The US Can’t Fight Two Wars in East Asia — and Should Stop Planning Like It Can
Instead of assuming full dual-front readiness, the US should focus on prioritizing one conflict, using flexible, asymmetric alliance roles and planning based on real-world limits.
The US and its allies aren’t ready for a war on two fronts, but we’re acting like we are.
A recent Atlantic Council report, A Rising Nuclear Double-Threat in East Asia, has rightly sparked debate on how to prepare for simultaneous conflicts with China and North Korea.
Based on tabletop exercises known as Guardian Tiger I and II, the report urges a sweeping overhaul of US command arrangements and alliance coordination. These are welcome discussions.
But as someone who’s interviewed more than 60 Japanese, American, and South Korean defense officials during my doctoral research, I believe the report’s prescriptions often rest on overly optimistic assumptions — about industrial capacity, alliance cohesion, and the feasibility of truly “integrated” responses.
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/06/30/us-two-wars-asia/
