U.S. Department of Defense Chemical and Biological Defense Program Overall Strategy

Key Chapter Title List

1. Message from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
2. Strategic Environment
3. Core Objectives
4. Strategic Priority Objectives
5. Objective 1: Create Chemical and Biological Defense Advantage
6. Objective 2: Deliver Capabilities at Speed and Scale
7. Objective 3: Optimize the Program System
8. Objective 4: Leverage Partnerships
9. Future Outlook
10. Appendix A: Glossary of Terms
11. Appendix B: Reference Documents

Document Introduction

This strategy is the guiding document for the U.S. Department of Defense's Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP) as it enters its fourth decade, defining the development direction and action framework for 2024 to 2040. In a geopolitical environment dominated by strategic competition, the program identifies China as a "pacing challenge" and Russia as an "acute threat," emphasizing the critical importance of Chemical and Biological Defense (CBD) for maintaining U.S. military power and breaking through traditional limitations to achieve service-wide coverage.

The document systematically outlines the core changes in the strategic environment: At the geopolitical level, near-peer nations possess the capability to employ chemical and biological weapons across domains and at scale, necessitating large-scale joint operations as a routine across the force. At the technological level, the convergence of bioengineering, artificial intelligence, synthetic chemistry, and other technologies has given rise to more covert and difficult-to-trace new threats, expanding defense requirements across all phases of competition, confrontation, and conflict. Furthermore, this strategy aligns with top-level documents such as the "2022 National Security Strategy" and the "2023 Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction," establishing "threat-informed, operationally relevant, and delivered at speed and scale" as its core priorities.

The strategic framework is built around four objectives: First, to create chemical and biological defense advantage by integrating sensing, analysis, and response capabilities through three sub-objectives: expanding decision space, reducing initial operational impact, and enabling rapid response and recovery. Second, to deliver capabilities at speed and scale, focusing on technology-enabled acceleration, innovation at scale, and incremental deployment to overcome supply chain and cost bottlenecks. Third, to optimize the program system by achieving full-process coordination across requirements, development, and acquisition through institutional reform, implementing capability portfolio management, and deepening warfighter integration. Fourth, to leverage partnerships by linking U.S. government agencies, international allies, and the industry-academia-research ecosystem to build collaborative innovation and economies of scale.

This strategy replaces the 2020 edition and, for the first time, establishes integrated layered defense (ILD) against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats as its core concept, achieving cross-domain, full-cycle risk management and capability closure through capability portfolio management (CPM). The document emphasizes moving away from the traditional "agent- and equipment-centric" model towards a multi-capability portfolio approach, providing resilient support for U.S. military mission execution in chemical and biological threat environments and demonstrating the United States' strategic resolve to maintain deterrence and defensive advantage in this domain.