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Heritage Report Assesses U.S. Military Strength As ‘Marginal’

By Cal Biesecker

Wednesday, March 4th, 2026

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Heritage Report Assesses U.S. Military Strength As ‘Marginal’

The USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78) steams through the Atlantic Ocean on April 13, 2022, underway conducting carrier qualifications and strike group integration prior to operational deployment. (Photo: U.S. Navy by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Riley McDowell)

The posture of the U.S. military to fight and win two major conflicts at the same time is “marginal,” marked by areas of strength and weakness, a new report from the Heritage Foundation says. The U.S. military is probably only able to be successful in a single major regional contingency (MRC), the conservative think tank says in its annual report, 2026 Index of U.S. Military Strength. The analysis is based on a U.S. strategy that sees China as the primary…

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