Essential Futures Synergy: Private Actors and Joint Functions in the Joint Operating Environment

As major corporations have increased their global reach, several have demonstrated the capability to affect decisions and outcomes like nation-states. Within the Department of Defense, joint concept development is traditionally anchored in a future operating environment assessment that focuses primarily on the ways in which armed adversaries will shape the future joint operating environment. The goal of this paper is to examine the role that these types of significant transnational actors should have in future joint operating environment studies and joint concepts.