Oct 31, 2022

RECAP – Launch of the 2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength

On October 18, Heritage's Center for National Defense released the 2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength, the only non-governmental and only annual assessment of U.S. military strength. Each year, the Index utilizes open-source data and employs a standardized, consistent set of criteria to gauge the U.S. military’s ability to perform its missions in today’s world. This year's edition was notable, as it downgraded the military's overall rating from "marginal" to "weak". Read the entire Index, the executive summary, and expert commentary below.

Watch Congressman Mike Gallagher on the diminished state of the U.S. military:

View the 2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength:

Index of U.S. Military Strength in the Media

America’s Military Strength Losing Ground to China’s, Report Says—Samantha Aschieris

America’s Military Strength Is Declining. Here’s How to Fix It.—Samantha Aschieris and Dakota Wood

Yes, the U.S. Military Is Weak—Dakota Wood

The latest research from Heritage's Center for National Defense

A Modern Naval Act to Meet the Surging China Threat

Brent Sadler

Fluctuating budgets and inconsistent shipbuilding priorities have weakened America's naval shipbuilders and shrunk the fleet. A 2023 naval act, as it did in 1938, can grow the nation’s naval shipbuilding capacity for a potential war with China.

Promoting Defense Industry Competition for National Security’s—Not Competition’s—Sake

Maiya Clark

Competition in the defense industry can lead to better products and prices, but federal efforts to create competition may create more problems than they solve.

The U.S. Must Take Action on China’s National Security–Related Life Sciences Programs

Peter Brookes and Dustin Carmack

China is engaged in national security–related work in the life sciences, including biotechnology and possible dual use of international genomic data. Washington must take action to thwart these efforts by the Chinese Communist Party.

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