Read the most recent CSIS research on U.S. military force structure.
Despite its budget having declined by $3.6 billion, the U.S. Army’s force structure remains steady as a result of cuts to modernization and readiness. In the long term, the Army’s force structure is at risk because of the strategic focus on China, perceived as primarily an air and naval theater.
A roundup of the recent developments in the military’s response to Covid-19 by the CSIS International Security Program.
Each fiscal year, CSIS produces a series of papers on U.S. military forces, including their composition, new initiatives, long-term trends, and challenges. In FY 2022, military forces are “peering into the abyss,” as constrained budgets and strategy changes push the services to cut forces.
The Defense Futures Simulator (DFS) is an interactive online tool designed to empower scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to create and analyze defense strategies and budgets. DFS allows users to quickly iterate and explore alternative approaches, evaluating their impact on the budget and military force structure in real-time. DFS is freely available to the public, allowing anyone to make an account and start creating scenarios.
The response to Covid-19 presents the Biden administration with its first defining challenge. DoD has played a central role in the response thus far, and the new administration has made clear that DoD will continue to play an important, though supporting, role.
The Biden administration will face early decision points regarding the modernization of critical elements of the U.S. nuclear weapons enterprise in an environment buffeted by competing forces and pressures.
As the Biden administration charts a new strategy for the Department of Defense, it will need to make difficult decisions on force structure and optimization, with real implications for readiness.
In this article, Gabriella Gricius addresses the need for more Indigenous representation in the national security field and how Indigenous voices can provide vital recommendations to policymakers.
In this article for the Represent series, Megan Gemar suggests a comprehensive program to address the concerning female retention rates in the Army and build inter-service connections amongst women.
It’s been 70 years since the Department of Defense last formally reviewed the roles and missions set of its component services. With the creation of the Space Force and the rise of new technologies, it’s more than time for DoD to conduct a new review.