NATIONAL DEFENSE STRATEGY
Prioritize preparedness for war. Achieving peace through strength requires the Joint Force to deter conflict
through preparedness for war. During normal day-to-day operations, the Joint Force will sustainably
compete to: deter aggression in three key regions—the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and Middle East;
degrade terrorist and WMD threats; and defend U.S. interests from challenges below the level of
armed conflict. In wartime, the fully mobilized Joint Force will be capable of: defeating aggression by
a major power; deterring opportunistic aggression elsewhere; and disrupting imminent terrorist and
WMD threats. During peace or in war, the Joint Force will deter nuclear and non-nuclear strategic
attacks and defend the homeland. To support these missions, the Joint Force must gain and maintain
information superiority; and develop, strengthen, and sustain U.S. security relationships.
Modernize key capabilities. We cannot expect success fighting tomorrow’s conflicts with yesterday’s
weapons or equipment. To address the scope and pace of our competitors’ and adversaries’ ambitions
and capabilities, we must invest in modernization of key capabilities through sustained, predictable
budgets. Our backlog of deferred readiness, procurement, and modernization requirements has grown
in the last decade and a half and can no longer be ignored. We will make targeted, disciplined increases
in personnel and platforms to meet key capability and capacity needs. The 2018 National Defense Strategy
underpins our planned fiscal year 2019-2023 budgets, accelerating our modernization programs and
devoting additional resources in a sustained effort to solidify our competitive advantage.
Nuclear forces. The Department will modernize the nuclear triad—including nuclear command,
control, and communications, and supporting infrastructure. Modernization of the nuclear
force includes developing options to counter competitors’ coercive strategies, predicated on
the threatened use of nuclear or strategic non-nuclear attacks.
Space and cyberspace as warfighting domains. The Department will prioritize investments in
resilience, reconstitution, and operations to assure our space capabilities. We will also invest
in cyber defense, resilience, and the continued integration of cyber capabilities into the full
spectrum of military operations.
Command, control, communications, computers and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR).
Investments will prioritize developing resilient, survivable, federated networks and
information ecosystems from the tactical level up to strategic planning. Investments will also
prioritize capabilities to gain and exploit information, deny competitors those same
advantages, and enable us to provide attribution while defending against and holding
accountable state or non-state actors during cyberattacks.
Missile defense. Investments will focus on layered missile defenses and disruptive capabilities for
both theater missile threats and North Korean ballistic missile threats.
Joint lethality in contested environments. The Joint Force must be able to strike diverse targets inside
adversary air and missile defense networks to destroy mobile power-projection platforms. This
will include capabilities to enhance close combat lethality in complex terrain.
Forward force maneuver and posture resilience. Investments will prioritize ground, air, sea, and space
forces that can deploy, survive, operate, maneuver, and regenerate in all domains while under
attack. Transitioning from large, centralized, unhardened infrastructure to smaller, dispersed,
resilient, adaptive basing that include active and passive defenses will also be prioritized.
NATIONAL DEFENSE STRATEGY
6
Prioritize preparedness for war. Achieving peace through strength requires the Joint Force to deter conflict
through preparedness for war. During normal day-to-day operations, the Joint Force will sustainably
compete to: deter aggression in three key regions—the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and Middle East;
degrade terrorist and WMD threats; and defend U.S. interests from challenges below the level of
armed conflict. In wartime, the fully mobilized Joint Force will be capable of: defeating aggression by
a major power; deterring opportunistic aggression elsewhere; and disrupting imminent terrorist and
WMD threats. During peace or in war, the Joint Force will deter nuclear and non-nuclear strategic
attacks and defend the homeland. To support these missions, the Joint Force must gain and maintain
information superiority; and develop, strengthen, and sustain U.S. security relationships.
Modernize key capabilities. We cannot expect success fighting tomorrow’s conflicts with yesterday’s
weapons or equipment. To address the scope and pace of our competitors’ and adversaries’ ambitions
and capabilities, we must invest in modernization of key capabilities through sustained, predictable
budgets. Our backlog of deferred readiness, procurement, and modernization requirements has grown
in the last decade and a half and can no longer be ignored. We will make targeted, disciplined increases
in personnel and platforms to meet key capability and capacity needs. The 2018 National Defense Strategy
underpins our planned fiscal year 2019-2023 budgets, accelerating our modernization programs and
devoting additional resources in a sustained effort to solidify our competitive advantage.
Nuclear forces. The Department will modernize the nuclear triad—including nuclear command,
control, and communications, and supporting infrastructure. Modernization of the nuclear
force includes developing options to counter competitors’ coercive strategies, predicated on
the threatened use of nuclear or strategic non-nuclear attacks.
Space and cyberspace as warfighting domains. The Department will prioritize investments in
resilience, reconstitution, and operations to assure our space capabilities. We will also invest
in cyber defense, resilience, and the continued integration of cyber capabilities into the full
spectrum of military operations.
Command, control, communications, computers and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR).
Investments will prioritize developing resilient, survivable, federated networks and
information ecosystems from the tactical level up to strategic planning. Investments will also
prioritize capabilities to gain and exploit information, deny competitors those same
advantages, and enable us to provide attribution while defending against and holding
accountable state or non-state actors during cyberattacks.
Missile defense. Investments will focus on layered missile defenses and disruptive capabilities for
both theater missile threats and North Korean ballistic missile threats.
Joint lethality in contested environments. The Joint Force must be able to strike diverse targets inside
adversary air and missile defense networks to destroy mobile power-projection platforms. This
will include capabilities to enhance close combat lethality in complex terrain.
Forward force maneuver and posture resilience. Investments will prioritize ground, air, sea, and space
forces that can deploy, survive, operate, maneuver, and regenerate in all domains while under
attack. Transitioning from large, centralized, unhardened infrastructure to smaller, dispersed,
resilient, adaptive basing that include active and passive defenses will also be prioritized.