Empowering the Trans-Atlantic Defense Industrial Base
Increasing numbers of global conflicts characterized by rapid innovation cycles and vulnerable global supply chains have underscored the urgent need to strengthen the trans-Atlantic defense industrial base as strategic competition takes on new forms. Defense production capacity, workforce resilience, technological innovation, and transnational collaboration are central elements of strategic preparedness both nationally and across multinational allies and partners.
This special issue of Connections invites original research, commentary, and analysis that explores the challenges, opportunities, and strategic imperatives surrounding the trans-Atlantic defense industrial base. We seek contributions that examine the intersection of industrial policy, national security, technological innovation, defense acquisition, and multilateral coordination.
Relevant topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Defense production gaps and surge capacity challenges
- Industrial resilience and critical supply chain security
- Regulatory and policy frameworks (e.g., ITAR, export controls, procurement standards)
- Public-private partnerships in defense R&D and manufacturing
- NATO and EU initiatives on defense industrial cooperation
- Government-sponsored innovation initiatives, such as DIANA
- Risks, benefits, and incentives for dual-use technologies
- Innovation and dual-use technologies across the Atlantic
- Security of supply arrangements and co-production agreements
- Defense workforce development and human capital strategies
- Emerging tech ecosystems (e.g., AI, quantum, hypersonics) and trans-Atlantic alignment
- Interoperability and standardization in defense technologies and platforms
- Strategic dependencies on non-allied sources of raw materials and components
We invite authors to submit manuscripts in the range of 4,000 to 7,000 words, written in clear, accessible English for an informed audience of defense practitioners, policymakers, and scholars. Articles must be original and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. All submissions will undergo double-blind peer review and robust editing processes. Approved articles will be published online first and be citable; the full issue will appear in print in November 2025.
Submit to: connections@marshallcenter.org
Author guidelines and manuscript template: https://connections-qj.org/guide-authors
We welcome early submissions and informal inquiries from prospective authors.