Heritage Foundation Releases 2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength, Gives U.S. Military First-Ever 'Weak' Overall Rating
Category: News & Politics
Via: vic-eldred • 2 years ago • 51 commentsBy: heritage (The Heritage Foundation)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON—For the first time, The Heritage Foundation's Index of U.S. Military Strength finds that as currently postured, the U.S. military is rated "weak" and at significant risk of not being able to meet the demands of a single major regional conflict while attending to various presence and engagement activities.
Heritage released the 2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength on Tuesday. The release comes as the military faces a full-blown recruitment crisis and two successive years where the Biden administration submitted defense budget requests below the rate of inflation.
The military has seen a general erosion of capacity, capability, and readiness, but readiness and capacity issues across the force, particularly in the Air Force and Navy, have become so significant that the military's ability to fulfill its primary mission is in jeopardy. Worsening the challenges for the force further are inflation and budget cuts, which account for a total loss of $59 billion in funding between 2018 and 2023 and are compounded by the limited assistance American allies can contribute to our shared security interests.
Meanwhile, America's key adversaries—China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea—are advancing their military capabilities and intimidating U.S. partners. This can be seen by Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and China and North Korea's continued intimidation of neighboring countries such as Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.
The Index of U.S. Military Strength is a comprehensive, authoritative assessment of America's military power, the operating environments around the world relevant to America's vital national interests, and the threats posed to the United States by our adversaries. The Index gives each service a "capacity," "capability," "readiness," and "overall" rating on the following scale: very weak, weak, marginal, strong, or very strong. Overall ratings are highlighted below:
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Army: Marginal. The U.S. Army is aging faster than it is modernizing, receiving an overall "Marginal" rating. A force only about 62% the size it should be earns the service a "weak" rating for capacity. Funding uncertainties may threaten abilities to realize its goals.
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Navy: Weak. The Navy is rated "weak," declining from "marginal" in 2022. Competitors are quickly narrowing the technology gap in their favor as the Navy's ships decrease in numbers and abilities. Uncertainty that the administration and Congress will provide funding to combat these significant deficiencies leaves much up for question.
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Marine Corps: Strong. The Marine Corps rating remains "strong" from the 2022 Index rating. The score remains for two reasons: 1) The threshold for capacity decreased from 36 infantry battalions to 30 battalions in acknowledgment of the Corps' argument that it is a one-war force that also stands ready for a broad range of smaller crisis-response tasks, and 2) because of the Corps' extraordinary efforts to modernize and enhance its readiness during the assessed year. Lack of adequate funding has driven the Corps to pay for its modernization efforts at the expense of capacity, resulting in a reduction of infantry battalions to just 22 this year with plans to reduce to 21 in fiscal year 2023.
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Air Force: Very Weak. This Air Force rating is a downgrade from an assessment of "weak" in the 2022 Index. Aging aircraft and poor pilot training and retention continue to degrade the ability of the Air Force to generate quality combat air power needed to meet wartime requirements. It would be difficult for the Air Force to respond rapidly to a crisis and dominate airspace without increased pilot training and numbers of fifth-generation weapon systems.
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Space Force: Weak. The Space Force rating is measured as "weak" not due to lack of expertise but because capacity of the service falls short of the demands placed on it. While the Space Force has transitioned missions from other services without interruption in support, it does not have enough assets to track and manage the explosive growth in commercial and competitor-country systems being placed in orbit. The force also lacks defensive and offensive counter-space capabilities.
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Nuclear Capability: Strong. Bipartisan commitment to the modernization of the entire nuclear enterprise retains the grade of "strong." However, the reliability of the U.S. delivery systems and warheads is at risk as they age. Future assessments will need to consider plans to adjust America's nuclear forces and account for the doubling of peer nuclear threats.
Heritage Foundation President Dr. Kevin Roberts, made the following statement:
"While America's adversaries, particularly the Chinese Community Party, make chilling strides to challenge American leadership on the world stage and surpass our nation militarily, the professional political class is consumed with branding climate change as a national security crisis, injecting divisive ideology into the military, and undermining military readiness.
