A vision for US hypersonic weapons

EnergySource Nov 14, 2024

Europe’s new industrial plan faces formidable obstacles

By Andrei Covatariu

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised to put forth in her second term a new Clean Industrial Deal to mobilize investment in infrastructure and industry, and reduce dependence on energy imports. But energy supply challenges and geopolitical hurdles risk undermining plans to restore Europe’s industrial competitiveness.
Defense Industry Energy & Environment
A vision for US hypersonic weapons

New Atlanticist Oct 30, 2024

In defense of Draghi’s defense idea: Three models for a centralized defense procurer for the EU

By Thomas Goldstein

Only a European defense procurer can provide the institutional reform to overcome intra- and intergovernmental paralysis and invest at scale.
Defense Industry Defense Policy
A vision for US hypersonic weapons

New Atlanticist Oct 28, 2024

The US needs a stronger defense industrial base. Option contracts can help.

By Michael Hogan

The US government would pay a premium on current orders, but it would then have the option to purchase a larger amount within a fixed timeframe.
Defense Industry Defense Policy

Content

Issue Brief

Aug 19, 2025

A vision for US hypersonic weapons

By Edward Brady and Michael E. White

Hypersonic weapons, if fielded in sufficient numbers to defeat critical targets necessary to degrade adversary capabilities, will enable effective use of traditional weapon systems and allow for future battlefield dominance. A layered defeat construct must be deployed to defend against ballistic and hypersonic missiles targeting US assets.

China Defense Industry

Strategic Insights Memo

Aug 14, 2025

A marketplace for mission-ready AI: Accelerating capability delivery to the Pentagon

By Jack Long, Bharat C. Patel, and Jags Kandasamy

The Department of Defense’s traditional AI procurement often delivers models that quickly become outdated. This memo proposes creating a performance-driven AI model marketplace—where vendors train models on a shared “data lake” and are paid only for real-world usage—ensuring faster delivery, continuous innovation, and mission-ready capabilities at scale.

Artificial Intelligence Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Aug 7, 2025

Ukraine’s expanding robot army can help address manpower shortages

By David Kirichenko

Robotic systems are in many ways an ideal battlefield solution for Ukraine as the country seeks ways to leverage its proven tech prowess in order to defend itself in a grueling war of attrition against a far larger enemy, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict Defense Industry

In the News

Aug 4, 2025

Daniels interviewed by BBC on AI Action Plan

By Atlantic Council

On July 23, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Owen Daniels was interviewed by Sumi Somaskanda on BBC News regarding the administration's latest AI Action Plan.

Artificial Intelligence Defense Industry

New Atlanticist

Jul 25, 2025

SAIC CEO Toni Townes-Whitley on the ‘ecosystem of capabilities’ needed to win today’s wars

By Katherine Golden

The United States needs to “leverage all that this country creates in the war fight," Townes-Whitley said at an Atlantic Council Front Page event.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Jul 24, 2025

Ukraine is now an indispensable security partner for the US and Europe

By Oleksiy Goncharenko

Ukraine's million-strong army and unique experience of the twenty-first-century battlefield makes it an indispensable security partner for the United States and Europe, writes Oleksiy Goncharenko.

Conflict Defense Industry

Issue Brief

Jul 24, 2025

Rethinking combined arms for modern warfare

By Edward Brady

To conduct all-domain operations, modern warfare requires a new approach to combined arms. The US military should reassess the future composition of its forces, integrating high-end manned platforms with low-end, attritable vehicles.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Issue Brief

Jul 23, 2025

Invest in space or lose the high ground

By Edward Brady, Clementine G. Starling-Daniels

Space superiority underpins military dominance across all domains. To deter and win future conflicts, the United States must significantly invest in the capabilities of its Space Force—including space command and control, as well as domain awareness.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

New Atlanticist

Jul 23, 2025

To meet NATO’s 5 percent benchmark, allies need more industrial capacity. Here’s how they can build it.

By James Hursch, Kristen Taylor

Without more industrial muscle to increase defense production, the positive momentum coming out of The Hague summit could grind to a halt.

Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia

In the News

Jul 22, 2025

Stephen Rodriguez in War on the Rocks on the defense industrial paradigm

On July 22, Stephen Rodriguez, senior advisor at Forward Defense, published a piece in War on the Rocks entitled “Titans, Trailblazers, and Translators: Forging a Unified Defense Industrial Paradigm”. Rodriguez, working at the intersection of the defense industrial base and technologies, identifies a growing tension between the two. To address this challenge to enduring national […]

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Experts

Fellow

Hannah Hunt

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

Fellow

Owen J. Daniels

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fellow

Tom Mancinelli

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoStrategy Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Staff

Maeve Cuddy

Assistant Director

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Defense Policy
Jonathan Green is a nonresident senior fellow at the GeoStrategy Initiative in the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security.

Fellow

Jonathan Green

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoStrategy Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Defense Industry

Staff

Alexander Young

Project Assistant

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Europe & Eurasia
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Events

Public Event Wed, October 29, 2025 • 4:00 pm ET

Supply chain resilience for aerospace and defense
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