Post by Enoch on Feb 23, 2010 19:32:19 GMT 3
www.defense.gov/qdr/images/QDR_as_of_12Feb10_1000.pdf
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The mission of the Department of Defense is to protect the American people and advance our nation’s interests.
In executing these responsibilities, we must recognize that first and foremost, the United States is a nation at war. In Afghanistan, our forces fight alongside allies and partners in renewed efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban. In Iraq, U.S. military personnel advise, train, and support Iraqi forces as part of a responsible transition and drawdown. Above all, the United States and its allies and partners remain engaged in a broader war—a multifaceted political, military and moral struggle—against Al Qaeda and its allies around the world.
Furthermore, as a global power, the strength and influence of the United States are deeply intertwined with the fate of the broader international system—a system of alliances, partnerships, and multinational institutions that our country has helped build and sustain for more than sixty years. The U.S. military must therefore be prepared to support broad national goals of promoting stability in key regions, providing assistance to nations in need, and promoting the common good.
With these realities in mind, the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review advances two clear objectives. First, to further rebalance the capabilities of America’s Armed Forces to prevail in today’s wars, while building the capabilities needed to deal with future threats. Second, to further reform the Department’s institutions and processes to better support the urgent needs of the warfighter; buy weapons that are usable, affordable, and truly needed; and ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and responsibly.
The strategy and initiatives described in the QDR will continue to evolve in response to the security environment. Using the QDR as its foundation, the Department will continually examine its approach—from objectives to capabilities and activities to resources—to ensure its best alignment for the nation, its allies and partners, and our men and women in uniform.
A Complex Environment
The United States faces a complex and uncertain security landscape in which the pace of change continues to accelerate. The distribution of global political, economic, and military power is becoming more diffuse. The rise of China, the world’s most populous country, and India, the world’s largest democracy, will continue to shape an international system that is no longer easily defined—one in which the United States will remain the most powerful actor but must increasingly work with key allies and partners if it is to sustain stability and peace.
Globalization has transformed the process of technological innovation while lowering entry barriers for a wider range of actors to acquire advanced technologies. As technological innovation and global information flows accelerate, non-state actors will continue to gain influence and capabilities that, during the past century, remained largely the purview of states.
The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) continues to undermine global security, further complicating efforts to sustain peace and prevent harmful arms races. The instability or collapse of a WMD-armed state is among our most troubling concerns. Such an occurrence could lead to rapid proliferation of WMD material, weapons, and technology, and could quickly become a global crisis posing a direct physical threat to the United States and all other nations.
Other powerful trends are likely to add complexity to the security environment. Rising demand for resources, rapid urbanization of littoral regions, the effects of climate change, the emergence of new strains of disease, and profound cultural and demographic tensions in several regions are just some of the trends whose complex interplay may spark or exacerbate future conflicts.
America’s Global Role
America’s interests are inextricably linked to the integrity and resilience of the international system. Chief among these interests are security, prosperity, broad respect for universal values, and an international order that promotes cooperative action.
Consistent with the President’s vision, the United States will advance these interests by strengthening our domestic foundation and integrating all elements of national power, engaging abroad on the basis of mutual interest and mutual respect, and promoting an international order that advances our interests by reinforcing the rights and responsibilities of all nations.
America’s interests and role in the world require armed forces with unmatched capabilities and a willingness on the part of the nation to employ them in defense of our interests and the common good. The United States remains the only nation able to project and sustain large-scale operations over extended distances. This unique position generates an obligation to be responsible stewards of the power and influence that history, determination, and circumstance have provided.
Defense Strategy
In order to help defend and advance our national interests, the Department of Defense balances resources and risk among four priority objectives: prevail in today’s wars, prevent and deter conflict, prepare to defeat adversaries and succeed in a wide range of contingencies, and preserve and enhance the All-Volunteer Force. These priorities shape not only considerations on the capabilities our Armed Forces need but also the aggregate capacity required to accomplish their missions now and in the future. Our approach to achieving them must evolve and adapt in
response to a changing security environment.
Prevail in today’s wars: We must ensure the success of our forces in the field—in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world. Along with our allies and partners, we have renewed efforts to help the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda and eliminate its safe havens within both nations. In Iraq, years of effort have helped enable that government to take the lead in protecting its people and providing essential services. As the responsible drawdown of the U.S. military presence proceeds, U.S. forces will continue to play
important roles advising, training, and supporting Iraqi forces. Elsewhere, U.S. forces work with partners and allies to locate and dismantle terrorist networks.
In the near term to midterm, substantial numbers of U.S. forces will likely be operating in Afghanistan and U.S. forces in Iraq will continue a responsible drawdown. These efforts will substantially determine the size and shape of major elements of U.S. military forces for several years. In the mid- to long term, we expect there to be enduring operational requirements in Afghanistan and elsewhere to defeat Al Qaeda and its allies.
Prevent and deter conflict: America’s enduring effort to advance common interests without resort to arms is a hallmark of its stewardship of the international system. Preventing the rise of threats to U.S. interests requires the integrated use of diplomacy, development, and defense, along with intelligence, law enforcement, and economic tools of statecraft, to help build the capacity of partners to maintain and promote stability. Such an approach also requires working closely with our allies and partners to leverage existing alliances and create conditions to advance common interests.
Our deterrent remains grounded in land, air, and naval forces capable of fighting limited and large-scale conflicts in environments where anti-access weaponry and tactics are used, as well as forces prepared to respond to the full range of challenges posed by state and non-state groups. These forces are enabled by cyber and space capabilities and enhanced by U.S. capabilities to deny adversaries’ objectives through ballistic missile defense and counter-WMD, a resilient infrastructure, and our global basing and posture. Until such time as the Administration’s goal of a world free of nuclear weapons is achieved, nuclear capabilities will be maintained as a core mission for the Department of Defense. We will maintain a safe, secure, and effective nuclear arsenal to deter attack on the United States, and on our allies and partners.
