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Forward Defense explores the nexus of public-private partnerships critical to the success of US defense. FD brings together the institutional bodies that create strategies and policies, with the defense companies that provide advanced capabilities that are vital for defense and deterrence.

Arsenals of Democracy event series

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.

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.

The National Technology Industrial Base (NTIB)

Leveraging the National Technology Industrial Base to address great-power competition

In this groundbreaking report, Nonresident Senior Fellow William Greenwalt advances his vision for what a modern NTIB should look like, and encourages both Congress and the administration to adopt measures that will enable access to defense-industrial resources that are more responsive to the needs of the 2018 National Defense Strategy.

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Experts

Former fellow

William Greenwalt

Former Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fellow

Steven Grundman

Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fellow

James Hasik

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Industry Defense Policy

Fellow

Tate Nurkin

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

China Defense Industry

Fellow

Stephen Rodriguez

Senior Advisor

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Defense Policy Defense Technologies

Commentary on organizational reform

Defense industry & acquisitions

New Atlanticist Sep 16, 2020

US technological superiority will be wasted without a strengthened defense industrial base

By John Wharton and Tate Nurkin

The United States cannot let efforts to achieve technological superiority outpace the cultivation of an industrial base available to exploit this advantage.

Defense Industry Defense Policy
Defense industry & acquisitions

New Atlanticist May 28, 2020

Coronavirus should spur DoD to build back resilience and agility

By John F. Wharton and Tate Nurkin

A layered and targeted response is required to meet the proximate challenges to the defense and dual-use supply chain, which is critical to national security. This crisis, as terrible as it is, may be the catalyst for taking steps today that are necessary to build the supply chain resilience and industry agility required to meet future national crises.
Coronavirus Defense Industry
Defense industry & acquisitions

New Atlanticist Feb 26, 2020

The fox in the henhouse: How bureaucratic processes handicap US military supremacy and what to do about it

By Stephen Rodriguez

Washington’s once unrivaled military strength is now increasingly challenged by that of its adversaries. To stay ahead, the United States must restructure its relationship with commercial companies by reducing regulation that hinders innovation, speed, and the ability for private industry to access government contracts.
Defense Industry Defense Policy
Defense industry & acquisitions

New Atlanticist Feb 7, 2020

In an era of great-power competition, procurement reform not more regulation for the defense industrial base

By Tate Nurkin

What strategic gains can DoD realize from being a better customer? Given the reluctance of the US commercial sector to engage in defense work and the speedy innovation of our rivals, reform is needed.
Defense Industry Defense Policy

More on defense industry

In the News

Oct 15, 2021

Grundman discusses defense budgets and strategic competition on the Defense and Aerospace Report

By Atlantic Council

FD senior fellow Steven Grundman was featured on The Daily Scoop Podcast to discuss how the defense industry can produce better solutions to the problems the Department of Defense is trying to solve.

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

In the News

Oct 12, 2021

Grundman discusses the defense industry on the Daily Scoop

By Atlantic Council

FD senior fellow Steven Grundman was featured on the Daily Scoop podcast to discuss how the defense industry can produce better solutions to the problems the Department of Defense is trying to solve.

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

Issue Brief

Oct 7, 2021

Una squadra vincente: The US-Italian defense-industrial partnership

By Mauro Gilli and James Hasik

The United States needs to more closely integrate its own defense-industrial base with those of its allies, including Italy. This issue brief focuses on the US-Italian defense-industrial partnership to enable policymakers to better understand this relationship, leverage it more comprehensively to meet key strategic objectives, and secure the supply chains necessary to ensure US national security.

Defense Industry Defense Policy

In the News

Oct 6, 2021

Fontenrose quoted in Wall Street Journal on Iran’s armed drones program

By Atlantic Council

Arms Control Defense Industry

TURKEYSource

Sep 30, 2021

Experts react: The key takeaways from the Erdoğan-Putin meeting

By Atlantic Council IN TURKEY

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in-person in Sochi, Russia for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Atlantic Council experts give their take on the outcome.

Conflict Defense Industry
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The Defense-Industrialist Blog

Defense Industrialist

Oct 28, 2017

Aerospace revelations: What could possibly go wrong?

By Steven Grundman

The Four Horsemen in the Book of Revelations, let us recall, are no cowpokes but terrible harbingers of the end of times, each marked by the color of the horse he rides to summon a hardship which by degrees is more cataclysmic than the last. Holding that allusion in mind, I use the seasonal tradition of AerospaceDefenseChain to harvest my critical thinking about the things that could possibly go wrong and turn to doom and dust today’s happy outlook on the second century of aerospace. Put differently, “How could we screw this up?”

Defense Industry Economy & Business

Defense Industrialist

Oct 3, 2017

The military implications of Catalonian secession—an update

By James Hasik

assuming that Catalonia was admitted to NATO, what would the newly independent country contribute? At the 2014 Strategic Foresight Forum at the Atlantic Council, Anne Marie Slaughter of the New America Foundation opined that an independent Catalonia would do a fine job of defending itself. After all, Catalonia is a country of over 7 million people, with more than $300 billion in GDP. Spending just 1.6% of that—well below the widely-ignored NATO threshold, of course—provides over $4.5 billion annually. y de-emphasizing the military forces that any landlocked country will have, and instead steering investments towards those it is comparatively positioned to provide, Catalonia could punch above its weight in European political affairs.

Defense Policy Eastern Europe

Defense Industrialist

Sep 13, 2017

An EU air force is impossible; Fortunately, it’s not necessary.

By James Hasik

To rebuild robust air forces, Europeans should just get back to basics. Early last month, as David Cenciotti of the Aviationist reported, A-10Cs of the Maryland Air National Guard were again practicing landings and take-offs from stretches of highway in Estonia, though with occasional casualties amongst the roadsigns. About a year prior, it was A-10Cs of the […]

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

Defense Industrialist

Aug 30, 2017

An EU navy is impossible; Fortunately, it’s not necessary.

By James Hasik

To rebuild robust naval forces, Europeans should think less like Americans, and more like Russians. As I noted yesterday, Brexit has opened all sorts of talk about the future of British and European military activities. To continue the argument today, let’s tack towards naval matters. In “All the Queen’s Ships” (Proceedings of the US Naval Institute, January […]

Defense Industry European Union

Defense Industrialist

Aug 29, 2017

An EU army is impossible; Fortunately, it’s not necessary.

By James Hasik

To rebuild robust land forces, Europeans should think a little like Americans, a little like Russians, and otherwise for themselves. Shortly after the Brexit vote last June, those-in-the-know in Europe started calling for a renewed effort at a common European military force. A year ago this month, General Vincenzo Camporini, former head of the Italian general staff, told […]

Defense Industry Defense Policy
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Forward Defense

Forward Defense, housed within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, shapes the debate around the greatest military challenges facing the United States and its allies, and creates forward-looking assessments of the trends, technologies, and concepts that will define the future of warfare.

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