- Cyber Security Leadership
- May 28, 2025
Why Software Is Reshaping Global Warfare
Insights on software-defined warfare from the Atlantic Council
The New Battlefield: Software as Strategic Advantage
The future of military power depends on how fast countries can develop, adopt, and integrate software. The United States is behind. China is accelerating. And this shift changes everything from procurement to national security.
Inside the Atlantic Council’s Report
An Atlantic Council commission on software defined warfare illuminates the importance of software in future warfare. The report, which was co-chaired by former US Secretary of Defence Mark T. Esper, former Acting Deputy Secretary of Defence Christine Fox, and President of Purdue University Mung Chiang, took more than a year to produce and includes interviews with over sixty distinguished subject-matter and industry experts.
Key findings in the report, according to Axios’s Colin Demarest, are:
Outpaced by Innovation
The U.S. military remains moored to an acquisition system “ill-suited to the rapid tempo of modern technological innovation,” a status quo that puts the United States “at significant risk,” according to the report.
The Expertise Gap
The Department of Defence (DoD) lacks “sufficient software expertise,” which limits its ability to leverage “critical technology areas including AI, autonomy, and cyber,” the report states.
Bridging the Divide
While long-term reforms are needed across the software and cyber domains, the report says the United States must pursue “near-term, high-impact initiatives to bridge” the current gap and “re-establish the U.S.’s advantage,” especially as Beijing accelerates efforts to dominate the digital domain.
Connecting the Dots
The report recommends that each U.S. military branch — Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Marine Corps — appoint a program executive office to oversee how disparate technologies communicate and integrate.
Buy, Don’t Build
The report also advises that the DoD should prioritize buying commercial software rather than building it. “When the DoD decides to develop custom software, this often leads to higher costs, longer schedules, and increased risks,” the authors wrote.
The Software Cadre
The DoD also needs a software cadre. This will require recruiting hundreds of specialists to serve, not only in the services’ headquarters, but also in the operational commands (COCOMs).
The bottom line is the U.S. DoD has made some decent progress on software adoption, but it’s still doing it in siloed fiefdoms and not always with broader, more strategic outcomes in mind. In a world of robots, autonomous weapons and global supply chains, conflicts will be swayed by the team that refreshes its code quicker and shares its information more accurately.
Japan’s Digital Defence Evolution: Speed, Sovereignty, and Alliances
This global shift toward software-defined warfare holds particular significance for Japan. As the U.S.-Japan security alliance deepens, Japan is simultaneously overhauling its own defence posture, prioritising speed, agility, and domestic innovation. Reforms at the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) aim to streamline procurement and accelerate integration of advanced technologies, while the establishment of new R&D hubs and initiatives like the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) reflect a more assertive role in next-generation defence collaboration.
For policymakers and industry leaders alike, these developments underscore Japan’s strategic intent to remain interoperable with allied forces while also cultivating sovereign capabilities in AI, autonomy, and software-centric defence systems.
Why Software Is the Future of National Security
In sum, software-defined warfare is not theoretical — it’s reshaping defence strategy, readiness, and allied cooperation. As the U.S. tackles systemic software challenges, allies like Japan are accelerating modernisation. National security now hinges on agile, software-driven ecosystems where cyber resilience is as vital as firepower.
Build Cyber Resilience with NCD’s Strategic Expertise
At Nihon Cyber Defence (NCD), we work at the intersection of national policy, advanced technology, and operational insight. Whether you’re in government, critical infrastructure, or industry, we can help you navigate this shift and build cyber capabilities that are future-ready.
Get in touch to learn how NCD can support your software-centric defence strategy. Contact Us
Senior Executive Advisor @ Nihon Cyber Defence
With decades of elite military and intelligence leadership, Powers is the COO of Sentinel Executive, professor, and expert in national security and cybernetics.
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