Major Theater Wars

Strategic planning related to large-scale military operations. The planning and development of military force structure in the United States is a reflection of two main streams of thought. The first is the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), a periodic Department of Defense (DoD) report that analyzes force-planning requirements and recommends changes to structure and force size. The other is the prevailing opinion of the current presidential administration's strategic thinkers. Among the main planning considerations are the character of the adversary, the environment a war could be fought in, and the technology required to defeat the enemy. Major Theater War planning stipulates the need for significant troop size.

Contemporary thinking on force planning has centered on a two–Major Theater War capability. The two–Major Theater War scenario sets certain guidelines to address adequately the requirements of fighting two wars simultaneously. This approach to military planning existed largely unchallenged until recently. However, critics argue that the two-war standard does not accurately prepare the U.S. military for today's evolving challenges, such as the threat of international terrorism or the proliferation of small-scale conflicts around the world. Critics have argued that today's military has to be prepared not only to fight a two Major Theater War scenario but also to respond to peace-keeping and humanitarian affairs missions throughout the world.