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Experts conclude that the US Army is not capable of responding to new challenges amid growing tensions with China and Russia.
US military is 'weak' warns new think tank report
Experts from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative ‘think tank’ based in Washington DC, evaluated the capabilities of the US Army in its annual report ‘Index 2022 of the US Military Force’, published this Tuesday, and concluded that the Armed Forces of the country are in a state “weak” and “are at increasing risk of being unable to meet the needs of defending vital national interests”.
The underfunding and “ill-defined priorities,” according to assessments, are the two main reasons why “the current US military is at significant risk of being unable to meet the needs of not a single major regional conflict“. Although the state of the Army as a whole was rated as “weak”, the country’s military services obtained different estimates. Thus, the Marine Corps was rated “strong”, while the Air Force was rated “very weak”.
Other reasons that explain the “weak” capacity of the Army are: the shortage of personnel, weapons and equipment; the constant changes in security policies and the poor discipline in the execution of programs. For example, expert estimates show that the Naval Forces need around 400 ships to fulfill their functions, but currently they only have 298.
The researchers give recommendations to the US authorities to increase the effectiveness and competitiveness of the Armed Forces. They recommend that the North American country invest more in the elaboration and production of its military equipment.
The report indicates that the main threats to the US are Russia and China, as well as North Korea and Iran . At the same time, experts emphasize that Russia remains the main threat to US interests in Europe, as well as “the most pressing threat”, while the threat from China was described as “most comprehensive”.
The Index 2023 concludes that the Army “is ill-equipped to handle two major regional conflicts almost simultaneously” and that’s why you won’t be able to do it. Experts consider that the US Armed Forces are “weak in relation to
