About
The ReForge Commission, led by the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and its Forward Defense initiative, aims to ensure the United States is prepared to mobilize and sustain wartime production at scale.
Under the leadership of Kathleen Hicks, the 35th US deputy secretary of defense, and William “Mac” Thornberry, former chair of the US House Armed Services Committee, the Commission unites a distinguished cadre of subject-matter and industry leaders to design a blueprint for nationwide industrial mobilization.
Strategic Context
In World War II, the United States’ rapid industrial mobilization was decisive in securing Allied victory. Today, the United States faces a similar challenge: preparing for future conflict in an era of global instability, advanced technologies, and complex supply chains.
The US defense-industrial base has struggled for years to deliver needed capabilities on time and at scale. The global pandemic exposed deep vulnerabilities in supply chains, manufacturing, and workforce resiliency, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revealed the immense demands of modern, prolonged conflict across physical, digital, and industrial domains.
At the same time, the United States is experiencing a renewed national conversation about industrial policy. Recent administrations have sought to shape the economy through government-industry collaboration—an opportunity that must now be harnessed for national defense readiness.
The ReForge Commission, aims to rebuild the US defense industrial base. With limited capacity, fragile supply chains, and growing threats, a modern strategy is urgently needed. The Commission will assess the defense production demands of modern warfare and develop a roadmap to transform US defense-industrial capabilities and the broader industrial base to deter conflict and, if necessary, prevail in a sustained conflict that tests US resilience.
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Commission Director
Authors
Editor-in-Chief
Senior Advisors
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Sponsors
Past Commissions and Task Forces
From improving the Department of Defense’s engagement with emerging companies and innovators to advancing the integration of state-of-the-art software solutions across the force, our past commissions have driven actionable, bipartisan strategies to modernize US and allied defense. These efforts continue to inform Congress, the Department of Defense, and industry partners today.
Explore the Program
Forward Defense leads the Atlantic Council’s US and global defense programming, developing actionable recommendations for the United States and its allies and partners to compete, innovate, and navigate the rapidly evolving character of warfare. Through its work on US defense policy and force design, the military applications of advanced technology, space security, strategic deterrence, and defense industrial revitalization, it informs the strategies, policies, and capabilities that the United States will need to deter, and, if necessary, prevail in major-power conflict.
