This strategy is fit for our time， providing the American people the military required to protect our way of life， stand with our allies， and live up to our responsibility to pass intact to the next generation those freedoms that all of us enjoy here today.
Adapting to today＇s realities， this strategy expands our competitive space， prioritizes preparedness for war， provides clear direction for significant change at the speed of relevance， and builds a more lethal force to compete strategically.
This strategy makes a clear－eyed appraisal of our security environment， with a keen eye on America＇s place in the world. This required some tough choices， ladies and gentlemen， and we made them based upon a fundamental precept， namely that America can afford survival.
We face growing threats from revisionist powers as different as China and Russia are from each other， nations that do seek to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models， pursuing veto authority over other nations＇ economic， diplomatic and security decisions.
Rogue regimes like North Korea and Iran persist in taking outlaw actions that threaten regional and even global stability. Oppressing their own people and shredding their own people＇s dignity and human rights， they push their warped views outward.
And despite the defeat of ISIS＇ physical caliphate， violent extremist organizations like ISIS or Lebanese Hezbollah or al Qaida continue to sow hatred， destroying peace and murdering innocents across the globe.
In this time of change， our military is still strong. Yet our competitive edge has eroded in every domain of warfare， air， land， sea， space and cyberspace， and it is continuing to erode.
Rapid technological change， the negative impact on military readiness is resulting from the longest continuous stretch of combat in our nation＇s history and defense spending caps， because we have been operating also for nine of the last 10 years under continuing resolutions that have created an overstretched and under－resourced military.
Our military＇s role is to keep the peace； to keep the peace for one more year， one more month， one more week， one more day. To ensure our diplomats who are working to solve problems do so from a position of strength and giving allies confidence in us. This confidence is underpinned by the assurance that our military will win should diplomacy fail.
When unveiling his national security strategy， President Trump said， ＂Weakness is the surest path to conflict， and unquestioned strength is the most certain means of defense.＂
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