While U.S. forces are heavily engaged in current wars, the Department’s prevent-and-deter activities will be focused on ensuring a defense in depth of the United States; preventing the emergence or reemergence of transnational terrorist threats, including Al Qaeda; and deterring other potential major adversaries. In the future, as our forces transition into a period of lessintensive sustained operations, the Department’s force planning assumes an ability to undertake a broader and deeper range of prevent-and-deter missions, acting wherever possible as part of a whole-of-government approach and in concert with allies and partners.
Prepare to defeat adversaries and succeed in a wide range of contingencies: If deterrence fails and adversaries challenge our interests with the threat or use of force, the United States must be prepared to respond in support of U.S. national interests. Not all contingencies will require the involvement of U.S. military forces, but the Defense Department must be prepared to provide the President with options across a wide range of contingencies, which include supporting a response to an attack or natural disaster at home, defeating aggression by adversary states, supporting and stabilizing fragile states facing serious internal threats, and preventing human suffering due to mass atrocities or large-scale natural disasters abroad.
In the mid- to long term, U.S. military forces must plan and prepare to prevail in a broad range of operations that may occur in multiple theaters in overlapping time frames. This includes maintaining the ability to prevail against two capable nation-state aggressors, but we must take seriously the need to plan for the broadest possible range of operations—from homeland defense and defense support to civil authorities, to deterrence and preparedness missions—occurring in multiple and unpredictable combinations.
Operations over the past eight years have stressed the ground forces disproportionately, but the future operational landscape could also portend significant long-duration air and maritime campaigns for which the U.S. Armed Forces must be prepared.
Preserve and enhance the All-Volunteer Force: Years of war have significantly stressed our military personnel and their families. Given the continuing need for substantial and sustained deployments in conflict zones, the Department must do all it can to take care of our people—physically and psychologically. For too long, the health of the All-Volunteer Force, the civilian workforce that supports it, and the processes by which the Department provides needed equipment and platforms have been underemphasized priorities. The prolonged wartime period
since 2001 has greatly elevated their importance, and the consequences of failure have accordingly become more serious. To reflect the urgency that the Department’s leadership places on these issues, the QDR has striven to include them as core components of our policy, planning, and programming considerations.
Our preserve-and-enhance efforts will focus on transitioning to sustainable rotation rates that protect the force’s long-term health. The Department plans that in times of significant crisis, U.S. forces will be prepared to experience higher deployment rates and briefer dwell periods for up to several years at a time and/or to mobilize the Reserve Component. This will typically be necessary if the United States is engaged for long periods in more than one large operation, such as Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Department will also expand its Civilian Expeditionary Workforce (CEW) to augment the military effort as required.
These four priority objectives are at once timely and enduring. They capture the Department’s key priorities and drive considerations about the size and shape of America’s Armed Forces now and in the future. Successfully balancing them requires that the Department make hard choices on the level of resources required as well as accepting and managing risk in a way that favors success in today’s wars.
Rebalancing the Force
In order to successfully protect and advance U.S. interests while balancing the priority objectives outlined above, the QDR makes a series of recommendations aimed at helping to rebalance America’s Armed Forces to better enable success in the following missions critical to protecting and advancing the nation’s interests. Required force enhancements were identified by examining ongoing conflicts as well as the performance of the current and planned force through combinations of scenarios spanning the range of plausible future challenges. Significant
enhancements were directed in the following key mission areas:
Defend the United States and support civil authorities at home: The rapid proliferation of destructive technologies, combined with potent ideologies of violent extremism, requires sustaining a high level of vigilance against terrorist threats. Moreover, state adversaries are acquiring new means to strike targets at greater distances from their borders and with greater lethality. The United States must also be prepared to respond to the full range of potential natural disasters.
The QDR directs a series of enhancements, including:
* Improve the responsiveness and flexibility of consequence management response forces;
* Enhance capabilities for domain awareness;
* Accelerate the development of standoff radiological/nuclear detection capabilities; and
* Enhance domestic capabilities to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Succeed in counterinsurgency, stability, and counterterrorism operations: The United States must retain the capability to conduct large-scale counterinsurgency, stability, and counterterrorism operations in a wide range of environments. In order to ensure that America’s Armed Forces are prepared for this complex mission, it is vital that the lessons from today’s conflicts be further institutionalized in military doctrine, training, capability development, and operational planning.
QDR initiatives include:
* Increase the availability of rotary-wing assets;
* Expand manned and unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR);
* Increase key enabling assets for special operations forces (SOF);
* Increase counterinsurgency, stability operations, and counterterrorism competency and capacity in general purpose forces;
* Increase regional expertise for Afghanistan and Pakistan; and
* Strengthen key supporting capabilities for strategic communication.
Build the security capacity of partner states: Since the end of World War II, DoD has worked to build the security capacity of allied and partner states and to ensure that the Armed Forces of the United States have ample opportunities to train with and learn from counterpart forces. As ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq make clear, these dimensions of U.S. defense strategy have never been more important.
Key QDR initiatives in this mission area include:
* Strengthen and institutionalize general purpose force capabilities for security force assistance;
* Enhance linguistic, regional, and cultural ability;
* Strengthen and expand capabilities for training partner aviation forces;
* Strengthen capacities for ministerial-level training; and
* Create mechanisms to expedite acquisition and transfer of critical capabilities to partner forces.
Deter and defeat aggression in anti-access environments: U.S. forces must be able to deter, defend against, and defeat aggression by potentially hostile nation-states. This capability is fundamental to the nation’s ability to protect its interests and to provide security in key regions. In the absence of dominant U.S. power projection capabilities, the integrity of U.S. alliances and security partnerships could be called into question, reducing U.S. security and influence and increasing the possibility of conflict.
The QDR directs the following enhancements:
* Expand future long-range strike capabilities;
* Exploit advantages in subsurface operations;
* Increase the resiliency of U.S. forward posture and base infrastructure;
* Assure access to space and the use of space assets;
* Enhance the robustness of key ISR capabilities;
* Defeat enemy sensors and engagement systems; and
* Enhance the presence and responsiveness of U.S. forces abroad.
