U.S. Defense Security and Strategic Transformation Blueprint: Presidential Transition Project

Key Chapter Title List

1. Department of Defense Policy (DOD POLICY)
2. Needed Reforms
3. Department of Defense Acquisition and Sustainment (DOD ACQUISITION AND SUSTAINMENT)
4. Department of Defense Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (DOD RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION)
5. Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales (DOD FOREIGN MILITARY SALES)
6. Department of Defense Personnel (DOD PERSONNEL)
7. Department of Defense Intelligence (DOD INTELLIGENCE)
8. U.S. Army
9. U.S. Navy
10. U.S. Air Force
11. Nuclear Deterrence
12. Missile Defense

Document Introduction

The U.S. Constitution grants the federal government the core responsibility of providing for the common defense. As the largest federal agency, the Department of Defense employs nearly 3 million active-duty and civilian personnel, with an annual budget of approximately $850 billion, accounting for over 50% of the government's discretionary spending. However, the agency is facing severe challenges: long-term misuse, a culture of dual accountability, wasteful spending, frequent changes in security policies, lax program execution discipline, coupled with factors such as the Biden administration's equity agenda and vaccine mandates, have led to a significant decline in its credibility and combat effectiveness. The catastrophic consequences of the Afghanistan withdrawal, strategic confusion regarding China, politicization of senior military officers, and ambiguity in military mission definition highlight the dangerous decline of U.S. defense capabilities and national will.

The report points out that the nature of warfare is undergoing profound changes. The democratization of technology and the erosion of temporal and spatial boundaries require the United States to make significant adjustments in its defense, deterrence, and operational methods. Against the backdrop of intensifying great power competition, China is explicitly defined as the primary threat to U.S. security, freedom, and prosperity. Its military expansion and nuclear force development pose serious challenges to the United States and its allies, while threats from Russia, Iran, North Korea, and transnational terrorism cannot be ignored. To address this, the report establishes four core priorities: rebuilding a culture of command accountability and non-political combat orientation; building a military force structure adapted to great power competition; supporting the Department of Homeland Security's border protection operations; and strengthening fiscal transparency and accountability.

The report is rigorously structured, covering core areas such as defense policy, acquisition and sustainment, research and development testing, foreign military sales, personnel management, and the intelligence system. It also proposes detailed reform pathways for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Cyber Command, and Special Operations Forces. At the policy level, it emphasizes denial defense to counter the Chinese threat, particularly ensuring the security of Taiwan and allies in the first island chain. In terms of military force building, it advocates for nuclear force modernization and expansion, burden-sharing in allied defense, and strengthening the defense industrial base. In management mechanisms, it focuses on budget process reform, acquisition efficiency improvement, and optimization of personnel recruitment and retention.

Based on a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the U.S. defense system, the reform recommendations proposed in the report are both strategic and actionable, focusing on technological innovation and equipment upgrades as well as cultural reshaping and institutional improvement. Its core objective is to restore U.S. military superiority through systemic reforms, ensuring the protection of core national interests in great power competition. It provides a comprehensive blueprint and action guide for defense policy formulation following the 2025 presidential transition, holding significant reference value for understanding the future direction of U.S. defense strategy.