Joint Operating Environment - Joe 2035: The Joint Force in a Contested and Disordered World

What will the future of conflicts look like in 2035? The study Joint Operating Environment- JOE 2035: The Joint Force in a Contested and Disordered World looks into the future and tries to describe the circumstances that could change the security environment and the implications for the U.S., its interests, and allies. This study focuses first on two strategic challenges: Contested norms, where adversaries will challenge the rules and agreements of the current international order; and persistent disorder, where adversaries will exploit the inability of states to provide functioning and stable governance. It then continues with describing key trends, such as the changing world order in economic and military terms; human geography (population growth and migration); and developments in science and technology. These trends will shape the context of conflict, for example violent ideological competition, disruption of the global commons in open sea and space, and cyberspace attacks. This study ends with implications for how the U.S. should adapt and prepare for a wide range of very different security threats. Trend watchers, military buffs, journalists, and readers interested in how the world may change, should find this brief report very useful and interesting.