Prevent proliferation and counter weapons of mass destruction: The potential spread of weapons of mass destruction poses a grave threat. As the ability to create and employ weapons of mass destruction spreads globally, so must our combined efforts to detect, interdict, and contain the effects of these weapons. Deterrence of such threats and defense against them can be enhanced through measures aimed at better understanding potential threats, securing and reducing dangerous materials wherever possible, positioning forces to monitor and track lethal agents and materials and their means of delivery, and, where relevant, defeating the agents themselves.
Through the QDR, the Secretary of Defense directs the following:
* Establish a Joint Task Force Elimination Headquarters to plan, train, and execute WMDelimination operations;
* Research countermeasures and defense to nontraditional agents;
* Enhance nuclear forensics;
* Secure vulnerable nuclear materials;
* Expand the biological threat reduction program; and
* Develop new verification technologies.
Operate effectively in cyberspace: The security environment demands improved capabilities to counter threats in cyberspace. In the 21st century, modern armed forces simply cannot conduct effective high-tempo operations without resilient, reliable information and communication networks and assured access to cyberspace. DoD must actively defend its networks.
DoD is taking several steps to strengthen capabilities in cyberspace:
* Develop a more comprehensive approach to DoD operations in cyberspace;
* Develop greater cyber expertise and awareness;
* Centralize command of cyber operations; and
* Enhance partnerships with other agencies and governments.
Guiding the Evolution of the Force
In combination and over time, the initiatives described in the QDR are designed to significantly enhance the ability of U.S. forces to protect and advance U.S. interests in both the near and longer term. In addition to better preparing our own forces for the future, these initiatives will improve the Department’s ability to build the capability and capacity of partners.
Changes directed under the QDR can be broadly characterized by the following trends:
* U.S. ground forces will remain capable of full-spectrum operations, with continued focus on capabilities to conduct effective and sustained counterinsurgency, stability, and counterterrorist operations alone and in concert with partners.
* U.S. naval forces likewise will continue to be capable of robust forward presence and power projection operations, even as they add capabilities and capacity for working with a wide range of partner navies. The rapid growth in sea- and land-based ballistic missile defense capabilities will help meet the needs of combatant commanders and allies in several regions.
* U.S. air forces will become more survivable as large numbers of fifth-generation fighters join the force. Land-based and carrier-based aircraft will need greater average range, flexibility, and multimission versatility in order to deter and defeat adversaries that are fielding more potent anti-access capabilities. We will also enhance our air forces’ contributions to security force assistance operations by fielding within our broader inventory aircraft that are well-suited to training and advising partner air forces.
* The United States will continue to increase the capacity of its special operations forces and will enhance their capabilities through the growth of organic enablers and key support assets in the general purpose forces.
* The capabilities, flexibility, and robustness of U.S. forces across the board will be improved by fielding more and better enabling systems, including ISR, electronic attack capabilities, communications networks, more resilient base infrastructure, and enhanced cyber defenses.
Of course, many of these enhancements will be costly. The QDR report describes some of the tradeoffs that DoD’s leaders have identified to enable the rebalancing of U.S. military capabilities. More such tradeoffs could be necessary in the future.
Early in the QDR and as part of the process of completing DoD’s budget submission for FY2010, the Secretary took action to direct resources away from lower-priority programs and activities so that more pressing needs could be addressed, both within that budget and in the years that follow it. Those decisions included ending production of the F-22 fighter, restructuring the procurement of the DDG-1000 destroyer and the Future Combat Systems
programs, deferring production of new maritime prepositioning ships, and stretching out procurement of a new class of aircraft carrier. The Air Force is substantially reducing its fleet of older fourth-generation fighter aircraft.
In addition to these steps, DoD is proposing in its budget submission for FY 2011 to shut down production of the C-17 airlift aircraft, having completed the planned procurement of those aircraft. DoD has also decided to delay the command ship replacement (LCC) program and to extend the life of existing command ships, cancel the CG(X) cruiser, and terminate the Net Enabled Command and Control program. Those actions, among others, have enabled the Department to redirect resources into the high-priority areas outlined above.
Where it has not been possible to set in motion initiatives to meet certain future operational needs, the Secretary has identified vectors for the evolution of the force, calling on DoD components to devote sustained efforts toward developing new concepts and capabilities to address those needs. Assessments of future operating environments will continue, with an eye toward refining our understanding of future needs. At the same time, the Department will continue to look assiduously for savings in underperforming programs and activities, divestiture, technology substitution, less-pressing mission and program areas, and other accounts so that more resources can be devoted to filling these gaps.
Taking Care of Our People
America’s men and women in uniform constitute the Department’s most important resource. Multiple long deployments are taking a significant toll on our people and their families, and the Department remains focused on their health and welfare. As part of this focus, the QDR has elevated the need to preserve and enhance the All-Volunteer Force and included this priority in our force planning and in our strategy deliberations. In order to better take care of our people, the Department is focusing on several fronts.
Wounded warrior care: Our wounded, ill, or injured service members deserve every opportunity to return to active duty following their recovery, or to make a seamless transition to veteran status if they cannot be returned to active duty. Apart from prevailing in current conflicts, caring for our wounded warriors is our highest priority, and we will work to provide them top-quality care that reflects their service and sacrifice. The Department is improving the treatment of our wounded warriors in many ways, which include:
* Increasing funding for wounded warrior initiatives across the Military Departments;
* Improving health benefits and adding additional personnel for wounded warrior support programs; and
* Broadening the scope and quality of information sharing between the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs to strengthen continuity of care and benefits delivery for military members.
Managing the deployment tempo: Doing everything possible to better manage a complex deployment tempo is an important aspect of the Department’s commitment to our personnel and families. We must strive to provide them and their families with greater clarity and predictability regarding current and planned deployments. To this end, the Department continues to work toward increasing time spent between deployments to two years at home for every one deployed for the Active Component and five years demobilized for every one year mobilized for Guard and Reserve units.
Recruiting and retention: Our recruiting efforts are long-term investments that can yield generational gains. In this challenging wartime environment, the Department continues to meet its recruiting and retention goals. The Department must continue developing innovative programs to attract qualified young men and women into the Armed Forces, and to retain them. Examples of recent efforts include:
* Revising bonus policies to allow the Military Departments to pursue innovative ways to retain quality personnel; and
* Offering more flexible ways for military personnel to serve, by implementing programs designed to better enable transitions between Active and Reserve Component service.
