Project 2025 Part 3 Department of Defense
Project 2025 Part 3
Section 2: The Common Defense
Chapter 4 Department of Defense
From the intro
“The DOD is also a deeply troubled institution… the Biden Administration’s profoundly unserious equity agenda and vaccine mandates have taken a serious toll.”
“Technology is critical to maintaining our warfighting primacy… More important is how new technologies are developed, tested, procured, and used, and that relies on the true competitive advantages of our people: ingenuity, common sense, and thoughtfulness grounded in a free society.”
“Priority No. 1: Reestablish a culture of command accountability, nonpoliticization, and warfighting focus.
Priority No. 2: Transform our armed forces for maximum effectiveness in an era of great-power competition.
Priority No. 3: Provide necessary support to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) border protection operations. Border protection is a national security issue that requires sustained attention and effort by all elements of the executive branch.
Priority No. 4: Demand financial transparency and accountability.
“…U.S. defense strategy must identify China unequivocally as the top priority for U.S. defense planning…”
Needed Reforms
Prioritize a denial defense against China.
Increase allied conventional defense burden-sharing.
“U.S. allies must take far greater responsibility dealing with threats from Russia, Iran, and North Korea.“
“Transform NATO so that U.S. allies are capable of fielding the great majority of the conventional forces required to deter Russia while relying on the United States primarily for our nuclear deterrent, and select other capabilities while reducing the U.S. force posture in Europe.“
Implement nuclear modernization and expansion.
“Expand and modernize the U.S. nuclear force so that it has the size, sophistication, and tailoring to deter Russia and China simultaneously. “
“Develop a nuclear arsenal with the size, sophistication, and tailoring— including new capabilities at the theater level—to ensure that there is no circumstance in which America is exposed to serious nuclear coercion.“
Increase allied counterterrorist burden-sharing.
“Sustain the military forces needed to deter, prevent, and combat terrorism, but at a sustainable cost in concert with other elements of national power and partner efforts.”
“Prioritize enhancing the capability of allies and partners to take the lead in combating terrorism in their regions.”
DOD ACQUISITION AND SUSTAINMENT (A&S)
“The number one problem is the DOD budgeting process (instituted in 1961) that requires acquisition spending to be locked years in advance.”
Needed Reforms
Reform the planning, programming, budgeting, and execution (PPBE) process.
“The President should examine the recommendations of the congressionally mandated Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution Reform and develop a strategy for implementing those that the Administration considers to be in the best interests of the American people. The commission’s final report is due on September 1, 2023…”
Strengthen America’s defense industrial base.
“…Strengthen the ability of acquisition authorities to engage in multiyear procurements and block buys. This will improve private-sector rates of return, thereby incentivizing defense contractors to partner with the government. It will also reduce government overhead by reducing the number of procurement competitions…”
Optimize the DOD acquisition community.
“Create incentives to emphasize speed and agility in decision-making for prototyping and program-of-record starts and terminations. …bypass unnecessary regulations that…hamper the acquisition of capabilities that warfighters require.”
“Strengthen the ability of acquisition authorities to…reduce government overhead by reducing the number of procurement competitions.”
Needed Reforms
Rescue recruiting and retention.
“Improve military recruiters’ access to secondary schools and require completion of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery “
“Rationalize and speed arms sales decision-making to…allow us to manage the development of indigenous defense industrial bases.”
DOD PERSONNEL
“… Young civilians who would thrive in a military environment are disenfranchised when educators and influencers discourage them from learning about military service and preparing for the honor of wearing America’s uniform.”
“…the Biden Administration, through word and deed, has treated the armed forces as just another place to work. We must restore our military to a place of honor and respect and recruit and retain the individuals who will meet the rigorous standards of excellence that are required for membership in the world’s greatest fighting force.“
Needed Reforms
“Improve military recruiters’ access to secondary schools and require completion of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)—the military entrance examination—by all students in schools that receive federal funding.”
Restore standards of lethality and excellence.
“…individuals who are already predisposed to require medical treatment (for example, HIV positive or suffering from gender dysphoria) should be removed, and those with gender dysphoria should be expelled from military service. Physical fitness requirements should be based on the occupational field without consideration of gender, race, ethnicity, or orientation.”
Eliminate politicization, reestablish trust and accountability, and restore faith to the force.
“Reinstate servicemembers to active duty who were discharged for not receiving the COVID vaccine, restore their appropriate rank, and provide back pay.”
“Eliminate Marxist indoctrination and divisive critical race theory programs and abolish newly established diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and staff.”
“Audit the course offerings at military academies to remove Marxist indoctrination, eliminate tenure for academic professionals, and apply the same rules to instructors that are applied to other DOD contracting personnel.”
“Reverse policies that allow transgender individuals to serve in the military. Gender dysphoria is incompatible with the demands of military service, and the use of public monies for transgender surgeries or to facilitate abortion for servicemembers should be ended.”
