Brookings Institution Discusses The National Defense Strategy and great power competition: A conversation with Mark T. Esper

The Honorable Mark T. Esper served as the 27th U.S. secretary of defense from 2019 to 2020 and as the 23rd secretary of the Army from 2017 to 2019. During his tenure as defense secretary he made the implementation of the 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS) his top priority, rebuilding military readiness, highlighting the need for meaningful cooperation with allies and partners, and identifying China as a “pacing threat.” Like the 2018 NDS, the 2022 NDS — the first issued by the Biden administration — provides a roadmap for the United States to meet the challenges of this new era of great power competition.

On July 14, Brookings hosted a one-on-one conversation between Mark T. Esper and Brookings Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon on how the priorities of the 2018 unclassified NDS and the 2022 NDS fact sheet compare and how each strategy prepares the force to strengthen deterrence against the U.S.’s most consequential strategic competitors. The conversation was followed by questions from the in-person and virtual audience.