Forward Defense quick reads

Commercial satellites are on the front lines of war today. Here’s what this means for the future of warfare.

By Julia Siegel

Commercial space companies are enabling critical warfighting functions in Ukraine and will continue to provide a lifeline in future conflict scenarios.

The TB2: The value of a cheap and “good enough” drone

By Aaron Stein

The Turkish Bayraktar TB2 is an effective, low-cost tactical weapon on the modern battlefield. While invaluable for all wars, it is not a game-changing technology.

A web of partnerships: Ukraine, operational collaboration, and effective national defense in cyberspace

By Sean Atkins

Partnerships strengthen a nation’s cyber defense, as Ukraine’s effective web of cyber partnership demonstrates.

The Ukraine war and its impact on Russian development of autonomous weapons

By Samuel Bendett

Moscow’s plans to employ autonomous systems on the battlefield may be set back by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Air denial: The dangerous illusion of decisive air superiority

By Maximillian K. Bremer and Kelly A. Grieco

The air war in Ukraine challenges traditional paradigms of air superiority. US and allied air forces must instead contemplate air denial strategies.

Early lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war as a space conflict

By David T. Burbach

The Russia-Ukraine war may be remembered as the first two-sided space war, offering four preliminary lessons for future conflicts.

“An analogous gold spike”: Harnessing the space industrial base for twenty-first century prosperity

By Delharty Manson

A panel of space experts and report authors discuss with Forward Defense how the US government can work with private companies to expand the United States’ competitive edge in the space domain.

China’s opioid challenge: All is fair in law and war

By Tom Ferguson

A former senior official in the US intelligence community maps how the United States should unleash a legal defense against China’s malicious activities—starting with its role in the opioid crisis.

How the US can curb the North Korean nuclear threat

By Todd Rosenblum

The Biden administration must make the right strategic investments now to stay ahead of the North Korean missile threat.

Winning friends and influencing Russians: Three audiences the US should target

By Irina Plaks

The Biden administration needs an offensive strategy that prioritizes transparency and truth to defeat Russian aggression.

A shoebox-sized solution: How small satellites can help the US Coast Guard

By Madison Littlepage

To provide adequate coverage in an increasingly trafficked region, the Coast Guard must invest in small satellite technology.

The future of US security depends on owning the ‘gray zone.’ Biden must get it right.

By Clementine G. Starling-Daniels, Julia Siegel

The United States’ ability to prevail in the gray zone will hinge on coordinating and executing a whole-of-nation response.

Russia Crisis Military Assessment: The impact of multiple rocket launcher transfers to Ukraine

By Atlantic Council military fellows

To help Ukraine expel Russian forces from its territory, the United States must begin its full transition to US-made equipment now, write our military fellows. Here’s what that means.

NATO allies must not take their unity on Ukraine for granted, says Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth

By Atlantic Council

Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth joined the Atlantic Council to talk about the role the Army will play in carrying out the National Defense Strategy and how the United States will continue to support Ukraine.

Secretary Christine Wormuth on how the US Army will support Biden’s forthcoming National Defense Strategy

By Juliette Renaut

Secretary Wormuth discusses the Army’s role in implementing the Biden administration’s strategic priorities, particularly amid an intensifying war in Ukraine and a sustained China threat in the Indo-Pacific theater.

Lockheed Martin CEO James D. Taiclet on 21st century security and the Russia-Ukraine war

By Caroline Steel

At the inaugural Forward Defense Forum, Lockheed Martin CEO James Taiclet breaks down 21st century security, the war in Ukraine, and new frontiers for defense innovation.

Viva la space: Why the commercial small satellite revolution matters for the US government

By Madison Littlepage

A panel of space experts and practitioners discuss with Forward Defense how the US government can leverage commercial small satellite technology to secure the space domain.

Atlantic Council’s Matthew Kroenig Appointed to Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States

Director of Studies and Deputy Director of Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security will bring expertise in nuclear strategy and policy to high-level commission