USMC, Army & Navy rated marginal by the Heritage Foundation...only the USAF is rated strong...

Thanks to SPUTNIK MAGAZINE for the link!

via Heritage Foundation...

Our analysis concluded with these assessments:

• Army as “Marginal.” The Army was at the low end of the middle grade (“marginal”) in capac­ity and capability and scored quite low in readi­ness (as reported by the Army), the three scores combining to place it in the low end of the mid­dle category.

• Navy as “Marginal.” The Navy scored quite strong in readiness but at a cost to future capa­bility. Deferred maintenance has kept ships at sea, but at some point in the near future, this will affect the Navy’s ability to deploy. Combined with a weak score in capability (due largely to old plat­forms and troubled modernization programs) and a “marginal” score in capacity, the Navy is currently just able to meet requirements.

• Air Force as “Strong.” The Air Force flies a lot and has significantly more aircraft than required for a two-MRC force, but it is an old Air Force, and its modernization programs are problematic. Still, its high scores in capacity and readiness placed it in the best position of all of the services.

• Marine Corps as “Marginal.” The Corps’ strongest suit was in readiness, but even here there are problems as stated by the Corps itself. While the fighting competence of the service is superb, it is hampered by old equipment, troubled replacement programs for its key ground vehicles, and a shrinking force. The progress it has made in replacing its rotary-wing aircraft is a notable bright spot in its modernization portfolio.

• Nuclear Capabilities as “Marginal.” Modern­ization, testing, and investment in the intellec­tual/talent underpinnings of this sector are the chief elements plaguing the United States’ nucle­ar enterprise. Its delivery platforms are good, but the force depends on a very limited set of weap­ons (in number of designs) and models that are quite old, in stark contrast to the aggressive pro­grams of competitor states.

Read it all here. 

I've seen this coming for awhile now.  Between the desire of the current occupant of the White House to de-emphasize military power, to the USMC brass being all in on the F-35 and MV-22, to the US Army accepting massive personnel cuts without complaints and to a Navy that was focused on "littoral combat" fantasy instead of real blue water threats....this was predictable.

What I didn't see was how skillfully the USAF played its cards with the F-35.  Somehow they bastardized the Air-Sea Battle, assumed a larger role than called for (one they won't deliver on), plugged the F-35 into it thereby making Carrier Battle Groups and Aegis Destroyers secondary to it....and they used the China threat to get a LRSB that we know will come in over budget.

The USAF made ASSES  out of the rest of the DoD and I bet they still don't realize how much they've been played.