Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 02/2014

Federated Defense Project Concept Paper

December 2013

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Abstract

The United States has long acknowledged the importance of its allies and partners in securing shared interests. More recently, drawdowns in defense spending by the United States and many of its security partners have increased the urgency of leveraging and synthesizing national capabilities where possible. CSIS has launched the Federated Defense Project to assess and recommend concrete ways for the United States and its partners to integrate their defense capabilities in support of shared interests. The Project draws on the full breadth of CSIS’s unparalleled security expertise, including: U.S. and regional defense concepts, capabilities, posture, and relationships; regional security dynamics; U.S. and global trade and economic policy; and the global defense industry. The multi-year effort will examine U.S. and common security goals and the global and regional security architectures and defense capabilities that best support them. The Project will also assess the U.S. foreign military sales system, exportability considerations in the defense acquisition process, export control issues, and other authorities considerations.