Future of war

The First Annual Future of War Conference brings together a diverse, interdisciplinary collection of experts to discuss the profound social, political, economic, and cultural implications of the changing nature of war and conflict. The theme of the event is “How is Warfare Changing?,” which we explore through a consideration of three sub-themes: “How Are Emerging Technologies and Strategies Redefining the Practice of War?;” “Are We Living in a Forever War?;” and “Can We Better Understand How Warfare is Evolving by Reflecting on History?” The conference also launches the Future of War Project, which links New America, a DC-based think tank and civic engagement enterprise, and Arizona State University, one of the nation’s largest and most innovative public research universities.

CNN is the leading media partner for the conference and will live-stream panels on CNN.com. DefenseOne will also be a media partner for this event.

Agenda

Tuesday February 24, 2015

8:00 – 8:30: Registration and Breakfast

8:30 – 8:50: Welcome and Opening Remarks

Dr. Michael Crow – President, Arizona State University

Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter – President and CEO, New America

9:00 – 9:50: Machines That Kill: Will We Rely on Autonomous Weapons?

Peter Bergen (moderator) – Vice President, Director of Studies, New America; Professor of Practice, Arizona State University; Co-Director, Future of War Project

Dr. Peter W. Singer – Strategist and Senior Fellow, New America; Author, Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War (forthcoming)

9:50 – 10:40: Climate Change, Pandemics, and the Competition for Prosperity: Planning for Non-Military Security Challenges

The Honorable Sharon Burke (moderator) – Senior Advisor, International Security Program, New America; Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs, U.S. Department of Defense

Nadya Bliss – Director, Global Security Initiative, Arizona State University

Col. Troy Thomas – Director for Strategic Planning, National Security Council; Officer, United States Air Force

10:50 – 11:30: Continuities and Change in Future Armed Conflict

Jake Tapper (moderator) – Chief Washington Correspondent; Anchor, The Lead, CNN

Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster – Deputy Commanding General, Army Capabilities Integration Center, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command

11:30 – 12:00: Striking a Balance: Authorizing the Future Use of Military Force

Heather Hurlburt, New America

The Honorable Harold Koh, Yale Law School

12:00 – 12:30: Lunch

12:40 – 1:20: How Will the Digital Biology Revolution Transform Conflict?

Dr. Gaymon Bennett – Assistant Professor of Religion, Science, and Technology, Arizona State University

Dr. Gary Marchant – Lincoln Professor of Emerging Technologies, Law, and Ethics; Faculty Director of the Center for Law, Science, and Innovation, Arizona State University

1:30 – 1:40: The Kill Switch

Peter Bergen (introduction) – Director, International Security Program, New America

Phil Zabriskie – Author, The Kill Switch; Former Staff Writer, TIME Magazine

1:40 – 2:20: How Will Technology Shape the Future of War?

Barbara Starr (moderator) – Pentagon Correspondent, CNN

Dr. Arati Prabhakar – Director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

2:20 – 3:00: What is Cybersecurity at Home?

Alan Davidson (moderator) – Vice President, Open Technology Institute, New America

The Honorable Suzanne Spaulding – Under Secretary, National Protection and Programs Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

3:10 – 4:00: How Should We Adjust the Laws of War to Address the Changing Nature of Conflict?

Rosa Brooks (moderator) – Professor, Georgetown University Law Center; Senior Fellow, International Security Program, New America

Naz Modirzadeh – Founding Director, Program on International Law and Armed Conflict, Harvard Law School

4:10 – 5:00: The Tyranny of Distance: What is the Future of U.S. Maritime Security?

Jim Sciutto (moderator) – Chief National Security Correspondent, CNN

Adm. Michelle Howard – Vice Chief, Naval Operations, U.S. Navy

Wednesday February 25, 2015 8:00 am–5:00 pm

8:00 – 8:30: Registration and Breakfast

8:30 – 9:30: Reflections on the Future of War

Wolf Blitzer (moderator) – Anchor, The Situation Room, CNNGen. Raymond Odierno – Chief of Staff, U.S. Army

9:40 – 10:30: What Do Lessons from History Tell Us About the Future of War?

