Defense Technologies

Defense Technologies

The groundbreaking technologies that are beginning to remake the business, culture, and lifestyle of so many civilians also present challenges to national security establishments. Artificial Intelligence (AI), directed energy, autonomous weapons, advanced robotics, 5G networks, additive manufacturing, quantum computing, and bio-/neurotechnology are only a few among the many cutting-edge technologies which the United States and its adversaries are preparing to militarize.

A strong defense industry may be Ukraine’s best security guarantee

Report Aug 27, 2026

AI and autonomy in contested operations

By Owen J. Daniels

Any potential major conflict the United States engages in will be shaped by AI and autonomous systems. US forces should expect their systems to operate in denied, degraded, intermittent, and limited (DDIL) conditions imposed by jamming techniques, cyber-attacks, and anti-satellite capabilities designed to sever the connectivity and wreak havoc on military operations.
Artificial Intelligence Defense Policy
A strong defense industry may be Ukraine’s best security guarantee

TURKEYSource Aug 11, 2026

Turkey wants a bigger role in NATO. Its defense industry will be key.

By Alp Ozen

With the NATO Summit in Ankara behind it, Turkey’s defense sector now faces the challenge of turning political momentum into action—from defense-industrial cooperation to diplomatic initiatives and NATO capability development.
Defense Industry Defense Technologies
A strong defense industry may be Ukraine’s best security guarantee

Trackers and Data Visualizations Mar 20, 2026

Tracking US military assets in the Iran war

By Joe Costa, Theresa Luetkefend, and Moss Gillespie,

What is the US military committing to the war in Iran? How will that affect the US presence in other theaters around the world—including the Pacific, where the United States faces its most consequential challenge? We’re tracking the aircraft carriers, bombers, and missile defense systems deployed to Operation Epic Fury.
China Defense Industry

Content

UkraineAlert

Nov 3, 2026

A strong defense industry may be Ukraine’s best security guarantee

By Leonid Baratz

Ukrainians have little faith in written guarantees and are well aware that nobody is going to fight Russia on their behalf. Instead, their most realistic security guarantee is a strong Ukrainian military backed by a powerful domestic defense industry, writes Leonid Baratz.

Conflict Defense Industry

UkraineAlert

Oct 29, 2026

Ukraine’s drone defenses debunk the myth of inevitable Russian victory

By Mykola Bielieskov

Ukraine’s emergence since 2022 as a drone superpower has made international headlines, but the role of drone-based air defenses on the battlefield has not yet received as much attention as it arguably deserves, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Conflict Defense Industry

In the News

Oct 20, 2026

Harris published in The Washington Times on AI in All-Domain Command and Control

On October 20, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Lt Gen David Harris, USAF (ret.) was published in The Washington Times, arguing that Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2), which aims to link every sensor to every shooter at the speed of relevance, needs a data backbone, trustworthy AI, and empowered commanders.

Defense Technologies Security & Defense

Dispatches

Oct 16, 2026

What Ukraine’s Starlink disruptions reveal about the tradeoffs involved in military commercial dependencies

By Joshua VerGow

Militaries need to understand the consequences of losing access to capabilities that have become essential to mission execution.

Defense Technologies Russia

UkraineAlert

Oct 16, 2026

Ukrainian drone strikes highlight the vulnerability of Russia’s data centers

By Leonid Baratz

The idea of Ukrainian drones silencing Kremlin bots clearly caught the world’s imagination, but the real story behind Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on Russia’s mega data centers is one of strategic vulnerability, writes Leonid Baratz.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Oct 15, 2026

Russia’s Starlink substitute poses a security threat far beyond Ukraine

By Joshua Stein

The Kremlin is currently in the process of deploying a satellite communications network known as Rassvet, creating concerns for the Russian invasion of Ukraine and for the wider international security environment, writes Joshua Stein.

China Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 15, 2026

Ukraine reports more battlefield gains as Putin’s invasion loses momentum

By David Kirichenko

Kyiv has reported further battlefield gains this week as the country’s Operation Vivaldi counteroffensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region continues to advance, writes David Kirichenko.

Conflict Defense Policy

Issue Brief

Oct 9, 2026

Enabling NATO’s technological transformation

By David Julazadeh

NATO faces persistent challenges in translating technological potential into operational capability. Recent analysis of NATO innovation efforts suggests that the limiting factor is often the ability of organizations and operators to adopt, experiment with, and implement new capabilities effectively.

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Oct 8, 2026

Russia’s jet drones pose a security threat far beyond Ukraine

By Leonid Baratz

Russian jet drones are currently terrorizing Ukraine’s civilian population and disrupting daily life for millions of people. It is only a matter of time before other countries are also confronted by this threat, writes Leonid Baratz.

Conflict Defense Technologies

UkraineAlert

Oct 6, 2026

Jet drones are Putin’s secret weapon as he seeks to break Ukraine

By Mykola Bielieskov

Russia’s air war against Ukraine has recently entered a deadly new phase with round-the-clock jet drone attacks on civilian targets across Kyiv as Vladimir Putin seeks to make the Ukrainian capital unlivable and break the country’s resistance, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

Conflict Defense Technologies
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Experts

Fellow

Fanny Fang-Yi Chao

Nonresident Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

China Chinese

Fellow

Deborah Cheverton

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Defense Industry

Fellow

August Cole

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fellow

R. Clarke Cooper

Distinguished fellow, Middle East Programs

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Africa Defense Policy

Staff

Joe Costa

Director

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fellow

Jennifer A. Counter

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Technologies Intelligence
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