Value the military family.
“Audit all curricula and health policies in DOD schools for military families, remove all inappropriate materials, and reverse inappropriate policies.”
Reduce the number of generals.
“The next President should limit the continued advancement of many of the existing cadre, many of whom have been advanced by prior Administrations…”
DOD INTELLIGENCE
“The Defense Intelligence Enterprise must deliver accurate unbiased insights with independence…the DIE and the Intelligence Community writ large will continue to provide inaccurate and politicized intelligence assessments that mislead policymakers.“
Needed Reforms
Improve the intelligence process.
“…DIE has evolved into a “customer-based” model…of analytical integrity. The result has been a significant politicization of intelligence.”
“Establish unbiased intelligence reporting from DIE/IC senior leaders. As the leader of the DIE, the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security should provide a top-line, dissenting, or clarifying view of DIE and IC assessments as needed.”
“Remove policy obstacles that impede available technical solutions and tailored approaches in order to preclude corruption at the point of collection.”
Expand the integration of intelligence activities.
“Establish true alignment between DOD and DHS both to improve the defense of critical U.S. infrastructure and national border integrity and to develop vital information that enables defense against foreign targeted disruptions.”
Restore accountability and public trust.
“For trust to be restored and sustained, officials must be held accountable.”
“The next Administration should eliminate the conflict of interest in the current customer-based model…by enforcing time-tested procedures that guarantee independent analysis, even if it means challenging policymakers’ assumptions.”
Eliminate peripheral intelligence obligations that do not advance military readiness.
U.S. ARMY
“The status quo is further marked by a pervasive politically driven top-down focus on progressive social policies that emphasize matters like so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion and climate change, often to the detriment of the Army’s core warfighting mission.”
Needed Reforms
Rebuild the Army.
Focus on deployability and sustained operations.
Transform Army culture and training.
“The Army can no longer serve as the nation’s social testing ground.”
“Stop using the Army as a test bed for social evolution…to reshape the American social structure. The Army no longer reflects national demographics to the degree that it did before 1974 when the draft was eliminated.”
U.S. NAVY
Needed Reforms
Invest in and expand force structure.
“Build a fleet of more than 355 ships.”
“Require that range and lethality be the key factors in all procurement and sustainment decisions for ships, aircraft, and munitions.”
Reestablish the General Board.
“The interwar General Board should serve as a model, empowered with final decision authority over all requirements documents concerning ships and the major defense systems fielded on ships.”
Establish a Rapid Capabilities Office.
“The USN must transition technology into warfighting capability more rapidly.”
“Harness innovation and willingness to tolerate risk so that “good enough” systems can be fielded rapidly.”
“Use the Space Development Agency as a model.”
U.S. AIR FORCE
“The U.S. Air Force today lacks a force structure with the lethality, survivability, and capacity to fight a major conflict…”
Needed Reforms
Increase spending and budget accuracy in line with a threat-based strategy.
Reduce near-term and mid-term risk.
Invest in future Air Force programs and efforts.
U.S. MARINE CORPS
“…divergence from its primary mission led to deep concern that the Corps had become a “second land army”… As a result, Marine Corps Commandant General David H. Berger developed and began to implement Force Design 2030…”
Needed Reforms
Divest systems to implement the Force Design 2030 transformation.
“Transform USMC force structure.”
“Eliminate all USMC law enforcement battalions.”
“Transform at least one Marine Infantry Regiment into a Marine Littoral Regiment.”
“Reduce the size of remaining infantry battalions.”
“Divest systems or equipment that are better suited to heavier U.S. Army units.”
“Maintain divestment of M1 Abrams tanks.”
“Eliminate the majority of tube artillery (M777) batteries.”
“Reduce the number of Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicles and the number of their replacements.”
Transform the USMC personnel paradigm.
“More than other services, the USMC relies heavily on junior noncommissioned officers (NCOs) to staff key positions across the force…”
“Align the USMC’s combat arms rank structure with the U.S. Army’s (squad leader billets are for E-6s, and platoon sergeant billets are for E-7s). “
Align Navy amphibious shipbuilding with Force Design 2030.
“Develop and produce light amphibious warships (LAWs) to support more distributed amphibious operations, especially in the Pacific.”
U.S. SPACE FORCE
Needed Reforms
Reverse the Biden Administration’s defensive posture.
“The Biden Administration has eliminated almost all offensive deterrence capabilities…“
“Seek arms control and “rules of the road” understandings only when they are unambiguously in the interests of the U.S. and its allies…”
“Reduce overclassification.
“Declassify appropriate information about terrestrial and on-orbit space capabilities that threaten the U.S. space constellation, as well as those being pursued by our competitors, to secure the principled right to counter them offensively.”
Implement policies suited to a mature USSF.
“No longer a “newborn,” the USSF has entered its fourth year of existence, and the lessons learned can be incorporated across all facets of the force to increase its effectiveness.”
