Pentagon’s 2026 NDS Reveals Radical Shift in U.S. Defense Priorities

(MENAFN) The Pentagon dropped its 2026 National Defense Strategy on Friday, unveiling a dramatic transformation in American military doctrine centered on protecting U.S. soil, projecting power to keep adversaries at bay, and demanding allies shoulder more of the defense burden.

In the strategy memo bearing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's signature, the administration contends that previous U.S. leadership eroded combat capability through extended nation-building campaigns and foreign interventions that sapped preparedness and weakened the "warrior ethos."

The updated framework pivots America's fighting forces back to what officials call their "core, irreplaceable role" of preventing and prevailing in conflicts that threaten vital U.S. national interests.

Four strategic pillars anchor the NDS: securing American territory, keeping Beijing in check across the Indo-Pacific through military capability rather than aggression, compelling partners to increase their security contributions, and rebuilding America's defense manufacturing capacity.

Protecting the homeland now tops the Pentagon's priority list, encompassing reinforced border operations, combating drug cartels reclassified as terrorist organizations, safeguarding critical Western Hemisphere assets like the Panama Canal and Greenland, plus hardening defenses against air, missile, cyber and nuclear threats.

Regarding Beijing, the strategy advocates for deeper military dialogue to minimize confrontation risks.

"About China, we will also be clear-eyed and realistic about the speed, scale, and quality of China's historic military buildup. Our goal in doing so is not to dominate China; nor is it to strangle or humiliate them. Rather, our goal is simple: To prevent anyone, including China, from being able to dominate us or our allies—in essence, to set the military conditions required to achieve the NSS goal of a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific that allows all of us to enjoy a decent peace," it said.

The Pentagon classifies Russia as a "persistent but manageable threat," especially to NATO's eastern flank, while insisting European partners must shoulder primary responsibility for conventional territorial defense. Tehran and Pyongyang also register as security concerns, with recent American and allied strikes cited as proof that deterrence capabilities have been restored.

Burden-sharing forms the strategy's backbone. The Trump administration insists allied nations must dramatically boost military budgets and accept expanded regional security roles, referencing a new worldwide standard of 5% of GDP for defense expenditures approved at NATO's Hague Summit.

The document additionally demands a "once-in-a-century" overhaul of America's defense manufacturing sector, positioning it as critical for maintaining combat readiness, equipping partners, and guaranteeing the nation can mass-produce armaments during emergencies.

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