US urged to defend cities

The US should reorientate its defence effort to concentrate on smaller, more flexible and hi-tech operations, a new report says, and cater for possible attacks on major US cities.

The recommendations are made by the National Defence Panel, a joint military- civilian group charged by the US Congress with reviewing the country's defence priorities to 2020. The report questions several cherished military procurement programmes and calls for closer coordination between the different arms of the military.

The proposals conflict with the thrust of the military's own Quadrennial Defence Review which was completed this spring and presage a hard-fought battle over the future structure of the US armed forces.