U.S. Military Forces

CSIS annually produces a series of papers on U.S. military forces, including composition, new initiatives, long-term trends, and challenges

 

 

FY2022:

Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Peering into the Abyss
March 3, 2022 | Mark F. Cancian

This report is a compilation of the "U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022" white paper series, covering in detail the overall strategy and priorities of the DOD by service as well as SOF, contractors, and DOD civilians.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Space, SOF, Civilians, and Contractors
December 20, 2021 | Mark F. Cancian

This paper is part of U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022. Military forces include the Space Force, Special Operations Forces, DOD civilians, and contractors.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Air Force
November 30, 2021 | Mark F. Cancian

The Air Force continues developing and procuring next-generation aircraft to meet the demands of great power conflict. Fielding new aircraft has slowed the increase in fleet age, but the Air Force is not buying enough new aircraft to sustain current force levels.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Marine Corps
November 17, 2021 | Mark F. Cancian

The Marine Corps continues a major restructuring to develop capabilities for great power conflict in the Pacific after two decades of conducting counterinsurgency operations ashore. The budget cuts units and personnel to pay for these new capabilities.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Navy
November 2, 2021 | Mark F. Cancian

The Biden administration’s emerging fleet plan incorporates smaller ships and large numbers of unmanned systems, as proposed by many strategists, but high costs, production limitations, and congressional opposition may prevent full implementation.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Army
October 21, 2021 | Mark F. Cancian

The U.S. Army’s force structure remains steady even though its budget declined by $3.6 billion dollars. The Army does this by cutting modernization and readiness. In the long term, the Army’s force structure is at risk because of the strategic focus on China.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Peering into the Abyss—The Budget and Strategy Overview
October 12, 2021 | Mark F. Cancian

CSIS produces a series of papers on US military forces, including their composition, new initiatives, long-term trends, and challenges. In FY 2022, military forces are “peering into the abyss,” as constrained budgets and strategy changes push the services to cut forces.

 

FY2021:

Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2021: The Last Year of Growth?
March 18 2021 | Mark F. Cancian

CSIS’s Mark Cancian analyzes the U.S. military forces in FY 2021, their composition, new initiatives, long-term trends, and challenges, as the United States’ military forces likely entered their last year of growth.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2021: Space, SOF, Civilians, and Contractors
January 8, 2021 | Mark F. Cancian

Military forces include not just traditional services, but also the newly created Space Force, special operations forces, civilians, and contractors. In his final paper in a series on U.S. forces, Mark Cancian analyzes recent changes to these national security elements.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2021: Air Force
December 3, 2020 | Mark F. Cancian

The Air Force continues to develop and procure next-generation aircraft to meet the demands of great power conflict. While fielding new aircraft has arrested the fleet's increasing age, the Air Force is not buying enough new aircraft to sustain its force structure.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2021: Marine Corps
November 16, 2020 | Mark F. Cancian

The Marine Corps begins a major restructuring to develop capabilities for great power conflict after two decades of conducting counterinsurgency ashore. However, many commentators worry that the restructuring will make the Marine Corps too narrowly focused.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2021: Navy
November 9, 2020 | Mark F. Cancian

Unlike the other services, the Navy has sought to grow significantly. However, its previous plan to reach 355 ships collapsed. A new plan incorporates smaller ships and large numbers of unmanned systems.

 

FY2020:

Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2020: The Struggle to Align Forces with Strategy
November 8, 2019 | Mark F. Cancian

CSIS’s Mark Cancian analyzes the U.S. military forces in FY 2020, their composition, new initiatives, long-term trends, and challenges, as the United States attempts to align its forces with a strategy of long-term great power competition.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2020: Air Force
October 21, 2019 | Mark F. Cancian

Squeezed between the demands of great power conflict and day-to-day operations, the Air Force moves to a high-low mix of capabilities. In the fifth white paper in a series on U.S. forces, CSIS's Mark Cancian analyzes the Air Force’s modernization and force structure plans.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2020: Army
October 15, 2019 | Mark F. Cancian

The Army struggles to grow its force structure as it takes steps towards modernization for great power conflict. In the fourth white paper in his series on U.S. forces, CSIS's Mark Cancian analyzes the Army’s plans and challenges for growth and modernization.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2020: Marine Corps
October 10, 2019 | Mark F. Cancian

The Marine Corps is developing capabilities for great power conflict after decades of counterinsurgency. In the third white paper in a series on U.S. forces, CSIS's Mark Cancian analyzes the Marine Corps’ force structure, strategic reorientation, and long-term challenges.

