The Pentagon’s newly released National Defense Strategy warns that future wars may reach American soil as direct military threats to the homeland grow, according to Fox News reporting on the shift in U.S. defense priorities.

The strategy marks a significant departure from traditional U.S. military doctrine that focused primarily on overseas theaters, emphasizing instead that the United States must be prepared both to defend against attacks on its own territory and to conduct combat operations directly from the homeland if necessary.

According to the strategy document, adversaries have developed and expanded capabilities that pose “more direct military threats to the American Homeland,” including nuclear weapons and a range of conventional systems as well as space, cyber, and electromagnetic warfare tools.

In response, the strategy elevates homeland defense above all other missions, signaling a shift in resource allocation and planning to address evolving global threats.

The document notes that countries such as Russia and China already possess intercontinental ballistic missiles that can reach the continental United States, and that North Korea has tested long-range missiles that U.S. officials assess could strike U.S. territory.

Iran, while viewed as a regional threat, is not believed to currently have the ability to reach the U.S. homeland with ballistic missiles.

In practical terms, the Pentagon plans to prioritize expanded missile defense systems, enhanced counter-drone capabilities, and strengthened cyber defenses.

Military planners also emphasize the need to develop long-range strike forces capable of decisive operations that could be launched from within the United States.

The strategy also underscores efforts to harden critical infrastructure, both military and civilian, against potential hostile actions. This includes initiatives aimed at reducing vulnerability to cyberattacks and improving resilience against sophisticated aerial assaults.

In addition to defensive measures, the strategy advocates continued modernization of the U.S. nuclear deterrent and reaffirms that the nation “should never — will never — be left vulnerable to nuclear blackmail.”

While the Pentagon has historically focused on deterring conflict abroad, the shift reflects the view that emerging technologies and expanding strike capabilities of adversaries make the U.S. homeland more exposed than in previous eras.

The strategy stresses that readiness and deterrence now require a more comprehensive approach to national defense that accounts for threats posed both overseas and on American soil.