On Thursday, March 27 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET, the Atlantic Council’s Forward Defense Program will publicly launch the final report of the Commission on Software-Defined Warfare.

China and Russia are adapting to rapid advances in modern technology that could shift military power dynamics. While the United States leads in cutting-edge commercial technology—like low-cost drones, autonomy, and artificial intelligence—its military and defense institutions are not built to adopt these innovations quickly. To stay ahead of adversaries in an era driven by software and emerging technologies, the Department of Defense (DoD) must modernize its approach to capability development and procurement.

This new report presents a software-defined warfare approach, offering recommendations for the DoD to adopt modern software practices and seamlessly integrate them into existing platforms to enhance and strengthen defense strategies.