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2 weeks ago | 
aei.org | John Ferrari |Todd Harrison
The new Pentagon leadership has set itself up to potentially oversee fundamental changes that could dramatically improve military warfighting capabilities for decades to come. In addition to realigning the defense budget, organizational structures, and acquisition policies to support warfighters, key decisions are still pending on how and where America will defend its security and prosperity.
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2 weeks ago | 
breakingdefense.com | John Ferrari |Todd Harrison
The new Pentagon leadership has set itself up to potentially oversee fundamental changes that could dramatically improve military warfighting capabilities for decades to come. In addition to realigning the defense budget, organizational structures, and acquisition policies to support warfighters, key decisions are still pending on how and where America will defend its security and prosperity.
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1 month ago | 
aei.org | Zack Cooper |Luis Simón |Mackenzie Eaglen |Todd Harrison
Report The Three Dimensions of Prioritisation: Understanding the Trade-offs between Europe and the Indo-Pacific Multimedia Extended Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific: Cooper on the Strategic Simplicity Podcast Testimony Strategic Opportunities and Risks in the East Asia and Pacific Region Op-Ed How the U.S. Can Maintain Its Military Edge Over China Article The True Aims of China’s Nuclear Buildup Multimedia Trade Controls and the AUKUS Exception: Next Steps Event A Fireside Chat with the Chief...
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2 months ago | 
thehill.com | Todd Harrison |John Ferrari
The Department of Defense was created in the immediate aftermath of World War II to fight and win America’s wars. It has evolved over time through mission creep and congressional action, driven by a philosophy of centralization that has added tangled layers of bureaucracy that negatively impact warfighter readiness. The secretary of Defense appears aware of this — he has directed the bureaucracy to present him with “future-state organization charts” — but he lacks a guiding philosophy.
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Mar 17, 2025 | 
aei.org | John Ferrari |Todd Harrison
In the early 1990s, the Department of Defense made a pivotal decision that has shaped American defense production for decades. Then-Secretary of Defense Les Aspin’s infamous “Last Supper” meeting with defense industry leaders signaled that the end of the Cold War would mean a drastic reduction in military spending and that industry consolidation was required. This move, reminiscent of Britain’s post-war industrial policies, has led to an inefficient and uncompetitive defense sector.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
aei.org | Todd Harrison
Todd Harrison’s chapter from Affording Defense: Investing in American Strength to Confront a More Dangerous World (American Enterprise Institute,2025),edited by Mackenzie Eaglen. To download this and additional chapters, please visit: www.aei.org/affording-defense/ A constant concern in national security is the alignment between strategy and budget—whether the resources available are necessary and sufficient to support the force structure and capabilities the strategy demands.
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Dec 7, 2024 | 
aei.org | Mackenzie Eaglen |Todd Harrison
The U.S. is blessed with the world’s most capable military and a network of allies and partners unmatched by any nation. It is an advantage we accumulated over generations. Yet we are taking it for granted as a growing coalition that includes Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea increasingly challenge our military might and our role in the world. From spy balloons over South Carolina to spy bases in Cuba, China in particular is demonstrating its growing ability to hold the U.S. homeland at risk.
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Dec 7, 2024 | 
time.com | Todd Harrison |Mackenzie Eaglen
IdeasBy Todd Harrison and Mackenzie EaglenDecember 7, 2024 7:00 AM ESTTodd Harrison is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on defense strategy and budgeting, the defense industrial base, and space policy and security. Mackenzie Eaglen is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she works on defense strategy, defense budgets, and military readiness.
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Dec 2, 2024 | 
spaceproject.govexec.com | Todd Harrison
Following through on a campaign promise, president-elect Donald Trump recently appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to co-lead an effort they are calling the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. While it is not actually a government department, the entity is likely to prove influential within the Trump administration and the Republican-led Congress—at least initially. Its mandate is to cut federal spending, and Musk and Ramaswamy have made clear that the Pentagon is in their sights.
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
myemail.constantcontact.com | Todd Harrison |Seth Jones |Eric Bazail-Eimil |Hu Yuwei
Please note that I may be off the net for a couple of days as I am having cataract surgery in both eyes today. Quotes of the Day:“He that cannot reason is a fool. He that will not is a bigot. He that dare not is a slave.” – Andrew Carnegie“Change your opinions, keep your principles, change your leaves, keep intact your roots.” – Victor Hugo“In individuals, insanity is rare: but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs, it is the rule.”– Friedrich Nietzsche 1.
