Center for a New American Security (CNAS)

In our latest piece of budget analysis at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), Philip Sheers takes the lead in laying out a case for why defense acquisition reforms require stable defense budget deliveries. "Congress’s inability to consistently pass annual defense appropriations has directly impeded the procurement and production of military capabilities needed to maintain key advantages over China." The pursuit of defense modernization and production at speed and scale will not succeed if the Pentagon and its partners in industry are forced to operate in an uncertain funding environment. Shutdowns, continuing resolutions, and delayed budget deliveries significantly harm the ability to sustain defense modernization initiatives, create fiscal uncertainty for defense firms, and reinforce the "developmental cul-de-sac" that we describe in our recent report on the FY 2026 defense budget.

Secretary Hegseth recently outlined plans to overhaul DoD acquisition, emphasizing "speed and volume above all else." He identified three systemic challenges—but analysis from Philip Sheers, Carlton Haelig, PhD, and Stacie Pettyjohn suggests there's a fourth that may be even more fundamental: budget instability. Some highlights from the latest CNAS Insights: ➡️ All but 1 of the last 17 fiscal years have begun with a CR or a shutdown ➡️ Because of CRs, next-generation research and development programs have been delayed, contributing to many technologies getting stuck in a “developmental cul-de-sac” ➡️ The recent 40+ day shutdown delayed programs like Golden Dome and paused hundreds of contracts How does chronic budget instability affect defense modernization efforts? Our experts examine the impact on R&D programs, defense contractors, and the broader industrial base. Read the full commentary: https://lnkd.in/eErmngBP

The U.S.-South Africa relationship is at its lowest point since 1994, a fact driven home by U.S. officials' boycott of the G20 summit held in Johannesburg this week. In my latest piece with Richard Fontaine for the Daily Maverick, we examine why both countries have good reasons to improve ties—and outline practical steps like establishing a post-AGOA trade framework that could help arrest the decline. Even modest improvements would yield dividends for both sides. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e_GMeCc7

ICYMI: Yesterday CNAS hosted an expert panel on the key role the U.S. government can play in empowering American AI innovation while protecting against certain risks. The panel discussed the difficulty of regulating dual-use technologies such as AI with tremendous economic potential but also national security challenges, the tension between federal, state, and local regulation, how to attract top technical talent to the government, and more. The event featured Conrad Stosz from Transluce, Dean Ball from Foundation for American Innovation, CNAS Senior Fellow Janet Egan, and moderator CNAS Communications Director David McKenzie. Find a link to the full event in the comments below.

Join CNAS for a panel discussion on policy actions the U.S. government can take to prepare for AI national security risks while enabling innovation with Conrad Stosz, Dean Ball, Janet Egan, and David McKenzie

New from CNAS | Prepared not Paralyzed: Managing AI Risks to Drive American Leadership The Trump administration has signaled a clear commitment to American AI dominance, championing innovation over restrictive regulation. But this emphasis on innovation does not diminish the government’s critical role in ensuring national security. Indeed, rapid AI advances could yield both enormous opportunities to bolster national security as well as significant risks in this domain. Failure to prepare adequately for the impact of new AI capabilities could cede national security leadership to private actors and risk a major incident that could set back American innovation—just as incidents at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island undermined the nuclear power industry for decades. In Prepared, Not Paralyzed: Managing AI Risks to Drive American Leadership, CNAS experts Janet Egan, Spencer Michaels, and Caleb Withers write that the federal government needs to strengthen its ability to identify, understand, and manage AI risks—without overregulating—to secure and extend American AI leadership. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e5vSWEgv

I am incredibly grateful for the chance to contribute to this discussion on a critical and topical national security risk of U.S. dependence on China for rare earth elements. Big appreciation and thanks to Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and Breaking Defense for highlighting emerging voices in this space. Incredibly large thanks to Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs, Yale Schmidt Program on AI, Emerging Tech, and National Power for providing me with the opportunities to do research in this space as well as Edward Wittenstein and my talented peers at Yale Jackson for their support and collaboration. Link below:

Thrilled to launch our partnership with Breaking Defense to showcase emerging voices in national security and defense issues. ➡️ Part of our singular focus at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) to foster the next generation of national security leaders. ➡️ The future is bright when emerging voices take on thorny issues with clarity and purpose and when they get a seat at the table. Aaron Mehta outlines the philosophy behind Pathfinder. Congratulations to Emma Swislow, Maura McCarthy, Anna Pederson, Alina Spatz and everyone who got this off the ground. https://lnkd.in/ds2PkyPS

What is a national security issue that isn’t talked about enough? Through our Pathfinder partnership with Breaking Defense, we asked the next generation of security experts to answer this question. The first of three winning essays was just released, which you can read below. In his essay, author Kevin Chen lays out the perils of relying on China for rare earth elements (REEs), provides a case study of a recent public–private partnership, and puts forward a strategy to rapidly develop and invest in the domestic REE supply chain and the technologies that use them. Read the full essay in the comments ⬇️

What is a national security issue that isn’t talked about enough? Through our Pathfinder partnership with Breaking Defense, we asked the next generation of security experts to answer this question. The first of three winning essays was just released, which you can read below. In his essay, author Kevin Chen lays out the perils of relying on China for rare earth elements (REEs), provides a case study of a recent public–private partnership, and puts forward a strategy to rapidly develop and invest in the domestic REE supply chain and the technologies that use them. Read the full essay in the comments ⬇️