Putting "defense" back into U.S. defense policy : rethinking U.S. security in the post-Cold War world / Ivan Eland.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Eland, Ivan.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

National security--United States.

National security.

World politics--21st century.

World politics.

United States--Military policy.

United States.

Physical Description:

viii, 242 p. : ill.

Edition:

1st ed.

Distribution:

London : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024

Place of Publication:

Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2001.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book examines the implications of counterinsurgency wars for U.S. defense policy and makes the compelling argument that the United States' default position on counterinsurgency wars should be to avoid them. In this compelling study, Eland questions the core assumptions of the American foreign policy and defense establishments that call for military interventions around the world and high and increasing defense budgets at home. He outlines a security policy more appropriate to the sober realities of the post-Cold War era. This is an approach that calls for military restraint overseas, taking advantage of the already secure U.S. geostrategic position, while safeguarding vital national interests. Eland details the military force structure needed for this new role and calculates the reduced defense budget required to pay for these forces. This book is a timely wake-up call to those who make American foreign and defense policies. It demands a badly needed re-thinking of America's national interests. In the author's view, America's natural geostrategic position places it at a natural advantage, rendering unnecessary a forward defense posture. A non-interventionist foreign policy would save money by requiring lower defense budgets. An America less willing to get involved in complex overseas disputes unrelated to U.S vital interests would also be less likely to make enemies around the world.

Contents:

Cover

Contents

Illustrations

FIGURES

TABLES

1 U.S. National Security: Mismatch between Policy and Reality

NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY EVOLVES

THE UNITED STATES IS OVEREXTENDED

AN EXTENDED DEFENSE PERIMETER MAY UNDERMINE U.S. VITAL INTERESTS

Far-Flung Peacetime Interventions Can Undermine Recruitment and Retention of Soldiers

Profligate Interventions Can Reduce the Readiness to Fight a Real War

"Readiness Crisis" Indicates That Excessive Military Requirements Exceed Already Abundant Resources

THE AMOUNT SPENT ON THE MILITARY IS ALREADY HUGE

A COMPLETE REVIEW OF U.S. SECURITY IS NEEDED

NOTES

2 Defining U.S. Vital Interests

THE NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY

A CONCRETE AND NARROW DEFINITION OF U.S. VITAL INTERESTS

WHAT IS NOT VITAL

Korea

The Persian Gulf

Defending Values

CONCLUSION

3 Threats to U.S. Vital Interests

THE THREAT TO U.S. CITIZENS, TERRITORY, AND INSTITUTIONS

Russian Nuclear Attack

Chinese Nuclear Attack

Threats from Rogue States

Some Proliferation Is Worse than Others

Proliferation to Rogue States

A Case Study in Failure: Preventing Proliferation to Iraq

The Demise of the Soviet Union: Proliferation Made Easier

Proliferation of Information-Warfare Technology

A Changed Strategic Environment for a Superpower

THREATS TO MAJOR REGIONS OF U.S. INTEREST

The Threat to East Asia

China's Conventional Military Capabilities

China Will Modernize Its Military Slowly

China Will Be Limited in Its Ability to Project Power

China's Defense Industry Lacks Sophistication

Chinese Intentions

The Threat to Europe

Resources for the Russian Military Are Scarce

The Russian Defense Industry

The Decline of the Russian Military Is Unlikely to Be Reversed Soon

Even the Threats to Nonstrategic Regions Have Declined

North Korea.

Iraq

Iran

Syria

Libya

Sudan

Cuba

THREATS TO U.S. TRADE

THE CHIMERA OF INSTABILITY

CONCLUSION: A RANKING OF THREATS

4 U.S. Security Strategy

"BALANCER-OF-LAST-RESORT" STRATEGY

PROTECTION OF U.S. TRADE

EVEN IN THE MOST IMPORTANT REGIONS OF THE GLOBE, U.S. ALLIANCES ARE OUT OF DATE

THE CONSTITUTIONAL DIMENSIONS OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY

EFFECTS OF A FAILED SECURITY STRATEGY

5 The United States Must Revamp Its Military Forces

THE EVOLUTION OF THE CURRENT U.S. FORCE STRUCTURE

THE UNITED STATES SHOULD MOVE AWAY FROM PLANNING TO FIGHT TWO WARS

THE FORCE STRUCTURE NEEDED TO BE A BALANCER OF LAST RESORT

Ground Forces

Air and Sea Power

Vulnerable Air Bases

Airlift and Sealift

Readiness of U.S. Forces

Strategic Forces and National Missile Defense

Conventional Wisdom on Missile Defense Is Out of Date

Missile Defense Has Utility Despite Its Inability to Counter All Threats

Combine Missile Defense with Deep Cuts in Offensive Forces

Modifying the ABM Treaty to Allow NMD

Benefits of a Much Smaller Nuclear Arsenal Coupled with a Limited NMD37

NMD Must Be Thoroughly Tested before Purchase

6 Weapons Unnecessary for a Balancer-of-Last-Resort Strategy

WEAPONS TO BE TERMINATED OR DELAYED

Tactical Fighters

F-22 Raptor

F-18E/F Super Hornet

Joint Strike Fighter

Airlift Aircraft

V-22 Tiltrotor Aircraft

The Comanche Helicopter

Crusader Self-Propelled Howitzer

Upgrading the M1A1 Tank

Unneeded Antitank Weapons

Advanced Amphibious Vehicle

Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier and Future Carriers

Virginia-Class Submarines

Surface Combatants

LPD-17

Theater Missile Defense

Retain the Navy Area and Theaterwide and Army PAC-3 Programs

Terminate THAAD, MEADS, and Airborne Laser

CONCLUSION.

NOTES

7 Defense Programs That Need Increased Funding or Attention

A NEW LONG-RANGE BOMBER

STOVL AND VTOL AIRCRAFT TECHNOLOGY

UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

A LIGHTER TANK

A LIGHTER SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY PIECE

MINE COUNTERMEASURES

LONG-RANGE PRECISION WEAPONS

COMMAND, CONTROL, COMMUNICATIONS, AND INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS

ELECTRONIC WARFARE

INVESTING TO COMBAT BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS

CRUISE MISSILE DEFENSE FOR U.S. FORCES AND THE U.S. HOMELAND

Defending the U.S. Homeland

Defending U.S. Forces

8 An Appropriate Defense Budget for the Balancer-of-Last-Resort Strategy

A MUCH SMALLER DEFENSE BUDGET ACHIEVED THROUGH BOTTOM-UP COSTING WILL NOT HARM U.S. SECURITY

Detailed Costs of the Reduced Force

Army

Marine Corps

Navy

Air Force

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and Miscellaneous Forces

Trim the Nuclear Labs

9 Conclusion

Selected Bibliography

Index

About the Author.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. [229]-234) and index.

ISBN:

9798216003526

9780313007019

0313007012

OCLC:

928191048