🌟 🇺🇸 🌏 Two Decisive Theaters for Safeguarding America in Dangerous Times:

As the rivalry with China intensifies, the U.S. Navy must concentrate its limited forces where they matter most. In 2020, The Heritage Foundation identified two decisive maritime theaters—the Eastern Mediterranean and South China Sea—where naval presence best deters rivals and enables an economy of force. Since then, the strategic landscape has shifted dramatically: Russia’s war in Ukraine, conflict with Iran, the fall of Venezuela’s Maduro regime, and intensifying pressure on China’s “dark fleet” energy shipments. ThisBackgrounder updates the concept, arguing that the two decisive theaters should now be the South China Sea and the Arabian Sea and offers recommendations to reposition U.S. and allied naval forces accordingly.

https://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2026-07/BG3970.pdf

📎 Brent D. Sadler