2021 Index of U.S. Military Strength

Key Topics

About the Index

Resources

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Heritage.org

2021 Index of

U.S. Military Strength

The only non-governmental and only annual assessment of U.S. Military Strength

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View the executive summary

Key Topics

Assessing the Global Operating Environment

Europe, Middle East, Asia

Assessing Threats to U.S. Vital Interests

China, Russia, Iran, N. Korea, Afghanistan/Pakistan, Non-State Actors

An Assessment of U.S. Military Power

Army, Navy, USAF, USMC, Space Force, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense

Topical Essays

Experimentation, Defense Industry, Mobility, Intelligence, Alliances

About the Index

The only non-governmental and only annual assessment of U.S. Military Strength

Contributors and Acknowledgments

The contributions of a great many people make this type of publication possible.

Executive Summary

“As currently postured, the U.S. military is only marginally able to meet the demands of defending America’s vital national interests.”

Introduction

Informed deliberations on the status of America’s military power are desperately needed.

We hope that this report card on the U.S. armed forces helps decision-makers to be better informed and helps citizens to hold their elected representatives accountable for providing adequately for our nation’s defense.

Appendix

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This Index measures the capability of the U.S. military based on the current state of its combat equipment. Four factors are key to this assessment. This appendix presents each of the services’ principal combat platforms and corresponding modernization programs, scoring them in each of the four factors.