The Joint Force in a Contested and Disordered World

chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear weapons. In these cases, the Joint Force may be
required to mitigate the effects of WMD use in the midst of a civil or international conflict.
Manage Antagonism and Impose Costs
There will be instances when the United States will resolve to oppose the
aggressive activities of state and non-state actors – whether overt, covert,
or a hybrid mix. In these cases, the Joint Force will be required to more
actively and forcefully resist adversaries and discourage unfavorable
changes to the security environment. When the United States decides to
manage an antagonistic competitor or impose costs on adversary courses
of action, the military tasks associated with this enduring strategic goal are:
Deter. To employ the Joint Force to prevent or discourage adversary
action.
Deny. To employ the Joint Force to refuse adversary use of an already
seized or controlled objective.
The Joint Force must be prepared to protect and defend key U.S. interests
against adversaries who attempt to shape or otherwise alter the security
environment at the expense of the United States or its allies. Consequently,
the future Joint Force will conduct missions to deter or deny adversaries
from engaging in coercive strategies or benefiting from conflict and war by
raising the potential costs of their actions above what they are prepared to
bear. Figure 7 illustrates the potential missions the future Joint Force may
conduct to deter or deny.
Figure 7. Missions
to Deter or Deny
Evolving Missions to Deter or Deny
The Joint Force must be prepared to conduct Defense against Subversion. These missions will
discourage both state and non-state ideological networks from taking political and military actions
to undermine the military, economic, psychological, or political strength or morale of the United
States, its allies and partners. They will feature an integrated mix of global activities and local
operations to strengthen and protect the stability and integrity of key foreign partners. Initially,
information operations designed to weaken adversary initiatives by encouraging local competition
among existing ideological networks will simultaneously motivate local resistance to competitor
networks. Furthermore, to counter the wide ranging subversive efforts of states and terrorist
groups, the Joint Force may conduct synchronized and coordinated Foreign Internal Defense,
Security Force Assistance, and potentially unconventional warfare across several threatened states
and jurisdictions. This mission should focus on denying adversaries visible victories and
demonstrating the capacity to reject their desired objectives.
The foundation for U.S. survival in a world of nuclear states is the credible capability to hold other
nuclear great powers at risk, which will be complicated by the emergence of more capable,
survivable, and numerous competitor nuclear forces. Therefore, the future Joint Force must be
prepared to conduct National Strategic Deterrence. This includes leveraging layered missile
defenses to complicate adversary nuclear planning; fielding U.S. nuclear forces capable of
threatening the leadership, military forces, and industrial and economic assets of potential
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