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 and Deputy Director, Defense Program
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Philip Sheers
Research Assistant, Defense Program
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Molly Campbell
Research Assistant, Defense Program
Highlights
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Space to Grow
Reports
In the more than 50 years since the first satellite launch, space has become irrevocably intertwined with the American way of life and the American way of war. During the Cold...
By Hannah Dennis
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Innovation Adoption for All: Scaling across Department of Defense
Commentary
The Department of Defense does act quickly when properly motivated and catalyzed by effective leadership....
By Robert O. Work, Michael Brown & Ellen Lord
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The Pentagon Isn’t Buying Enough Ammo
Commentary
Even in today’s constrained budget environment, the U.S. Defense Department needs to do more to prioritize munitions buys and prove it has learned the lessons of Ukraine....
By Stacie Pettyjohn & Hannah Dennis