"Biden's reckless, naive foreign policy continues to embolden our adversaries, while his domestic agenda undermines the strength of our military. There is no question that under his failed leadership the strength of our military has hit an all-time low.
"Politicians have no excuses. This Index and Heritage's solutions for restoring military readiness provides lawmakers with every tool needed to ensure they protect America's interests. If we want to fight to save America's future, we must have a military ready to protect our interests at home and abroad."
Retired Lt. Col. Dakota Wood, Heritage senior research fellow and editor of the Index, made the following statement:
"Heritage publishes the Index of U.S. Military Strength to help lawmakers understand the state of our military and the challenges we face. As our adversaries enhance their defense programs and nuclear capabilities, the Biden administration continues to prove they lack the capability to provide for the common defense at the most basic level: funding. As we face an increasing list of nuclear-capable adversaries and the provocative regimes in Beijing and Moscow, the Left continues to jeopardize the safety and security of Americans. Now, nearly all of our military branches are suffering as a result, and the men and women who serve in them put at increasing risk. If this trend continues, we will not be able to meet the demands of defending our national interests."
Since the inaugural 2015 edition of the Index of U.S. Military Strength, The Heritage Foundation has documented a steady decline in various aspects of U.S. military strength and the 2023 Index makes clear that improvements are desperately needed across the services. The Index, a one-of-a-kind assessment, serves as an invaluable guide in educating both policymakers and the American public about the state of U.S. military readiness, and how prepared the United States is to face the changing threats in an increasingly dangerous world.
The entire 2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength is available here.
In addition, Heritage's Center for National Defense has numerous policy recommendations for addressing the Index's assessment of the U.S. military. They include:
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Improvements to the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.
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Increasing funding for the military services, offset by savings as described in Heritage's Budget Blueprint.
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Increasing the number of shipyards and identify ways to increase the Navy's manpower and firepower through a more integrated long range shipbuilding plan to better deter China.
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Adhering to U.S. Marine Corps Commandant's Force Design 2030 Blueprint.
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Removing unreasonable limitations on the procurement of the F-35 fighter.
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Addressing the military recruitment crisis by exploring ways to incentivize and motivating young people to serve, and ensuring the military recruiters have the resources and access they need to be more effective.
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Changing the downward trajectory of the U.S. Army.
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Did we ever think we would see a report like this?
Only about 10% of the Federal Budget is now spent on Defense.
from the rwnj thumper institute? less than 3 weeks before the mid-terms? ...shocking /s
I thought geebus was their first line of defense. sounds like another legit reason to pass the collection plate...
What an idiotic comment.
thanks. [Deleted]
That is as delusional as the original comment is idiotic.
Exactly...
The list forgot to add dewoking the military and DOD as a whole!
Like being 'woke' is a slur and a problem. It's just a talking point or buzz word or another insult against the 'left' when it's a good thing.
It most certainly is when it comes to military readiness, but you have never served in he military so I don't expect you to have any clue anyway.
No it doesn't. Has absolutely nothing to do with 'military readiness' - has nothing to do with if I served in the military or not. Or whether you served in the military or not. Whether whoever served in the military or not.
So is that all you have, insults?
There are certainly a lot of political attacks in the Heritage Foundation analysis, but considering the source is not unexpected.
This is the 2023 Military budget which represents a roughly 9% increase over 2022.
From the article:
So we have been in a steady decline for the last eight years (2023 included) and three different presidents have been unable to stop the decline says Heritage yet military budgets have gone up every year.
Dammit spend more money we need to become competitive we have to reverse this decline. /s
The USA enjoys a position of privilege in the world from the way we made ourselves the center of international economic systems after WWII and from the way the international trade routes more or less thrive under Pax Americana.
The dollar is basically the default international reserve currency and America gets to repay its debts in money that it can print at will. Americans get a boost from the exceptional American dollar.
This could change.
Let us cede ocean territory to China, let us abandon Ukraine, and let us default on our debt, and then most people in the world will be asking who still needs America?
There's a reason why RT never shuts up about bitcoin and American foreign policy hypocrisy. They would like to see us implode on all these fronts.
