Sharper: Campaigning and the National Defense Strategy

The United States faces the unprecedented challenge of simultaneously deterring large-scale conventional aggression by two nuclear-armed powers while also managing other threats around the globe. The 2022 National Defense Strategy advanced “campaigning” as a core peacetime deterrence concept aiming to logically link peacetime military activities to strategic objectives. However, the concept’s broad application risks misallocating key resources to nonpriority theaters, potentially weakening U.S. force posture. How could the United States improve the campaigning concept to strengthen deterrence? CNAS experts are sharpening the concept of campaigning to focus on the key missions, capabilities, and posture decisions critical to deterring China and Russia. Read the latest edition of Sharper to explore their ideas and recommendations.

Features

Campaign of Denial

The United States faces an unprecedented challenge: simultaneously deterring large-scale conventional aggression by two nuclear-armed powers. A new report from Senior Fellow Becca Wasser develops a framework for how the United States can simultaneously deter Chinese and Russian aggression in the near term using existing forces and resources. It proposes a new approach to the concept of campaigning which links U.S. military activities to warfighting concepts to strengthen deterrence by denial and respond effectively to the challenges posed by China and Russia.

The Kadena Conundrum: Developing a Resilient Indo-Pacific Posture

"The U.S. Air Force decision in October 2022 to remove two squadrons of aging F-15C/D fighters at Kadena Air Force Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa and replace it with a temporary detachment to cover the Kadena fighter mission sparked a firestorm," write Stacie Pettyjohn, Andrew Metrick and Becca Wasser in War on the Rocks. "The announcement was quickly followed by numerous criticisms leveled by members of the Congress as well as regional and defense experts, many of whom have called for augmented posture in the Indo-Pacific to deter Chinese aggression. Their arguments cite a misalignment between resources and strategic priorities. If China’s developing military power renders it the U.S. Department of Defense’s priority pacing challenge, then why is the Pentagon removing key air assets that could contribute to holding Beijing at bay rather than doubling down on strengthening regional posture?"

AUKUS, Deterrence, and U.S. Foreign Policy with Becca Wasser

Becca Wasser joins Justin Bassi for a conversation on AUKUS, integrated deterrence, and U.S. foreign policy. Becca details some of the strategic challenges Australia and the United States face in the Indo-Pacific, and how AUKUS can contribute to security and stability in the region.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: Getting Force Design Right in the Next National Defense Strategy

"The Biden administration should narrowly focus the Defense Department on high-end deterrence against China and Russia instead of strategic competition or managing an expanded array of lesser threats," argue Stacie Pettyjohn and Becca Wasser in War on the Rocks. "This strategy would enable the dual nuclear and conventional modernization that is desperately needed to strengthen deterrence, both now and in the future, at current levels of defense spending. Additional resources would not translate to doing more, particularly not when more takes the department’s eye off the ball and encourages a lack of strategic discipline. Rather, any additional resources should translate to doing a narrower range of critical high-end missions more effectively. Urgent change at a significant scale is required to secure the nation today and tomorrow, but this will not occur if the next National Defense Strategy promotes too much of the same."

U.S. Needs Attritable Systems, Strategic Logistics Analysis to Win Wars

"Wars are won and lost well before they even start," writes Lt. Col. Ernest "Nest" Cage in Defense News. "The key to victory, if the U.S. is forced to engage in a near-peer fight, will rely on the adoption of attritable weapon systems: simplistic in design, rapidly reproducible and highly lethal. It will also depend on a sharper focus on strategic logistics planning and analysis across the defense-industrial base. Policymakers have taken aggressive steps to shore up the defense-industrial base by harnessing lessons learned and investing in new safeguards and approaches to increase resilience. However, a fair assertion is that these efforts alone are not enough to meet the demands of a near-peer fight."

The Next National Defense Strategy with Dr. Mara Karlin

The National Defense Strategy identifies priority threats and missions to deter competitors from aggression and secure U.S. interests around the globe. This guidance will size and shape the Joint Force and provide critical direction to the department. On December 9, 2021 the Center for a New American Security hosted Dr. Mara Karlin, who is performing the duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, to discuss how the department views the evolving security environment and its implications for the forthcoming National Defense Strategy.

Building a Networked Security Architecture in the Indo-Pacific with Ely Ratner

The March 13 announcement of the optimal pathway for completing Pillar One of the AUKUS initiative and Japan’s announcement last December of a new set of defense policies, including developing counterstrike capabilities to deal with escalating missile threats in the region, are also indicative of the progress. What do these developments mean for the future of security and deterrence in the region? What further steps can we expect from the Biden administration to build out a system of networked deterrence? Dr. Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, joined Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security program, at CNAS to discuss these issues and more.

The Role of Allies and Partners in the National Defense Strategy with Dr. Celeste Wallander

Recent events, such as the coordinated international response to Russian aggression in Ukraine, have reinforced how allies and partners can strengthen deterrence. Given America's global responsibilities, it is critical that the United States works with allies and partners to manage potential crises. On February 10, CNAS hosted Dr. Celeste Wallander, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, for a virtual event to discuss how the Department of Defense plans to work with allies and partners in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa to manage regional crises and achieve the aims of the National Defense Strategy.

About the Sharper Series

The CNAS Sharper series features curated analysis and commentary from CNAS experts on the most critical challenges in U.S. foreign policy. From the future of America's relationship with China to the state of U.S. sanctions policy and more, each collection draws on the reports, interviews, and other commentaries produced by experts across the Center to explore how America can strengthen its competitive edge.

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