About the 21st Century Defense Initiative at Brookings

The 21st Century Defense Initiative (21CDI) was launched by the Brookings Institution in response to the enormous changes playing out in the international security environment. The initiative produces cutting-edge research, analysis and outreach to address the critical issues facing defense and security policy in the coming century.

In the years since the 9/11 attacks, the global security environment has been in great flux. In addition to reordering of global power, with the rise of state actors like China and India, non-state actors—such as Hezbollah and al-Qaeda—have emerged as major players in global security, while failed or failing zones have become epicenters of threat on multiple levels. Other challenges, such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, have become even more acute with the rise of global terrorism and the emergence of rogue weapons programs in North Korea and Iran. The need for civil-military planning to meet these challenges is more pressing than ever.

These transformations are all the more challenging as they are playing out in the rapidly changing context of the 21st century. Revolutions in information, communications, energy use, and bio-technology are all emerging in a period of heightened global economic competition. Many think the hallmark of the 21st century may not be merely change, but at how the rate of change is accelerating-namely, at an exponential pace unparalleled in history.

The 21st Century Defense Initiative at Brookings conducts research and analysis, as well as outreach to policymakers and interested publics on these areas. Its focus is on three core issue areas, crucial to U.S. defense policy today and in the future:

  • The Future of War. While war is enduring, the forces acting on war, its domains, and even the very actors in it are changing. Areas under investigation include the impact of globalization and decentralization of conflict groups, the emergence of new types of conflict groups (from warlords and terrorists to child soldiers and private militaries), new technologies and their impact on both causes and conduct of war (information, robotics, genetics, etc.), continuing questions of warrior ethics and professional identity in new contexts of war, and new modes and locales for military operations (from information warfare to post-conflict stability and reconstruction). As examples, Peter W. Singer’s work has focused new actors in war, including his recent best-selling book Wired for War, while Vanda Felbab-Brown has focused on the cross of illicit economies and war in her new book Shooting Up.

  • The Future of U.S. Defense Needs and Priorities. U.S. national security considerations will hardly stay static in such a rapidly changing world. New threats require new strategies. New capabilities open new policy options, but they also create new responsibilities. Areas under exploration include global defense challenges, regional security needs ranging from those raised by a rising China to greater commitments in South Asia, as well as homeland security priorities that the U.S. military and related agencies must plan for in the years and decades ahead. Integration with civilian agencies at home and abroad also is a critical aspect of the military planning processes in the 21st century. A key question is the optimal balance of resources to address rapidly changing security threats facing the U.S. today-threats as diverse as terrorism and natural disasters. Steven Cohen’s work on civil military issues in South Asia, such as in his book Four Crises and a Peace Process: American Engagement in South Asia, is an example.

  • The Future of the U.S. Defense System. A better understanding of war and the expectations that will be placed upon the U.S. military and related agencies in the 21st century is crucial for informed force planning and budgeting. Building upon the analysis of the above two issues, the Initiative examines a myriad of issues facing the U.S. defense system in light of future and possible missions. These issues include future force structure; the military budget, equipment and capacity; service recruitment and retention; the services' evolving training and professional needs; and others. Each issue must also be evaluated at the national level as well as at the service or agency level. Michael O’Hanlon’s recent book Budgeting for Hard Power: Defense and Security Spending Under Barack Obama is an example of work by 21CDI scholars in this area.
In all its programming, the project seeks to focus on innovation and impact. In addition to its own permanent scholars’ research, publications, and commentary, the 21st Century Defense Initiative also serves as an organizational hub which brings together Brookings scholarship, high level defense policy makers, operational leaders, industry specialists, and interested public audiences. Since its launch in late 2006, 21CDI has organized over 125 events, ranging from large public speaking engagements—including hosting every single service chief—to more intimate discussions with members of the defense establishment ranging from Congressman Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, to General David Petraeus, commander of CENTCOM. The program also has hosted a unique "Hollywood to DC" series, screening the premieres of military-related movies and TV shows.

21CDI is also is the home of the Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan Indexes. Widely used by both the media and the government, these are the leading datasets of open, public information on these ongoing operations and areas. The datasets allow a fact-based analysis to be made on contentious policy areas.

The initiative has a special portal to the policy community by hosting the Federal Executive Fellows program. The FEFs are career officers from each military service, the CIA and the Coast Guard, who spend a year in residence researching and publishing on cutting-edge defense topics. The program provides a valuable policy feedback that help the initiative craft and disseminate realistic, applicable policy recommendations relevant to each agency or service. FEF research and publications have focused on such topics as:

  • The relevance of "Buy America" laws in the context of a globalized defense industry;
  • Energy policy as a national security issue and strategic options for the Department of Defense;
  • The erosion of industrial capacity in shipbuilding and other heavy industry within the DOD procurement system;
  • Strategic “balance” in DOD planning; and 
  • The development and coordination of PTSD programs.
The initiative also serves as a mechanism for the defense community to draw upon the wealth of expertise and capacity that exist within Foreign Policy Studies at Brookings and its world-class regional centers, including the Center on the United States and Europe, the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies, the John L. Thornton China Center and the Saban Center for Middle East Policy. Its creation allows the integration of regional knowledge with defense analysis in a manner not possible at other institutions.

Dr. Peter W. Singer serves as the director of the 21st Century Defense Initiative. Dr. Michael E. O'Hanlon serves as director of research. For further information, please see http://www.brookings.edu/projects/21defense.aspx or contact 21DefenseInitiative@brookings.edu.