On Tuesday, December 10, 2024 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET, the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Forward Defense initiative is hosting a hybrid fireside chat on the findings from the Commission on the National Defense Strategy (NDS), featuring the commission’s chair, former Congresswoman Jane Harman, and vice chair, former Ambassador Eric Edelman.
The commission, created by the US Congress to assess the 2022 NDS, released its final report in July this year, identifying the most pressing challenges the United States will need to address. The commission argues that due to the increased threat of both China and Russia and the likelihood of simultaneous, multi-theater conflict, the United States should adopt a Multiple Theater Force Construct sized to defend the homeland, deter, and, if necessary, defeat simultaneous threats in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East.
At the Atlantic Council, Harman and Edelman will delve into the findings and recommendations of the commission and offer insights into the future of US defense policy. They will also explore the implications of these recommendations for the next NDS, with a new administration soon to be in place.
To register for this event, please complete the form on this page.
In conversation with

Jane Harman
Chair
Commission on the National Defense Strategy

Amb. Eric Edelman
Vice Chair
Commission on the National Defense Strategy
Moderated by

Tressa Guenov
Director of Operations and Programs and Senior Fellow
Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
Atlantic Council
Introductory Remarks

Matthew Kroenig
Vice President and Senior Director
Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
Atlantic Council

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.
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