National Security

National Security

One of the primary functions of government is to ensure its citizens remain safe from external and internal threats. From conventional military strikes to terrorist attacks, governments must have the policies in place to protect their countries and ensure stability. These include robust intelligence gathering, deep relationships with international allies and partners, and strong defense and military institutions.

Fighting a land war in the digital age: How armies must reinvent themselves—or be destroyed by those that do

New Atlanticist Nov 13, 2024

The threat from wildfires is growing. The US needs a unified response.

By Dan Hart

Congress should create a modern, centralized wildfire intelligence system that can serve firefighters nationwide.
National Security United States and Canada
Fighting a land war in the digital age: How armies must reinvent themselves—or be destroyed by those that do

Future of DHS Sep 26, 2024

The Secret Service needs a budget increase—but so does the rest of the Department of Homeland Security

By Thomas S. Warrick

On Wednesday, Congress passed a bill to increase Secret Service funding in response to threats, after two assassination attempts against Donald Trump. The same logic should apply to the overall DHS budget.
Migration National Security
Fighting a land war in the digital age: How armies must reinvent themselves—or be destroyed by those that do

New Atlanticist Sep 25, 2024

What the next administration should do to ensure US economic and national security

By Kimberly Donovan, Maia Nikoladze

The next administration must protect sensitive US technology, drive the energy transition, and safeguard the global financial system.
China Economy & Business

Content

Report

Jul 1, 2026

Fighting a land war in the digital age: How armies must reinvent themselves—or be destroyed by those that do

By Yavuz Türkgenci

Armies that fight the next war with last century's doctrine will lose it. AI targeting, drone swarms, and algorithmic command have already arrived on the battlefield.

Conflict Defense Industry

Report

Jul 1, 2026

Q&A with Senator Jeanne Shaheen

By Atlantic Council Turkey Program

Ranking Senator Shaheen on NATO's value, Turkey's role in the Alliance, and why political division is the greatest threat to Western security.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Jun 30, 2026

Banning Russian soldiers from the EU is a common sense security measure

By Elena Davlikanova, Tatiana Vorozhko

Supporters of the current proposal to ban Russian military personnel from the EU see it as a common sense security measure in response to the Kremlin's escalating hybrid war against Europe, write Elena Davlikanova and Tatiana Vorozhko.

Conflict Cybersecurity

UkraineAlert

Jun 23, 2026

Putin vowed to demilitarize Ukraine. Instead, he created a major military power.

By Peter Dickinson

When Putin launched the full-scale invasion in 2022, he identified the “demilitarization” of Ukraine as one his two primary war aims. It is now clear that he has failed in the most spectacular fashion imaginable, writes Peter Dickinson.

Conflict Defense Policy

UkraineAlert

Jun 11, 2026

Putin can no longer shield ordinary Russians from the war he unleashed

By Maksym Beznosiuk, William Dixon

Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on St. Petersburg provided arguably the most visible indication to date that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion is not going according to plan, write Maksym Beznosiuk and William Dixon.

Conflict Defense Technologies

Timely Commentary & Analysis

May 18, 2026

Braw in The Times on the role of business in national security

By Elisabeth Braw

On May 18, Transatlantic Security Initiative senior fellow Elisabeth Braw published an article in The Times on how in matters of national security the West needs businesses to start doing the right thing.

Europe & Eurasia National Security

MENASource

Apr 20, 2026

‘They have been exposed’: The Iran war upends Gulf states’ security and business model

By Stefanie Hausheer Ali

The Iran war threatens the sense of security, prosperity, and opportunity that the Gulf states have spent years cultivating as they seek to diversify their economies away from oil.

Critical Infrastructure Policy Geopolitics & Energy Security
VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, CALIF., CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES 12.18.2025

Report

Mar 30, 2026

How NATO can integrate AI to prevail in future algorithmic warfare

By Dominika Kunertova

NATO’s competitive edge in the era of emerging and disruptive technologies will come from treating AI as a general-purpose enabler embedded across the Alliance’s digital backbone. Military AI does not generate new risks but creates more room for human error and miscalculation. Accidents and inadvertent escalation thus become more likely as military systems bring in more AI components.

Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity

In the News

Mar 28, 2026

Daniels published in RAND on AI competition between the US and China

By Atlantic Council

On March 26, Forward Defense Nonresident Senior Fellow Owen Daniels published a policy paper for the RAND Corporation on “Open Models, Soft Power, and Spectrum of US-China Artificial Intelligence Competition.”

Artificial Intelligence China

In the News

Mar 25, 2026

Rosenstein quoted in Indo-Pacific Defense Forum article on hypersonic capabilities

By Atlantic Council

On March 25, Forward Defense assistant director Jonathan Rosenstein was quoted in an article from the Indo-Pacific Defense Forum on “Indo-Pacific allies join to counter hypersonic threats.” Rosenstein highlighted the unique advantage that hypersonic weapons present for operational capabilities in the Indo-Pacific theater.

Defense Technologies Indo-Pacific
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Experts

Fellow

Carmiel Arbit

Nonresident Senior Fellow

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

Civil Society Extremism

Fellow

Ryan Arick

Nonresident Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

NATO Security & Defense

Fellow

Victor Atkins

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Crisis Management Cybersecurity

Fellow

Kyle Atwell

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Colombia

Fellow

David Auerswald

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

James E. Baker

Distinguished Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Artificial Intelligence Europe & Eurasia
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