Wanted: a strategy to integrate deterrence

Integrated deterrence is a new term in the defence lexicon, introduced by members of the Biden administration to describe a key concept in current U.S. National Security Strategy. This article unpacks this concept by explaining why deterrence is no longer integrated. It identifies the technological, social, and environmental changes that produced this emergent demand for a fundamental assessment of the workings of deterrence today. The concept of deterrence itself, however, does not require reassessment. Rather, the focus here is on applying existing theory to a new strategic setting. The narrative surveys criteria suggested by various authors to guide the process of integration while explaining why some of these ideas are unsuitable as a starting point for integrating deterrence. The article then identifies several themes that should be incorporated into a future deterrence strategy and concludes with some observations about where the task of integrating deterrence might commence.