The 2026 Index of U.S. Military Strength is the only independent, analytical, and comprehensive assessment of the state of the U.S. military set against the current operating and threat environment. It assesses the capacity, capability, and readiness of the U.S. military and its ability to contend with growing threats to our national security interests. This 11th Edition of the Index builds on ten years of analytical work by The Heritage Foundation and is a ready reference for Members of Congress, Executive Branch personnel, and the media.

The theme of the 2026 Index is Restoring Peace Through Strength, which supports a renewed focus on war fighting and lethality and the prioritization of those programs essential to establishing deterrence and, if required, defeating all threats to our nation. The assessment determined that substantial increases in major warfighting platforms, a revitalized defense industrial base, expanded munition production, increased logistical and fuel support, and the prioritization of essential programs to build long-term resiliency for a prolonged conflict were critically needed. 

As currently postured, the U.S. military is at significant risk of being unable to defend America’s vital national interests. Decades of underfunding, prolonged deployments, inconsistent appropriations, poor discipline in program execution, and a lack of urgency across the national security establishment have made the U.S. military unable to respond effectively to the range of growing threats. The passage of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill and President Trump’s call for a $1.5 trillion dollar defense budget has arrested a decade of decline and provides a path towards the restoration of the world’s greatest military, yet significantly more must be done.

This event is the public recognition of the significant conclusions of this comprehensive assessment and should serve as a wake-up call to lawmakers, administration officials, and the public about the necessity of investing in defense in order to establish deterrence. While a “decade of decline,” as the 2024 Index assessed it, cannot be changed overnight, the critical investments of the Trump administration are starting that process.

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