 
Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2020: Navy
October 3, 2019 | Mark F. Cancian

The U.S. Navy is gearing up for great power conflict even as it struggles to meet day-to-day operational demands. In the second white paper in his series on the U.S. forces, CSIS's Mark Cancian analyzes the Navy’s force structure, proposed changes, and long-term challenges.

 

FY2019:

Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2019: The Buildup and Its Limits
November 2, 2018 | Mark F. Cancian

Even large defense buildups can't do everything, so force expansion in the FY 2019 budget has been unexpectedly small.

 

FY2018:

Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2018
October 27, 2017 | Mark F. Cancian

The Department of Defense (DOD) faces a strategic choice: whether to focus on modernization for high-tech conflicts with China and Russia or expand forces and improve readiness to meet a superpower’s commitments for ongoing conflicts and crisis response.

 

FY2017:

Report
U.S. Military Forces in FY 2017
May 17, 2016 | Mark F. Cancian

This timely study examines the Defense Department’s FY 2017 budget proposal for the size and shape of military forces; what that proposal means for cost, strategy, and risk; and challenges the proposal faces in implementation. The study covers all four military services plus government civilians, contractors, and department-wide initiatives.

All U.S. Military Forces Content

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U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Air Force

The Air Force continues developing and procuring next-generation aircraft to meet the demands of great power conflict. Fielding new aircraft has slowed the increase in fleet age, but the Air Force is not buying enough new aircraft to sustain current force levels.

Report by Mark F. Cancian — November 30, 2021

U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Marine Corps

The Marine Corps continues a major restructuring to develop capabilities for great power conflict in the Pacific after two decades of conducting counterinsurgency operations ashore. The budget cuts units and personnel to pay for these new capabilities.

Report by Mark F. Cancian — November 17, 2021

U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Navy

The Biden administration’s emerging fleet plan incorporates smaller ships and large numbers of unmanned systems, as proposed by many strategists, but high costs, production limitations, and congressional opposition may prevent full implementation.

Report by Mark F. Cancian — November 2, 2021

U.S. Military Forces in FY 2022: Army

The U.S. Army’s force structure remains steady even though its budget declined by $3.6 billion dollars. The Army does this by cutting modernization and readiness. In the long term, the Army’s force structure is at risk because of the strategic focus on China.

Report by Mark F. Cancian — October 21, 2021

U.S. Military Forces in FY 2021: The Last Year of Growth?

CSIS’s Mark Cancian analyzes the U.S. military forces in FY 2021, their composition, new initiatives, long-term trends, and challenges, as the United States’ military forces likely entered their last year of growth.

Report by Mark F. Cancian — March 18, 2021

U.S. Military Forces in FY 2021: Space, SOF, Civilians, and Contractors

Military forces include not just traditional services, but also the newly created Space Force, special operations forces, civilians, and contractors. In his final paper in a series on U.S. forces, Mark Cancian analyzes recent changes to these national security elements.

Report by Mark F. Cancian — January 8, 2021

U.S. Military Forces in FY 2021: Air Force

The Air Force continues to develop and procure next-generation aircraft to meet the demands of great power conflict. While fielding new aircraft has arrested the fleet's increasing age, the Air Force is not buying enough new aircraft to sustain its force structure.

Report by Mark F. Cancian — December 3, 2020

U.S. Military Forces in FY 2021: Marine Corps

The Marine Corps begins a major restructuring to develop capabilities for great power conflict after two decades of conducting counterinsurgency ashore. However, many commentators worry that the restructuring will make the Marine Corps too narrowly focused.

Report by Mark F. Cancian — November 16, 2020