On Thursday, November 6 at 11:00 a.m. ET, the Atlantic Council will host an #ACFrontPage conversation with Representative Adam Smith (D-WA), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, on the future of US defense strategy and the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This event is part of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s flagship Commanders Series, supported by Saab.
As a key voice shaping the NDAA, Smith will share his insights on the evolving security landscape facing the United States and its allies. He will discuss Congress’s role in ensuring the Pentagon can meet the challenges of strategic competition, modernization, and global instability, while maintaining bipartisan support for a strong and sustainable national defense.
Smith will also outline his priorities for the FY 2026 defense bill, reflect on lessons from his tenure as committee chair and ranking member, and offer his perspective on the future of US military readiness, innovation, and global leadership.
New policy: In-person attendees will be required to show photo ID upon arrival, and no on-site registration will be permitted. Guests will not be admitted later than twenty minutes after the event’s start time.
Please complete the form below to register for this event.
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Featuring
The Hon. Adam Smith
United States Representative (D-WA-9)
Ranking Member
House Armed Services Committee
Opening remarks
Michael Andersson
Head of Strategic Partnerships and International Affairs
Saab, Inc.;
Board Director
Atlantic Council
An #ACFrontPage Event
Atlantic Council Front Page is our premier live ideas platform for global leaders to discuss the defining challenges of our time. #ACFrontPage is a high-level event series featuring top newsmakers across multiple digital platforms. #ACFrontPage harnesses the convening power and expertise of the Council’s programs and centers to spotlight the world’s most prominent leaders and the most compelling ideas across sectors and to engage new audiences eager for nonpartisan and constructive solutions to current global challenges.
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Forward Defense leads the Atlantic Council’s US and global defense programming, developing actionable recommendations for the United States and its allies and partners to compete, innovate, and navigate the rapidly evolving character of warfare. Through its work on US defense policy and force design, the military applications of advanced technology, space security, strategic deterrence, and defense industrial revitalization, it informs the strategies, policies, and capabilities that the United States will need to deter, and, if necessary, prevail in major-power conflict.
The Commanders Series, generously supported by Saab, is the Atlantic Council’s flagship speakers’ forum for senior military and defense leaders.
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