To succeed, armed forces must be resourced, prepared and equipped to do all three tasks reasonably well, like a car that needs brakes, gas and steering wheel for the daily commute. Having only one or two in working order doesn’t get the car very far. Warfighting concepts, in part, create a demand signal for what kind and how much military the military needs. 

Warfighting concepts have to be driven by what is required to protect U.S. vital interests. A military that can’t do that won’t be able to deliver conventional deterrence or to fight and win the nation’s wars. 

A Heritage Foundation vice president, James Jay Carafano directs the think tank’s research in matters of national security and foreign relations.

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