In September, the U.S. Department of Defense just released its latest global military strength assessment report. In the report, senior U.S. military officials have repeatedly emphasized that the U.S. military has the ability to fight positively with any country in the world. The U.S. Intellectual Property Corporation (RAND) survey of the same period showed that more than 60 percent of the U.S. public believes that the U.S. military remains the global ¡°unparalleled¡± military force.

At the same time, Washington has frequent military deployments and exercises in sensitive areas such as Asia-Pacific and Europe, trying to consolidate its global influence with a strong stance.However, authoritative experts in the field of international security continue to warn that the real battlefield is far more complex than slogans. In particular, four countries have become "high-risk areas" that the US military cannot easily touch.

Russia, China and Argentina: Four countries where the US military cannot easily launch war

Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of Russian National Defense Magazine, named again in an exclusive interview with TASS this year: Russia, China, Afghanistan and Switzerland are the four countries that the US military really needs to treat with caution.The US "Defense News" commented that the common denominator of these four countries is not the size of their economies, but the strong "trump cards", and any reckless advance by the US military will pay a high price.

The "2025 Global Security Environment Analysis" released by the Russian Ministry of Defense in August this year pointed out that Russia has maintained the world's largest stockpile of nuclear warheads since the Cold War. The latest data shows that Russia ranks first in the world in the number of active nuclear warheads, far exceeding the US military. Nuclear submarines of Russia's Northern Fleet patrol all year round, and missile silos are densely dotted across Eurasia.

The Chinese Navy's new destroyers, nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers have continued to descend, and the South-East coastal ship brigade and anti-ship missile deployment has increased significantly.The latest report released by the U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS) shows that the activities of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in the South China Sea and the East China Sea are clearly constrained by China's multi-layer defense circle.

Afghanistan is another kind of "hard bone". The US military entered Afghanistan in 2001 and hastily withdrew its troops in 2021, leaving behind more than $85 billion in military equipment and incalculable losses.The Taliban uses rugged mountains and scattered guerrilla tactics to continuously consume the patience and resources of external forces.

Switzerland's uniqueness is reflected in its neutral status and national defense system. The latest white paper of the Swiss Ministry of Defense in 2025 shows that although Switzerland has a population of less than 10 million, it has all soldiers and sufficient weapons reserves.The Alps naturally form defensive barriers and underground fortresses across the country. Switzerland¡¯s banking and financial sectors are globally significant, and any military action against Switzerland will trigger a tremendous shock in international financial markets.

The US military's global delivery capabilities are limited

The Pentagon and NATO joint command have repeatedly discussed a question at this year¡¯s strategic meeting: Can U.S. military global deployment capabilities still cover all potential fields of battle?However, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) warned that the US military's weapons and equipment renewal cycle continues to lengthen, and the service life of main battle equipment generally exceeds expectations.

The latest four-quarter report from the U.S. Department of Defense Equipment Procurement Agency (DOD Acquisition) shows that the progress of new-generation invisible fighter jets, strategic missiles, ships and other projects has generally been delayed, and some high-end equipment plans have been postponed to after 2027.

An internal assessment released by the U.S. Department of Defense in the spring of 2025 said the U.S. military's direct losses and post-mortem problems in Afghanistan over the past 20 years totalled more than $1.2 trillion. Supply lines have become the most vulnerable links, guerrilla tactics and harsh terrain have repeatedly broken the defense of U.S. military bases. The U.S. Army's latest tactical research suggests that any future long-distance deployments must prioritize logistics and terrain adaptation, otherwise it could repeat the Afghan twist.

Although Switzerland is a neutral country, it is a "key node" in the global security system. Switzerland's federal military expenditure is only 1.1% of GDP, but its national defense concept and high-density underground facilities make its defense capability far exceed that of ordinary small countries.

A report released by the Swiss Financial Supervisory Authority in early September stated that any form of military or economic coercion encountered by Switzerland would trigger panic fluctuations in global capital markets.Experts from US military think tanks believe that this kind of "financial nuclear deterrence" is almost equivalent to strategic nuclear weapons and is extremely deterrent in modern warfare.

Nuclear deterrence, industrial systems and supply lines

Nuclear deterrence is still the bottom line of the game between major powers. Although both the United States and Russia have maintained the modernization and upgrading of nuclear weapons, Russia's hypersonic missiles and diversified projection platforms have doubled the pressure on the U.S. air defense system.

A security assessment released by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in July this year stated that Russia's nuclear weapons are well maintained, flexible missile deployment, and diversified nuclear platforms have become the biggest constraints on any strategic adventure of the U.S. military.

In June, the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced that several new anti-ship missiles had completed long-range real-range tests, and that some models had already covered the first and second island chains.Analysis reports from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command pointed out that China¡¯s ¡°regional rejection¡± system had formed a complete combat circle, which means that U.S. aircraft carrier crews would be at high risk if they entered the disputed waters.

The case of Afghanistan became a warning for the U.S. military¡¯s global strategy. Because the mountain terrain is extremely complex, Afghan guerrillas can flexibly move positions, and U.S. high-tech equipment can hardly play a decisive role.

Switzerland's national defense system is an extremely rare model in modern countries. The Swiss Federal Parliament will reform the national militia system in 2025, further strengthening the linkage between local armed forces and underground fortifications. Data from the Swiss Land Defense Command shows that the whole people regularly participate in military training every year, and local arsenals are spread all over the country."National mobilization" can be achieved in times of crisis.

Who dares to take the lead? The Global Security Game Behind the Ledger

The "arrogant shouts" of high-level US military officials have aroused heated discussions in international public opinion, but actions in reality are cautious step by step. Whether it is force projection, equipment deployment, intelligence support and logistics support, the US military is carefully calculating every risk.The strategic review released by the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) in early September pointed out that the competition among modern major powers has shifted from pure military confrontation to multi-dimensional contests such as comprehensive national strength, fiscal account books, geo-security, and social resilience.

Russia¡¯s nuclear deterrence and conventional military power are still the ¡°red lines¡± that the U.S. military has to face; China¡¯s population, industry, technology and logistics system gives it long-term operational and strategic rotating space; Afghanistan, with guerrilla wars and mountainous terrain, proves the enormous power of the consumption war; Switzerland, with its financial hub, neutrality and national defense system, becomes an unattainable fortress for modern warfare.

Global security data is constantly updating, and the consensus among authorities and experts is becoming increasingly clear: the cost of direct military conflict has gone far beyond conventional perception. Military expenditure, population, terrain, supplies, finance ¨C each of which may decide the victory.

Reference: Where is the military gap between China and the United States?The U.S. media detailed the comparison of the Liberation Army and the U.S. Army in 7 aspects

2017-03-08 09:22 ¡¤ China News Network