Provision must also be made for the missions other than regional conflict for which the force is concurrently responsible. The two-conflict standard serves all of these necessary considerations. We urge caution in the increasing emphasis on Military Operations Other Than War. Peacekeeping and constabulary functions are legitimate parts of the national security program, but it must be clear that they are subordinate to the assured capability to fight and win the nation's wars. The threats are diverse and evolving.
Challenges arise from more sources than in the past, and the locations are less predictable.
Weapons of mass destruction are proliferating, along with the means of employing them. Much sooner than our intelligence agencies had expected, the United States will be vulnerable to attack by ballistic missiles in the hands of rogue nations. Fighter aircraft sold on the world market approach parity with the best in operational service with the US Air Force. Information from space, much of it of strategic value, is commonly available. New regimes of conflict are emerging.