Summary of the 2018 National Defense Strategy of The United States of
America
Sharpening the American Military’s Competitive Edge
https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf
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Rogue regimes such as North Korea and Iran are destabilizing regions through
their pursuit of nuclear weapons or sponsorship of terrorism... In the
Middle East, Iran is competing with its neighbors, asserting an arc of
influence and instability while vying for regional hegemony, using
state-sponsored terrorist activities, a growing network of proxies, and its
missile program to achieve its objectives.
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Defense objectives include:
Defending the homeland from attack;
Sustaining Joint Force military advantages, both globally and in key
regions;
Deterring adversaries from aggression against our vital interests;
Enabling U.S. interagency counterparts to advance U.S. influence and
interests;
Maintaining favorable regional balances of power in the Indo-Pacific,
Europe, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere;
Defending allies from military aggression and bolstering partners against
coercion, and fairly sharing responsibilities for common defense;
Dissuading, preventing, or deterring state adversaries and non-state actors
from acquiring, proliferating, or using weapons of mass destruction;
Preventing terrorists from directing or supporting external operations
against the United States homeland and our citizens, allies, and partners
overseas;
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Strengthen Alliances and Attract New Partners
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Expand regional consultative mechanisms and collaborative planning. We will
develop new partnerships around shared interests to reinforce regional
coalitions and security cooperation. We will provide allies and partners
with a clear and consistent message to encourage alliance and coalition
commitment, greater defense cooperation, and military investment.
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Form enduring coalitions in the Middle East. We will foster a stable and
secure Middle East that denies safe havens for terrorists, is not dominated
by any power hostile to the United States, and that contributes to stable
global energy markets and secure trade routes. We will develop enduring
coalitions to consolidate gains we have made in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria,
and elsewhere, to support the lasting defeat of terrorists as we sever their
sources of strength and counterbalance Iran.