A Framework for Strategy Development

Many observers have noted that past formulations of American militarystrategy, such as the Shape, Respond, Prepare Now approach that theDepartment of Defense used from 1997 until 2001, have been longer onphilosophy than on practicalities. To address those shortcomings, thisreport outlines a preliminary framework designed to better link strategywith resource priorities and more accurately frame key investment choices.This report contains the results of a study designed to assist theDepartment of Defense in its efforts to refine the defense strategy in lightof recent experiences and to address expectations about future challenges toU.S. national security. The framework model presented in this reportprovides a space in which decisionmakers can display strategic options andtheir inherent tradeoffs, debate the merits of those competing choices, andthen decide on a specific strategy.

DAVID CHARLES GOMPERT (Master of Public Affairs degree from the Woodrow WilsonSchool, Princeton University) is the President of RAND Europe.

Jeffrey A. Isaacson (MIT PhD Theoretical Physics) is a senior physical scientist at RAND whose research interests include ballistic missile defense, conventional weapons proliferation, and long-range planning.