Pentagon’s New Strategy Prioritizes Homeland Defense Over China

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – Pentagon to offer “more limited” support to allies in defense strategy shift. Trump’s new National Defense Strategy also says China is no longer the top security priority for the U.S., instead making the security of the homeland and Western Hemisphere its top defense priorities.

The 34-page report follows last year’s publication of the U.S. National Security Strategy, which said Europe faced civilizational collapse and did not cast Russia as a threat to the U.S.

New strategy calls on allies to step up, saying partners have been “content” to let Washington subsidize their defense, although it denies the shift signals a U.S. move towards “isolationism.”

“To the contrary, it means a focused and genuinely strategic approach to the threats our nation faces,” it says. Allies, especially Europe, “will take the lead against threats that are less severe for us but more so for them.”

Previous versions – published every four years – named China as the top defense priority. However, relations with China will now be approached through “strength, not confrontation.”

Unlike previous versions, Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by China, is not mentioned. The document does write that the U.S. aims to “prevent anyone, including China, from being able to dominate us or our allies.”

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense news from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

THE PDB – Not the President’s Daily Briefing, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF:    

NATIONAL SECURITY

As the U.S. military continues its campaign targeting drug cartel boats, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is convening a rare meeting of all top military leaders from the 34 countries in the Western Hemisphere.

HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. winter storm triggers most flight cancellations since COVID, forcing major airlines to cancel more than half their flights.

At least seven dead and 800,000 without power as major winter storm hits U.S.

DEFENSE POLITICS

President Trump sparked global indignation by falsely suggesting NATO troops avoided frontline combat, minimizing the sacrifice made by America’s allies during the war in Afghanistan.

White House Golden Dome missile defense shield delays are “frustrating” to key lawmaker/supporter who worries U.S. risks missing its moment to pull it off, as Congress awaits the project’s blueprint from Team Trump.

US POWER OVERSEAS

U.S. warship docked at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base for a five-day visit, signaling a continued thaw in military relations after years of tension over access to the strategic port in the Gulf of Thailand.

The helicopter flew too close to the crowd, with rotor wash causing a civilian’s fatal fall. An operational mindset that fostered “false confidence of safety” as well as poor mission planning contributed to the Air Force demonstration in Japan going wrong last year.

Military personnel at Naval Support Activity Bahrain initiated a $15.8 million unaccompanied housing modernization project.

VENEZUELA THREAT

Venezuela’s acting president, a raging communist, says she has had “enough” of U.S. orders. Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former VP, has insisted in recent weeks that the U.S. does not govern Venezuela but, equally, has not sought confrontation with Washington.

NARCO THREAT

The U.S. military carried out a strike on a narco vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two drug runners.

ARCTIC THREATS

NATO is ready to engage in a potential Arctic mission but hasn’t started planning as there has been no political guidance to do so, said the American Supreme Allied Commander Europe, after a meeting of the organization’s top military leaders.

Video – In the Arctic, the strongest navy is the one that can move.

MIDDLE EAST THREATS

U.S. unveils plans for “New Gaza” with skyscrapers. The Trump administration has unveiled ambitious plans to transform the Gaza Strip that would see the devastated Palestinian territory rebuilt from scratch.

U.S. will pay 20% of Gaza reconstruction, officials say.

Deal engineered by U.S. Central Command allowing Syrian Democratic Forces to leave the prison where they have been under siege by Syrian government forces will protect U.S. troops in that country.

Turkey and Qatar deepened their defense-industrial cooperation with multiple deals during the 2026 Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference.

CHINA THREAT

Perfect storm for Taiwan in 2026? In 2021, Admiral Philip Davidson testified before the Senate Committee on Armed Services that Beijing had set a serious goal of controlling Taiwan before 2027. “Taiwan is clearly one of their ambitions before then,” he warned. “And I think the threat is manifest during this decade, in fact, in the next six years.”

Taiwan’s government may be facing a fight to find funding to pay for the planned military spending increase, including announced arms purchases from the U.S. Is this due to Chinese influence on domestic Taiwan politics?

China’s most senior general is accused of leaking information about the country’s nuclear-weapons program to the U.S. and accepting bribes for official acts, including promotion of an officer to the defense minister.

China trains AI-controlled weapons by learning from hawks, coyotes. Engineers studying drone combat at one of China’s top military-linked universities needed a way to simulate clashes between drone swarms in real time. They turned to nature for inspiration.

RUSSIA THREAT/UKRAINE WAR

Ukrainian and Russian officials will meet in Abu Dhabi for a new round of peace talks, after two days of meetings this week failed to produce results.

Trump started the new year by flaunting U.S. military power in Venezuela with a daring raid. The episode has left Ukrainian officials wondering whether Washington would exhibit a similar brand of decisiveness in 2026 to end Russian attacks on Ukraine.

EUROPEAN DEFENSE

Denmark fast-tracked Lockheed radars for northern air surveillance. A recent $610 million order placed by Denmark for air surveillance radars to be stationed across Danish territory was sole-sourced in “essential security interests” of the country.

To bolster the country’s Black Sea coast defense capabilities, the Bulgarian military will purchase the Naval Strike Missile coastal defense system.

US MILITARY

The number of operational U.S. military satellites has nearly doubled since the Space Force was created in 2019. Now its leaders want to double the size of the service itself by doubling the number of Guardians.

Why the Army must focus on winning the first battle of the next war. War is the most ruthless, utilitarian endeavor in humanity: Either you are ready, or you aren’t.

The Navy bans the consumption of organic opioids, kratom, and several other substances.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

READ NEXT: From Triumph To Near Defeat: Pivotal Base Almost Surrenders Unconditionally