Current master plan for US military and counterterrorism contingency
The National Defense Strategy (NDS) is produced by the United States Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and is signed by the United States Secretary of Defense as the United States Department of Defense's (DoD) capstone strategic guidance. The NDS translates and refines the National Security Strategy (NSS) (produced by the U.S. President's staff and signed by the President) into broad military guidance for military planning, military strategy, force posturing, force constructs, force modernization, etc. It is expected to be produced every four years and to be generally publicly available.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
The NDS informs another related document, the National Military Strategy (NMS),[a][b] written by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and signed by its Chairman (CJCS).[7] The NMS and NDS often agree, but since the CJCS's role is to give unfiltered military advice to the government, the NMS is also an opportunity for the CJCS to provide a contrary opinion, however rare. In any case, the NMS is a further refinement of the NDS to provide the U.S. military with more detailed guidance for theater campaign planning, modernization, force posturing, and force structure.
Moreover, the NMS is often classified, while the NDS is generally not. According to a fact sheet[2] from the Department of Defense the March 2022 version is classified, however an "unclassified NDS will be forthcoming".[9]
In 2022, the NDS[1]: 1–32 was released on October 27 along with the Missile Defense Review (MDR)[1]: 63rd-80th pages [c] and Nuclear Posture Review (NPR).[1]: 33rd-62nd pages [15][b]
^" °Force employment addresses planning, force management, and decisionmaking to fulfill the defense objectives of the NDS. °Force development adapts functions, capabilities, and concepts to improve the current Joint Force. °Force design innovates to enable the Joint Force to do what it does differently to retain a competitive advantage against any adversary".[7] as cited by [8]
The Force management model begins with a projection of the Future operating environment, in terms of resources: political, military, economic, social, information, infrastructure, physical environment, and the time available to bring the Current Force to bear on the situation.
The JROC serves as a discussion forum of these factors.
The relevant strategy is provided by DoD leadership.
A DOTMLPF analysis models the factors necessary to change the Current force into a relevant Future force.
A JCIDS process identifies the gaps in capability between Current and Future force.
A Force design to meet the materiel gaps is underway.
An organization with the desired capabilities (manpower, materiel, training) is brought to bear on each gap.[4]
A budget request is submitted to Congress.
The resources are "dictated by Congress".
Approved requests then await resource deliveries which then become available to the combatant commanders.[16]
^MDR Summary: 1) air/missile threat environment; 2) US strategy and policy framework; 3) strengthening international cooperation;[13][14]