Putting "defense" back into U.S. defense policy : rethinking U.S. security in the post-Cold War world / / Ivan Eland

• Autore: Eland Ivan
• Pubblicazione: Westport, Conn. : , : Praeger, , 2001; London : , : Bloomsbury Publishing, , 2024
• Edizione: 1st ed.
• Descrizione fisica: viii, 242 p. : ill
• Disciplina: 355/.033073
• Soggetto topico: National security - United States; World politics - 21st century
• Soggetto geografico: United States Military policy
• Note generali: Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references (p. [229]-234) and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Cover -- Contents -- Illustrations -- FIGURES -- TABLES -- 1 U.S. National Security: Mismatch between Policy and Reality -- NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY EVOLVES -- THE UNITED STATES IS OVEREXTENDED -- AN EXTENDED DEFENSE PERIMETER MAY UNDERMINE U.S. VITAL INTERESTS -- Far-Flung Peacetime Interventions Can Undermine Recruitment and Retention of Soldiers -- Profligate Interventions Can Reduce the Readiness to Fight a Real War -- "Readiness Crisis" Indicates That Excessive Military Requirements Exceed Already Abundant Resources -- THE AMOUNT SPENT ON THE MILITARY IS ALREADY HUGE -- A COMPLETE REVIEW OF U.S. SECURITY IS NEEDED -- NOTES -- 2 Defining U.S. Vital Interests -- THE NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY -- A CONCRETE AND NARROW DEFINITION OF U.S. VITAL INTERESTS -- WHAT IS NOT VITAL -- Korea -- The Persian Gulf -- Defending Values -- CONCLUSION -- NOTES -- 3 Threats to U.S. Vital Interests -- THE THREAT TO U.S. CITIZENS, TERRITORY, AND INSTITUTIONS -- Russian Nuclear Attack -- Chinese Nuclear Attack -- Threats from Rogue States -- Some Proliferation Is Worse than Others -- Proliferation to Rogue States -- A Case Study in Failure: Preventing Proliferation to Iraq -- The Demise of the Soviet Union: Proliferation Made Easier -- Proliferation of Information-Warfare Technology -- A Changed Strategic Environment for a Superpower -- THREATS TO MAJOR REGIONS OF U.S. INTEREST -- The Threat to East Asia -- China's Conventional Military Capabilities -- China Will Modernize Its Military Slowly -- China Will Be Limited in Its Ability to Project Power -- China's Defense Industry Lacks Sophistication -- Chinese Intentions -- The Threat to Europe -- Resources for the Russian Military Are Scarce -- The Russian Defense Industry -- The Decline of the Russian Military Is Unlikely to Be Reversed Soon -- Even the Threats to Nonstrategic Regions Have Declined -- North Korea. ; Iraq -- Iran -- Syria -- Libya -- Sudan -- Cuba -- THREATS TO U.S. TRADE -- THE CHIMERA OF INSTABILITY -- CONCLUSION: A RANKING OF THREATS -- NOTES -- 4 U.S. Security Strategy -- "BALANCER-OF-LAST-RESORT" STRATEGY -- PROTECTION OF U.S. TRADE -- EVEN IN THE MOST IMPORTANT REGIONS OF THE GLOBE, U.S. ALLIANCES ARE OUT OF DATE -- THE CONSTITUTIONAL DIMENSIONS OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY -- EFFECTS OF A FAILED SECURITY STRATEGY -- CONCLUSION -- NOTES -- 5 The United States Must Revamp Its Military Forces -- THE EVOLUTION OF THE CURRENT U.S. FORCE STRUCTURE -- THE UNITED STATES SHOULD MOVE AWAY FROM PLANNING TO FIGHT TWO WARS -- THE FORCE STRUCTURE NEEDED TO BE A BALANCER OF LAST RESORT -- Ground Forces -- Air and Sea Power -- Vulnerable Air Bases -- Airlift and Sealift -- Readiness of U.S. Forces -- Strategic Forces and National Missile Defense -- Conventional Wisdom on Missile Defense Is Out of Date -- Missile Defense Has Utility Despite Its Inability to Counter All Threats -- Combine Missile Defense with Deep Cuts in Offensive Forces -- Modifying the ABM