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April 16, 2026
Strategic Blind Spots, Planning for the Unexpected, and Black Swan Capabilities

How must the Department of Defense and the Special Operations Enterprise implement blind spot analysis, strategic forecasting models, and flexible public-private partnerships to identify emerging technological disruptions and prevent cognitive failures during unexpected "black swan"
April 16, 2026
Emerging, Asymmetric, and Non-State Cyber Threats

How must the United States and the Joint Force adapt their cyber defense postures to counter an increasingly complex threat landscape comprising emerging state adversaries, hacktivist collectives influencing geopolitical conflicts, and foreign terrorist organizations leveraging commercial
April 16, 2026
Operationalizing Irregular Warfare: How to Conduct Long-Term and Transregional Irregular Warfare Campaigns

How can USSOCOM best support the global, long-term requirements of irregular warfare campaigning for joint all-domain operations and the joint warfighting concept, given that the current DoD structure is primarily organized for regional, large-scale combat?
April 15, 2026
Personnel and Career Fields in the USSF

How must the U.S. Space Force model its personnel accessions to sustain future senior leadership, evaluate retention drivers against commercial sector opportunities, and determine whether to establish a dedicated "Space Maintenance" career field and fully transition critical acquisition
April 15, 2026
Strategic Sabotage/Irregular Warfare

How should special operations forces optimize their irregular warfare capabilities, including strategic sabotage, to proactively disrupt peer adversaries across all instruments of national power below the threshold of armed conflict in the mid-twenty-first century?
April 15, 2026
Cyberspace Awareness and Exploiting Internet-of-Things (IoT) Operations Sensors

How can the Air Force leverage fortuitously placed Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices and non-traditional physical sensors, integrated with cyber-surveillance and reconnaissance, to overcome physical access barriers, enhance cyberspace situational awareness, and streamline data integration into staff
April 15, 2026
Command and Control (C2) in Space and JADO Integration

How must the United States military evolve its organizational architecture and unify military and civilian command and control networks to seamlessly integrate the Space Force into Joint All-Domain Operations and ensure operational resiliency during a space conflict?
April 15, 2026
Distinct Maintenance Principles and Facility Standards for ICBMs vs. Aircraft

How must the Air Force differentiate maintenance principles and facility standards for Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) from those of conventional aircraft, and what approaches ensure these unique operational and nuclear security requirements are properly accounted for in maintenance
April 15, 2026
How Does SOF Conduct Deliberate and Dynamic Targeting as a Function in Large-Scale Combat Operations

Drawing on their historical success with strategic and mobile targets beyond conventional capabilities, what is the specific role for SOF in conducting fires to achieve effects on priority targets within the modern frameworks of large-scale combat operations, JADO, and the joint warfighting concept?
April 15, 2026
Era of Nuclear Proliferation: Impacts on Global Conflict, Foreign Militaries, and U.S. Deterrence

How must the United States re-evaluate its national security policy, force projection capabilities, and the viability of its extended nuclear deterrence in response to the changing dynamics of regional conflict and foreign military programs driven by global nuclear proliferation?