Although the most recent version of the Quadrennial Defense Review is classified “secret,” an unclassified overview of the fiscal 2011 defense budget circulating in Washington reveals the basic outlines of the QDR. It lists the major themes of the QDR thusly:
— U.S. security in a complex environment
— America’s global role
— Defense strategic priorities
— Rebalancing the force
— Taking care of our people
— Strengthening relationships
— Reforming how we do business
— Implementing QDR results
Under the heading of “defense strategic priorities,” the overview identifies four overarching themes of the QDR (which I cited in my congressional testimony on January 20):
— Prevail in today’s wars
— Prevent and deter conflict
— Prepare for a wide range of contingencies
— Preserve and enhance the all-volunteer force
Under the heading of “rebalancing the force,” the overview cites six key QDR themes:
— Defend the United States and support civil authorities at home
— Conduct counterinsurgency, stability, and counterterrorist operations
— Build partnership capacity
— Deter and defeat aggression in anti-access environments
— Prevent proliferation and counter weapons of mass destruction
— Operate effectively in cyberspace
Under the heading of “reforming how we do business,” the overview cites four QDR themes:
— Reforming security assistance
— Reforming how we buy
— Strengthening America’s technology and industrial bases
— Creating a strategic approach to climate and energy
With the exception of that last item, the topics that the budget overview identifies as getting major attention in the 2010 QDR sound remarkably similar to the topics that dominated the 2006 QDR. Whether that reflects the fundamental nature of the current global security environment or a dearth of new ideas from the Obama Administration will undoubtedly be a subject of heated discussion among observers in the months ahead.
Find Archived Articles: