Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to the press at the White House on October 27, 2022 (Photo: US Department of Defense)

Speaking at a press conference to announce the National Defense Strategy (NDS), Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strategy lays out top-level defense priorities: defending the homeland against the growing multi-domain threat posed by China; deterring strategic attacks against the United States, allies, and partners.

Other priorities include deterring aggression while being prepared to prevail in conflict, when necessary; and prioritizing the challenges posed by China in the Indo-Pacific region, the Russian challenge in Europe, and building a resilient joint force and defense ecosystem.  

The Department of Defense also released a Nuclear Posture Review and a Missile Defense Review. For the first time in its history, the Department conducted all major strategic reviews in an integrated way, aligned with the National Security Strategy.