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Forward Defense quick reads

Dispatches Sep 14, 2026

Beyond the Reaper: Rethinking the future of multirole drones

By Moss Gillespie

The US Air Force should consider spreading the multirole model across networks of smaller, cheaper drones.
Defense Technologies Middle East
Forward Defense quick reads

Dispatches Aug 6, 2026

The US Navy’s decision to reclassify 19 Virginia-class submarines is a breakthrough. Here’s why.

By Joshua VerGow and Abigail Rudolph

The redesignation reveals that the US Navy increasingly views distributed, survivable strike capability as a central mission for its undersea fleet.
Defense Technologies Maritime Security
Forward Defense quick reads

Dispatches Jun 12, 2026

The United States needs more amphibious ships at the ready

By Caleb Eames, Amy Cowley

A combined Amphibious Ready Group and Marine Expeditionary Unit bring a tremendous capability, but only if there are enough ships available.
Maritime Security Security & Defense

All timely commentary & analysis

Dispatches

Oct 16, 2026

What Ukraine’s Starlink disruptions reveal about the tradeoffs involved in military commercial dependencies

By Joshua VerGow

Militaries need to understand the consequences of losing access to capabilities that have become essential to mission execution.

Defense Technologies Russia

Dispatches

Sep 23, 2026

America is not ready for the drone threat

By Bilal Saab

Counter-drone technology is not enough to address the threat to US critical infrastructure.

Drones Security & Defense

Dispatches

Sep 14, 2026

Beyond the Reaper: Rethinking the future of multirole drones

By Moss Gillespie

The US Air Force should consider spreading the multirole model across networks of smaller, cheaper drones.

Defense Technologies Middle East

Dispatches

Aug 6, 2026

The US Navy’s decision to reclassify 19 Virginia-class submarines is a breakthrough. Here’s why.

By Joshua VerGow and Abigail Rudolph

The redesignation reveals that the US Navy increasingly views distributed, survivable strike capability as a central mission for its undersea fleet.

Defense Technologies Maritime Security

Dispatches

Jun 12, 2026

The United States needs more amphibious ships at the ready

By Caleb Eames, Amy Cowley

A combined Amphibious Ready Group and Marine Expeditionary Unit bring a tremendous capability, but only if there are enough ships available.

Maritime Security Security & Defense

Dispatches

May 22, 2026

The Iran problem won’t be solved without a counter-drone coalition

By Bilal Y. Saab and Natasha Ahmed

The United States should form a partnership with Ukraine and Gulf partners around the idea of counter-drone-as-a-service, instead of selling counter-drone hardware alone.

Conflict Defense Technologies

Dispatches

Apr 17, 2026

The Strait of Hormuz is ‘open,’ but the US blockade remains in place. Here’s what that means.

By Theresa Luetkefend, Joe Costa

How long can the US military sustain a naval blockade against Iran? What are the risks? Atlantic Council experts answer these and other pressing questions.

Conflict Iran

Trackers and Data Visualizations

Mar 20, 2026

Tracking US military assets in the Iran war

By Joe Costa, Theresa Luetkefend, and Moss Gillespie,

What is the US military committing to the war in Iran? How will that affect the US presence in other theaters around the world—including the Pacific, where the United States faces its most consequential challenge? We’re tracking the aircraft carriers, bombers, and missile defense systems deployed to Operation Epic Fury.

China Defense Industry

Dispatches

Mar 4, 2026

What Macron’s changes to French nuclear policy mean for European security

By Jonathan Rosenstein and Emily Cheesman

The president’s plan, announced on March 2, expands France’s nuclear arsenal and deepens its cooperation on deterrence with European allies.

France Nuclear Deterrence

Dispatches

Feb 3, 2026

The Marine Corps presence in Okinawa is critical to deterring China and North Korea

By Caleb Eames, Amy Cowley

Shifting US forces away from Okinawa would undermine deterrence in the Indo-Pacific by pulling critical rapid-response forces from the First Island Chain.

Conflict Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Dec 18, 2025

Can US leaders convince Americans that Taiwan is worth fighting for?

By Phillip M. Ramirez

If elected leaders in the United States want to continue to deter Chinese military action, they must work to convince Beijing that Americans would be willing to fight for Taiwan.

China Conflict

New Atlanticist

Dec 5, 2025

The cost of an unjust peace in Ukraine? An emboldened China.

By Phillip M. Ramirez

A peace deal aimed at ending the war in Ukraine that favors Russia could embolden China to take military action of its own.

China Conflict

Press Release

Nov 18, 2025

Atlantic Council launches ReForge Commission to rebuild America’s defense industrial base

Commission headed by leaders across government, industry, and academia to design a blueprint for nation-wide defense industrial mobilization  WASHINGTON, DC – November 18, 2025 — The Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and its Forward Defense program announced today the launch of the ReForge Commission.  Building on the legacy of the “Freedom’s Forge” mobilization during World War II, the Commission will assess the defense production demands of modern warfare and develop a roadmap […]

New Atlanticist

Nov 7, 2025

Representative Adam Smith on the NDAA, Venezuela, and the United States’ role in the world

By Daniel Hojnacki

The congressman discussed the National Defense Authorization Act and the Trump administration’s attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Conflict Defense Industry

New Atlanticist

Nov 7, 2025

With Hezbollah rearming, Israel must heed the lessons of October 7

By Jonathan Rosenstein

Only by combining military strength, diplomatic coordination, and strategic foresight can Israel keep the terrorist group in check.

Israel Lebanon

New Atlanticist

Oct 23, 2025

Three ways the US can build a more lethal fighting force in the Arctic

By Charlotte Bertrand

As the Pentagon looks to shift its focus to the Western Hemisphere, the United States must not neglect the Arctic region.

Maritime Security NATO

New Atlanticist

Sep 19, 2025

Three things to note in the UK’s new Defence Industrial Strategy

By Deborah Cheverton

“Defence is an Engine for Growth,” according to an important new British military strategy published on September 8.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Issue Brief

Aug 19, 2025

A vision for US hypersonic weapons

By Edward Brady and Michael E. White

Hypersonic weapons, if fielded in sufficient numbers to defeat critical targets necessary to degrade adversary capabilities, will enable effective use of traditional weapon systems and allow for future battlefield dominance. A layered defeat construct must be deployed to defend against ballistic and hypersonic missiles targeting US assets.

China Defense Industry

Strategic Insights Memo

Aug 14, 2025

A marketplace for mission-ready AI: Accelerating capability delivery to the Pentagon

By Jack Long, Bharat C. Patel, and Jags Kandasamy

The Department of Defense’s traditional AI procurement often delivers models that quickly become outdated. This memo proposes creating a performance-driven AI model marketplace—where vendors train models on a shared “data lake” and are paid only for real-world usage—ensuring faster delivery, continuous innovation, and mission-ready capabilities at scale.

Artificial Intelligence Defense Industry

New Atlanticist

Jul 29, 2025

The US neglects space disaster preparedness at its own peril

By William M. Reicher

From accidents to attacks, a space-based disaster that degrades the operating environment of low Earth orbit would harm the United States.

Security & Defense Space
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