Supporting families: We have a critical and enduring obligation to better prepare and support families during the stress of multiple deployments. Access to robust single member, spouse, child, and youth services is no longer a desirable option, but necessary, as these are services essential to maintain the health of the All-Volunteer Force. Examples of recent efforts include:
* Increasing resources devoted to institutionalizing service member and family support programs across the Department;
* Replacing or renovating a majority of DoD Educational Activity schools by 2015; and
* Continuing efforts of the Military Departments to improve family and community support services.
Developing future military leaders: The Department will continue its work to ensure that America’s cadre of commissioned and noncommissioned officers are prepared for the full range of complex missions that the future security environment will demand. DoD will continue to place special emphasis on stability operations, counterinsurgency, and the building of partner capacity skill sets in its professional military education and career development policies. Examples of efforts in this area include:
* Building expertise in foreign language, regional, and cultural skills;
* Recognizing joint experience whenever and wherever it occurs in an officer’s career; and
* Ensuring that the Department’s educational institutions have the right resources and faculty that can help prepare the next generation of military leaders.
Developing the total defense workforce: The demands of a complex and uncertain security environment require the Department to assess whether it possesses the right workforce size and mix of military, government civilian, and contractor personnel. As part of these efforts, DoD will take the following steps:
* Improve the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce, which provides deployable civilian experts to Afghanistan, Iraq, and other theaters; and
* Work to reduce the number of support service contractors, thereby helping to establish a balanced workforce that appropriately aligns functions to the public and private sector.
Strengthening Relationships
Achieving the Department’s strategic objectives requires close collaboration with counterparts at home and with key allies and partners abroad. Through its foreign defense relationships, the United States not only helps avert crises but also improves its effectiveness in responding to them. Moreover, by integrating U.S. defense capabilities with other elements of national security—including diplomacy, development, law enforcement, trade, and intelligence—the nation can ensure that the right mix of expertise is at hand to take advantage of emerging
opportunities and to thwart potential threats. The Department will take the following steps:
Strengthening key relationships abroad: America’s power and influence are enhanced by sustaining a vibrant network of defense alliances and new partnerships, building cooperative approaches with key states, and maintaining interactions with important international institutions such as the United Nations. Recognizing the importance of fostering and improving military and defense relations with allies and partners, the Department continues to emphasize tailored approaches that build on shared interests and common approaches.
Evolving U.S. global defense posture: The United States is a global power with global responsibilities. Including operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, approximately 400,000 U.S. military personnel are forward-stationed or rotationally deployed around the world. The United States will continue to tailor its defense posture to enhance other states’ abilities to solve global security problems, and to address challenges including ongoing conflicts, the proliferation of nuclear technology and theater ballistic missiles, anti-access and area-denial capabilities, and
maintaining secure access to the global commons.
Improving unity of effort: The Department remains committed to further improving a whole-ofgovernment approach to national security challenges. From improving our partnership with the Department of State in conflict zones, to our enduring relationship with America’s intelligence community, to supporting civil authorities at home through our partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense will closely cooperate with other U.S. departments and agencies to better protect and advance America’s interests.
Reforming How We Do Business
Years of war have demanded that America’s Armed Forces rapidly innovate and adapt—the Department’s institutional base must do the same. The QDR highlights several issues requiring particular attention.
Reforming security assistance: Despite the recognition that our security is increasingly tied to building partner capacity, our security assistance tool kit has not kept pace. America’s security assistance efforts remain constrained by a complex patchwork of authorities, persistent shortfalls in resources, unwieldy processes, and a limited ability to sustain long-term efforts. The Department is working to improve its internal efforts, ensure that urgent warfighter needs are met—through such means as the Commander’s Emergency Response Program, the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund, and the Iraq Security Forces Fund—and work with interagency partners to
create new and more responsive mechanisms for security assistance.
Reforming how we buy: The conventional acquisition process is too long and too cumbersome to fit the needs of the many systems that require continuous changes and upgrades—a challenge that will become only more pressing over time. The Department will improve how it matches requirements with mature technologies, maintains disciplined systems engineering approaches, institutionalizes rapid acquisition capabilities, and implements more comprehensive testing. We must avoid sacrificing cost and schedule for promises of improved performance. Our efforts must also include reforming the U.S. export control system for the 21st century, and spurring continued improvements in the provision of rapid logistical support to our forces abroad.
Strengthening the industrial base: America’s security and prosperity are increasing linked with the health of our technology and industrial bases. In order to maintain our strategic advantage well into the future, the Department requires a consistent, realistic, and long-term strategy for shaping the structure and capabilities of the defense technology and industrial bases—a strategy that better accounts for the rapid evolution of commercial technology, as well as the unique requirements of ongoing conflicts.
Reforming the U.S. export control system: Today’s export control system is a relic of the Cold War and must be adapted to address current threats. The current system impedes cooperation, technology sharing, and interoperability with allies and partners, hindering U.S. industrial competitiveness. The Department will work with interagency partners and with Congress to ensure that a new system fully addresses the threats the U.S. will face in the future.
Crafting a strategic approach to climate and energy: Climate change and energy will play significant roles in the future security environment. The Department is developing policies and plans to manage the effects of climate change on its operating environment, missions, and facilities. The Department already performs environmental stewardship at hundreds of DoD installations throughout the United States, working to meet resource efficiency and sustainability goals. We must continue incorporating geostrategic and operational energy considerations into
force planning, requirements development, and acquisition processes.
Balancing for a Complex Future
The priorities advanced in the QDR, coupled with both the FY 2010 and FY 2011 budgets reflect the Secretary’s consistent emphasis on ensuring the Department does everything possible to enable success in today’s wars while preparing for a complex and uncertain future. This QDR report and the preceding months of deliberation served two purposes: first, to establish the Department’s key priority objectives, providing context and recommendations regarding capability development and investment portfolios; and second, to communicate the Secretary’s
intent for the next several years of the Department’s work. The QDR thus serves as a critical capstone document, shaping how the Department of Defense will support America’s men and women in uniform today, and building the policy and programmatic foundation for security in the years to come.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The mission of the Department of Defense is to protect the American people and advance our nation’s interests.
