Security & Defense

One of the most fundamental responsibilities of governments is to protect their citizens from all threats, internal or foreign. Policy makers must prepare for potential conventional warfare, terrorism and other asymmetrical attacks, and the repercussions of natural disasters and climate change to ensure the safety of their citizens. The motivation to protect against future threats must also be partnered with regular dialogue and partnership with allies and neighbors to prevent the triggering of violent conflict or destabilizing arms races.

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

Report Sep 8, 2026

Preparing for and countering limited nuclear attacks in East Asia: Guardian Tiger III

By Markus Garlauskas with John Park and Kyoko Imai. Contributors: Andrew Brown and Jonathan Corrado

The risk of North Korea launching a limited nuclear attack will likely increase over the coming decade. The United States and its allies are not preparing adequately to deter and prevail in the face of such nuclear strikes.

Indo-Pacific Korea

Dispatches Sep 1, 2026

Where and how Putin could expand his war in Europe beyond Ukraine

By Atlantic Council experts

The CIA director’s recent unannounced visit to Moscow has raised speculation about Russian plans to escalate attacks.

Conflict Eastern Europe

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

Programs

The Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security works to develop sustainable, nonpartisan strategies to address the most important security challenges facing the United States and the world.

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Content

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

Dispatches

Oct 16, 2026

Saudi Arabia has more security partners than ever. So why isn’t it safer?

By Carmiel Mahony

Saudi Arabia has succeeded in diversifying its security partnerships. The harder task is turning those wins into security on the ground.

Middle East Security & Defense

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

MENASource

Oct 16, 2026

Iraq’s militias are adjusting for a new era, not going away

By Hamdi Malik

While signaling restraint, the militias are carving room to consolidate their position and shape the terms of Iraq’s next security order.

Conflict Crisis Management

Issue Brief

Oct 15, 2026

Measuring Europe’s rearmament: A year of the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030

By Eva Mulholland, Aurélie Vittot

One year since the EU debuted its "Defence Readiness Roadmap," with forty-five milestones Europe must meet to take responsibility for its own defense by 2030, is the EU on track?

Defense Policy Europe

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 15, 2026

Toplines: Twenty-five years after anthrax, the US still is not prepared for a biological attack

By Robert Bradley, John T. O’Brien

The anthrax events of 2001 transpired twenty-five years ago. The US still needs better preparation against biological attacks.

National Security

Dispatches

Oct 14, 2026

Dispatch from Moldova: How to restore NATO’s deterrence against Russia’s escalating drone attacks

By Ian Brzezinski

Restoring deterrence will require a course correction in the West’s approach to Russia's escalating drone attacks.

Eastern Europe Moldova

Dispatches

Oct 14, 2026

Dispatch from the Gulf: Kuwait still wants Washington but is preparing for less

By Jonathan Panikoff

By sheer number of strikes, no country in the Gulf has been hit harder by Iran than the United Arab Emirates. But by exposure and impact, Kuwait may be at the greatest risk.

Middle East Security & Defense

Experts

Fellow

Nilofar Sakhi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

South Asia Center

Afghanistan Arabic

Staff

Julia Salabert

Former Program Assistant

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fellow

Nathan Sales

Distinguished fellow, Middle East Programs

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

Extremism Human Rights

Fellow

Jean-Loup Samaan

Nonresident Senior Fellow

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

Arabic Defense Policy

Fellow

Omar Samad

Nonresident Senior Fellow

South Asia Center

Democratic Transitions Conflict

Fellow

Lisa C. Sawyer

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Defense Policy Economy & Business

Events

Online Event Mon, October 19, 2026 • 3:30 pm ET

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Issue briefs and reports

Fast Thinking

Dispatches

Inflection Points

UkraineAlert

MENASource

Econographics

Security & Defense

Preparing for and countering limited nuclear attacks in East Asia: Guardian Tiger III

Where and how Putin could expand his war in Europe beyond Ukraine

AI and autonomy in contested operations

Programs

Content

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

Saudi Arabia has more security partners than ever. So why isn’t it safer?

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

Iraq’s militias are adjusting for a new era, not going away

Measuring Europe’s rearmament: A year of the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030

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

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

Toplines: Twenty-five years after anthrax, the US still is not prepared for a biological attack

Dispatch from Moldova: How to restore NATO’s deterrence against Russia’s escalating drone attacks

Dispatch from the Gulf: Kuwait still wants Washington but is preparing for less

Experts

Nilofar Sakhi

Julia Salabert

Nathan Sales

Jean-Loup Samaan

Omar Samad

Lisa C. Sawyer

Events

Russia’s bioweapons legacy and the plague scare

Trump’s Russia deal and the stakes for Ukraine

Building collective cognitive resilience: A cross-strait and beyond seminar

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