Measuring military competition in the 21st century: Toward a better understanding of how militaries are preparing for war
Abstract
Are the United States and China engaged in military competition? This article demonstrates that traditional indicators can produce misleading results due to the nature of contemporary military power and the specifics of the East Asian theater. Instead of examining budgets or ship numbers, we argue that analysts should look to military operational concepts to assess military competition. By using the joint functions, a doctrinal typology, we explore the operational concepts of the U.S. and Chinese and demonstrate how military competition is intensifying in key areas. This method of analysis contributes to the debate about military competition in the contemporary era.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Military Strategy and Technology
Defense
Military
and Policy Studies
International Relations and Foreign Policy
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Comparative Strategy
- Volume
- 45
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 573–592
- Publication date
- 12 February 2026
- Language
- EN