Our mission
Forward Defense (FD) helps the United States and its allies and partners contend with great-power competitors and maintain favorable balances of power. This new practice area in the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security produces Forward-looking analyses of the trends, technologies, and concepts that will define the future of warfare, and the alliances needed for the 21st century. Through the futures we forecast, the scenarios we wargame, and the analyses we produce, FD develops actionable strategies and policies for deterrence and defense, while shaping US and allied operational concepts and the role of defense industry in addressing the most significant military challenges at the heart of great-power competition.
FD issues in focus
Defense foresight
Identifying the most important long-term developments, trends, and technologies that are shaping the future geostrategic and military environment.
Defense strategy & policy
Crafting sustainable, nonpartisan strategies with our allies and partners to counter, deter, and overcome the diverse military challenges posed by great-power competitors and other potential adversaries.
Operational concepts, capabilities & posture
Designing novel operational concepts which leverage both emerging defense technologies and traditional capabilities to deter and, if necessary, conduct future wars.
Defense industry & acquisitions
Realigning US and allied defense-industrial bases to ensure collaboration in pursuit of national defense strategies.
The art of war
Applying innovative methodologies such as wargaming, narrative fiction, and the creative arts to tomorrow’s military and defense challenges.
In-depth analysis
Mon, Sep 28, 2020
Competitive strategy insights from wargames
Warfighting eclipses the moment of battle. This report assesses the results from a series of competitive strategy wargames in order to explore how US military-modernization investments can shape adversary decisions long before the battle ever begins.
Report by
Wed, Sep 9, 2020
Future of DHS Project: Full report
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) needs to refocus its mission to lead the defense of the United States against major nonmilitary threats.
Report by
Mon, Aug 17, 2020
Primer on hypersonic weapons in the Indo-Pacific region
Hypersonic weapons are nearing maturation, but debates about their military relevance are often defined solely by technology. This primer situates hypersonic weapons within the regional context of the Indo-Pacific to provide a foundation for strategic analysis.
Report by
Quick reads
Wed, Sep 16, 2020
US technological superiority will be wasted without a strengthened defense industrial base
The United States cannot let efforts to achieve technological superiority outpace the cultivation of an industrial base available to exploit this advantage.
New Atlanticist by
Wed, Aug 26, 2020
US needs to change the way it invests in defense if it wants to compete with rising rivals
Successive years of stagnant defense spending levels and the prospect of lasting economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic could threaten to leave the United States handicapped in its growing military competition with rising powers China and Russia
Elections 2020 by David A. Wemer
Mon, Aug 24, 2020
Mental health care in the military: An opportunity for progress
Now more than ever, military service members need exceptional mental health care—and the national security community is uniquely positioned to develop the actionable recommendations that are prerequisites for progress.
New Atlanticist by
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Event series
Commanders Series
The Atlantic Council’s flagship speakers’ forum for senior military and defense leaders. The series provides a platform to discuss current strategic issues with an impressive audience drawn from across Washington’s policy community, including think tanks, media, industry, embassies, and the US government.
Defense-Industrial Policy Series
A platform for senior government executives in defense and aerospace to address the public policies that shape the market for defense goods and services. By engaging the perspective of government leaders about issues at the interface of defense ministries and industries, the series aims to cultivate a constituency for practical solutions to these challenges.
Captains of Industry Series
A platform for senior defense executives to address the public interests their companies serve and the public policies that shape their markets.
Future of DHS Project
A platform for developing recommendations to improve the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and protect the homeland from the coronavirus, threats to democracy, and other future challenges.
Our upcoming & latest events
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.
Core team
