A check over of the U.S.’s much anticipated NSS

Source: The post is based on an article “A check over of the U.S.’s much anticipated NSS” published in The Hindu on 31^st October 2022.

Syllabus: GS 2 – International relations

Relevance: National Security Strategy of the USS and its relevance for India

News: The United States has launched its National Security Strategy (NSS). It is a comprehensive document that provide the estimates of investment in the defense of the country and in achieving the nation’s security goals.

What are the goals of NSS?

The NSS of the Biden administration focuses on multiple goals to be achieved in the current decade (2021-30).

It seeks to 1) Sustain U.S. leadership, 2) Improve the U.S. economy, 3) Building partnerships and alliances, 4) Counter China as its strategic competitor and Russia as a disruptor, and 5) Boost U.S. competitiveness and defend democracy.

It also focuses on the issues of climate change, food insecurity, pandemics, terrorism, energy shortages and inflation along with food security and inflation.

It serves three purposes – a) fulfils the aims and vision of the National Security Strategic Guidance, b) provides clarity and direction to various policies, c) fulfils the political expectation in the US.

An important part of the NSS is to inform the U.S. Department of Defense’s strategy, especially in the two areas – nuclear posture and missile defense.

What are the agendas put under NSS?

It lays down three main agendas of the U.S. strategy of moving forward: a) invest; b) build and c) modernize.

Invest: It seeks to invest in the tools of American power and increase its influence by strengthening the economy, improving critical infrastructure and investing in technologies such as microchips and semiconductors.

Build: It seeks to build the strongest possible coalition of nations.

Modernize: it aims at modernizing that would fulfil the US’ internal and external security demands.

These three agendas will help US to compete with China as NSS names China as the only competitor that could shape the international order in a fundamental way.

How does NSS provide strategy to compete with China and fill the gap of Russia?

The NSS provides a long-term and immediate plan to counter China. It seeks to build a joint-strategy to compete China while putting limitation on Russia.

It considers China’s increasing dominance in the Indo-Pacific region in areas of economy, technology, development, security, etc, a threat.

Further, it also focuses on building alliances and global partnership to oppose change in the status quo of Taiwan by China.

It identifies Russia’s downgraded economy, military, and its degraded global influence. To fill the gap of Russia, the NSS acknowledges India and Japan.

This acknowledgement may be a hint for the inclusion of India in G7. However, one has to be aware that any such inclusion will serve the interest of the US only rather than its Indo-Pacific partners.

How NSS recognizes India as the strategic partner of the US?

NSS identifies India as a both bilateral and multilateral partner in the Indo-Pacific and highlight the importance of India as the largest democracy and a major defence partner.

It provides India with the opportunity of partnership with the US in the defence sector.

It has also recognized India as an important partner in the Indo-Pacific through regional partnerships such as the Quad (India, Australia, Japan the U.S.) and the I2U2 (India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S).