On Thursday, July 24 at 4:15 p.m. ET, the Atlantic Council will host an #ACFrontPage conversation with SAIC CEO Toni Townes-Whitley on mission integration in the defense ecosystem, a part of the Captains of Industry series of the Scowcroft Center’s Forward Defense program.

With the private sector unveiling technological advances and with the need for cutting-edge technologies across the armed services, mission integration—bridging existing military technologies and new commercial solutions—is drawing increased attention. Townes-Whitley has argued that merging legacy systems with modern technologies is essential to national security on all fronts—space, sea, air, land, cyber—and strengthens the relationship between the Department of Defense and the private sector.

In conversation with Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe, Townes-Whitley will discuss the role of mission integrators in today’s defense industrial base and the future of the US defense ecosystem.

This edition of #ACFrontPage, hosted by the Forward Defense program, part of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, will take place in person at the Atlantic Council’s headquarters in Washington, DC. The event will also be livestreamed on Atlantic Council TV, YouTube, Facebook, and X. To join us in person or virtually, please complete the registration form.

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. Harnessing the convening power and expertise of the Council’s sixteen programs and centers, #ACFrontPage leverages the Council’s capabilities in social media, press, and digital outreach to spotlight the world’s most prominent leaders and the most compelling ideas across sectors and engage new audiences eager for nonpartisan and constructive solutions to current global challenges. This widely promoted program features the Council’s most important guests and content serving as the highlight of our programming.