Pentagon’s Global Posture Review Emphasizes China, but Lacks Major Strategic Changes

After a nine-month deep-dive by Defense Department planners and policy experts billed as a holistic look at where and how America is deployed around the world, the Pentagon has concluded that no major changes to its military posture are needed — and that no public version of the document will be released.

The Pentagon’s Global Posture Review comes amid US concerns about confronting China in the Pacific, a build-up of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border and an enduring counterterrorism mission that will continue globally despite the end of the war in Afghanistan.

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Becca Wasser, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Breaking Defense that the GPR was “never going to produce major changes” to global posture because of the challenges with changing fixed posture, as well as the fact that the review preceded both the National Defense Strategy and National Security Strategy.

“What it does is provide a framework to message longer-term, gradual posture changes to allies and partners,” Wasser said. “If you want to change posture–whether that is expanding or consolidating bases, or deploying a new capability–you need access. Access is something only allies and partners can provide and changes to access usually require a lengthy consultation process.”

Read the full story and more from Breaking Defense.