FDD is a Washington, DC-based nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.
FDD does not accept donations from any foreign governments.
Subscribe to FDD
Receive FDD's latest research and analysis
Trending Issues
Iran
Erdogan’s bigger plan: Is Turkey becoming the Middle East’s dominant power?
TV7 Israel News
Tehran using new offensive tactics
Daniel Davis / Deep Dive
China
Trump claims China and Russia not helping Iran ‘at all’
The Global Gambit
President Trump’s diesel deal with Russia
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins
October 1, 2026
2:00 pm
EVENT: Winning the Adoption War: Diffusing AI Across the U.S. Military
The United States leads the world in frontier artificial intelligence. However, cutting edge technology used by a limited number of people is a trophy, not a capability – and the contest with China will not be decided only at the frontier.
If the most sophisticated technology on earth reaches only a fraction of the force, how much advantage does it confer? How is the Pentagon moving from procuring AI to diffusing it across the force? What cultural and organizational changes does an “AI-first” military require? And how does the United States build and keep the technical talent inside government, turning tools into outcomes before its competitors close the gap?
To discuss these questions and others, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) hosts a conversation with FDD Visiting Military Fellow Major Megan “Napalm” Hainline, F-16 instructor pilot and AI leader; FDD Adjunct Fellow Isaac “Ike” Harris, executive director of the Frontier Security Institute; and Leah Siskind, FDD AI Research Fellow. The discussion will be moderated by RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation.
Featured Experts
Mark Dubowitz
Chief Executive
- Iran Sanctions
- Iran Human Rights
- Syria
- Iran Missiles
- Iran
- Iran Global Threat Network
- Hezbollah
- Iran-backed Terrorism
- Sanctions and Illicit Finance
- Cyber
- Iran Nuclear
RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery
CCTI Senior Director and Senior Fellow
Edmund Fitton-Brown
Senior Fellow
Bridget Toomey
Research Analyst
What they're saying
"Mr. Dubowitz’s campaign to draw attention to what he saw as the Iran nuclear deal's flaws has taken its place among the most consequential ever undertaken by a Washington think tank leader."
New York Times
“The Foundation for Defense of Democracies understands as well as anyone that we are now in an era, once again, of Great Power Competition, primarily with the Chinese Communist Party.”
Marco Rubio
U.S. Secretary of State and Acting National Security Advisor
"I would like to express my appreciation to the FDD for its long-term focus on Taiwan and for continuing to increase the attention paid to Taiwan’s defense and social resilience."
Lai Ching-te
President of Taiwan
“FDD is highly influential in the area of public policy … I would like to thank FDD for publishing numerous articles advocating for international support of Taiwan.”
Tsai Ing-wen
Former President of Taiwan
“Thank you for all of FDD’s work… it is so critical to our fight in the United States against terror and against those who seek to do us harm” … “[FDD has always] held Iran accountable for their continued nuclear activity and for their continued terror activity….which is key to America’s national security and our fight globally against terror, against Iran and its proxies, and against Hezbollah and Hamas and Palestinian Jihad.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ)
“What FDD puts out [in] the national and international conversation, … you really are … a repository of knowledge on so many critical issues.”
Mike Waltz
"Thank you to FDD…for the many, many years of great work that you’ve done. I've known the organization and relied on its expertise long before this conversation today."
Jessica Lewis
Former Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State
"I will tell you that FDD has been such a partner. Whether it is dealing with the Iran deal and the flaws that were in it, all the way to human shields and all the things that we need to do to combat it, you've been a partner in a time where we need partners. And so I appreciate that very much."
Amb. Nikki R. Haley
Former US Ambassador to the United Nations
“Nobody makes the case better than FDD that the Islamic Republic is a threat to the region, its own people and the U.S., and that it needs to be dealt with, not wished away.”
Wall Street Journal
Weekend Interview
“I would add my own thanks to the FDD and the Center on Military and Political Power for … showing how important it is that we are talking, both on the military and the civilian side, about the importance of being prepared to protect and advance our national security objectives. That's exactly the kind of conversations that we're seeking to help our European allies and partners have with their citizenry. Thank you.”
Amb. Kate Marie Byrnes
Civilian Deputy and Foreign Policy Advisor, U.S. European Command
"A record low for the reach of petrodollars: CIA & FDD fake news w/ selective AlQaeda docs re: Iran can't whitewash role of US allies in 9/11"
Javad Zarif
Iran's Former Foreign Minister
FDD's Long War Journal [is] the best source of public information on terrorism.
Michael Morell
former Acting and Deputy Director, Central Intelligence Agency
“The Foundation is making a difference across the world.”
George W. Bush
Former President
Overnight Brief: October 14, 2026
Read Full BriefToday In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
- Today at 8:30am (ET): "FDD Morning Brief," FDD Event
- "A most ignoble Nobel Peace Prize," The Washington Times
- "Mamdani Has a Global Ego," The Wall Street Journal
- "Russia’s Leading Sanctions Evasion Tool Is a New Kind of Illicit Finance Threat," FDD Policy Brief
- "Mental Health Support for Cyber Operators Is Critical to U.S. National Security," FDD Policy Brief
- "Lebanese security forces seize explosives shipment reportedly bound for Hezbollah in Beirut," FDD's Long War Journal
- "Iran targets Kurdish opposition groups in Iraq with new round of drone attacks," FDD's Long War Journal
The Must-Reads
- Netanyahu reportedly pressed Trump to renew Iran fighting before Israeli and US elections
- U.K. intelligence chief warns Iran is shifting plots to ‘harder targets’
- Ukraine says it received no intelligence about strikes 2 nights in a row
- Saudi energy giant struck as war spikes between Houthis and Saudi Arabia
- The Houthis are building an advanced missile with Chinese parts
- China says it is willing to work with EU to boost stability of trade ties
- U.S. defense startups flock to Taiwan to build China-free drones
- Kimberly Guilfoyle resigns as U.S. Ambassador to Greece
- WSJ Editorial: NATO’s message to Putin? ‘we will fight’
- WSJ Editorial: Why is Britain still appeasing Iran?
- Why U.S. airstrikes are failing to stop the global cocaine boom
- OpenAI engineer allegedly hid toilet paper-wrapped mic in conference room