Did they write the index in crayon and use small words? That the only way the Democrats would understand it.
There is a lot the Biden administration can't do at the basic level.
Amen to that!
Leader of the fierce manly unwoke Russian Army
Leader of the woke small civilian unmanly army of Ukraine. Of course, there are 40,000 women in that unmanly army. (pencil neck Pucker Carlson will be agast)
The result of the woke army of Ukraine with its 40,000 women.
Slava Ukraine
Dont post naked pictures of Putin. Some right wingers will get a hard on.
fascists best take note on what can happen when the will of the average citizen is ignored and provoked.
[deleted]
I don't have anyone on impasse.
"I don't have anyone on impasse."
I know. It seems some folks throw that up when they're losing the 'argument'. There was no reason to throw up the impasse in the first place as far as I'm concerned. I get insulted and respond and impasse is thrown out there. I was just commenting to a poster and that's what they did.
Whatever.
Leader of the fierce manly unwoke Russian Army
Leader of the woke small civilian unmanly army of Ukraine. Of course, there are 40,000 women in that unmanly army. (pencil neck Pucker Carlson will be agast)
The result of the woke army of Ukraine with its 40,000 women.
$58 billion dollars (That our government will admit to sending. That is not including anything the alphabet agencies have surely funneled to Ukraine) in aid, military hardware, and training. Money that we will never see again.
For that we could have bought off Russia; and still have the military hardware that we will need to replace.
But at least Democrats can get their inner Fascists on! So that is money well spent. Until Ukraine comes to us for money to rebuild their country after the war is over.
Biden and the dems tossed somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 and a half Trillion in less than 2 years in all kinds of leftist dream works, yet the Military only gets about 10% of the budget!
Which is $800 billion plus.
And you'll see it's higher than any year that your hero could muster.
If I'm the next President, I'm looking to reverse the Obama policy: I'd make it $2 for Defense for ever $1 in domestic spending.
Sure, when pigs fly! If Trump gets nominated it guarantees Biden's second term. Go for it!
don't forget to take a few laps around dealey plaza in a convertible before inauguration....
Wow, that is really shocking considering the highest rates of inflation in 40 years.
/s
I can only laugh. Military spending has gone up yet these people are acting like it is being destroyed.
I know most people here base their thoughts on military spending aligned with their Party in general, but that's not how it really works. There are Repubs that think that DoD is over resourced and the Dem led House and Senate may be poised to add more to the future FY23 budget than the President asked for.
I can't speak about the Navy or AF Budget but I do know a little about the Army Budget:
This info won't change anyone's mind but some of you on both sides might find it interesting.
On top of the $58 billion that the government has already sent to Ukraine.
Ukraine is a never ending financial sink hole. Throw money in and watch the hole grow even larger.
The other services run pretty much along the same lines.
The heritage foundation? Hahahaha
What specific numbers do you dispute in the article or in their report?
Fuck off
Okay, I'll mark that as "Am unable to back self up with actual facts" when asked an easy question.
Nope, I am done trying to even have a discussion with you, you either change the subject, convolute the subject or muddy the waters to where a point cannot even be made.
I don't like talking in circles.
Simply answering a question about your own post is hardly talking in circles--unless this is all just some diversion to hide the fact you couldn't answer it.
We must have far different understanding of what convoluting is if "What specific numbers do you dispute in the article or in their report?" is at ALL convoluted to you.
I guess I taught you a new word.
You, sir, are a very poor guesser.
Is THAT your version of talking in circles?
Baaa
Reminds me a a great lyric:
I'm on the Lamb but I Ain't No Sheep
I do believe you are looking for Little Bo Peep.
Try thataway
!!
A reich wing 'think' tank.
And here I thought they were busy trying to fuck us up with judicial picks. Now they are going after the military.,..
Ooh, a report issued annually is really going after the military!
/s
Ohh, someone that loves right wing bullshit and swallows it hook line and sinker, without ones own thoughts having to be used.
What was it you said on another thread? You are a follower.
I asked you specifically for your thoughts and you declined to answer. I see who didn't choose to use their own thoughts and reverted to the usual "Nuh-uh!!".