Treaty to Allow NMD -- Benefits of a Much Smaller Nuclear Arsenal Coupled with a Limited NMD37 -- NMD Must Be Thoroughly Tested before Purchase -- CONCLUSION -- NOTES -- 6 Weapons Unnecessary for a Balancer-of-Last-Resort Strategy -- WEAPONS TO BE TERMINATED OR DELAYED -- Tactical Fighters -- F-22 Raptor -- F-18E/F Super Hornet -- Joint Strike Fighter -- Airlift Aircraft -- V-22 Tiltrotor Aircraft -- The Comanche Helicopter -- Crusader Self-Propelled Howitzer -- Upgrading the M1A1 Tank -- Unneeded Antitank Weapons -- Advanced Amphibious Vehicle -- Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier and Future Carriers -- Virginia-Class Submarines -- Surface Combatants -- LPD-17 -- Theater Missile Defense -- Retain the Navy Area and Theaterwide and Army PAC-3 Programs -- Terminate THAAD, MEADS, and Airborne Laser -- CONCLUSION. ; NOTES -- 7 Defense Programs That Need Increased Funding or Attention -- A NEW LONG-RANGE BOMBER -- STOVL AND VTOL AIRCRAFT TECHNOLOGY -- UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES -- A LIGHTER TANK -- A LIGHTER SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY PIECE -- MINE COUNTERMEASURES -- LONG-RANGE PRECISION WEAPONS -- COMMAND, CONTROL, COMMUNICATIONS, AND INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS -- ELECTRONIC WARFARE -- INVESTING TO COMBAT BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS -- CRUISE MISSILE DEFENSE FOR U.S. FORCES AND THE U.S. HOMELAND -- Defending the U.S. Homeland -- Defending U.S. Forces -- CONCLUSION -- NOTES -- 8 An Appropriate Defense Budget for the Balancer-of-Last-Resort Strategy -- A MUCH SMALLER DEFENSE BUDGET ACHIEVED THROUGH BOTTOM-UP COSTING WILL NOT HARM U.S. SECURITY -- Detailed Costs of the Reduced Force -- Army -- Marine Corps -- Navy -- Air Force -- Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and Miscellaneous Forces -- Trim the Nuclear Labs -- CONCLUSION -- NOTES -- 9 Conclusion -- Selected Bibliography -- Index -- About the Author.
• Sommario/riassunto: This book examines the implications of counterinsurgency wars for U.S. defense policy and makes the compelling argument that the United States' default position on counterinsurgency wars should be to avoid them. In this compelling study, Eland questions the core assumptions of the American foreign policy and defense establishments that call for military interventions around the world and high and increasing defense budgets at home. He outlines a security policy more appropriate to the sober realities of the post-Cold War era. This is an approach that calls for military restraint overseas, taking advantage of the already secure U.S. geostrategic position, while safeguarding vital national interests. Eland details the military force structure needed for this new role and calculates the reduced defense budget required to pay for these forces. This book is a timely wake-up call to those who make American foreign and defense policies. It demands a badly needed re-thinking of America's national interests. In the author's view, America's natural geostrategic position places it at a natural advantage, rendering unnecessary a forward defense posture. A non-interventionist foreign policy would save money by requiring lower defense budgets. An America less willing to get involved in complex overseas disputes unrelated to U.S vital interests would also be less likely to make enemies around the world.
• Titolo autorizzato: Putting "defense" back into U.S. defense policy
• ISBN: 9798216003526; 9780313007019; 0313007012
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Record Nr.: 9910974337603321
• Lo trovi qui: Univ. Federico II