In Depth Analysis, Commentary, and Publications
The most ambitious visions of the Golden Dome missile defense architecture face tough budgetary decisions about their prioritization within the missile defense portfolio, in the Department of Defense capability mix, and across the federal budget.
On June 5, 2025, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) hosted our seventh Strategic Landpower Dialogue event, featuring General Andrew Poppas, Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command. The discussion explored Army force readiness, emerging threats, and transformation in warfighting.
On June 4, 2025, the CSIS Defense and Security Department hosted a conversation on the feasibility, cost, and security implications of future U.S. missile defense programs.
On May 6, 2025, the CSIS Defense and Security Department hosted a conversation on the future of U.S. defense spending and the cost of American military power.
On April 2, the CSIS Defense and Security Department hosted a conversation on the diffusion of U.S. AI capabilities, U.S. and Chinese military adoption of AI, and the impact of open-source AI on the defense industrial base.
On April 1, the CSIS Defense and Security Department hosted a conversation on the evolving threat environment, implications for U.S. strategic forces, and potential impacts on U.S. defense initiatives in space, nuclear, and missile defense policy.
On March 26, CSIS and the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) hosted our sixth Strategic Landpower Dialogue event, featuring General James Rainey, Commanding General, United States Army Futures Command. The discussion explored Army transformation efforts, acquisition priorities, and GEN Rainey's vision for the U.S. Army of 2040.
On March 11, the CSIS Defense and Security Department hosted a conversation on the future of European rearmament, nuclear deterrence, and transatlantic relations, featuring Dr. Heather Williams, director of the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues, Dr. Tom Karako, director of the CSIS Missile Defense Project, and Kari A. Bingen, director of the CSIS Aerospace Security Project.
On January 27, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) entitled “The Iron Dome for America.” In an evolving and diverse threat environment, this order calls for a modernized missile defense infrastructure tailored to present-day and near-future challenges. Achieving the policy goals outlined in the EO will require significant innovation and investment, and issues of feasibility, cost, and implications for strategic stability will again be debated.
