Contributors
Robert Greenway is Director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for National Security at The Heritage Foundation.
Shawn Barnes is a former Visiting Fellow in the Allison Center.
Wilson Beaver is Senior Policy Advisor for Defense Budgeting and NATO Policy in the Allison Center and a Co-Editor of the 2026 Index of U.S. Military Strength.
Bryan Burack is a former Senior Policy Advisor for China and the Indo-Pacific in the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation.
Jason Camilletti is a Visiting Fellow in the Allison Center.
Jordan Embree is a Research Associate in the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation.
Jim Fein is a Research Associate for National Security and the Defense Industrial Base in the Allison Center.
Daniel Flesch is a former Senior Policy Analyst for the Middle East and North Africa in the Allison Center.
Daniel R. Green, PhD, is a Research Fellow for Defense Analysis in the Allison Center and a Co-Editor of the 2026 Index of U.S. Military Strength.
Andrew Harding is a Senior Associate for National Security Coalitions at The Heritage Foundation.
Mike Jernigan is a Visiting Fellow in the Allison Center.
Yuichiro Kakutani is a Policy Advisor for China and the Indo-Pacific in the Asian Studies Center.
Andrés Martínez-Fernández is a Senior Policy Analyst in the Allison Center.
Paul McCarthy is Senior Research Fellow for European Affairs in the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom.
Salvatore Mercogliano, PhD, is an Allison Center Contributing Author.
Robert Peters is a Senior Research Fellow for Strategic Deterrence in the Allison Center and a Co-Editor of the 2026 Index of U.S. Military Strength.
Brent D. Sadler is Senior Research Fellow for Naval Warfare and Advanced Technology in the Allison Center.
Jeff Smith is Director of the Asian Studies Center.
Phillip Smyth is a former Policy Analyst in the Allison Center.
Allen Zhang is a Research Assistant in the Asian Studies Center.
Acknowledgments
Production of the Index of U.S. Military Strength is a team effort that involves several departments at The Heritage Foundation.
This year’s edition had 20 contributors including Directors, Senior Policy Advisors, Senior Fellows, Senior Research Fellows, Research Fellows, Visiting Fellows, Senior Associates, Policy Analysts, and Research Associates at The Heritage Foundation.
We owe a very special thanks to long-time Index of U.S. Military Strength editor Dakota Wood. Dakota was integral in developing the assessment metrics that still form the bedrock of this analysis and provided invaluable guidance for the 2026 Index. Without Dakota’s long-time steady hand, objective analysis, and sober leadership, the Index would not be what it is today.
A special thanks to Shawn Barnes, Wilson Beaver, Bryan Burack, Jason Camilletti, Jordan Embree, Jim Fein, Daniel Flesch, Robert Greenway, Andrew Harding, Mike Jernigan, Yuichiro Kakutani, Paul McCarthy, Andrés Martínez-Fernández, Salvatore Mercogliano, Robert Peters, Brent D. Sadler, Jeff Smith, Phillip Smyth, and Allen Zhang for their outstanding contributions, professional expertise, and sharp analysis.
The work of the Allison Center for National Security has been immeasurably improved by the advice of the inaugural Defense Advisory Panel, a group of distinguished retired General and Flag officers with over 500 years of combined professional military service. They have served in the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force as well as the United States Coast Guard. Both the Military Power chapters and their authors benefited immensely from the panel members’ expert analysis, long-term views, and wisdom about their respective services and American national security more broadly.
A special thanks to Lieutenant General William G. Boykin, USA (ret.); Lieutenant General Dennis D. Cavin, USA (ret.); Vice Admiral William “Dean” Lee, U.S. Coast Guard (ret.); Lieutenant General Garry Trexler, USAF (ret.); Vice Admiral Joe Kernan, USN (ret.); Rear Admiral Victorino G. Mercado, USN (ret.); Major General Joaquin Malavet, USMC (ret.); Major General James S. Hartsell, USMC (ret.); Major General Richard Perraut, USAF (ret.); Major General John Deyermond, USA (ret.); Rear Admiral Pete Brown, U.S. Coast Guard (ret.); Rear Admiral Donald P. Loren, USN (ret.); Brigadier General Mitchell M. Zais, USA (ret.); Brigadier General Chris Petty, USA (ret.); and Brigadier General Ernest C. Audino, USA (ret.).
The editing, layout, publication, and promotion of the 2026 Index have been expertly handled by an amazing team of colleagues at The Heritage Foundation. A special thanks to Therese Pennefather, Director of Policy Publications; William T. Poole, Senior Editor; John Fleming and Luke Karnick, Data Graphics Services; Karina Rollins, Senior Research Editor; Melissa Bluey and Taylor Dabney, Graphic Design; Jay Simon and Augusta Cassada Irvine, Web Development and Print Production; Katherine Little and Lydia Mackey, Events; Sarah Dirndorfer, Marketing; Britney Dickerson, Communications; Samantha Hince, Mark Guiney, and Lauren Evans, Digital Productions; Chris Wingate, Government Relations; Bridget Weisenburger, Coalitions; Ryan Walker and Janae Stracke, Heritage Action for America; and Justin Coleman, Podcasts.
We believe this 2026 Index will help to provide a better-informed understanding and wider appreciation of America’s ability to “provide for the common defence”—an ability that undergirds The Heritage Foundation’s vision of “an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society flourish.” The Index continues to be cited and referenced across government—by Congress, the executive branch, and officials within the U.S. Department of Defense/War and supporting government agencies—as well as in the media, academia, and policy institutes and among the public. There is no other source where one can find information about the status of U.S. allies and partners, competitors and enemies, and America’s ability to defend itself and its interests compiled in one volume in such a readable, concise, and fully documented format. We remain encouraged that so many Americans are concerned about the state of affairs in and the multitude of factors affecting our country and that they turn to Heritage’s Index of U.S. Military Strength to gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of what is urgently needed to defend our country and its interests.
In addition to acknowledging all of those who helped to prepare this edition, very special recognition is due to the Heritage members and donors whose support continues to make the Index of U.S. Military Strength possible. Finally, as we do each year, The Heritage Foundation expresses its enduring appreciation to the members of the U.S. armed forces who continue to protect the liberty of the American people in an ever more challenging world.