The United States Shifts Priorities in the National Defense Strategy
Tuesday, Jan/27/2026 - 18:47
(L&D) - The United States focuses on protecting the Western Hemisphere, prioritizes border control, counters China, and strengthens the defense industry in the 2026 strategy.
On the morning of January 24 (Vietnam time), the Pentagon announced the National Defense Strategy 2026, marking a profound adjustment in the security thinking of the administration of President Donald Trump, with the foremost priority placed on protecting United States territory and core interests in the Western Hemisphere.
The document marks a historic turning point as the Trump administration officially uses the designation “Department of War” (DoW) instead of the Department of Defense, while simultaneously redefining core priorities in line with the “America First” doctrine.
Accordingly, the protection of national territory is placed above global priorities. In addition, the United States identifies a shift in its security focus from distant conflicts to the Western Hemisphere itself.
The Strategy emphasizes border control, the suppression of illegal immigration, and drug-related crime as urgent security tasks. The Pentagon also announced plans to deploy the “Golden Dome” missile defense system, along with counter–unmanned aerial vehicle technologies, to protect domestic airspace.
The document reaffirms the Monroe Doctrine in a new context and declares that the United States is prepared to act unilaterally against threats in the Western Hemisphere, particularly against “drug terrorist” groups.
The Pentagon in Washington, D.C., United States. (Photo: XNA/VNNA)
Strategic locations such as Greenland, the Panama Canal, and the Gulf of Mexico (referred to by the United States as the “Gulf of America”) are identified as vital interests, where the United States will not accept any external intrusion or challenge.
In the National Defense Strategy 2026, the United States continues to regard China as its principal strategic competitor, but will adopt a more pragmatic approach toward Beijing in the Indo-Pacific region.
In addition, Washington will maintain military communication channels with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China to avoid miscalculations, while strengthening its defense system to deter any intent to use force.
A notable highlight of the National Defense Strategy 2026 is the United States’ requirement that its allies “share the burden” by spending 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense, while receiving only “important but limited” support from Washington.
The United States considers that European countries that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) possess sufficient economic capacity to shoulder conventional defense responsibilities and to support Ukraine. Furthermore, the document assesses that the Republic of Korea has sufficient capability to play a leading role in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
With regard to the Middle East, the document affirms that recent military operations have weakened Iran, and regards Israel as a “model ally” in ensuring regional security on its own.
The National Defense Strategy 2026 considers the defense industry to be a key pillar for implementing new security priorities. The United States will launch an “industrial mobilization,” accelerate the reshoring of defense production lines, apply artificial intelligence (AI), and reduce administrative barriers.
In parallel, Washington will leverage the production capacities of its allies to build a defense industrial network capable of achieving overwhelming superiority in both quantity and quality across all conflict scenarios.
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