Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the Pentagon must focus on current war demands, even if it means straining the U.S. armed forces and devoting less time and money to future threats.

Gates spoke Tuesday to journalists at a seminar in Colorado Springs, sponsored by the conservative think tank, Heritage Foundation.

He says he's noticed too much of a tendency toward what might be called "Next-War-itis," or the propensity of much of the defense establishment to be in favor of what could be needed in a future conflict.

But Gates says in a world of limited resources, the Pentagon must concentrate on building a military that can defeat the current enemies: smaller, terrorist groups and militias waging irregular warfare.