In executing these responsibilities, we must recognize that first and foremost, the United States is a nation at war. In Afghanistan, our forces fight alongside allies and partners in renewed efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban. In Iraq, U.S. military personnel advise, train, and support Iraqi forces as part of a responsible transition and drawdown. Above all, the United States and its allies and partners remain engaged in a broader war—a multifaceted political, military and moral struggle—against Al Qaeda and its allies around the world.
Furthermore, as a global power, the strength and influence of the United States are deeply intertwined with the fate of the broader international system—a system of alliances, partnerships, and multinational institutions that our country has helped build and sustain for more than sixty years. The U.S. military must therefore be prepared to support broad national goals of promoting stability in key regions, providing assistance to nations in need, and promoting the common good.
With these realities in mind, the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review advances two clear objectives. First, to further rebalance the capabilities of America’s Armed Forces to prevail in today’s wars, while building the capabilities needed to deal with future threats. Second, to further reform the Department’s institutions and processes to better support the urgent needs of the warfighter; buy weapons that are usable, affordable, and truly needed; and ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and responsibly.
The strategy and initiatives described in the QDR will continue to evolve in response to the security environment. Using the QDR as its foundation, the Department will continually examine its approach—from objectives to capabilities and activities to resources—to ensure its best alignment for the nation, its allies and partners, and our men and women in uniform.
A Complex Environment
The United States faces a complex and uncertain security landscape in which the pace of change continues to accelerate. The distribution of global political, economic, and military power is becoming more diffuse. The rise of China, the world’s most populous country, and India, the world’s largest democracy, will continue to shape an international system that is no longer easily defined—one in which the United States will remain the most powerful actor but must increasingly work with key allies and partners if it is to sustain stability and peace.
Globalization has transformed the process of technological innovation while lowering entry barriers for a wider range of actors to acquire advanced technologies. As technological innovation and global information flows accelerate, non-state actors will continue to gain influence and capabilities that, during the past century, remained largely the purview of states.
The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) continues to undermine global security, further complicating efforts to sustain peace and prevent harmful arms races. The instability or collapse of a WMD-armed state is among our most troubling concerns. Such an occurrence could lead to rapid proliferation of WMD material, weapons, and technology, and could quickly become a global crisis posing a direct physical threat to the United States and all other nations.
Other powerful trends are likely to add complexity to the security environment. Rising demand for resources, rapid urbanization of littoral regions, the effects of climate change, the emergence of new strains of disease, and profound cultural and demographic tensions in several regions are just some of the trends whose complex interplay may spark or exacerbate future conflicts.
America’s Global Role
America’s interests are inextricably linked to the integrity and resilience of the international system. Chief among these interests are security, prosperity, broad respect for universal values, and an international order that promotes cooperative action.
Consistent with the President’s vision, the United States will advance these interests by strengthening our domestic foundation and integrating all elements of national power, engaging abroad on the basis of mutual interest and mutual respect, and promoting an international order that advances our interests by reinforcing the rights and responsibilities of all nations.
America’s interests and role in the world require armed forces with unmatched capabilities and a willingness on the part of the nation to employ them in defense of our interests and the common good. The United States remains the only nation able to project and sustain large-scale operations over extended distances. This unique position generates an obligation to be responsible stewards of the power and influence that history, determination, and circumstance have provided.
Defense Strategy
In order to help defend and advance our national interests, the Department of Defense balances resources and risk among four priority objectives: prevail in today’s wars, prevent and deter conflict, prepare to defeat adversaries and succeed in a wide range of contingencies, and preserve and enhance the All-Volunteer Force. These priorities shape not only considerations on the capabilities our Armed Forces need but also the aggregate capacity required to accomplish their missions now and in the future. Our approach to achieving them must evolve and adapt in
response to a changing security environment.
Prevail in today’s wars: We must ensure the success of our forces in the field—in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world. Along with our allies and partners, we have renewed efforts to help the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al Qaeda and eliminate its safe havens within both nations. In Iraq, years of effort have helped enable that government to take the lead in protecting its people and providing essential services. As the responsible drawdown of the U.S. military presence proceeds, U.S. forces will continue to play
important roles advising, training, and supporting Iraqi forces. Elsewhere, U.S. forces work with partners and allies to locate and dismantle terrorist networks.
In the near term to midterm, substantial numbers of U.S. forces will likely be operating in Afghanistan and U.S. forces in Iraq will continue a responsible drawdown. These efforts will substantially determine the size and shape of major elements of U.S. military forces for several years. In the mid- to long term, we expect there to be enduring operational requirements in Afghanistan and elsewhere to defeat Al Qaeda and its allies.
Prevent and deter conflict: America’s enduring effort to advance common interests without resort to arms is a hallmark of its stewardship of the international system. Preventing the rise of threats to U.S. interests requires the integrated use of diplomacy, development, and defense, along with intelligence, law enforcement, and economic tools of statecraft, to help build the capacity of partners to maintain and promote stability. Such an approach also requires working closely with our allies and partners to leverage existing alliances and create conditions to advance common interests.
Our deterrent remains grounded in land, air, and naval forces capable of fighting limited and large-scale conflicts in environments where anti-access weaponry and tactics are used, as well as forces prepared to respond to the full range of challenges posed by state and non-state groups. These forces are enabled by cyber and space capabilities and enhanced by U.S. capabilities to deny adversaries’ objectives through ballistic missile defense and counter-WMD, a resilient infrastructure, and our global basing and posture. Until such time as the Administration’s goal of a world free of nuclear weapons is achieved, nuclear capabilities will be maintained as a core mission for the Department of Defense. We will maintain a safe, secure, and effective nuclear arsenal to deter attack on the United States, and on our allies and partners.
While U.S. forces are heavily engaged in current wars, the Department’s prevent-and-deter activities will be focused on ensuring a defense in depth of the United States; preventing the emergence or reemergence of transnational terrorist threats, including Al Qaeda; and deterring other potential major adversaries. In the future, as our forces transition into a period of lessintensive sustained operations, the Department’s force planning assumes an ability to undertake a broader and deeper range of prevent-and-deter missions, acting wherever possible as part of a whole-of-government approach and in concert with allies and partners.
