The second objective of the National Defense Strategy is to deter strategic attacks against whom?

• A. Only the United States
• B. United States, Allies, and partners
• C. Only Allied territories
• D. Domestic political entities

Answer: (B)

Deterrence means convincing adversaries that taking aggressive action would bring unacceptable costs, so they choose not to act. The second objective of the National Defense Strategy expands that idea beyond the U.S. homeland to the broader safety architecture we rely on: deterring strategic attacks against the United States, its Allies, and partners. This matters because threats often come at you through your security relationships—if an adversary believes it can threaten or strike an ally or partner and face little punishment or uncertain response, they may test that line. By showing credible defenses, forward presence, and clear security commitments to both the U.S. and those who stand with it, deterrence protects not just U.S. territory but the networks of alliance and cooperation that deter would-be aggressors in the first place.

Choosing only the United States would ignore the real-world deterrence dynamic that relies on allied guarantees and shared resilience. Limiting deterrence to Allied territories misses the purpose of alliance-based assurance, and focusing on domestic political entities shifts away from external threats that strategic deterrence is designed to prevent.