CNAS Launches Project on Evolving the Future Force

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is pleased to announce a new project, Evolving the Future Force led by CNAS’ Defense Strategies and Assessments Program. The initiative will examine how the U.S. military should adapt to adversary innovations by exploring the necessary attributes and capabilities of the future joint force and how to evolve it in a cost-effective manner. This effort will examine opportunities to build on existing programs, capitalize on emerging technologies, leverage a high-low mix of assets, and experiment with new operational paradigms. Jerry Hendrix and Paul Scharre of CNAS’ Defense Strategies and Assessments Program will lead the project.

Evolving the Future Force builds on existing CNAS defense work, including:

• “Adapting the Force to Emerging Challenges,” Congressional testimony before the Airland Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee on how the military must change itself to face modern threats.
• “How Trump Can Build a 350-Ship Navy,” a commentary in Politico providing a playbook for how President Trump can follow through on a major national security priority.
• “America’s Next Army,” a commentary in The National Interest on the future challenges and modernization priorities for the U.S. Army.
• “What Trump’s Budget Plan Means for the Pentagon,” a podcast laying out what the Trump administration’s proposed increases in defense spending say about our defense priorities and where any extra resources should be spent.

The project’s first event, Innovation and the Future Force, will be held Wednesday, May 17 from 1:00 – 2:30pm at CNAS. RSVP to attend.

The project will bring together a high-level advisory council to help inform its research. Advisory council members include:

Lt Gen Charlie Coolidge (U.S. Air Force, Ret.)
Vice President of Air Force Programs, Airbus Defense and Space, Inc.

LTG Bob Durbin (U.S. Army, Ret.)
Chief Operating Officer, AIA

Mackenzie Eaglen
Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

Vice Adm. Mark I. Fox (U.S. Navy, Ret.)
Corporate VP, Customer Relations, Huntington Ingalls Industries

The Honorable Christine Fox
Assistant Director for Policy and Analysis, Johns Hopkins University / Applied Physics Lab

The Honorable Robert Hale
Senior Executive Advisor, Booz Allen Hamilton

The Honorable Robert Helm
Senior Vice President, Planning and Development, General Dynamics

Tim Hughes
Senior Vice President for Global Business & Government Affairs, SpaceX

Rick Hunt
VP U.S. Business Development, Raytheon Company

Dr. Mara Karlin
Associate Professor and Associate Director (Strategic Studies), Johns Hopkins-SAIS

Dr. Andrew Krepinevich
Adjunct Senior Fellow, CNAS

Vince Logsdon
Vice President, Textron Systems Corporation

The Honorable William J. Lynn III
Chief Executive Officer, Leonardo DRS

Dr. Greg Mallory
Senior Partner & Managing Director, BCG

Andrew Marshall
Retired, Office of Net Assessment

Robert Martinage
Principal, The Telemus Group

The Honorable James Miller
Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs (Harvard)

David Ochmanek
Senior Defense Research Analyst, RAND

Janis Pamiljans
Corporate Vice President and President, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems

Chris Pehrson
Vice President, Strategic Development, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems

Robert Rangel
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Lockheed Martin

Jim Thomas
Principal, The Telemus Group

For more information, please contact Neal Urwitz at nurwitz@cnas.org or call 202-457-9409.