About our work

Forward Defense explores the nexus of public-private partnerships critical to the success of US defense. Through our Commission on Software Defined Warfare and our Arsenals of Democracy event series, FD brings together the institutional bodies that create strategies and policies with the defense and technology companies that build advanced capabilities for defense and deterrence.

Commission on Software Defined Warfare

This Atlantic Council’s Commission on Software Defined Warfare contends that, in order to overcome adversarial challenges in a modern software-driven security environment, the US Department of Defense must modernize its archaic platform-centric approach to capability development. Following the success of the Council’s 2022-2023 Commission on Defense Innovation Adoption, this Atlantic Council Commission is considering how the US Defense Department and its allies ought to approach software-defined warfare. Co-chaired by 27th US Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper, Former Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Christine Fox, and President of Purdue University Mung Chiang, and comprised of a distinguished group of Commissioners, the Commission will develop a framework to enhance US and allied forces through emergent digital capabilities.

Commission on Software-Defined Warfare

An Atlantic Council commission on improving DoD production and integration of state-of-the-art software solutions

Commission on Defense Innovation Adoption

The Atlantic Council’s landmark Commission on Defense Innovation Adoption contends that now is the time to reform the defense innovation ecosystem. Co-chaired by 27th US Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper and 23rd US Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, and comprised of a distinguished group of Commissioners, the Commission developed recommendations to better enable the Department of Defense to rapidly absorb technological advancements from the leading edge of the innovative commercial sector.

Commission on Defense Innovation Adoption

An Atlantic Council commission on improving DoD engagement with new companies and innovators

Arsenals of Democracy

The Arsenals of Democracy, including the Captains of Industry Series, the Stewards of Industrial Policy Series, and the Corporate Strategy Forum is the Atlantic Council’s longstanding event series on the trends and issues confronting the US and allied defense-industrial base. The series aims to convene key policymakers, executives, and strategists to solve major challenges at the interface of geostrategic imperatives, public policies, and defense markets.

Latest analysis

Content

New Atlanticist

Jun 4, 2025

The Pentagon’s software approval process is broken. Here’s how to fix it.

By Hannah Hunt

To equip US military personnel with the tools they need, the Department of Defense must treat secure software delivery as a warfighting imperative.

Cybersecurity Defense Technologies

New Atlanticist

Apr 29, 2025

To fund US military modernization, Congress needs to pass on-time annual defense budgets

By Jongsun Kim

The longer Congress relies on continuing resolutions to fund the military, the further the Pentagon will drift from its defense spending goals.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Strategic Insights Memo

Apr 11, 2025

Industrial integration for global defense resilience: Pathways for action

By Abigail Rudolph, Steven Grundman

The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have exposed significant vulnerabilities in the industrial capacity and capabilities of the United States and its allies. A lack of speed, scale, and resilience in industrial production hampers the ability to sustain operations in these campaigns.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Report

Mar 27, 2025

Atlantic Council Commission on Software-Defined Warfare: Final report

By Whitney M. McNamara, Peter Modigliani, Tate Nurkin

The Atlantic Council Commission on Software-Defined Warfare presents a software-defined warfare approach, offering recommendations for the DoD to adopt modern software practices and seamlessly integrate them into existing platforms to enhance and strengthen defense strategies.

Artificial Intelligence Defense Policy

Strategic Insights Memo

Mar 12, 2025

The hypersonic imperative

By Michael E. White

Hypersonic weapons and counter-hypersonic defenses will be essential for the United States to deter and, if necessary, prevail in a war against one or more great powers. This is why the Department of Defense and Congress must prioritize the accelerated fielding of these capabilities.

China Defense Industry

Events

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Meet our experts

In the news

In the News

Jun 4, 2025

Stephen Rodriguez Joins AI+Expo Panel on Government Procurement Reform

On June 3, Stephen Rodriguez, Senior Advisor at Forward Defense and Director of the Commission on Software-Defined Warfare, joined a panel at the AI+Expo to discuss “Reindustrializing America via Government Procurement Reform.” He was joined by Eric Lofgren, Staff Member, U.S. House Armed Services Committee; Scott Friedman, Vice President of Government Affairs at Altana Technologies; […]

Artificial Intelligence Defense Industry

In the News

Jun 2, 2025

Murray in Sky News on UK’s Strategic Defence Review

By Atlantic Council

On June 2, Rob Murray, non-resident senior fellow at Forward Defense and the Transatlantic Security Initiative, appeared on Sky News to offer his insights on the UK’s Strategic Defence Review. Murray emphasized the importance of re-drawing financial architectures and increasing credit flow into supply chains to effectively finance the Review’s ambitious armament procurement goals.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

In the News

May 27, 2025

Soofer’s report, “Strengthening Deterrence with SLCM-N,” quoted in Asia Times article

By Atlantic Council

On May 13, Forward Defense senior fellow Robert Soofer was quoted in an Asia Times article titled, “US Navy wants sea-launched nuke missiles to hold China at bay.” The article cites his Atlantic Council issue brief, co-authored with John Harvey, “Strengthening Deterrence with SLCM-N.” The article references their argument that SLCM-N capabilities address “a US […]

China Defense Policy

In the News

May 5, 2025

Final Report of the Commission on Software-Defined Warfare featured in Air & Space Forces Magazine

By Atlantic Council

On May 5, Shaun Waterman of Air & Space Forces Magazine published an article highlighting Forward Defense’s Commission on Software-Defined Warfare report.

Artificial Intelligence Defense Industry

In the News

May 2, 2025

Hinote and Parker in Breaking Defense on the Commission on Software-Defined Warfare

By Atlantic Council

On May 2, Breaking Defense published an article by Clinton Hinote and Nathan Parker, Commissioners on Forward Defense’s Commission on Software-Defined Warfare, emphasizing the urgent need for the Department of Defense to prioritize agile, testable software development practices.

Artificial Intelligence Defense Industry

Forward Defense, housed within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, generates ideas and connects stakeholders in the defense ecosystem to promote an enduring military advantage for the United States, its allies, and partners. Our work identifies the defense strategies, capabilities, and resources the United States needs to deter and, if necessary, prevail in future conflict.

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