On Thursday, March 27 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET, the Atlantic Council’s Forward Defense Program will publicly launch the final report of the Commission on Software-Defined Warfare.
China and Russia are adapting to rapid advances in modern technology that could shift military power dynamics. While the United States leads in cutting-edge commercial technology—like low-cost drones, autonomy, and artificial intelligence—its military and defense institutions are not built to adopt these innovations quickly. To stay ahead of adversaries in an era driven by software and emerging technologies, the Department of Defense (DoD) must modernize its approach to capability development and procurement.
This new report presents a software-defined warfare approach, offering recommendations for the DoD to adopt modern software practices and seamlessly integrate them into existing platforms to enhance and strengthen defense strategies.
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Speakers
Mung Chiang
President,
Purdue University;
Co-Chair of the Commission,
Atlantic Council
Mark T. Esper
27th Secretary of Defense;
Board Director and Co-Chair of the Commission,
Atlantic Council
Christine H. Fox
Former Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense;
Co-Chair of the Commission,
Atlantic Council
Steven Escaravage
President, Defense Technology Group,
Booz Allen Hamilton;
Commissioner, Commission on Software-Defined Warfare,
Atlantic Council
Paul Kwan
Managing Director, Global Resilience Practice,
General Catalyst;
Commissioner, Commission on Software-Defined Warfare,
Atlantic Council
Ellen Lord
Former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment,
US Department of Defense;
Commissioner, Commission on Software-Defined Warfare,
Atlantic Council
Tyler Sweatt
Chief Executive Officer,
Second Front Systems;
Commissioner, Commission on Software-Defined Warfare,
Atlantic Council
Peter Modigliani
Senior Advisor, Govini
Moderated by
Colin Demarest
Future of Defense Reporter,
Axios
Agenda
Welcome remarks
Speaker
Matthew Kroenig
Vice President and Senior Director, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
Atlantic Council
Panel 1: Adapting the US defense industrial base for future warfare and deterrence
Speakers
Mark T. Esper
27th Secretary of Defense;
Board Director and Co-Chair of the Commission,
Atlantic Council
Christine H. Fox
Former Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense;
Co-Chair of the Commission,
Atlantic Council
Mung Chiang
President,
Purdue University;
Co-Chair of the Commission,
Atlantic Council
Moderated by
Colin Demarest
Future of Defense Reporter,
Axios
Panel 2: Solving contemporary US defense industrial base challenges through software-defined warfare
Speakers
Steven Escaravage
President, Defense Technology Group,
Booz Allen Hamilton;
Commissioner, Commission on Software-Defined Warfare,
Atlantic Council
Paul Kwan
Managing Director, Global Resilience Practice,
General Catalyst;
Commissioner, Commission on Software-Defined Warfare,
Atlantic Council
Ellen Lord
Former Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment,
US Department of Defense;
Commissioner, Commission on Software-Defined Warfare,
Atlantic Council
Tyler Sweatt
Chief Executive Officer,
Second Front Systems;
Commissioner, Commission on Software-Defined Warfare,
Atlantic Council
Moderated by
Stephen Rodriguez
Senior advisor, Forward Defense, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security,
Atlantic Council
Panel 3: Shaping the future through recommendations for the new administration and congress with the report’s co-authors
Speakers
Whitney McNamara
Nonresident Senior Fellow and Commission Co-Author, Forward Defense, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security,
Atlantic Council
Peter Modigliani
Commission Co-Author,
Atlantic Council;
Senior Advisor,
Govini
Tate Nurkin
Nonresident Senior Fellow and Commission Co-Author, Forward Defense, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security,
Atlantic Council
Moderated by
Clementine G. Starling-Daniels
Director, Forward Defense, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security,
Atlantic Council
Sponsored by
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Forward Defense, housed within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, generates ideas and connects stakeholders in the defense ecosystem to promote an enduring military advantage for the United States, its allies, and partners. Our work identifies the defense strategies, capabilities, and resources the United States needs to deter and, if necessary, prevail in future conflict.
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