Defense report lacking in specifics; calls for new oversight office.(Newport News (Va.) Daily Press)

WASHINGTON_The Pentagon unveiled a new long-term strategy for the armed forces Monday that promises to restore as their "primary mission" the defense of the U.S. homeland.

The Quadrennial Defense Review, completed in the wake of terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, calls for the military to transform itself into an organization that is "lighter, more lethal and maneuverable" to better respond to unconventional threats.

But the long-awaited report, which Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld submitted to Congress, fails to offer any specific changes in weapons programs or personnel to guide the transformation.

Instead, it calls for the Pentagon to create a new office to oversee the transformation effort, which Rumsfeld has said could take years to complete.

"This report represents not so much an end but a beginning," Rumsfeld wrote in an accompanying message to the review, which is required by law every four years to assess military strategy and guide spending decisions.

Critics said the lack of detail marks something of a retreat for the Bush Administration, which came into office with talk of a grand revolution in how the military fights its wars.

"It's full-steam ahead with the status quo," complained John Isaacs, president of Council for a Livable World, an arms control advocacy group.