Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

CSBA strategists explain how a weapon can help you win without ever being used

In a new study of strategy in an age of austerity, three CSBA authors, led by Andrew Krepinevich, state that the B-1 bomber imposed disproportionate costs on the Soviet military, forcing it to invest in air defenses "at the expense of offensive capabilities, thereby pushing the superpower competition in a highly favorable direction." Very Sun ...

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
Wikimedia
Wikimedia
Wikimedia

In a new study of strategy in an age of austerity, three CSBA authors, led by Andrew Krepinevich, state that the B-1 bomber imposed disproportionate costs on the Soviet military, forcing it to invest in air defenses "at the expense of offensive capabilities, thereby pushing the superpower competition in a highly favorable direction." Very Sun Tzu-ish!

In a new study of strategy in an age of austerity, three CSBA authors, led by Andrew Krepinevich, state that the B-1 bomber imposed disproportionate costs on the Soviet military, forcing it to invest in air defenses "at the expense of offensive capabilities, thereby pushing the superpower competition in a highly favorable direction." Very Sun Tzu-ish!

They also argue that given the basic resiliency of the United States, "a strategy that plays for time or envisions the capability to contest a long-term competition appears to be relevant today."

Another good line: "Strategy is about taking risks and deciding what will not be done as well as what will." This was the essence of the decisions Marshall and Eisenhower contemplated in World War II: What was essential (keeping the Soviets in the war, for example) vs. merely important (lots of other things).

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

More from Foreign Policy

The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.
The USS Nimitz and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and South Korean Navy warships sail in formation during a joint naval exercise off the South Korean coast.

America Is a Heartbeat Away From a War It Could Lose

Global war is neither a theoretical contingency nor the fever dream of hawks and militarists.

A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.
A protester waves a Palestinian flag in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. People sit and walk on the grass lawn in front of the protester and barricades.

The West’s Incoherent Critique of Israel’s Gaza Strategy

The reality of fighting Hamas in Gaza makes this war terrible one way or another.

Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.
Biden dressed in a dark blue suit walks with his head down past a row of alternating U.S. and Israeli flags.

Biden Owns the Israel-Palestine Conflict Now

In tying Washington to Israel’s war in Gaza, the U.S. president now shares responsibility for the broader conflict’s fate.

U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.
U.S. President Joe Biden is seen in profile as he greets Chinese President Xi Jinping with a handshake. Xi, a 70-year-old man in a dark blue suit, smiles as he takes the hand of Biden, an 80-year-old man who also wears a dark blue suit.

Taiwan’s Room to Maneuver Shrinks as Biden and Xi Meet

As the latest crisis in the straits wraps up, Taipei is on the back foot.