WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defense Department on Friday released its 2026 National Defense Strategy, outlining a sharper focus on homeland defense, deterring China and pushing allies to shoulder a greater share of global security responsibilities. The roughly 25-page document, signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, argues that previous U.S. administrations weakened military readiness by engaging in prolonged nation-building efforts and overseas interventions that diluted what it described as the “warrior ethos.” The new strategy refocuses the armed forces on their “core, irreplaceable role” of deterring and winning wars that directly affect U.S. interests, the document said. The strategy outlines four main lines of effort: defending the U.S. homeland, deterring China in the Indo-Pacific through strength rather than confrontation, increasing burden-sharing with allies and partners, and revitalizing the U.S. defense industrial base. Homeland defense is identified as the military’s top priority, with expanded emphasis on border security, countering narcotics trafficking organizations designated as terrorist groups, protecting strategic locations in the Western Hemisphere — including the Panama Canal and Greenland — and strengthening air, missile, cyber and nuclear defenses. On China, the document endorses expanded military-to-military communication with Beijing to reduce the risk of conflict, without explicitly naming Taiwan. “Our goal is not to dominate China,” the strategy states. “Rather, our goal is simple: To prevent anyone, including China, from being able to dominate us or our allies,” and to maintain a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. North Korea is described as a “direct military threat” to South Korea and Japan, with its nuclear forces increasingly capable of threatening the U.S. homeland. The document says Seoul should assume primary responsibility for deterring Pyongyang, supported by a more limited U.S. role. Russia is characterized as a “persistent but manageable threat,” particularly to NATO’s eastern flank, with European allies expected to take the lead in their conventional defense. The strategy also identifies Iran as an ongoing security challenge, citing recent U.S. and allied military operations as evidence of restored deterrence. A central theme of the document is burden-sharing, with the administration calling on allies to significantly increase defense spending. It points to a new benchmark of 5% of GDP for defense-related expenditures endorsed at NATO’s 2025 summit in The Hague. The strategy also calls for a “once-in-a-century” revitalization of the U.S. defense industrial base to ensure sustained military readiness, support allies and enable large-scale production of weapons and equipment during crises.WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defense Department on Friday released its 2026 National Defense Strategy, outlining a sharper focus on homeland defense, deterring China and pushing allies to shoulder a greater share of global security responsibilities. The roughly 25-page document, signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, argues that previous U.S. administrations weakened military readiness by engaging in prolonged nation-building efforts and overseas interventions that diluted what it described as the “warrior ethos.” The new strategy refocuses the armed forces on their “core, irreplaceable role” of deterring and winning wars that directly affect U.S. interests, the document said. The strategy outlines four main lines of effort: defending the U.S. homeland, deterring China in the Indo-Pacific through strength rather than confrontation, increasing burden-sharing with allies and partners, and revitalizing the U.S. defense industrial base. Homeland defense is identified as the military’s top priority, with expanded emphasis on border security, countering narcotics trafficking organizations designated as terrorist groups, protecting strategic locations in the Western Hemisphere — including the Panama Canal and Greenland — and strengthening air, missile, cyber and nuclear defenses. On China, the document endorses expanded military-to-military communication with Beijing to reduce the risk of conflict, without explicitly naming Taiwan. “Our goal is not to dominate China,” the strategy states. “Rather, our goal is simple: To prevent anyone, including China, from being able to dominate us or our allies,” and to maintain a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. North Korea is described as a “direct military threat” to South Korea and Japan, with its nuclear forces increasingly capable of threatening the U.S. homeland. The document says Seoul should assume primary responsibility for deterring Pyongyang, supported by a more limited U.S. role. Russia is characterized as a “persistent but manageable threat,” particularly to NATO’s eastern flank, with European allies expected to take the lead in their conventional defense. The strategy also identifies Iran as an ongoing security challenge, citing recent U.S. and allied military operations as evidence of restored deterrence. A central theme of the document is burden-sharing, with the administration calling on allies to significantly increase defense spending. It points to a new benchmark of 5% of GDP for defense-related expenditures endorsed at NATO’s 2025 summit in The Hague. The strategy also calls for a “once-in-a-century” revitalization of the U.S. defense industrial base to ensure sustained military readiness, support allies and enable large-scale production of weapons and equipment during crises.
Pentagon releases 2026 defense strategy with focus on homeland, China and allies
