News release: “The U.S. military may be weaker than you think. All but one branch of America’s military and nuclear forces are currently operating at “marginal” strength levels. The exception is the Air Force, which is rated as “strong” in the “Index of U.S. Military Strength,” released today by The Heritage Foundation. A first-of-its-kind report, the Index provides an in-depth analysis of global threats to vital U.S. interests and our armed forces’ ability to prevail against them. It concludes that, overall, U.S. armed forces are not capable of prevailing when fighting two regional conflicts at once, a longstanding strategic objective. It notes that, while terrorism still presents a serious threat, Russia and China pose the greatest danger to U.S. national security. “The Heritage Foundation’s 2015 Index of U.S. Military Strength is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in our nation’s military capabilities.  It paints a stark picture of shortfalls in capability, capacity, and readiness across the force and illustrates the damage done by years of irresponsible budget cuts.  I encourage all policymakers interested in the current state of our military—and how to improve it—to review this Index.” says Rep. Randy Forbes, member of the House Armed Services Committee The Index analyzes three components of U.S. military strength: the capabilities of each branch of U.S. military service, the nature and severity of major regional threats they may be called upon to deal with, and the environments (presence/absence of allies, geographic challenges, etc.) in which they would have to operate.” [via Greta E. Marlatt,Homeland Security Digital Library Content Manager]