Heavy Losses

A critical examination of the state of the United States military during the early 1980s. Co-written by journalists James Coates and Michael Kilian, the book argues that despite high-profile spending by the Reagan administration, inefficiencies and systemic problems within the Pentagon and the military-industrial complex were eroding the country's defense capabilities. The book contends that waste, mismanagement, and rivalries between the different branches of the armed forces led to a flawed procurement system. This resulted in an arsenal of highly complex and expensive weapons that were not always practical or reliable for their intended purpose. Coates and Kilian scrutinize the powerful network of military officials, politicians, and defense contractors. They argue that this "procurement elite" prioritized corporate profit and bureaucratic self-interest over the best interests of the nation's defense. The authors present evidence that the U.S. military, following the Vietnam War, suffered from internal issues such as low morale, drug abuse, and racial tensions, in addition to being equipped with increasingly obsolete and poorly maintained equipment. While noting the efforts made to improve the military after Vietnam, the authors challenge the premise that military strength was on a safe upward trajectory. They point to significant lingering issues that, in their view, constituted a "dangerous decline" in the country's real defense capabilities.