices of the Pentagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe department will do more than just listen to other nations\u2019 ideas \u2014 we will be willing to be persuaded by them,\u201d Mattis said. \u201cNot all good ideas come from the country with the most aircraft carriers.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The document identifies three key theaters of focus \u2014 the \u201cIndo-Pacific,\u201d Europe and the Middle East. However, Colby denied that means the U.S. is abandoning areas such as Africa or South America; instead, he described it as realistically focusing resources where they are most needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also said the classified version of the document is about five times the size of the unclassified version, which, if accurate, would put the document at around 50 pages \u2014 much thinner than previous strategy products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Resource constraints<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The strategy release comes the same day Congress is scrambling to avert a government shutdown, with the best case scenario likely to be extending the continuing resolution \u2014 which locks in budget numbers at fiscal 2017 levels \u2014 into a fifth month. Pentagon officials have consistently harped on what damage occurs with both a shutdown and under a CR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking ahead of the document release, Todd Harrison, a defense budget expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, warned that \u201ca strategy that is set without regard for resource constraint is a strategy that risks being unexecutable\u201d in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf it\u2019s just a lot of words on a page and it doesn\u2019t have numbers, saying \u2018this is what it will cost and this is what we\u2019re able to do,\u2019 and \u2018this is how we will pay for it,\u2019 it will leave a lot wanting,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The document released to the public did not include any hard numbers. Asked how much budget realities factored into the strategy, Colby said the document was \u201cnot obtuse to resource requirements\u201d but that the focus was on developing the strategy first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe leadership was actually conscious to say, look, we should have a strategy that is really a strategy that will then drive the budget. But we\u2019re not saying we are going to have an $8 trillion defense budget,\u201d Colby said. \u201cI would say it\u2019s been a realistic look at the environment \u2013 of course not just our own funding requirements but also the reality of China as an economy having the same order of magnitude as our own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those economic realities extend to allies, with the strategy calling for allies to \u201cpool resources and share responsibility for common defense.\u201d That includes the goal, stated by several DoD officials in recent weeks, of getting equipment to partners more quickly, with the document pledging to \u201cprioritize request for U.S. military equipment sales, accelerating foreign partner modernization and ability to integrate with U.S. forces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2017\/12\/29\/2018-pentagon-priority-speeding-up-foreign-weapon-sales\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"238\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3945930.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">2018 Pentagon priority: Speeding up foreign weapon sales<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Pentagon, industry and partners all want foreign weapon sales to move faster. Can 2018 become the year it happens?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>Developing technology faster<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The strategy contains a section focused on reforming the department\u2019s business structures and getting technology to the warfighter in a more timely fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSuccess does not go to the country that develops a new technology first, but rather to the one that better integrates it and swiftly adapts its way of fighting,\u201d Mattis said in his remarks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To do so, the document urges a focus shift from developing a perfect system to getting things into the field and then upgrading them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe department is over-optimized for exceptional performance at the expense of providing timely decisions, policies and capabilities to the warfighter. Out response will be to prioritize speed of delivery, continuous adaptation and frequent modular updates,\u201d the strategy reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The strategy also warns that it is \u201cexpected\u201d that the service and agency heads will look to \u201cconsolidate, eliminate or restructure\u201d offices as needed to speed up processes. A request for another round of base closure and realignment is also promised, although that remains a tough sell with Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another notable statement is the pledge of a \u201cmajor departure from previous practices and culture\u201d in the acquisition realm.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2017\/12\/14\/the-new-brac-strategy-capability-over-cost-savings\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"242\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635963211561401772-gettyimages-53457200jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The new BRAC strategy: capability over cost savings<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Congress doesn&#039;t buy the Pentagon&#039;s argument that BRAC will save money. So what comes next?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Department will realign the incentive and reporting structure to increase speed of delivery, enable design tradeoffs in the requirements process, expand the role of warfighters and intelligence analysts throughout the acquisitions process, and utilize non-traditional suppliers,\u201d the document reads. \u201cPrototyping and experimentation should be used prior to defining requirements and commercial off-the-shelf systems. Platform electronics and software must be designed for routine replacement instead of static configurations that last more than a decade.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Along with that, the document pledges to \u201cstreamline processes\u201d so that new companies can enter the defense industrial base with ease, and seek to \u201ccultivate international partnerships to leverage and protect partner investments in military capabilities\u201d \u2015 perhaps welcome news to partner nations who have long complained the Pentagon would rather reinvent the wheel than buy one made abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among technologies prioritized in the document: developing \u201cresilient, survivable, federated networks and information ecosystems\u201d that can \u201cgain and exploit information\u201d and provide attribution to cyberattacks; transitioning to \u201csmaller, dispersed, resilient adaptive basing\u201d over traditional centralized infrastructures; prepositioning stocks and munitions to ensure the logistics tail never breaks down; and investing \u201cbroadly\u201d in artificial intelligence, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.c4isrnet.com\/unmanned\/2018\/01\/04\/alexa-how-does-the-us-lead-in-military-ai\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\">something outlined<\/a> in the National Security Strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Tara Copp contributed to this report.<\/i><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The National Defense Strategy outlines a world where great power competition, not terrorism, is the driving factor for the Pentagon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":12759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":29,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[106,29,32],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3222],"class_list":["post-29509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-brief","category-home","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"ULV5BHG2PJBZXKKIZ4JTRG7UFA","arc_canonical_url":"\/breaking-news\/2018\/01\/19\/national-defense-strategy-released-with-clear-priority-stay-ahead-of-russia-and-china\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>National Defense Strategy released with clear priority: Stay ahead of Russia and China - C4ISRNet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The National Defense Strategy outlines a world where great power competition, not terrorism, is the driving factor for the Pentagon.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"National Defense Strategy released with clear priority: Stay ahead of Russia and China\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The National Defense Strategy outlines a world where great power competition, not terrorism, is the driving factor for the Pentagon.\" 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