As conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East continue, the Army is looking at how it needs to adapt to the new reality of warfare and how its modernization strategy can help meet the challenges of the modern battlefield. Among the challenges are defining the necessary combat vehicle capabilities, operating in contested and denied environments, and the future of Army aviation. ​

The Air Force’s ongoing reorganization and streamlining of its fleet is shaping its capabilities in the short-, medium- and long-term futures. What challenges does the Air Force face in meeting its future goals? Is it on track to meet its preferred timelines? If not, what does it need to do to get there?

As Space Force builds out the infrastructure it needs — from both technology and personnel perspectives — it faces a number of challenges, including building and securing both terrestrial and ground operations, recruiting, training and retaining people with the skillsets it needs and developing the communications capabilities required to ensure they are dependable, resilient and able to deliver data in a timely manner. ​

Scaling up the use of unmanned vehicles is a top priority for the Navy, with extensive testing of prototypes and experimentation in multiple fleets. But when and how should the Navy start buying UAVs at the scale needed to effectively use them? Will they be used by the fleets or by strike groups when they deploy? These and other questions will determine the success of the Navy’s push towards more unmanned usage. ​

How have recent conflicts shaped the thinking around the role of the Marine Corps and how it can be effectively deployed? What are the top technology priorities for the USMC and how can it adapt or update existing systems to ensure Marines have the tools they need in the field?​

Congress faces a number of critical questions in the upcoming months, including the status of the defense budget and NDAA, building a more robust industrial base and ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. Looming over all of those questions is the 2024 presidential election and what its winner’s priorities will be.​

The United States military is undergoing a major evolution, as the JADC2 initiative, modernization efforts and industrial base questions are all driving change. What does the ideal future of the U.S. military look like, and how do we successfully arrive at it? What role will the Pentagon play in ensuring all of the services meet their goals, and how will it carry out that role?​