Aircraft (formerly Air Domain) May 31, 2024

Is The United States Aircraft Industry Ready for Sustained Global Conflict?

This paper examines the readiness of the United States aircraft industry to prevail in conflict in the current geopolitical landscape. It emphasizes the industry's crucial role in strengthening national security. The research focuses on two key areas: supply chains and the defense industry workforce. In terms of supply chains, the paper highlights the need to construct resilient supply chains amidst geopolitical turbulence. It analyzes the availability and sources of raw materials and rare earth elements, and the vulnerability and resiliency of the aircraft supply chain. The paper identifies challenges in gaining insight into supply chains and offers recommendations to enhance resiliency, reduce dependence on China's raw material industry, improve supply chain visibility, and explore friend-shoring opportunities.

Networking and Media (Formerly NewsMedia) May 31, 2024

Advancing Cyber Defense and Information Integrity: A Comprehensive Approach to Securing U.S. National Security

Despite significant efforts in legislation, strategy, and policy, current defenses against cyber and information operations are likely inadequate to counter the growing threat of malign cyberspace activities. The U.S. faces considerable challenges in protecting critical infrastructure and democratic processes from sophisticated cyber threats and disinformation campaigns. Adversaries, including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, use cyber-attacks, economic espionage, and influence operations to disrupt government functions, destabilize democracy, and challenge U.S. global leadership. Cyberspace’s appeal to malign actors lies in its low cost, scalability, and deniability, allowing easy manipulation of digital environments, from social media to critical infrastructure. Cyber tools exploit vulnerabilities in software, hardware, and human factors, making everything connected to the internet a potential target. The increasing use of artificial intelligence and algorithms further complicates defense efforts. To address these threats, a comprehensive "whole-of-government and society" approach is necessary. This includes strengthening cybersecurity defenses, promoting digital and media literacy, regulating social media, and fostering public resilience. Greater collaboration with industry, academia, and citizens is essential to implement successful strategies. Additionally, U.S. strategy must expand offensive cyber capabilities to deter adversaries when defense and deterrence fail. The paper recommends four main actions: 1) Expanding education and messaging to combat cyber and disinformation threats. 2) Strengthening partnerships for sharing intelligence and coordinating defense strategies. 3) Enhancing cybersecurity regulations for critical infrastructure and digital platforms. 4) Modernizing infrastructure and cyber defenses while using cyber compellence to deter malign activities. In conclusion, the U.S. must adopt a whole-of-society approach to strengthen its cyber and information operation defenses, involving allies, the private sector, and the public to safeguard national security, protect democracy, and secure America's global role.

Transportation and Logistics (Formerly Global Agility) May 31, 2024

Reinvigorating U.S. Transportation Infrastructure: Investing To Enable Power Projection, Underwrite National Security, And Maintain Advantage in Great Power Competition

The U.S. must reassess its transportation and logistics infrastructure, which supports both military and economic power. The system is fragmented, with uncoordinated investments and increasing foreign competition, particularly from China. This has weakened the U.S.'s ability to mobilize forces and respond to crises, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic and infrastructure failures. To improve, the U.S. must invest in updating key infrastructure, address labor issues, and better coordinate with allies. A senior coordinator should be appointed to lead a long-term strategy, integrating technology, innovation, and partnerships to strengthen the U.S. logistics base.

Environment May 31, 2024

Environment Industry Study

The Environment and Climate Industry Study Group Report highlights the escalating challenges posed by climate change and environmental degradation across the United States and throughout the world. As these impacts intensify, they intersect with economic and security vulnerabilities, creating cascading effects that disproportionately impact marginalized nations and communities. The U.S. faces a pivotal decision in defining its role in shaping global responses to climate change – whether as an obstructive force, a facilitator, or a leader. This report delves into the complex interplay between environmental issues and U.S. industry, emphasizing the urgent need for the country to mobilize political will to not only respond to but leverage the opportunities presented by the evolving global environmental landscape. The report advocates a strategic pivot towards sustainability that integrates economic vitality and environmental integrity, proposing a path forward that harnesses innovation and leadership in response to one of the most pressing global challenges of our time.

Finance (Formerly Financial Services) May 31, 2024

U.S. Finance Industry & National Security: A Source of Both Strength and Vulnerability

This paper examines the intersection of the U.S. financial industry and national security in the context of Great Power Competition, especially with the rise of China (PRC). It highlights three key areas: capital markets, financial innovation, and financial statecraft. The PRC's economic strategies challenge U.S. dominance, while domestic issues like political polarization and economic inequality threaten internal stability. The U.S. capital markets, crucial for economic strength and national security, face challenges due to shifts towards private capital and changes in market dynamics. The paper calls for a more strategic approach by the Department of Defense (DoD) in using financial tools to advance national security, particularly through economic statecraft. It also advocates for regulatory reforms to address vulnerabilities in capital markets, like cybersecurity risks, and urges stronger public-private sector collaboration. To maintain global leadership, the U.S. must adapt its economic strategies to safeguard national interests and navigate evolving geopolitical dynamics. The paper provides a roadmap for integrating economic power with national security to ensure U.S. resilience amid global competition.

