The Heritage Foundation’s 2023 Index of U.S. Military Strength has assessed the global operating environment as “favorable” to U.S. interests, which means that the country can project military power to defend its vital interests in Europe, Asia and the Middle East without significant opposition.
Amid the regional threats posed by China and North Korea, the 2023 Index gave the Asian operating environment an overall score of “favorable” to U.S. interests in terms of the presence of U.S. military personnel, alliances, military infrastructure and overall political stability, the foundation said Tuesday.
The Index classified the threats from Russia and China as “aggressive” in behavior and “formidable” when it comes to capabilities.
The Washington, D.C.-based think tank also gauged the status of U.S. military power in terms of capability, capacity and readiness and overall, rated the country’s military posture as “weak.”
“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 reads.
The 578-page report attributed the score to several factors, including underfunding, poor discipline in program execution and shifting security policies.
