21
July 2025
Past Event
Building a Flexible Force: Modular Weapons and the Future of Defense

Event will also air live on this page.

 

 

Inquiries: tmagnuson@hudson.org

Building a Flexible Force: Modular Weapons and the Future of Defense

Past Event
Hudson Institute
July 21, 2025
DVIDS
Caption
US marines operate a Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System during Artillery Relocation Training Program 24.4 in Oita, Japan, on February 26, 2025. (US Marine Corps photo)
21
July 2025
Past Event

Event will also air live on this page.

 

 

Inquiries: tmagnuson@hudson.org

Speakers:
CA
Angel Crespo

Vice President of Operations and Engineering, Aerojet Rocketdyne L3Harris

BN
Ben Nicholson

Chief Growth Officer, Ursa Major

EH
Eric Hostetler

CEO and Founder, Volund Industries

TF
Colonel (Ret.) Tim Fuhrman

Former Senior Materiel Leader, Adaptive Weapons, Air Force Program Executive Officer for Weapons

GL
Gordon LoPresti

Senior Director of Propulsion Systems and Controls, Northrop Grumman

Moderators:
bryan_clark
Bryan Clark

Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Defense Concepts and Technology

nadia_schadlow
Nadia Schadlow

Senior Fellow

Listen to Event Audio

The Pentagon, defense companies, and think tanks all conclude that the United States’ weapons inventories are woefully inadequate for a war with China. But manufacturers cannot surge production of today’s exquisite munitions because these weapons depend on specialized components and techniques. Yet contrary to this popular wisdom, Ukrainian forces have found that weapons stockpiled in large numbers are often rendered obsolete by enemy countermeasures before the stockpile is depleted.

A recent Hudson report suggested that the US Department of Defense should address this contradiction by adopting a new family of modular weapons that emphasize adaptability and scale. In this approach, most components—including radios, computers, servomotors, and sensors—would come from commercial sources. Weapons-specific components like structures, warheads, and propulsion would be manufacturable at scale and on demand.

At Hudson, Senior Fellows Bryan Clark and Nadia Schadlow will host military and industry experts to discuss this new approach to weapon development and the DoD’s progress in fielding adaptable, scalable weapons systems.

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