The World Is Reassessing America | The High Top
July 14, 2026 • 10:00 – 10:15 am EDT
The Value of U.S. Land Power
Working Paper No. 1
Photo: Cpl. Malia Sparks/DVIDS
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The roles and missions of U.S. land power are under scrutiny as a result of conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, as well as intense competition in the Indo-Pacific. To address these issues, this working paper examines the utility and relevance of U.S. land forces as part of the joint force in the contemporary global security environment. It concludes that U.S. land power has certain characteristics that demonstrate both its advantages and limits: Land power, through its presence and persistence, offers durable control, security, and deterrence; the land domain remains the decisive domain in which to generate enduring results; land power possesses a wide variety of capabilities that demonstrate versatility and adaptability to accomplish a range of missions; because land power is predominantly expeditionary, it is reliant on joint force capabilities and often allies and partners to meet its objectives; and finally, land power is constrained by potential human cost.
This report is made possible by the generous support of the Association of the United States Army.
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Director, Center for the Industrial Base and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
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Deputy Director, Center for the Industrial Base and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
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