Space May 31, 2024

The Strategic Necessity to Integrate Commercial In-Space Servicing, Assembly, And Manufacturing (ISAM) into United States Space Force Capabilities

The creation of the U.S. Space Force (USSF) reflects the growing strategic and economic importance of space. The rapid development of commercial space technologies, particularly In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM), offers the USSF opportunities to enhance its space capabilities and maintain superiority. By investing in commercial ISAM, coordinating with allies, and fostering market growth, the USSF can achieve long-term cost savings and innovation. The report recommends policy actions such as adjusting USSF resource allocations, stimulating ISAM market competition, creating a Space Investment Fund, and advocating for regulatory reform. These steps will help the USSF stay competitive and lead in space operations.

Strategic Materials May 31, 2024

Mining for the Future: The Critical Role of Strategic Materials in U.S. National Security

The United States faces significant challenges in securing supply chains for strategic materials crucial to national security and economic prosperity. With rising global demand for non-fuel minerals essential for advanced technologies, defense, and renewable energy, the U.S. must enhance supply chain resilience to reduce dependence on foreign sources, particularly China. China has established dominance in the strategic materials market through aggressive investments in mining and processing, giving it an advantage in the global supply chain. This includes state-backed initiatives in mining, refining, and midstream processing, as well as leveraging its position as a manufacturing hub. As a result, the U.S. is at a strategic disadvantage in this critical sector, especially amid global competition. The mining industry also faces challenges, including long development timelines, high capital investments, and market volatility, which complicate profitability and project support. Developing new mines can take over a decade and involves significant financial risk due to the cyclical nature of mineral markets. To maintain a competitive edge, companies must innovate in extraction methods and sustainability while optimizing operational efficiency.

Weapons (Formerly Munitions) May 31, 2024

Hypersonic and Directed Energy Weapons: Emerging Capabilities Necessary for Competition and Containment

Current global conflicts underscore significant shifts in modern warfare, particularly the rising costs of defending against small, affordable systems and the strategic advantage of undetected, on-demand strikes. In response, the U.S. is investing heavily in hypersonic and directed energy weapons. However, despite years of testing and billions of dollars spent, these technologies have yet to be deployed at scale. The Department of Defense (DoD) needs a cohesive strategy to effectively advance these initiatives, as current requirements are unclear, and development efforts have led to stalled progress. Additionally, the lack of collaboration with allies has resulted in underutilized resources and capabilities. To expedite the development and deployment of credible hypersonic and directed energy weapons, the DoD must establish centralized authorities and prioritize partnerships. These weapons are critical to maintaining U.S. technological superiority, especially as peer adversaries like China and Russia have developed similar capabilities. Emerging technologies, such as hypersonic and directed energy systems, are reshaping warfare, as demonstrated in the Ukraine and Israel conflicts, where low-cost drones overwhelm expensive kinetic interceptors. To enhance national and global security, particularly in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. must strengthen its deterrence strategies and leverage these advanced technologies. While these weapons offer strategic advantages, critics question their cost-effectiveness, feasibility, and overall utility, making the need for efficient and rapid development even more pressing.

Microelectronics (Formerly Electronics) May 31, 2024

Embracing the Global Chip Game: Building and Sustaining a Chip Manufacturing Industry in the U.S.

Given the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into both commercial and military sectors, compute power is poised to shape the future of economic and national security. At the forefront of this battle for competitive advantage in compute power are semiconductors. This paper explores the strategic significance of semiconductors in shaping the competitive landscape between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It explores how through strategic investments and redefined partnerships, the United States is seeking to rebuild its depleted semiconductor manufacturing capacity and extend its current advantages in other aspects of the semiconductor industry. It considers key challenges for advancing the U.S. position while limiting the PRC’s own efforts to gain semiconductor self-sufficiency. It offers policy recommendations into ways the United States can shape and navigate geopolitical tensions while enhancing its semiconductor infrastructure and posture. The United States faces a vital imperative to strengthen the semiconductor industry as a key means for safeguarding national security and economic resilience in this era of strategic competition. CLASS

Aircraft (formerly Air Domain): May 30, 2023

Air Dominance in Strategic Competition: Expanding Uncrewed Systems

The aviation industry provides the bedrock of military power and has for over a hundred years. In the 21st century, technological advances in international weapons systems challenge the survivability of traditionally crewed aircraft. China’s meteoric rise in military power and intent to rebalance the rules-based international order for its benefit necessitates an elevated U.S. emphasis on improving its aircraft capabilities and quantities. The capabilities of currently fielded Chinese and Russian surface-to-air and air-to-air weapons systems necessitate a recognition that crewed U.S. systems will be at significant risk in a peer-to-peer engagement and losses of platforms will be high. The U.S. must look to uncrewed aircraft systems to both increase the number of aircraft in the U.S. arsenal and reduce risk to crewed platforms.