Caption
The United States and United Nations flags. (Getty Images)
Caption
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt transits the Philippine Sea on April 5, 2024. (DVIDS)
The United States Department of Defense is unlikely to get the sustained funding required to achieve its desired scale and capabilities. Therefore, maintaining costs will be a central challenge for the department. Norm Augustine warned several decades ago about the punishing increases in platform costs, and operating costs have continued to climb. What capital and operational strategies should the department consider? To what extent should the DoD be concerned about deferred costs like veterans’ benefits? And how might the Pentagon address political and cultural obstacles to change?
Related Events
04
March 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Securing America’s Critical Mineral Supply Chain: A Conversation with Congressman Rob Wittman
Featured Speakers:
Mike Gallagher
Congressman Rob Wittman
04
March 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Securing America’s Critical Mineral Supply Chain: A Conversation with Congressman Rob Wittman
Join Distinguished Fellow Mike Gallagher and Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA) for a discussion on the congressman’s recently introduced Securing Essential and Critical US Resources and Elements (SECURE Minerals) Act and Congress’s role in securing America’s economic security.
Featured Speakers:
Mike Gallagher
Congressman Rob Wittman
06
March 2026
Virtual Event | Online Only
Evidence over Assumptions: A Return to Proper Policy at the Intersection of Antitrust and IP
Featured Speakers:
Kirti Gupta
Hon. Kathleen O’Malley
Urška Petrovčič
Moderator:
Devlin Hartline
06
March 2026
Virtual Event | Online Only
Evidence over Assumptions: A Return to Proper Policy at the Intersection of Antitrust and IP
Join Hudson for an expert panel discussion on the latest policy developments and what an evidence-based approach means for the future of innovation.
Featured Speakers:
Kirti Gupta
Hon. Kathleen O’Malley
Urška Petrovčič
Moderator:
Devlin Hartline
10
March 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
US-Japan Cooperation on Naval Maintenance, Commercial Shipbuilding, and Shipping
Featured Speakers:
Akira Fukaishi
Diana Maurer
Michael Roberts
Kyoko Imai
Moderator:
William Chou
10
March 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
US-Japan Cooperation on Naval Maintenance, Commercial Shipbuilding, and Shipping
Join Hudson for a discussion highlighting each nation's approach to these common challenges, as well as how US-Japan collaboration should best proceed.
Featured Speakers:
Akira Fukaishi
Diana Maurer
Michael Roberts
Kyoko Imai
Moderator:
William Chou
11
March 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Stop World War III
Featured Speakers:
Walter Russell Mead
Shyam Sankar
11
March 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Stop World War III
With Walter Russell Mead, Sankar will discuss his strategy to resurrect the American industrial base, win the twenty-first-century defense technology race, and prevent World War III.
Featured Speakers:
Walter Russell Mead
Shyam Sankar
Related Research
Caption
Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) talks with reporters in the Capitol Visitor Center after a briefing on December 16, 2025. (Getty Images)
Caption
A press conference by President Donald Trump on tariffs is displayed on a television at the New York Stock Exchange on February 20, 2026. (Getty Images)
Caption
A Palestinian teenager repairs worn and damaged banknotes due to the prolonged shortage of new currency entering the Gaza Strip on February 12, 2026. (Getty Images)