Michael Lind (moderator) – ASU Future of War Fellow; Co-Founder, New AmericaDr. Philip Bobbitt – Herbert Wechsler Professor of Federal Jurisprudence; Director, Center for National Security Law; Columbia Law School; Author, The Shield of Achilles

Sir Lawrence Freedman – Professor of War Studies, King’s College London; Author, Strategy: A History

Dr. Ian Morris – Jean and Rebecca Willard Professor of Classics and Professor of History, Stanford University; Author, War: What Is It Good For?

10:40 – 11:10: Why is Violent Conflict Decreasing in the Long-term?

Daniel Rothenberg – Professor of Practice, Arizona State University; Fellow, New America; Co-Director, Future of War Project

Dr. Steven Pinker – Johnstone Family Professor, Department of Psychology, Harvard University; Author, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined

11:20 – 12:00: How Will the Wars of the 21st Century be Fought?

Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter (moderator) – President and CEO, New AmericaDr. David Kilcullen – Chairman, Caerus Global Solutions; ASU Future of War Senior Fellow, New America; Author, The Accidental Guerilla and Out of the Mountains

Dr. Peter W. Singer – Strategist and Senior Fellow, New America; Author, Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War (forthcoming)

12:00 – 12:30: Lunch

12:30 – 12:40: Personal Reflection – The Next Generation of Cyberwar

Dr. Peter W. Singer (introduction) – Strategist and Senior Fellow, New America; Author, Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War (forthcoming)Midshipman Zane Markel – Midshipman, Center for Cyber Security Studies, U.S. Naval Academy

12:40 – 1:10: Will There be a Nuclear War in South Asia?

Gordon Lubold (moderator) – Senior Military Writer, DefenseOne – Director, South Asia Programs, U.S. Institute of Peace

1:10 – 1:40: Is a Long Peace Possible in Asia? How Does China See the Future of War?

Bay Fang (moderator) – Senior Fellow, International Security Program, New America; Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Philippe Le Corre – Visiting Fellow, Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings Institution Dr. Sheldon Simon – Director, Center for Asian Studies, Arizona State University

1:40 – 1:50: Personal Reflection – Life as a Mayor in Wartime Iraq

Col. Joel Rayburn (introduction) – Adjunct Fellow, International Security Program, New America; Author, Iraq After America: Strongmen, Sectarians, ResistanceMaj. Gen. Najim Abed al-Jabouri – Distinguished Research Fellow, Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University; Former Mayor, Tal Afar, Iraq

1:50 – 2:30: What Does the Rise of ISIS Tell Us About the Future of War?

Dr. Tara Maller (moderator) – Associate Director for Strategic Communications, Franklin Project, Aspen Institute; Research Fellow, International Security Program, New AmericaDr. Hassan Abbas – Professor, National Defense University; Author, The Taliban Revival

Dr. Douglas Ollivant – Partner, Mantid International; ASU Future of War Senior Fellow, New America; Former Director for Iraq, National Security Council

Emma Sky – Senior Fellow, Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, Yale University; Former High Level Advisor in Iraq for the U.S. and U.K. Governments

2:30 – 3:00: How Do You Defeat a Networked Enemy Like ISIS? Lessons from Joint Special Operations Command

Peter Bergen (moderator) – Vice President, Director of Studies, New America; Professor of Practice, Arizona State University; Co-Director, Future of War ProgramCol. (Ret.) Ioannis Koskinas – CEO, Hoplite Group; Senior Fellow, International Security Program, New America; Retired U.S. Air Force Officer, Special Operations

3:10 – 3:50: What Human Rights Will Be Most at Risk in Future Wars?

Dr. Karen Greenberg (moderator) – Director, Center on National Security, Fordham University School of LawDaniel Rothenberg – Professor of Practice, Arizona State University; Fellow, New America; Co-Director, Future of War Project

3:50 – 4:30: Is the Pentagon Adapting Fast Enough?

Kevin Baron (moderator) – Executive Editor, DefenseOneTom Ricks – Senior Advisor for National Security, International Security Program, New America; Contributing Editor, Foreign Policy

4:30 – 5:00: How Will Congress Shape the U.S. Military of the Future?

Sen. John McCain – U.S. Senator, Arizona; Chairman, Senate Armed Service Committee