Defense Writers Group
22 April 2025
Moderator: Welcome to a very special Defense Writers Group this morning. As all of you who are regular attendees know, we normally do senior policymakers and those who execute that policy with the exception of when we host reports that we feel are exceptional, like this one.
This is the Special Competitive Studies Project with the Center for Emerging Technology and Security. The new report is “Applying AI to Strategic Warning.” I can’t imagine a more interesting or topical conversation.
First, my thanks to Tara Rigler and everyone at SCSP for partnering on this session. Here to discuss the report is Dr. Nandita Balakrishnan. She’s SCSP’s Director for Intelligence. She was formerly a political analyst at the CIA where she authored the President’s Daily Brief on South Asian Domestic Politics among other projects.
Our ground rules are the same as always. This is on the record. You are free to record for accuracy and quotes, but there’s no rebroadcast of audio or video.
I will invite Nandita to give a few opening comments because the report is fairly dense for people like me. So she can sort of sketch the highlights and the major takeaways, then I’ll ask the first question, and then we’ll go to the table. Demetri and Theresa already asked for questions. Anybody else, just raise your hand.
Nandita, thank you for being here. The floor is yours.
Defense Writers Group
26 March 2025
Mr. Massa: Good morning, everyone. Thanks very much for joining us here at the Atlantic Council’s new global headquarters. If this is your first time here, we’ve been in this new building since October, so we hope you enjoy the new space as much as we are.
My name is Mark Massa, I’m the Deputy Director of the Forward Defense program here at the Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. At the Scowcroft Center we cite sustainable non-partisan strategies, we address them as forward security challenges facing the United States, its allies and partners. And within the Scowcroft Center the Forward Defense program generates ideas that affect stakeholders and the defense ecosystem for [integrating] military management of the United States and its allies and partners.
It's been the Forward Defense team at the Atlantic Council that’s had the pleasure for the past 18 months to host this commission on Software-Defined Warfare, and on the eve of its release, tomorrow, we’re pleased to have all of you here for this Defense Writers Group to talk a little bit about the report’s key findings and recommendations and it’s really important, the public release culmination of a lot of work tomorrow.
Defense Writers Group
4 March 2025
Moderator: Good morning, and welcome to this wonderful Defense Writers Group, offering an exclusive advance preview of the Reagan Institute’s National Security Innovation Base Report Card for 2025. Our guests are well known to everybody. I mean I knew Roger back when I had hair. [Laughter]. That’s how far we go back. And it’s great to meet Rachel. Roger of course, is the Director of the Ronald Reagan Institute and Rachel is its Policy Director.
Our ground rules as always, this is on the record. You can record for accuracy of quotes, but because of the Defense Writers Group vibe there’s no rebroadcast of audio or video.
Because it’s a very, very important and intense study, I am going to ask our two speakers to give a couple of minutes top-line, then we’ll go around the table. We have ample time, I’m sure everybody will have questions.
A small favor. When I call on you, just give us your name and organization for the audio record, okay?
Over to you two, and thank you so much for being here today.
Mr. Zakheim: Thom, it’s an honor to be here. Great to be with all of you. Thanks for your time.
Defense Writers Group
11 February 2025
Moderator: Good morning, everybody. Welcome to this Defense Writers Group which I know will be a very interesting conversation. We’re honored to have Matt Schlueter who’s BCG’s Global Head of Defense and Security to talk about this really compelling report, and thanks to Claude and his team for helping us get a scoop on the Munich Security Conference by releasing it here.
Ground rules, as always this is on the record. Please feel free to record for accuracy of quotes, but there’s no rebroadcast of audio or video.
I’ll ask the first question, as always, then we’ll go around the table. We have an hour. I’ll give Matt the final few minutes for any closing thoughts he wants to share.
But to kind of kick it off, I’m sure everybody’s read the report, scanned it. We’re not as fluent in it as you are. So Matt, take a couple of minutes, if you would, and give us what you think are the top lines that you’ll be presenting at the Munich Security Conference, the major takeaways.
Mr. Schlueter: Wonderful. Thank you, Thom, I’d be happy to.
I also want to introduce my colleague, Lauren Mayer sitting next to me, co-author for this, who’ll be helping through this session.
Let me just start by saying it’s a pleasure to be with you. I really appreciate the time this morning. Innovation is something that we’ve been partnering with the Munich Security Conference for about four years now. And maybe I’ll just take a moment to set the context for what drove this.
Defense Writers Group
17 January 2025
Moderator: It’s two minutes after, so let’s get started on this snowy day. I guess it was somewhat prescient that we did this virtually rather than make people commute over icy roads this morning.
This Defense Writers Group is hosting Steven J. Morani, the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment. As always, we’re on the record. Please feel free to record for accuracy of quotes, but there’s no rebroadcast of audio or video. I’ll ask the first question, then we’ll go around the room until we’ve either exhausted the questions or the hour is over.
Mr. Morani, thank you so much for joining us, and it’s great to know that there is a qualified and highly experienced permanent civil servant that will be staying in these roles through the upcoming transition.
My first question, I know that your public affairs officer, Bob Ditchey, has heard me say this. I’m not an expert in sustainment. I’m more of a policy and strategy guy, but one thing I’ve learned from my wife, Johnny Cash and the military is that whenever you have a big problem, break it down into tactical, operational and strategic to understand those pieces.
So to get us started, sir, can you talk a bit about the strategic level of sustainment and the challenges for the department in the future? And then walk us through some of the specific operational and tactical things you’re doing to mitigate those challenges.
ASD Morani: Thank you for the question. So one piece at a time, right?
Defense Writers Group
15 January 2025
Moderator: Good morning everybody and welcome to an incredibly special Defense Writers Group. General Eric M. Smith, Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. I love the cliché, someone who needs no introduction. That’s certainly the Commandant.
The ground rules, as always, this is on the record. Please record for accuracy of quotes, but there’s no rebroadcast of audio or video. I’ll ask the first question per our protocol, but a dozen of you emailed me in advance and you're on the list for questions. If we get through those we’ll go around the table for the hour. Once again, Commandant, thank you so much for joining us, sir.
General Smith: Well thanks for having me. And thanks for what you do. Thanks for reporting. It’s vital, it really is. I’m not just saying that. It is vital that you report and keep us honest.
Defense Writers Group
7 January 2025
Moderator: Welcome to the hearty band of intrepid reporters who braved the storm. I told Catie, it just means more muffins and more question time for the rest of us. I’m really glad that you’re here.
Our speaker, of course, is Jared Stout, currently Chief of Government & External Affairs at Axiom Space. For those who follow the Defense Writers Group, I’m in my fourth year, this is our first speaker from the corporate world, and that’s kind of on purpose. I don’t do that. But this is the exception that proves the rule. Because of his incredible experience in the executive branch and working with legislation, I thought he’d be perfect to help us sort of blow the smoke off a distant mountaintop about what space will look like under a new administration, and I think you’re absolutely perfect for the job.
Some of you have met Catie Hague. I still call her Colonel Hague. We’ll be calling on her as well.
Ground rules are as always, it’s on the record. Please record it for accuracy and quotes but there’s no rebroadcast of audio or video, just so that we don’t make this like the Pentagon or White House press room. [Laughter]. You know. All the kabuki drama and throwing shoes and stuff. Is it the Heisenberg Principle that observing something can change it? My version is cameras in the press room change all of that. Right?
DWG: That’s why they’ve been debating having cameras in the Supreme Court. They’re worried about the same thing.
Moderator: It’s probably not the only reason.
