Rethinking Security Cooperation in the Age of Commercial Tech

Commercial technologies are enabling militaries to operate with greater speed and lethality, yet the U.S. Department of Defense's security cooperation strategy remains focused on providing traditional, exquisite platforms to allies. This approach, centered on foreign military sales, faces challenges like production backlogs, high sustainment costs for partners, and a failure to keep pace with the rapid evolution of warfare. Relying solely on traditional solutions undermines the ability to help partners respond to emergent needs and can strain their resources. The Department of Defense should evolve its strategy to incorporate and encourage commercial solutions for allies, which can improve interoperability, build capacity more quickly, and better reflect the disruptive nature of modern conflict.