The Eisenhower Project
The Eisenhower Project draws its inspiration from President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s steadfast belief in disciplined defense strategy, technological innovation, and the careful stewardship of America’s military strength. Eisenhower was chosen as the namesake for this effort not only because he was one of our nation’s most respected commanders-in-chief, but also because of his clear-eyed understanding that true security requires both readiness and restraint. He warned against complacency, inefficiency, and the unchecked expansion of outdated defense priorities while championing the scientific and technological advances that would keep America safe in an uncertain world. In that spirit, the Eisenhower Project seeks to reorient our national defense posture toward the battlegrounds of the future. Rather than reducing military spending, this initiative aims to identify and eliminate ineffective or obsolete expenditures, ensuring that resources are directed toward the domains where tomorrow’s conflicts will be won. By investing boldly in transformative technologies we can maintain America’s edge and ensure that our men and women in uniform are equipped for the challenges ahead. Inspired by Eisenhower’s legacy of prudence, innovation, and strength, this project calls on us to shape a modern defense strategy that is agile, forward-looking, and worthy of the nation it protects.
Why Modernization Matters and Why It’s Underfunded
Many policymakers argue for large defense budgets under the assumption that American superiority is inevitable. But that’s a dangerous illusion. Without decisive shifts toward modernization, we risk falling behind competitors who are rapidly advancing their military capabilities.
China, for instance, continues investing heavily in technological systems from hypersonic weapons to quantum-enabled platforms that could undermine traditional U.S. advantages.
Russia, too, is pressing forward in key areas that demand our attention and innovation.
If we fail to adapt, we will be building a military ready for yesterday’s wars, a force weighed down by legacy platforms that don’t reflect the threats of tomorrow.
Eisenhower himself warned of the dangers of an unchecked military-industrial complex. The Eisenhower Project carries forward his legacy by demanding virtue and foresight: not a smaller military, but a smarter and more agile one.
Investing in Breakthrough Technologies
To secure our advantage, we propose a bold reallocation of resources, prioritizing:
Quantum computing — to revolutionize secure communications, sensing, and war-fighting architectures.
Artificial intelligence — for decision-making support, predictive maintenance, and autonomous systems.
Autonomous machines, such as drones and robotic systems — that can operate in contested environments, from the seabed to outer space.
Deep-sea and undersea capabilities — submarines, unmanned underwater vehicles, and infrastructure that project power below the waves.
Space-based defense and deterrence — satellites, missile-defense networks, and surveillance systems that guard America’s interests beyond the atmosphere.
These investments aren’t speculative. They reflect where future conflicts are most likely to occur and where the next generation of deterrence will be won or lost.
The threats are evolving, our defense strategy must too. Help us change that by supporting the Eisenhower Project today!
The Eisenhower Project: Defending the Future, Not Fighting the Past.
A New Strategic Vision for 21st-Century Defense
We face an era of unprecedented geopolitical change and our military must change with it. The Eisenhower Project recognizes that America’s security requires more than tradition, it demands transformation. Rather than build a force structured for yesterday’s wars, we must reallocate resources toward the battlegrounds of the future: cyberspace, the deep sea, and outer space.
Much of today’s defense budget remains tied up in legacy systems, platforms designed for Cold War-era conflicts. According to the DoD’s own financial reporting, operations and maintenance now consume a significantly larger share of spending than procurement. This imbalance limits our flexibility, forcing us to maintain expensive, aging systems instead of investing boldly in innovation.
At the same time, the Department of Defense’s FY 2024 budget request includes $143.2 billion for RDT&E (Research, Development, Test & Evaluation), underpinning investments in AI, 5G, and experimentation. While that is a strong commitment, it represents only a portion of the overall budget and too little flexibility remains when supplemental spending (such as for Ukraine or Israel) is required, driving costs higher through borrowing or temporary measures.
The Challenge of Budget Inflexibility
One of the most pressing weaknesses in our current defense posture is the lack of flexibility. Major conflicts such as the war in Ukraine, or extended support for allies like Israel, require supplemental appropriations that lie outside the DoD’s base budget. The result is a system that is reactive, borrowing-funded, and potentially unsustainable.
Rather than relying on emergency spending, the Eisenhower Project advocates for budget reforms that build flexibility into defense accounts. By modernizing budget structures now, we can ensure that emerging priorities are funded proactively without saddling future generations with debt.
Competing with Peer Adversaries
The United States is locked in a high-stakes technological and military competition with peer adversaries. China’s rapid modernization, especially in space, hypersonics, and quantum, demands that we respond not only with strength but with innovation. Russia, meanwhile, continues to invest in asymmetric capabilities that challenge our traditional force structure.
To defend our values and maintain our edge, we must wage this competition on multiple fronts:
Strategically, by deepening relationships with allies to build a coordinated, multilateral defense posture.
Technologically, by leading global innovation in defense-critical domains.
Institutionally, by reforming how the Pentagon budgets and spends to ensure that taxpayer dollars are used for lasting advantage, not status-quo maintenance.
America’s Strength Through Innovation and Integrity
At our core, we believe that a free society defends itself best by doing more than just preserving the past, it anticipates the future. Our strength does not come purely from weapons, but from our values: the open markets, civic institutions, and entrepreneurial spirit that power true innovation.
Through the Eisenhower Project, we can build a defense that is second to none, not by matching every dollar spent, but by using every dollar invested to shape the future. A military of unassailable strength, ready to deter and defend, rooted in the ideals that define America.