Conflict Defense Policy International Norms Politics & Diplomacy Security & Defense United States and Canada
Report July 3, 2025

The National Defense Strategy Project

By Atlantic Council experts

What is the biggest threat to the United States—and what should the military do about it? Where should the United States position its forces around the world? How should the US military adapt to the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and the weaponization of space? These are just some of the questions that must be addressed in the next National Defense Strategy (NDS), the foundational document through which any new administration articulates its vision for US defense policy. Published by the Department of Defense (DoD), it establishes the principles that guide US military force design, capability development, global posture, operational planning, and resource allocation.

The second Trump administration’s forthcoming effort is no ordinary NDS. It will define the DoD’s defense posture, US force structure, and modernization priorities for the next four years in a period of intensifying strategic competition, rapid technological disruption, and evolving global threats.

Against this backdrop, the Atlantic Council’s National Defense Strategy Project outlines the priorities the DoD should address in its next NDS. Our experts offer practical recommendations for implementation and identify where the United States must adapt to preserve its strategic edge and strengthen national resilience. A forward-looking defense strategy will be essential to ensuring military readiness, reinforcing deterrence, and protecting national interests—and it will play a pivotal role not only in responding to current challenges but in anticipating those on the horizon.

Read the issue briefs

A US defense strategy to win the next conflict

By Clementine Starling-Daniels

Amid rising global tensions and rapid technological change, the forthcoming National Defense Strategy is set to reshape US military strategy. Its success hinges on five key priorities.

Read more

Homeland defense amid new strategic threats

By Clementine Starling-Daniels and Amy Cowley

From launching cyberattacks to targeting critical infrastructure, US rivals are bringing the fight closer to home. Defending against these threats will require not just military might, but smarter defense planning, greater resilience, and military modernization.

Read more

A pivot to China—not Asia

By Clementine Starling-Daniels, Edward Brady, and Theresa Luetkefend

The next National Defense Strategy must prioritize competition with China beyond the Indo-Pacific—and clearly define how to recalibrate the size, structure, and posture of US forces.

Read more

Related Content

Insights & Impact

Apr 17, 2025

Clementine Starling-Daniels and Theresa Luetkefend co-author DefenseNews op-ed titled “Questions Congress should ask about DOD ‘peace through strength’ plan”

On April 16, Forward Defense director Clementine Starling-Daniels and assistant director Theresa Luetkefend published an op-ed in DefenseNews. The article, titled “Questions Congress should ask about DOD ‘peace through strength’ plan,” analyzes the Department of Defense’s Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance memo and the Trump administration’s defense priorities.

Defense Policy English
Online Event Tue, December 10, 2024 • 11:00 am ET

Strategic shifts: Insights from the Commission on the National Defense Strategy

Former Congresswoman Jane Harman and former Ambassador Eric Edelman discuss how the NDS Commission’s findings will shape US defense strategy amid escalating global security challenges.
Defense Policy Security & Defense

Explore the program

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.

Learn more

Related Experts: Clementine G. Starling-Daniels, Amy Cowley, Edward Brady, and Theresa Luetkefend

Conflict Defense Policy International Norms Politics & Diplomacy Security & Defense United States and Canada

Image: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, alongside Polish Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, visited the Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 (APS-2) site in Powidz, Poland on February 15, 2025.