Heated debates continue to rage over U.S. military spending. In the late 1990s, many commentators claimed that spending was too low, and the defense budget began to increase for the first time since the mid-1980s. Others argued that the United States had taken on too many military missions -- including frequent humanitarian interventions or peacekeeping operations -- and needed to scale back these deployments.

Holding the Line presents objective and detailed assessments of the U.S. defense budget and America's military strategy. Its contributors call for smaller U.S. forces with more modern weapons, sensors, avionics, and communications systems. They offer recommendations that would enable the U.S. military to transform its forces and make them more effective, while holding the line on defense budget increases.