MIDWEST DEFENSE FORUM

Ideas

Midwest Defense Forum scholars produce thought leadership on a weekly basis via publications, podcasts, speeches and other platforms.  Leading themes include the necessity of defense tech innovation, the Midwest’s manufacturing capabilities for both hard tech (ships) and software, the changing geopolitical landscape and America’s role in the world.

GALLAGHER RECORD

Navy unveils "ShipOS" with Palantir to speed up shipbuilding

America’s Heartland is postured to do its part by contributing to the arsenal of democracy, the breadbasket of democracy and the circuitry of democracy—what might be called “the ABCs of national security.”
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The ABCs of National Security

America’s Heartland is postured to do its part by contributing to the arsenal of democracy, the breadbasket of democracy and the circuitry of democracy—what might be called “the ABCs of national security.”
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Mike Gallagher at Future of Defense Conference

MDF chair and Palantir Head of Defense Mike Gallagher was interviewed by Axios co-founder Mike Allen on the future of American Defense.
Watch the interview

The New Security Blueprint

Sagamore Fellows Dr. Jerry Hendrix and Alan Dowd offer a bold vision for renewing U.S. national security, calling for smart engagement, a revitalized defense base, and united action against rising global threats.
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Silent Swarm on Lake Huron

Dr. Jerry Hendrix appeared on the John Batchelor Show to discuss the 2024 Silent Swarm exercise on Lake Huron.
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Mike Gallagher and Dr. Jerry Hendrix Discuss Building Ships on Lake Michigan

As US Rep for NE Wisconsin, Mike Gallagher was instrumental in landing a $5 billion contract for Marinette Marine to build the Navy’s new frigate. Sagamore senior fellow Dr. Jerry Hendrix was instrumental in helping the Pentagon form a strategy to manufacture the new ship designed to be a smaller, more adaptable surface combatant.
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Heartland Contributions to the Arsenal of Democracy

From the frontlines to the home front, the Midwest is stepping up for our national security.
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GALLAGHER MAKES THE CASE THAT THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE TO VICTORY

On May 16, 2024, Hudson Institute announced the former US Rep. Mike Gallagher would be joining the think tank as a Distinguished Senior Fellow. Hudson CEO John Walters interviewed Mike hosted Mike for a conversation about his congressional leadership and his ideas about there is no substitute for victory in America’s great powers competition with China.
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The US Military Must Go Hypersonic

Dr. Jerry Hendrix examines a relatively new program focused on the rapid development of hypersonic glide vehicles.
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From Russia to Iran: Sagamore scholars discuss national security challenges the U.S. and its allies now face

The Sagamore Institute's Alan Dowd and Dr. Jerry Hendrix discuss national security priorities, Ukraine, and authoritarian alliances.
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Measuring & Modeling Naval Presence

Sagamore Institute Senior Fellow Dr. Jerry Hendrix quantifies the strategic and economic impact of forward-deployed naval forces—making a compelling case for sustained American maritime leadership in an era of global uncertainty.
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The New Security Blueprint​

Written by Sagamore Institute Senior Fellows Alan Dowd and Dr. Jerry Hendrix, this collection of essays carves out a pathway to renew U.S. national security by embracing the time-tested wisdom of peace through strength, emphasizing the need for sustained and smart American engagement, recognizing the dangers of a hollowed-out defense industrial base, digging into the nature of the threats posed by China and Russia, and emphasizing the need to bring the Free World together to face down those threats.
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An All-Hands-on-Deck, All-of-America, All-of-the-Above Approach to Deter China

To counter China, America needs to expand not only its maritime capabilities, but also its understanding of what defines the fleet and how to deter the enemy.
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Julius Krein Emerges as a Key Voice in America’s Strategic Reorientation

Bloomberg highlights Julius Krein as a leading voice shaping “America’s Next Ideology,” with defense industrial strategy at the heart of the conversation.
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Sunk at the Pier: Crisis in the American Submarine Industrial Base​

With the potential for a hot war with China looming over America’s strategic future, the minds of U.S. defense planners increasingly turn with calm confidence to the Navy’s submarine force. Sub­marines—quiet, stealthy, and loaded with lethal combinations of mis­siles, torpedoes, and mines—can penetrate deep into the Pacific’s first and second island chains, negating Chinese investments in so-called anti-access/area denial weapons.
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Mike Gallagher Joins Palantir as Head of Defense

Mike Gallagher appears on the CNBC Squawk Box show with Andrew Ross Sorkin to explain how his new role at Palantir will advance his career long commitment to defending American and how the private sector can prevent WW III.
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Restoring Our Maritime Strength

The “first hundred days” myth has had a hold on American politics ever since Franklin Roosevelt’s first inauguration. In March 1933, the president summoned Congress to a three-month special session in which it passed 15 major bills to correct the downward trends of the Great Depression. Nearly every Democratic president to succeed him, and even a handful of Republicans, has tried to recapture the magic of FDR’s accomplishment. As the nation confronts numerous threats amid a deteriorating security environment, that magic is needed more than ever.
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