The U.S. Department of Defense faces difficult strategic choices. It needs sound, but rapid decision making processes to enable it to make good decisions quickly, and then to align its resources with its chosen strategy. The CNAS Defense Program helps policymakers make the right choices in resourcing and institutional reform through the following lines of effort:
The U.S. Department of Defense faces difficult strategic choices. It needs sound decision making processes to act with speed when aligning resources to strategy. The CNAS Defense Program helps policymakers make the right choices in resource expenditure, organizational transformation, and process reform through the following lines of effort:
Closing the Say-Do Gap
Implementing the defense strategy requires not only an appropriate level of resources but that sufficient funds are allocated to key strategic priorities, such as rebuilding munitions stores. In this line of effort, the CNAS Defense Program assesses the alignment between the president’s budget requests and the defense strategy and offers recommendations on how to bring the two into lockstep.
CNAS Defense Technology Task Force
In October 2023, the Defense Program launched the Defense Technology Task Force to bring together experts and practitioners from across the innovation ecosystem to include government, startups, new commercial entrants, legacy industry, and venture capital. The Task Force explores how organizations can better use existing authorities to innovate with the speed and scale required by today’s rapidly evolving threats.
A Changing Space
Space is becoming an increasingly important domain for competition and future warfare. In 2019, the United States created the newest service, the U.S. Space Force. This line of effort explores the organizational and strategic culture of the Space Force and considers its implications for joint warfare, inter-service relations, and the future of the service.
Research Team
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Stacie Pettyjohn
Senior Fellow and Director, Defense Program
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Becca Wasser
Senior Fellow, Defense Program
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Hannah Dennis
Research Associate, Defense Program
Highlights
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“Production Is Deterrence”
Reports
This report explores whether the fiscal year (FY) 2024 U.S. defense budget request for key conventional precision-guided munitions (PGMs) aligns with the 2022 National Defense...
By Stacie Pettyjohn & Hannah Dennis
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Precision and Posture: Defense Spending Trends and the FY23 Budget Request
Reports
This report examines the fiscal year (FY) 2023 defense budget request and assesses whether it sufficiently resources what was known of the Biden administration’s national defe...
By Stacie Pettyjohn & Hannah Dennis
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The ‘Arsenal of Democracy’ Is in Peril
Commentary
The U.S. was once known as “the arsenal of democracy,” for its ability to build enough weapons not only for itself but also for its allies. In recent decades, that moniker has...
By Stacie Pettyjohn & Hannah Dennis
