As part of a long standing program of cooperation between the Perry Center and the Peruvian naval postgraduate school (Escuela Superior de Guerra Naval – ESUP), Dr. Luis Bitencourt gave a videoconference lecture on “Tomorrow’s Defense Challenges.” Throughout the VTC, Dr. Bitencourt invited the participants to think about defense challenges in a strategic environment that is changing at an increasingly fast pace. He posited that the very nature of the defense structures and concepts – especially within a democratic realm – imposes real difficulties on those responsible for planning and implementing national defenses. Drawing on historical events, he demonstrated that defense structures were often created in light of extraordinary events and unexpected threats. Finally, noting the close relationship between strategic planning and the future, he stressed that defense practitioners must identify and develop effective analytical tools aimed at producing a clearer sense of the strategic context, a critical evaluation of defense establishments to cope with current threats, and a reduction of uncertainties related to the future of their respective nation-states.