Caption
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on June 22, 2025. (Andrew Harnik via 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
23
September 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Thirty-Ninth International Security Conference: Challenges and Opportunities for the ROK-US Alliance
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Hyun In-Taek
General Byung-kwan Kim (Ret.)
General Byung Hyuk Choi (Ret.)
Lt. Gen. Bernard Champoux (Ret.)
Dr. Sam Yeol Jang
Markus Garlauskas
Colonel Dave Maxell (Ret.)
Prof. Park Ihn-hwi
Colonel Gittipong Paruchabutr (Ret.)
Dr. Taewoo Kim
Dr. Huh Nam-Sung
Dr. Jay Jinseop Jang
Moderators:
Patrick M. Cronin
James J. Przystup
23
September 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Thirty-Ninth International Security Conference: Challenges and Opportunities for the ROK-US Alliance
This conference, jointly presented by Hudson Institute, the Council on Korea-US Security Studies (COKUSS), and the Korean Defense Veterans Association (KDVA), will feature two panels.
Featured Speakers:
Dr. Hyun In-Taek
General Byung-kwan Kim (Ret.)
General Byung Hyuk Choi (Ret.)
Lt. Gen. Bernard Champoux (Ret.)
Dr. Sam Yeol Jang
Markus Garlauskas
Colonel Dave Maxell (Ret.)
Prof. Park Ihn-hwi
Colonel Gittipong Paruchabutr (Ret.)
Dr. Taewoo Kim
Dr. Huh Nam-Sung
Dr. Jay Jinseop Jang
Moderators:
Patrick M. Cronin
James J. Przystup
24
September 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Peace Through Strength: A New Strategic Review for a New Nuclear Age
Featured Speakers:
Keith Payne
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
24
September 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Peace Through Strength: A New Strategic Review for a New Nuclear Age
Join Dr. Rebeccah L. Heinrichs, senior fellow at Hudson Institute, and Dr. Keith Payne, president and cofounder of NIPP, for discussion about the report’s analysis and recommendations.
Featured Speakers:
Keith Payne
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
24
September 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Chokeholds and Choices: Securing Supply Chains in the US-China Rivalry
Featured Speakers:
Rush Doshi
Cameron Johnson
Gerard DiPippo
Nadia Schadlow
Moderator:
Patrick M. Cronin
24
September 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Chokeholds and Choices: Securing Supply Chains in the US-China Rivalry
Senior Fellow Nadia Schadlow will join leading experts on supply chains and US-China competition for a panel discussion of these questions, moderated by Asia-Pacific Security Chair Patrick Cronin.
Featured Speakers:
Rush Doshi
Cameron Johnson
Gerard DiPippo
Nadia Schadlow
Moderator:
Patrick M. Cronin
08
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Relearning Great Power Diplomacy: A Conversation with Wess Mitchell
Featured Speakers:
Wess Mitchell
Peter Rough
Related Research
Caption
People cross a street in Tokyo on August 25, 2025. (Getty Images)
Caption
(Screenshot via India Today)
Caption
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is seen with Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda, European Central Bank Governor Christine Lagarde, and Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey on August 22, 2025, near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. (Natalie Behring via Getty Images)