“Restructure from the current “unity of effort” structure to “unity of command.”
“Lead the U.S. government’s development of a..policy that the United States will operate at will in space and enforce these operations with capabilities that ensure effective deterrence and the ability to impose our will if necessary.”
U.S. CYBER COMMAND
“…a conservative Administration should be especially sensitive to and prepared to meet the challenges presented by bureaucratic silos, inappropriately rigid tactical doctrine, and strategic thinking’s historic tendency to lag behind technological capability. “
Needed Reforms
Ensure that USCYBERCOM is properly focused.
“Mission creep is leading to wasteful overlap with the Department of Homeland Security, National Security Agency, Department of Defense, and Central Intelligence Agency.”
“Separate USCYBERCOM from the National Security Agency per congressional direction.”
“Conduct effective offensive cyber-effects operations at the tactical and strategic levels.”
“Expand defensive cyber-effects operations authorized by President Trump's classified National Security Presidential Memorandum 13, “United States Cyber Operations Policy.”
“End USCYBERCOM’s participation in federal efforts to “fortify” U.S. elections to eliminate the perception that DOD is engaging in partisan politics.”
Rationalize strategy and doctrine.
“Update the October 2022 National Security Strategy to define DOD roles and responsibilities beyond existing platitudes.”
SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES
“…capitalize on USSOCOM’s experience and repurpose its mission to include irregular warfare… Irregular warfare should be used proactively to prevent state and nonstate actors from negatively affecting U.S. policies… “
Needed Reforms
Make irregular warfare a cornerstone of security strategy.
“…Broadly redefining irregular warfare to address current state and nonstate actors is critical to countering irregular threats…”
“Characterize the state and nonstate irregular threats facing the U.S. by region in the National Security Strategy. “
“Direct that irregular warfare resources, capabilities, and strategies be incorporated directly into the overall National Defense Strategy instead of being relegated to a supporting document.”
Establish credible deterrence through irregular warfare to protect the homeland.
“Include the designation of USSOCOM as lead for the execution of irregular warfare against hostile state and nonstate actors in the National Defense Strategy. “
“Demonstrate a willingness to employ offensive cyber capabilities against adversaries who conduct cyberattacks against U.S. infrastructure, businesses, personnel, and governments.”
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE
“The next Administration will need to focus on continuing the effort to modernize the nuclear triad while updating our strategy and capabilities to meet the challenges presented by a more threatening nuclear environment.”
Needed Reforms
Prioritize nuclear modernization.
“All components of the nuclear triad are far beyond their intended lifetimes and will need to be replaced over the next decade…to maintain U.S. strategic nuclear deterrence.”
“Accelerate the timelines of critical modernization programs…”
“Reject any congressional proposals that would further extend the service lives of U.S. capabilities such as the Minuteman III ICBM. “
Develop the Sea-Launched Cruise Missile-Nuclear (SLCM-N).
“The next President should support and accelerate funding for development of the SLCM-N with the goal of deployment by the end of the decade.”
Account for China’s nuclear expansion.
Restore the nuclear infrastructure.
“The United States must restore its necessary nuclear infrastructure so that it is capable of producing and maintaining nuclear weapons.”
“Accelerate the effort to restore plutonium pit production, which is essential both for modern warhead programs and for recapitalizing the stockpile.”
“Continue to invest in rebuilding infrastructure, including facilities at the National Laboratories that support nuclear weapons development.”
“Restore readiness to test nuclear weapons at the Nevada National Security Site to ensure the ability of the U.S. to respond quickly to asymmetric technology surprises.”
Correctly orient arms control.
“The U.S. should agree to arms control agreements only if they help to advance the interests of the U.S. and its allies.”
“Reject proposals for nuclear disarmament that are contrary to the goal of bolstering deterrence.”
“Pursue arms control as a way to secure the national security interests of the U.S. and its allies rather than as an end in itself.”
“Prepare to compete in order to secure U.S. interests should arms control efforts continue to fail.”
MISSILE DEFENSE
“Missile defense has been underprioritized and underfunded in recent years. In light of these growing threats, the incoming Administration should treat missile defense as a top priority.”
Needed Reforms
Champion the benefits of missile defense.
“Reject claims made by the Left that missile defense is destabilizing while acknowledging that Russia and China are developing their own advanced missile defense systems.”
“Commit to keeping homeland missile defense off the table in any arms control negotiations with Russia and China.”
Strengthen homeland ballistic missile defense.
Increase the development of regional missile defense.
Change U.S. missile defense policy.
“Abandon the existing policy of not defending the homeland against Russian and Chinese ballistic missiles…”
Invest in new track-and-intercept capabilities.
“Invest in cruise missile defense of the homeland.
“Accelerate the program to deploy space-based sensors that can detect and track missiles flying on nonballistic trajectories.”
Whew. A compete overhaul of our military.
Thanks for reading.
Bob