Prepare to defeat adversaries and succeed in a wide range of contingencies: If deterrence fails and adversaries challenge our interests with the threat or use of force, the United States must be prepared to respond in support of U.S. national interests. Not all contingencies will require the involvement of U.S. military forces, but the Defense Department must be prepared to provide the President with options across a wide range of contingencies, which include supporting a response to an attack or natural disaster at home, defeating aggression by adversary states, supporting and stabilizing fragile states facing serious internal threats, and preventing human suffering due to mass atrocities or large-scale natural disasters abroad.
In the mid- to long term, U.S. military forces must plan and prepare to prevail in a broad range of operations that may occur in multiple theaters in overlapping time frames. This includes maintaining the ability to prevail against two capable nation-state aggressors, but we must take seriously the need to plan for the broadest possible range of operations—from homeland defense and defense support to civil authorities, to deterrence and preparedness missions—occurring in multiple and unpredictable combinations.
Operations over the past eight years have stressed the ground forces disproportionately, but the future operational landscape could also portend significant long-duration air and maritime campaigns for which the U.S. Armed Forces must be prepared.
Preserve and enhance the All-Volunteer Force: Years of war have significantly stressed our military personnel and their families. Given the continuing need for substantial and sustained deployments in conflict zones, the Department must do all it can to take care of our people—physically and psychologically. For too long, the health of the All-Volunteer Force, the civilian workforce that supports it, and the processes by which the Department provides needed equipment and platforms have been underemphasized priorities. The prolonged wartime period
since 2001 has greatly elevated their importance, and the consequences of failure have accordingly become more serious. To reflect the urgency that the Department’s leadership places on these issues, the QDR has striven to include them as core components of our policy, planning, and programming considerations.
Our preserve-and-enhance efforts will focus on transitioning to sustainable rotation rates that protect the force’s long-term health. The Department plans that in times of significant crisis, U.S. forces will be prepared to experience higher deployment rates and briefer dwell periods for up to several years at a time and/or to mobilize the Reserve Component. This will typically be necessary if the United States is engaged for long periods in more than one large operation, such as Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Department will also expand its Civilian Expeditionary Workforce (CEW) to augment the military effort as required.
These four priority objectives are at once timely and enduring. They capture the Department’s key priorities and drive considerations about the size and shape of America’s Armed Forces now and in the future. Successfully balancing them requires that the Department make hard choices on the level of resources required as well as accepting and managing risk in a way that favors success in today’s wars.
Rebalancing the Force
In order to successfully protect and advance U.S. interests while balancing the priority objectives outlined above, the QDR makes a series of recommendations aimed at helping to rebalance America’s Armed Forces to better enable success in the following missions critical to protecting and advancing the nation’s interests. Required force enhancements were identified by examining ongoing conflicts as well as the performance of the current and planned force through combinations of scenarios spanning the range of plausible future challenges. Significant
enhancements were directed in the following key mission areas:
Defend the United States and support civil authorities at home: The rapid proliferation of destructive technologies, combined with potent ideologies of violent extremism, requires sustaining a high level of vigilance against terrorist threats. Moreover, state adversaries are acquiring new means to strike targets at greater distances from their borders and with greater lethality. The United States must also be prepared to respond to the full range of potential natural disasters.
The QDR directs a series of enhancements, including:
* Improve the responsiveness and flexibility of consequence management response forces;
* Enhance capabilities for domain awareness;
* Accelerate the development of standoff radiological/nuclear detection capabilities; and
* Enhance domestic capabilities to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Succeed in counterinsurgency, stability, and counterterrorism operations: The United States must retain the capability to conduct large-scale counterinsurgency, stability, and counterterrorism operations in a wide range of environments. In order to ensure that America’s Armed Forces are prepared for this complex mission, it is vital that the lessons from today’s conflicts be further institutionalized in military doctrine, training, capability development, and operational planning.
QDR initiatives include:
* Increase the availability of rotary-wing assets;
* Expand manned and unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR);
* Increase key enabling assets for special operations forces (SOF);
* Increase counterinsurgency, stability operations, and counterterrorism competency and capacity in general purpose forces;
* Increase regional expertise for Afghanistan and Pakistan; and
* Strengthen key supporting capabilities for strategic communication.
Build the security capacity of partner states: Since the end of World War II, DoD has worked to build the security capacity of allied and partner states and to ensure that the Armed Forces of the United States have ample opportunities to train with and learn from counterpart forces. As ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq make clear, these dimensions of U.S. defense strategy have never been more important.
Key QDR initiatives in this mission area include:
* Strengthen and institutionalize general purpose force capabilities for security force assistance;
* Enhance linguistic, regional, and cultural ability;
* Strengthen and expand capabilities for training partner aviation forces;
* Strengthen capacities for ministerial-level training; and
* Create mechanisms to expedite acquisition and transfer of critical capabilities to partner forces.
Deter and defeat aggression in anti-access environments: U.S. forces must be able to deter, defend against, and defeat aggression by potentially hostile nation-states. This capability is fundamental to the nation’s ability to protect its interests and to provide security in key regions. In the absence of dominant U.S. power projection capabilities, the integrity of U.S. alliances and security partnerships could be called into question, reducing U.S. security and influence and increasing the possibility of conflict.
The QDR directs the following enhancements:
* Expand future long-range strike capabilities;
* Exploit advantages in subsurface operations;
* Increase the resiliency of U.S. forward posture and base infrastructure;
* Assure access to space and the use of space assets;
* Enhance the robustness of key ISR capabilities;
* Defeat enemy sensors and engagement systems; and
* Enhance the presence and responsiveness of U.S. forces abroad.
Prevent proliferation and counter weapons of mass destruction: The potential spread of weapons of mass destruction poses a grave threat. As the ability to create and employ weapons of mass destruction spreads globally, so must our combined efforts to detect, interdict, and contain the effects of these weapons. Deterrence of such threats and defense against them can be enhanced through measures aimed at better understanding potential threats, securing and reducing dangerous materials wherever possible, positioning forces to monitor and track lethal agents and materials and their means of delivery, and, where relevant, defeating the agents themselves.
Through the QDR, the Secretary of Defense directs the following:
* Establish a Joint Task Force Elimination Headquarters to plan, train, and execute WMDelimination operations;
* Research countermeasures and defense to nontraditional agents;
* Enhance nuclear forensics;
* Secure vulnerable nuclear materials;
* Expand the biological threat reduction program; and
* Develop new verification technologies.
Operate effectively in cyberspace: The security environment demands improved capabilities to counter threats in cyberspace. In the 21st century, modern armed forces simply cannot conduct effective high-tempo operations without resilient, reliable information and communication networks and assured access to cyberspace. DoD must actively defend its networks.
DoD is taking several steps to strengthen capabilities in cyberspace:
* Develop a more comprehensive approach to DoD operations in cyberspace;
* Develop greater cyber expertise and awareness;
* Centralize command of cyber operations; and
* Enhance partnerships with other agencies and governments.
Guiding the Evolution of the Force
In combination and over time, the initiatives described in the QDR are designed to significantly enhance the ability of U.S. forces to protect and advance U.S. interests in both the near and longer term. In addition to better preparing our own forces for the future, these initiatives will improve the Department’s ability to build the capability and capacity of partners.
Changes directed under the QDR can be broadly characterized by the following trends:
* U.S. ground forces will remain capable of full-spectrum operations, with continued focus on capabilities to conduct effective and sustained counterinsurgency, stability, and counterterrorist operations alone and in concert with partners.
* U.S. naval forces likewise will continue to be capable of robust forward presence and power projection operations, even as they add capabilities and capacity for working with a wide range of partner navies. The rapid growth in sea- and land-based ballistic missile defense capabilities will help meet the needs of combatant commanders and allies in several regions.
* U.S. air forces will become more survivable as large numbers of fifth-generation fighters join the force. Land-based and carrier-based aircraft will need greater average range, flexibility, and multimission versatility in order to deter and defeat adversaries that are fielding more potent anti-access capabilities. We will also enhance our air forces’ contributions to security force assistance operations by fielding within our broader inventory aircraft that are well-suited to training and advising partner air forces.
* The United States will continue to increase the capacity of its special operations forces and will enhance their capabilities through the growth of organic enablers and key support assets in the general purpose forces.
* The capabilities, flexibility, and robustness of U.S. forces across the board will be improved by fielding more and better enabling systems, including ISR, electronic attack capabilities, communications networks, more resilient base infrastructure, and enhanced cyber defenses.
Of course, many of these enhancements will be costly. The QDR report describes some of the tradeoffs that DoD’s leaders have identified to enable the rebalancing of U.S. military capabilities. More such tradeoffs could be necessary in the future.
Early in the QDR and as part of the process of completing DoD’s budget submission for FY2010, the Secretary took action to direct resources away from lower-priority programs and activities so that more pressing needs could be addressed, both within that budget and in the years that follow it. Those decisions included ending production of the F-22 fighter, restructuring the procurement of the DDG-1000 destroyer and the Future Combat Systems
programs, deferring production of new maritime prepositioning ships, and stretching out procurement of a new class of aircraft carrier. The Air Force is substantially reducing its fleet of older fourth-generation fighter aircraft.
In addition to these steps, DoD is proposing in its budget submission for FY 2011 to shut down production of the C-17 airlift aircraft, having completed the planned procurement of those aircraft. DoD has also decided to delay the command ship replacement (LCC) program and to extend the life of existing command ships, cancel the CG(X) cruiser, and terminate the Net Enabled Command and Control program. Those actions, among others, have enabled the Department to redirect resources into the high-priority areas outlined above.
Where it has not been possible to set in motion initiatives to meet certain future operational needs, the Secretary has identified vectors for the evolution of the force, calling on DoD components to devote sustained efforts toward developing new concepts and capabilities to address those needs. Assessments of future operating environments will continue, with an eye toward refining our understanding of future needs. At the same time, the Department will continue to look assiduously for savings in underperforming programs and activities, divestiture, technology substitution, less-pressing mission and program areas, and other accounts so that more resources can be devoted to filling these gaps.
Taking Care of Our People
America’s men and women in uniform constitute the Department’s most important resource. Multiple long deployments are taking a significant toll on our people and their families, and the Department remains focused on their health and welfare. As part of this focus, the QDR has elevated the need to preserve and enhance the All-Volunteer Force and included this priority in our force planning and in our strategy deliberations. In order to better take care of our people, the Department is focusing on several fronts.
Wounded warrior care: Our wounded, ill, or injured service members deserve every opportunity to return to active duty following their recovery, or to make a seamless transition to veteran status if they cannot be returned to active duty. Apart from prevailing in current conflicts, caring for our wounded warriors is our highest priority, and we will work to provide them top-quality care that reflects their service and sacrifice. The Department is improving the treatment of our wounded warriors in many ways, which include:
* Increasing funding for wounded warrior initiatives across the Military Departments;
* Improving health benefits and adding additional personnel for wounded warrior support programs; and
* Broadening the scope and quality of information sharing between the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs to strengthen continuity of care and benefits delivery for military members.
Managing the deployment tempo: Doing everything possible to better manage a complex deployment tempo is an important aspect of the Department’s commitment to our personnel and families. We must strive to provide them and their families with greater clarity and predictability regarding current and planned deployments. To this end, the Department continues to work toward increasing time spent between deployments to two years at home for every one deployed for the Active Component and five years demobilized for every one year mobilized for Guard and Reserve units.
Recruiting and retention: Our recruiting efforts are long-term investments that can yield generational gains. In this challenging wartime environment, the Department continues to meet its recruiting and retention goals. The Department must continue developing innovative programs to attract qualified young men and women into the Armed Forces, and to retain them. Examples of recent efforts include:
* Revising bonus policies to allow the Military Departments to pursue innovative ways to retain quality personnel; and
* Offering more flexible ways for military personnel to serve, by implementing programs designed to better enable transitions between Active and Reserve Component service.
