Content

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The Department of Defense’s traditional AI procurement often delivers models that quickly become outdated.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

UkraineAlert

Jul 29, 2025

US ambassador: China believes it is waging a proxy war through Russia

By Mykola Bielieskov

US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has attacked China for supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and accused Beijing of waging a “proxy war” to distract the West, writes Mykola Bielieskov.

China Conflict

In the News

Jul 29, 2025

Torres moderates FIU Gordon Institute space panel

By Atlantic Council

On May 28, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Guido Torres moderated a FIU Gordon Institute space panel, which explored emerging security challenges in the space domain.

China Defense Policy

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 24, 2025

Five pillars for deterring strategic attacks

By Mark J. Massa, Alyxandra Marine

As its highest priority, the Department of Defense must deter strategic attacks on the United States. A five-pillar strategy could guide efforts to prevent nuclear and nonnuclear threats while ensuring resilience and readiness against large-scale nuclear attacks on the US homeland.

Defense Policy Defense Technologies

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

AfricaSource

Jul 23, 2025

The Sahel is pivoting toward Turkey. Here’s what that means for Washington.

By Jordanna Yochai

Washington will need to consider partnering with Turkey when it advances US interests—but it must approach any cooperation with clear eyes.

Defense Technologies Sahel

Experts