Over a decade, the U.S. Navy experienced a series of defeats in wargames which pitted the Fleet against its primary adversary in the Pacific. The most recent of these wargames resulted in unacceptable losses that, if real, would put the future role of the United States in Asia at risk. Strategically, there is “a growing disparity between American commitments in the Far East and the ability to defend those commitments.” While our rival’s political and economic ambitions have grown, “across-the-board cuts in [America’s] defense establishment” have weakened our military and provided our competitor a numerical advantage in critical areas. Accordingly, “Army analysts remained unalterably convinced that the military and diplomatic balance in the Far East” will continue to favor our opposition, “which enjoys local strategic superiority.” Some have “suggested it might be advisable to cut loose from the Far East altogether before the nation finds itself in a war it is unprepared materially or psychologically to fight.”