Our environment is continuously changing. Government must address challenges in global security that includes traditional conflicts as well as catastro­phic events, irregular warfare, and disruptive technologies. The economy is just as important, where jobless rates remain high and markets are unstable. The outcome of this will be multiple priorities, all requiring a portion of the budget, which in turn will result in fewer dollars for defense. Fortunately, there are ways to ensure that defense priorities receive the required funding. By following a simple process for developing an analytically-based strategic plan, the defense sector will dramati­cally improve the chances of acquiring funding. The outcome of this will be to pro­cure best value solutions that support a nation’s national security strategy. This will dramatically improve a country’s military defense posture. This paper will review the strategic planning process as applied to military force structure and procurement decisions. In addition, the paper will discuss the Force Matrix Model, a key analy­sis tool to identify and assess best value solutions within this strategic planning paradigm.