Rogue One
Integrated deterrence, the latest darling of defense strategists, is a misguided and overly complex strategy that promised much but has delivered little. Traditional deterrence is simple—project overwhelming military power to dissuade adversaries from taking aggressive actions. Integrated deterrence, however, overcomplicates decision-making. The NDS outlines a vision where everything functions seamlessly across all services and domains, while being perfectly synchronized with all our allied partners and interagency stakeholders. In essence, it suggests achieving flawless coordination and execution in all areas simultaneously. Such an expectation, however, is highly ambitious and will only work in fantasyland.
At its core, effective deterrence depends on the credible threat of hard power. Integrated deterrence undermines this by shifting focus to softer tools like diplomacy and sanctions, which DoD has almost no control over and which simply don't carry the same weight with hard actors that only respect hard power. Adversaries are more likely to test the resolve of a country that mixes military threats with economic actions because they know that integrated deterrence weakens the military's hand. This dilution sends a mixed message of hesitation rather than strength. Our enemies understand that if we’re preoccupied with diplomacy and economic measures, the likelihood of swift military retaliation is diminished. This mixed messaging is disastrous when it comes to deterring aggression.
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