Supporting families: We have a critical and enduring obligation to better prepare and support families during the stress of multiple deployments. Access to robust single member, spouse, child, and youth services is no longer a desirable option, but necessary, as these are services essential to maintain the health of the All-Volunteer Force. Examples of recent efforts include:
* Increasing resources devoted to institutionalizing service member and family support programs across the Department;
* Replacing or renovating a majority of DoD Educational Activity schools by 2015; and
* Continuing efforts of the Military Departments to improve family and community support services.
Developing future military leaders: The Department will continue its work to ensure that America’s cadre of commissioned and noncommissioned officers are prepared for the full range of complex missions that the future security environment will demand. DoD will continue to place special emphasis on stability operations, counterinsurgency, and the building of partner capacity skill sets in its professional military education and career development policies. Examples of efforts in this area include:
* Building expertise in foreign language, regional, and cultural skills;
* Recognizing joint experience whenever and wherever it occurs in an officer’s career; and
* Ensuring that the Department’s educational institutions have the right resources and faculty that can help prepare the next generation of military leaders.
Developing the total defense workforce: The demands of a complex and uncertain security environment require the Department to assess whether it possesses the right workforce size and mix of military, government civilian, and contractor personnel. As part of these efforts, DoD will take the following steps:
* Improve the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce, which provides deployable civilian experts to Afghanistan, Iraq, and other theaters; and
* Work to reduce the number of support service contractors, thereby helping to establish a balanced workforce that appropriately aligns functions to the public and private sector.
Strengthening Relationships
Achieving the Department’s strategic objectives requires close collaboration with counterparts at home and with key allies and partners abroad. Through its foreign defense relationships, the United States not only helps avert crises but also improves its effectiveness in responding to them. Moreover, by integrating U.S. defense capabilities with other elements of national security—including diplomacy, development, law enforcement, trade, and intelligence—the nation can ensure that the right mix of expertise is at hand to take advantage of emerging
opportunities and to thwart potential threats. The Department will take the following steps:
Strengthening key relationships abroad: America’s power and influence are enhanced by sustaining a vibrant network of defense alliances and new partnerships, building cooperative approaches with key states, and maintaining interactions with important international institutions such as the United Nations. Recognizing the importance of fostering and improving military and defense relations with allies and partners, the Department continues to emphasize tailored approaches that build on shared interests and common approaches.
Evolving U.S. global defense posture: The United States is a global power with global responsibilities. Including operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, approximately 400,000 U.S. military personnel are forward-stationed or rotationally deployed around the world. The United States will continue to tailor its defense posture to enhance other states’ abilities to solve global security problems, and to address challenges including ongoing conflicts, the proliferation of nuclear technology and theater ballistic missiles, anti-access and area-denial capabilities, and
maintaining secure access to the global commons.
Improving unity of effort: The Department remains committed to further improving a whole-ofgovernment approach to national security challenges. From improving our partnership with the Department of State in conflict zones, to our enduring relationship with America’s intelligence community, to supporting civil authorities at home through our partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense will closely cooperate with other U.S. departments and agencies to better protect and advance America’s interests.
Reforming How We Do Business
Years of war have demanded that America’s Armed Forces rapidly innovate and adapt—the Department’s institutional base must do the same. The QDR highlights several issues requiring particular attention.
Reforming security assistance: Despite the recognition that our security is increasingly tied to building partner capacity, our security assistance tool kit has not kept pace. America’s security assistance efforts remain constrained by a complex patchwork of authorities, persistent shortfalls in resources, unwieldy processes, and a limited ability to sustain long-term efforts. The Department is working to improve its internal efforts, ensure that urgent warfighter needs are met—through such means as the Commander’s Emergency Response Program, the Afghanistan Security Forces Fund, and the Iraq Security Forces Fund—and work with interagency partners to
create new and more responsive mechanisms for security assistance.
Reforming how we buy: The conventional acquisition process is too long and too cumbersome to fit the needs of the many systems that require continuous changes and upgrades—a challenge that will become only more pressing over time. The Department will improve how it matches requirements with mature technologies, maintains disciplined systems engineering approaches, institutionalizes rapid acquisition capabilities, and implements more comprehensive testing. We must avoid sacrificing cost and schedule for promises of improved performance. Our efforts must also include reforming the U.S. export control system for the 21st century, and spurring continued improvements in the provision of rapid logistical support to our forces abroad.
Strengthening the industrial base: America’s security and prosperity are increasing linked with the health of our technology and industrial bases. In order to maintain our strategic advantage well into the future, the Department requires a consistent, realistic, and long-term strategy for shaping the structure and capabilities of the defense technology and industrial bases—a strategy that better accounts for the rapid evolution of commercial technology, as well as the unique requirements of ongoing conflicts.
Reforming the U.S. export control system: Today’s export control system is a relic of the Cold War and must be adapted to address current threats. The current system impedes cooperation, technology sharing, and interoperability with allies and partners, hindering U.S. industrial competitiveness. The Department will work with interagency partners and with Congress to ensure that a new system fully addresses the threats the U.S. will face in the future.
Crafting a strategic approach to climate and energy: Climate change and energy will play significant roles in the future security environment. The Department is developing policies and plans to manage the effects of climate change on its operating environment, missions, and facilities. The Department already performs environmental stewardship at hundreds of DoD installations throughout the United States, working to meet resource efficiency and sustainability goals. We must continue incorporating geostrategic and operational energy considerations into
force planning, requirements development, and acquisition processes.
Balancing for a Complex Future
The priorities advanced in the QDR, coupled with both the FY 2010 and FY 2011 budgets reflect the Secretary’s consistent emphasis on ensuring the Department does everything possible to enable success in today’s wars while preparing for a complex and uncertain future. This QDR report and the preceding months of deliberation served two purposes: first, to establish the Department’s key priority objectives, providing context and recommendations regarding capability development and investment portfolios; and second, to communicate the Secretary’s
intent for the next several years of the Department’s work. The QDR thus serves as a critical capstone document, shaping how the Department of Defense will support America’s men and women in uniform today, and building the policy and programmatic foundation for security in the years to come.