1、Thinking Smarter About DefenseBackgrounderFebruary 2010The 2010 Quadrennial defense review:An Initial Assessmentby Mark Gunzinger&Jim Thomasexecutive summaryOn February 1,2010,Secretary of Defense robert Gates submitted the fourth Quadrennial Defense review(QDr)report.This CSba backgrounder provides
2、 an initial assessment of the QDRs strategy and force planning dimensions.It finds that in general the QDR correctly identifies the major security challenges likely to confront the United States in the foreseeable future.While its six key mission areas are appropriate guides for the types of capabil
3、ities and forces DoD will need in the coming years,the QDrs lack of operational concepts explaining how various strategic objectives can be achieved hinders the identification and prioritization of needed capabilities.In weighting its strategy and investments heavily toward addressing the wars in af
4、ghanistan and Iraq,and transnational terrorism,the QDr appears to discount the urgency of investments needed to address emerging challenges,such as growing anti-access/area-denial(a2/aD)threats,nuclear-armed regional powers,and sustaining access to,and use of,space and cyberspace.Thus the most signi
