US military in decline, threats from China ‘formidable,’ report says
By Zamone Perez
Oct 18, 01:00 PM
WASHINGTON — U.S. military power was weaker this year than the year prior, according to a new report by the Heritage Foundation, a think tank that analyzes the strength of the armed forces and the threats to America.
The “2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength” focuses on the need for readiness in not one, but two wars — or “major regional contingencies (MRCs),” as the authors put it — with the theory that such a standard would prevent another competitor from taking advantage of U.S. preoccupation with another challenge. But the U.S. currently does not meet that goal, with the report rating America’s military power as “weak,” down from “marginal” in the previous year’s index.
“The 2023 Index concludes that the current U.S. military force is at significant risk of not being able to meet the demands of a single major regional conflict while also attending to various presence and engagement activities,” the report read. “It most likely would not be able to do more and is certainly ill-equipped to handle two nearly simultaneous MRCs.”
https://www.defensenews.com/global/the-americas/2022/10/18/us-military-in-decline-threats-from-china-formidable-report-says/
