This report finds that a transatlantic gap in softwaredefined defence (capability and doctrinal/operational) has already emerged. Compared to the Europeans, the US is more advanced in the technological, funding, planning, experimental and doctrinal aspects of software-defined defence. US software-defined defence is and will remain much more scalable and better funded than European efforts. However, the mounting challenges in the United States’ adoption of AI/ML in defence mean the transatlantic gap is relatively narrow, despite the scale and speed of US efforts. Therefore, it is our assessment that the transatlantic software-defined capabilities gap is still bridgeable in the medium to long term if the Europeans accelerate their efforts and muster the political will to fund the development of modern defence capabilities. The lessons learned from the ongoing war in Ukraine could be an important catalyst for
this transformation.